Elinchrom
Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head
$1249.95
Best Studio Strobes · head-to-head
Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head vs Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit is cheaper at $529.95. Every spec and price links to its source.
Paul C. Buff
Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit
$529.95Cheaper
Which is better: the Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head or Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit is the cheaper at $529.95.
See Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head on Amazon See Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit on Amazon
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head | Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $1249.95 | $529.95 |
| Brand | Elinchrom | Paul C. Buff |
| Released | — | — |
| Power output ws | 500 | 640 |
| Flash duration t01 | as fast as 1/20000 sec in Action mode; 1/3400 sec best case in Normal mode | 1/568 sec at full power (Constant Color mode, t0.5 1/1600 sec); as fast as ~1/2000 sec (t0.1) at half power in Action Mode |
| Recycle time s | 0.05-2 | 0-1.7 |
| Ttl hss support | TTL (Canon, Nikon, Sony via Elinchrom EL-Skyport); HSS to 1/8000s | Manual only — no TTL, no camera-side HSS. Fires via CyberSync radio triggers or optical slave; Action Mode shortens flash duration for motion-freezing rather than providing sync-pulse HSS. |
| Modeling lamp (W) | — | — |
| Color temperature k | — | 5600 |
| Power source | Removable 14.4V/5Ah (72Wh) lithium-ion battery (up to 400 full-power flashes, supports charging while in use); AC input 100-240V, 50/60Hz | AC only (100-240V, 3-wire grounded, auto-sensing with IEC connector); no battery option |
Sources — Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head: us.elinchrom.com (verified 2026-08-09). Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit: s196259524.onlinehome.us (verified 2026-08-09).
What's the difference between the Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head and Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- Power output ws: Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head 500 vs Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit 640
- Flash duration t01: Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head as fast as 1/20000 sec in Action mode; 1/3400 sec best case in Normal mode vs Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit 1/568 sec at full power (Constant Color mode, t0.5 1/1600 sec); as fast as ~1/2000 sec (t0.1) at half power in Action Mode
- Recycle time s: Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head 0.05-2 vs Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit 0-1.7
- Ttl hss support: Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head TTL (Canon, Nikon, Sony via Elinchrom EL-Skyport); HSS to 1/8000s vs Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit Manual only — no TTL, no camera-side HSS. Fires via CyberSync radio triggers or optical slave; Action Mode shortens flash duration for motion-freezing rather than providing sync-pulse HSS.
- Power source: Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Power Pack & Head Removable 14.4V/5Ah (72Wh) lithium-ion battery (up to 400 full-power flashes, supports charging while in use); AC input 100-240V, 50/60Hz vs Paul C. Buff Einstein E640 Flash Unit AC only (100-240V, 3-wire grounded, auto-sensing with IEC connector); no battery option