Possibly OT - So out of curiosity Ed - what made you swap?
I must admit I covet the Quadra's - so small - not sure I'm a fan of the requirement for the speedring adaptor but....so small.
Mind you - I also covet the speed of the Einstein compared to my current flash set.
Cost of light modifiers for Elinchrom is somewhat higher than AB/Einstein.
Main factor was the power from the Ranger RX. (1100ws)
Then in no particular order
- einstieins delayed indefinately
- big range of lights in the elinchrom range for me to grow and expand in to
Yeah elinchrom modifiers cost crapload more than Alien Bee ones put two together and you'll see the difference in materials used. You can also get generic softboxes from ebay etc to fit elinchrom if you want to ease the initial spend.
Alien Bees are a great way to get in to studio flashes on a budget but if you plan on shooting outdoors a bit I think the Quadra/RX system better suits location work.
The Quadra A head is like 1/6000 t.5 time and I think the 2 A head "To Go" kit is 2.3k with carry case, umbrella etc.
Although I haven't used either kit, I've certainly been looking into both for a long time now, I doubt you can beat the Alien Bees stuff for value for money if LOCATION shooting is your thing. The Vagabonds are really quite cheap, and light, and the power of the AB lights is quite OK for most applications although 640WS is not up there with the RX or other high end gear. However, there is no way the AB's can really compare with more expensive gear like the RX's if you really need that kind of power (although you could use 2 AB heads in one Vagabond and have more power than the RX, and still for much less than the cost of a single Ranger RX). Personally I would love to pick up probably 3 Ranger RX kits but in reallity I can't justify the cost so will ulimately buy 2 or 3 Vagabonds (or maybe the Innovatronix) and probably 3 Einsteins.
Once you start looking at gear in the power and price range of the Ranger RX's, Bowens have some nice options too, you start needing to justify some serious financial outlay. Broncolor is another story again. Many can afford that kind of gear but not me. I think that's why Paul Buff has done so well in the market, supplying a very good product at a much better price.
I've hired the Broncolor Mobil A2R (1200Ws) packs and heads in the past. These are a $4.5 to $6K kit. This really is the high end of portable lighting (although you could hire a big generator and use a Broncolor Scoro A4S 3200 W/S Pack if you really wanted to go all the way). To be honest, I couldn't see the value in the Broncolor Mobil A2R and I would never shell out for it (maybe fashion 'togs would appreciate it more than I do, better colour consistency which doesn't matter to me). On the other hand, if I had the dough, and the assistants to lug it around, I'd buy the Broncolor Scoro A4S 3200 W/S Pack, and a generator, in a heart beat.
Check this out for an amazing demo of what the ScoroA4S is capable of.
http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/200...bed-photo.html
JJ
Last edited by jjphoto; 01-03-2010 at 10:32pm.
Has anyone got info on Einsteins hitting Australian shores as yet?
Been on backorder whats seems like forever ...
Still considering to jump on a portable set up, either a Ranger Quadra kit or einstein w/vagabond.
Cant decide! Einsteins are still good value for money.
Nick
Gear:
Nikon D700
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 - Nikon 50mm f/1.8
Nikon SB-600 - SB-800 - SB-28
Some Strobist Gear
I came within a millmeter of pulling the trigger on a Quadra kit last night ... restrained myself though (for once)
Hi Im Darren
www.darrengrayphotography.com
SONY A850 (FF)] + GRIP | SONY A350 (APS-C) + GRIP | SONY NEX-5 +16 2.8 + 18-55 E-MOUNT LENSES | CZ 85 1.4 | 50 1.4 | 28-75 2.8 | 70-200 2.8 | 2 x 42AMs | 24" imac | LR | CS4 | + loads of other junk
I've used ehor's RX set and it makes me cry that I don't have more money (well, more the fact that the wife says no). Very nice gear, I can't get my speedlights looking anywhere near as good as those.
220-240v Einsteins delayed indefinitely ..
https://paulcbuff.com.au/cms/index.p...d=18&Itemid=13
This is still saying end of August though https://paulcbuff.com.au/cms/index.p...chk=1&Itemid=1
If they are offering ABs in lieu for now, in the second week of July, that end of August ETA seems very unlikely to me.
I reckon thats there just to keep people interested. "Technical Issues" doesnt sound promising. I reckon well be lucky to see them by Christmas.
Im still waiting for my PLM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!