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Like Broncolor, Godard, and Speedotron, Elinchrom is a pro's brand of strobe -- rugged, reliable, and powerful, with a price to match. But this affordable new model is the company's first entry-level studio strobe. Unusually compact and weighing well under three pounds, the D-Lite is available in 200- and 400-watt-second versions, and accepts all Elinchrom light modifying accessories.

Most D-Lite features are pretty standard in a good strobe, but what's unusual is their sheer number. The unit has power adjustments in tenths of stops, a proportional modeling light, an optical slave, and a built-in, multi-voltage transformer (230- or 110-volt) for seamless international use. One unexpected and helpful feature is that the D-Lite accepts common household bulbs as modeling lights.

The control panels are also a cinch to navigate. That's all well and good, but what really won us over were the rugged-but-svelt carrying cases for multi-head D-Lite kits. If there's a more attractive case in all of photography, we haven't seen it. Two-light kits include stands, reflectors, and, of course, the case. Under $900 for two-light kit (compare prices).

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