When describing the aptly-named 400Ws Astral Extreme AS-X-400 Monolight from Impact the operative word is speed. The light is designed so you'll never miss a shot while waiting for it to recycle. Recycling time is a fast 0.4 seconds at full power, flash duration is an impressive 1/5,000 of a second, and continuous shooting speed can reach a rapid-fire 10 frames per second. This strong emphasis on speed makes the Astral Extreme a smart choice for fashion and event shooting and since it's fast enough to capture almost any movement at its peak, it's ideal for high-speed photography. You can even bring the Astral Extreme on location, powering it from a generator or inverter if there's no AC power available.
Easy might be the next way to describe AS-X-400. Adjustments are easily made on the light's back panel which incorporates a carry handle. Soft push buttons control the modeling light, ready beep, and optical slave on/off function. The slave allows you set Instant-Fire or Skip Pre-flash modes and trigger the flash head at distances up to 33'. You can also hard wire the AS-X-400 to your camera via the included 1/4" phono sync cord, or easier still, use an optional wireless radio system such as Impact's ControlSync 16 to trigger the flash from up to 150' away and remotely control its power, modeling and audible alert.
The Astral Extreme's power level, which is adjustable in 1/10 stops over a 6 stop range is displayed on an easy-to-read LCD screen. Both power and modeling lamp intensity are adjustable via simple knobs. The 150W modeling light dims when the flash is triggered while a switchable beep indicates full recycling.
A handy feature of the AS-X-400 is the adjustable mounting bracket that allows you to find the center of gravity for better balance when using heavy front accessories such as large softboxes. A built-in receiver can support umbrella shafts up to 8mm and umbrellas up to 7' in diameter. The speedring/reflector mount is S-type, providing you with a wide range of choices, not only from Impact but from the many manufacturers who have standardized on this mount. Impact includes a reflector that accepts 7" grids.