“Eliminate your large noisy gas generators and old fashioned humongous inverters,” says Photogenic, the American lighting manufacturer. Why? The company’s new lightweight battery inverter, the Photogenic Ion, is now shipping.
The pack comprises an 8.8Ah lithium ion battery, a pure sine wave inverter and two 120V AC sockets, designed to power studio lights on photo-shoots where mains power is not available. There is also a USB port for charging mobile devices. Photogenic describes its product as a “powerful, lightweight get outta town AC power supply”.
The Photogenic Ion, at 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) is a lighter battery inverter than some of its rivals, including the much heavier Dynalite XP-800 (14 lbs) and Tronix Explorer XT Mini (11 lbs). However it is not quite as powerful either: with a continuous rating of just 120 watts you won’t be running many fans or constant lights with this thing.
Included with each Ion kit is the inverter itself, one battery, the charger, a carrying strap and a clamp to attach it to a light stand. Extra batteries, weighing two pounds each, are available separately. For more information including full specs and a PDF of the instruction manual visit the Photogenic Ion product page.
Until the end of this week (31 March), a $25 mail-in rebate brings the price down from $399 to $374. The Ion is available for pre-order from Adorama, B&H Photo and other Photogenic dealers with deliveries to customers expected on 1 April 2013.