[sarge]

Trying to decide which monolights I want to get. Looking at Alien Bees Digi Bee lights also looking at a Bowens 400 w/s unit.
Have any of you folks tried either?

[narual]

It's frustrating as hell, isn't it? There's just way too many options and not a lot of great information that's meaningful if you haven't worked with monolights before.

I finally just decided to get the first good quality ones that popped up cheap on Craigslist. I liked what I was reading about Elinchroms, but ended up getting White Lightning Ultrazaps (same company as AlienBees) for like $150 each. ( I *almost* got a set of decent lights, I forget the brand, for like $20 on shopgoodwill.com but someone outbid me an hour before it ended and I forgot to go back on and look.. he paid like $30 for 3 working monolights, stands, etc. )

Just remember that some companies use the actual power of the light in the name, and others, like AlienBees, use some "interpreted power value" that's considerably lower than the actual power.

No experience with DigiBees but a lot of experience with Alien Bee 800's and Einsteins. The Einsteins let me control them by remote wireless, a big deal for me when it's 10 ft up on a boom. The new Digibees take the same plugin triggers and they have a 75 watt LED modelling light so very little heat and equivalent 400W lamp. I've shot with just modelling lamps and these would be great, especially if you do any video.

My AB800's have been workhorses, like 8 hour dance workshops. Mfr in USA and great customer service.

[sarge]

I had some Elinchrom lights about 12 years ago and was very happy with them. I looked and found a model called the D-Light RX 4. These look like a good option as well. B&H has a good kit that included 2 lights, softboxes, radio trigger, and stands for $849.00. Based on the retail price of the lights alone you are getting all the extras for $49.00.
Has anybody got these?

Well, I just checked the website and the price has gone up to $949.00.
Dang!

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Last edited by sarge; 10-29-2016 at 12:56 AM.

[Class A]

Looking at Alien Bees Digi Bee lights...

They are most likely very good lights but

• they don't have built-in radio receivers, and
• don't support HSS.

Both features are pretty much standard for modern lights and an increasing number even support automatic exposure control.

The DigiBees allow an external radio receiver to be plugged in but the receiver does not disappear within the light and hence requires attention during transport.

[Digitalis]

an increasing number even support automatic exposure control.

...only for Canon and Nikon,Olympus, Fuji, Panasonic,Leica, and Sony cameras. I don't know what pentax did, but I'm getting the impression flash hardware manufacturers really hate Pentax.

If you are in the US, no mfr on the planet offers better customer service than Paul C Buff . Call them up and ask a question. And not once in a studio session have I needed or wanted HSS. I could however match and max my K3II with 8 fps and my Einstiens.

I love my YN560III speedlights and triggers, work great but its all disposable. Been hauling around my Buff gear on the floorboard of my truck for years and it just always works. 8 hour dance work shops, 1400 pops and no worries. If you're outside US, it's a different decision.

And no matter who makes it, aIways have a spare. No excuses

[Digitalis]

And no matter who makes it, aIways have a spare. No excuses

Agreed, and readily accessible spares too.

Agreed, and readily accessible spares too.

Yep, it does no good if they're out in the car park or back at the home office. And little things will kill you - AA's that charged the night before die, drift pins fall out of light stands, umbrellas come apart and woe is the soul that doesn't have a spare little cable.

Last February, a retaining clip on the cable attached to my tailgate release failed and I had one hour to figure out how to replicate my backdrop and reflectors which were now inaccessible in my truck bed. Six young ladies had gotten up early on Sunday morning to do their hair and makeup for headshots. I was not about to tell them and their Moms "a funny thing happened". I scrounged the dance school and found some black foam board and gaffer tape and a display easel. Bag was with me and I always have a little pop up 5 in 1 reflector. Doubled up the window curtains with gaffers tape for the hard winter sun. It looked like "MacGyver" but it worked.

Also, I'd planned to shoot some MF film. Checking gear the night before, my 645 FA 80-160 jammed and was unusable and had to be repaired. Used the FA 45-85 instead.

And so it goes.

[sarge]

Oh I am vividly aware of how Mr Murphy tries to ruin your shoot!
I always bring backups.

Oh I am vividly aware of how Mr Murphy tries to ruin your shoot!
I always bring backups.

Murphy's Law says "Anything that can go wrong, will, at the worst possible time". A little known adjunct is O'Brien's Corollary, the opinion of a more realistic Irishman who observed "Murphy is an optimist".

[slip]

what is your budget?

[Winder]

Trying to decide which monolights I want to get. Looking at Alien Bees Digi Bee lights also looking at a Bowens 400 w/s unit.
Have any of you folks tried either?

What are you planning on shooting? I live in Nashville where the Bees are made. I have 3 Einstein's currently, but I have used the Bees in the past. For the money they are the best lights you can buy. There are other lights out there with more features, but they cost 3x or 4x as much. https://priolite.us/Pentax_hss/

The customer service of Paul C. Buff is some of the best in the business. The new Digi Bees take the Einstein digital controls and add them to the Bee line. For the extra money though I think the Einstein lights are a better value. The Cyber Commander is a great tool with built in flash meter. The modifiers are very well built for the money.

[sarge]

What are you planning on shooting? I live in Nashville where the Bees are made. I have 3 Einstein's currently, but I have used the Bees in the past. For the money they are the best lights you can buy. There are other lights out there with more features, but they cost 3x or 4x as much. https://priolite.us/Pentax_hss/

The customer service of Paul C. Buff is some of the best in the business. The new Digi Bees take the Einstein digital controls and add them to the Bee line. For the extra money though I think the Einstein lights are a better value. The Cyber Commander is a great tool with built in flash meter. The modifiers are very well built for the money.

I plan on using them for portraits and weddings.

[Winder]

I plan on using them for portraits and weddings.

The Bees will give you many years of good use and for the money you are not going to buy a better light from a company that supports its products better. I think or $50 they fill fix just about anything on the light. Replacement bulbs are $40.00 for a Bee. A replacement for Bowens or Elinchrom is $100. For portrait work I really like the Einstein lights. The color consistency is excellent across the entire power range. Yes the Einstein is $150 more, but I think its worth it.

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