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The AcuteB Head to Acute2 Pack Defusenik

Profoto Triptych: AcuteB head w/fuse slot, fuse, and AcuteB batteries. Click to enlarge.
Profoto Triptych: AcuteB head w/fuse slot, fuse, and AcuteB batteries. Click to enlarge.

This happened on a shoot late last year, thought I’d pass it along. There are probably others like me who own both Profoto AcuteB and Acute2 packs and heads. Great kits, you can use all of the same modifiers, but despite having the same cable-to-pack connectors you cannot interchange the heads.

The AcuteB 600 packs take the Profoto AcuteB head and the Acute2 packs take the Profoto D4 heads. Pretty simple but they’re all black, they all look to have the same cables, and with the same connector… an assistant unfamiliar with the packs plugged an AcuteB head into an Acute2 pack. What you get is the light starting up, the modeling light dims, and with a pop goes out. The good news is that the head will still fire as a strobe on the proper pack (an AcuteB) but the modeling light no longer works.

Assuming it was the bulb I bought a new one from B&H. No go, still no modeling light. I called an authorized repair shop who said I would have to leave it and mumbled Profoto, expensive, and shipping as a warning. I then called Mamiya (aka MAC Group, Profoto’s US distributor), explained the situation and they said, “It’s probably just the fuse.” Swapping out fuses with a working AcuteB head showed that to be case. I was advised to call the Parts Dept. and they would hook me up.

The AcuteB head takes an odd ceramic fuse made by SIBA. You are not going to be able to waltz into a hardware store and get one. Fearing the worst in terms of prices, I called the Parts Dept. but was relieved to hear, “That’ll be $3.25 per fuse. Shipping is free. How many do you want?” Chalk it up to be the most inexpensive Profoto piece of kit or part ever.

A side note: the AcuteB batteries which cost about $275 each – you can swap out the battery for only $45 and reuse the cassette tray from the old battery.

Profoto Professional Division @ Mamiya America Corp.: 914-347-3300 and ask for the Parts Dept.