How fast is the B1 off-camera flash in comparison to the D1 monolight? Can I, for instance, freeze water with the B1?

Yes, you can! At full power, the B1 has a longer flash duration than the D1 500. But contrary to the D1, the B1’s flash duration shortens when you dial down the power. At one f-stop below full power, the B1’s flash duration is equal to D1’s. Turn it further down and the B1 will have a significantly shorter flash duration. At the lowest power setting, you’ll have a flash duration of 1/19,000 of a second! So yes, you can easily freeze water with the B1! If you want to take a closer look at how the flash duration changes depending on the power setting and the Freeze Mode setting, there’s a chart available in the B1 user guide. Click here to download the B1X user guide.