The Profoto A10: a round-head flash that travels

Most speedlights fire through a small rectangular tube, which is why bare on-camera flash so often looks harsh and a little cheap. The Profoto A10 starts from a different shape: a round head. That single design choice gives it a smoother, more natural falloff than a typical rectangular speedlight — closer to what you get from Profoto's larger studio strobes. Add built-in AirTTL and the same Air system the big lights use, and the A10 becomes the small flash that fits into a real Profoto workflow instead of fighting it.

What the A10 is

The A10 is a compact, battery-powered on-camera flash — a speedlight — that also works off-camera on a stand. It mounts in your camera's hot shoe, runs on its own rechargeable battery, and has Profoto's Air radio built in. The specs that matter on a fast-moving day:

The point of the A10 isn't raw power — at small-flash output it won't overpower the sun like a B-series strobe. The point is integration and ease. It speaks the same Air language as the rest of the shelf, so an A10 in the hot shoe can trigger and balance against a B10X or a D2 on a stand from a single system. Its LED can double as autofocus assist on mirrorless bodies, and TTL gets you a workable exposure on the first frame when there's no time for test pops.

Why creators reach for it

On-camera flash that doesn't look like it

Bounce the A10's round head off a ceiling or wall at a reception or a corporate event and the light wraps gently, with a softer transition into shadow than a hard rectangular flash gives you. For run-and-gun coverage where you can't set stands, that natural quality is the whole reason to choose it over a generic speedlight.

It scales off the camera

Lift the A10 off the hot shoe onto a stand and it becomes a genuine off-camera light. Our kit ships as two heads with four batteries and a charger, so you can run a small two-light portrait or product setup — key and rim — entirely on Profoto's Air system, then collapse it back into a bag. It's the most packable way to get a controlled two-light look on location.

One system, small to large

Because the A10 lives on the same Air channel as the strobes, you're never running two incompatible flash systems. Start an event with an A10 on-camera, then add a B10X on a stand for portraits later in the night, all triggered together. (We also rent the A1 for Nikon if that's your body.)

Shaping the light

The A10 takes Profoto's CLIC click-on modifiers — small shapers made for the round head — and you can also bounce it into the room or off larger surfaces:

• CLIC Dome Diffuser — softens and spreads the output for flattering, even coverage.
• CLIC Creative Color Gels — warm the light or add a color accent for mood.
• Bounce Card — kicks a soft catchlight and a touch of fill when you're bouncing.
• Bare or bounced — straight off a ceiling or wall for natural, ambient-feeling light.

How it actually shoots an event

The A10's sweet spot is the kind of fast, unpredictable coverage where you can't pre-light anything — a reception, a conference floor, a launch party. The workflow that works there: leave it in TTL while the light and your distance to people keep changing, let it meter each frame on the fly, and shoot. When you settle into a spot with consistent light — a backdrop for portraits, a step-and-repeat — lock the exposure or flip to manual so every frame matches. Recycling in the half-second range at typical event output means it's ready between handshakes, and the battery lasts the night with a spare in your pocket. Because it bounces beautifully off a round head, you spend the evening reading the room for a wall or ceiling to throw light into, not babysitting a stand.

When to rent it

An A10 is small and affordable, but renting still makes sense when:

• You want a matched pair for a packable two-light setup without buying two flashes.
• You're already on Profoto Air and want an on-camera light that triggers with your strobes.
• The job is occasional — a few events or location portrait days a year.
• You're booking the studio — add a couple of A10s as accent lights to the reservation.

Our A10 kit (Canon) includes two heads, four batteries, and a charger; single A10 heads are available, along with the A1 for Nikon and the CLIC modifiers above.