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Can I change the flashtube by myself on my Profoto unit?

Modified on Wed, 13 Dec, 2023 at 11:06 AM

You can exchange flashtube and the modeling light on selected units. See instruction videos below.

How the lifetime of your product is affected

The capacitor, the power unit and the panel board are key components in your Profoto flash. The capacitor is the most critical component, and a result of failure could lead to affected power unit and power boards.


How many flashes is your Profoto flash designed for?

There is no clear answer to this as the capacitors functionality and longevity is a function of how much thermal heat the capacitor is exposed for over time. If you are using your Profoto flash in a studio with +30C/86F and shooting with the highest energy setting seven days per week then the lifetime for your flash (capacitors) will be shorter compared to if you are using your flash in other environments at 18C/73F at 50% of the energy setting.  


The flashtube is the key component to secure consistent colors and flash power stability. Check your flash tube on a regular basis to avoid deviations in the color temperature. The best way to do this, is to biweekly take a photo, using the flash, of a grey scale which you then measure and compare the results over time.

For the D2 Industrial  make sure to check the flash counter which will inform you when it’s time to change the flash tube based on the number of triggered flashes.  


In addition to the flashtube, the modelling light creates a lot of heat and to increase the lifetime it should be turned off when not needed.

Increase the life of your Profoto flash

To increase the life of your Profoto flash, check the color temperature of your Profoto flash with regularity and change the flash tube when it starts to deviate from your defined color temperature. In addition, in order to improve the life of your Profoto flash; 


  • Before you start using your flash connect the AC power to the unit and wait for 45 seconds to soft start for the capacitors. 
  • Keep your working environment as dust clean as possible, the harder you work your Profoto flash the more the cooling fan will work resulting in more dust coming into the flash unit. 
  • Make sure that the product gets the best possible cooling. Make sure that the fanis working, and that the product is cleaned from dust so that the air flows  This applies to both flash heads and generators.
  • Turn off the modelling light when it´s not needed.

    Changing flashtube on Profoto D2




    Changing flashtube on Profoto Head Plus



    Changing the modeling lamp on Profoto D2

    Changing the modeling lamp on Profoto ProHead Plus




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