Introducing the Profoto Spot Small: Precision Light-Shaping for the Modern Studio
If your studio lighting system is due a refresh and you’re looking to raise your creative game, the new Profoto Spot Small is exactly the sort of tool that earns its keep. It brings a level of control and finesse that’s difficult to achieve with standard reflectors, grids or softboxes alone.
At AJ’s, we work with studios every day who need consistent, reliable and genuinely versatile lighting. The Spot Small fits that brief perfectly – especially for e-commerce, product, portrait and creative work where small adjustments make a big difference.
Why the Spot Small matters
Profoto already have a hard-earned reputation for producing the best lighting tools in the business, and the Spot Small follows that tradition. At its heart is a high-quality 115 mm focusable optical lens, engineered to project a clean, artefact-free beam of light. That means when you’re working on crisp product shots, dramatic portraits or fine-art set-ups, the Spot Small gives you the sort of control you simply don’t get from more general-purpose modifiers.
The 360° vented housing is designed for everyday professional use, so it’s quite at home in a busy e-commerce studio running long days. It’s built to be used, not just admired.
What this tool gives you
The Spot Small isn’t just a “nice extra”. It’s a proper working tool designed to give you absolute control over where your light goes – and where it doesn’t.
- 115 mm focusable optical lens – project a tight, clean beam with visible precision, ideal for specular highlights, controlled pools of light and crisp edges.
- Integrated metal leaf blades – shape your beam into slits, rectangles or tapered wedges of light without the spill you’d expect from standard reflectors.
- Magnetic Clic front ring – attach Profoto Clic Gels, Clic Grids and Clic Dome in seconds for colour work, contrast control and extra shaping.
- Optional Iris and Gobo Holder included – tighten the beam even further or project patterns and textures (gobos themselves are sourced separately).
- 100 mm head compatibility – works with both protruded and flat-front Profoto heads (up to 200 W continuous), so it drops straight into most modern Profoto systems.
For busy studios – especially those handling high-volume product, fashion or brand work – these features translate directly into cleaner images, less retouching and a more repeatable workflow.
Where the Spot Small really shines
The Spot Small comes into its own wherever precise control is more important than broad coverage.
- E-commerce and product – carve out neat rim-lights on bottles, pick out branding on labels, or create a soft pool of light behind a product without washing out the whole background.
- Portrait and fashion – add clean hair-lights, slashes of light across clothing or theatre-style highlights that feel deliberate and polished.
- Brand and campaign work – use gobos to project logos, window-light effects or textured backgrounds that give your imagery a distinctive look.
- Fine-art and editorial – control contrast and shape in a way that simply isn’t possible with broader, softer sources alone.
As lighting technology moves on – faster recycling, better consistency, smarter modifiers – tools like the Spot Small help keep your studio a step ahead rather than just keeping up.
Questions you might be asking
What makes the Spot Small different from standard reflectors or grids?
It’s an optical projector rather than a simple reflector. The focusable lens and internal blades give you a tight, clean beam with very precise edges, so you can place light exactly where you want it instead of accepting a broad pool of spill.
Which Profoto heads can I use it with?
It’s designed for Profoto 100 mm heads, both flat-front and protruded – including the latest Pro-D3 and Pro-B3, as well as established favourites such as the D2, B1X and B10-series (with the appropriate mount where needed).
Can I use gels or grids?
Yes. The magnetic Clic front ring means you can attach Profoto Clic Gels, Clic Grids and Clic Dome in seconds, so you can adjust colour, contrast and spread without reaching for extra stands or flags.
Is it suited to long studio days?
Very much so. The vented housing is built to manage heat during regular professional use. As with any optical spot, you’ll work within the recommended flash and continuous-light limits, but it’s intended for real, day-to-day studio workloads.
Can I project gobos and patterns?
Yes – the supplied Gobo Holder accepts standard M-size gobos, allowing you to project patterns, textures and logo shapes. Gobos themselves are sourced separately, which keeps the system flexible.
If there’s something specific you’d like to achieve with the Spot Small, do get in touch – we’re always happy to talk through real-world use cases.
Quick specification overview
- Type: Optical projection spot for Profoto 100 mm heads
- Lens: Focusable 115 mm high-quality optical lens
- Beam: Clean, artefact-free beam with a native narrow angle (tightened further via Iris)
- Control: Four integrated metal blades, Iris and Gobo Holder included (no gobos supplied)
- Front ring: Magnetic Clic interface for gels, grids and dome
- Build: Robust metal housing with 360° ventilation, designed for everyday professional use
- Compatibility: Profoto flat and protruded 100 mm heads, up to 200 W continuous light
Two simple setups to try with the Spot Small
1. Product highlight – precision rim for bottles and cosmetics
Purpose: Create a clean rim-light down the edge of a bottle or product for e-commerce imagery.
Setup:
Camera directly in front. A large softbox acts as the key light, just to the front-left of the product, angled down. The Spot Small sits behind and slightly to the right of the product, focused to create a thin strip of light on the far edge. A white card on the opposite side gently lifts the shadows.
Result: Crisp separation and shape without blowing out the background – very tidy on white, grey or coloured sweeps and ideal for web-ready imagery.
2. Portrait accent – clean edge light for drama
Purpose: Add a controlled, cinematic highlight along one side of the subject.
Setup:
A softbox or umbrella key sits in front and slightly to the left of the subject. The Spot Small is placed high and slightly behind on the right, blades adjusted to form a vertical strip of light that grazes the hair and shoulder. A small reflector on the left keeps the shadows from going too deep.
Result: A very deliberate, polished look with a defined edge light and minimal spill, ideal for branding portraits and editorial work.
Ready to see what the Profoto Spot Small can do?
Whether you’re running a high-volume e-commerce studio or building a flexible creative space, the Spot Small is a genuinely useful addition to your Profoto system. If you’d like to talk through how it might work in your set-up, we’re always happy to chat.
View the Spot Small at AJ’s Email us your questions
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