First Impressions Calumet Genesis 200

[Chris71]

I received my two light kit in the mail today, and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. I have not got a chance to shoot with them yet, but I did set them up and fire them a few times.

The build quality is outstanding for the price. The lights feel very sturdy, the stands are also of good quality. The umbrellas are a lot better than I had expected. Overall, I am very satisfied so far with everything.

They must have fixed the modeling light clearance problem, because I can put the guard on with the modeling lights and they don't come close to hitting.

I have a shoot coming up on the 9th, so I will give a better review after that.

[vince v]

congrats on the new kit, and thank you for sharing! I'll look forward to your review as this is a kit I'm seriously considering.

Question for you, though, on the brightness of the modeling lamp. With 1 light on at full power, would you say that just modeling lamp would get you a decent exposure at f1.8 - 2.8 @ about 4 feet without firing the flash tube? Say, about 1/60th at the slowest?

[Rudi]

The protective caps are no longer the problem, Chris. Where you might run into trouble is if you want to use other accessories, and the modeling bulbs will get in the way. The other issue is that the supplied reflectors are not supplying even lighting. What's worse, they come nowhere near covering the supplied umbrellas with light, instead they provide a small hotspot, so you are not taking advantage of the entire umbrella surface. All that said - you have beautiful strobes now and all these things are just nitpicks. Plus, there is an easy fix - the Genesis take the Elinchrom line of accessories, so you can slowly fit out your kit exactly to your liking. :D

Congrats on your purchase, looking forward to some photos!

[TMR Design]

That's great Chris!! Now you've got some solid consistent lighting to work with and you're going to love it.

Now you can start buying Elinchrom modifiers ;)

[moebaby]

Hi Rudi, I see you are based in Australia. I am a beginner and looking to get the Calumet kit from the States are there any issues to consider. Also will there be charges, duty or taxes? Cheers Moe

[Rudi]

Hi Moe,

Only GST on total import price (including freight), plus a $55 Customs fee. Make sure you price the kit carefully, because for around $950 AUD you can get the Elinchrom D-Lite 2 kit locally, with local warranty and everything (don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of importing stuff yourself, but only if it makes financial sense).

[moebaby]

Thanks for that Rudi. Have to be careful esp when it comes to Warranty. Any recommendations on a reliable stockist of the Elinchrom?

[Rudi]

Kayell - www.kayellaustralia.com.au

[kcurley400]

I need help!! I got the Calmet Genesis 200 about a month ago. At first it worked fine, now it will not go off. I checked the sinc cable and make sure it's fitting tightly into my Canon 5d. Can anyone make any suggestions? Karen

Karen Curley

[FlyingPhotog]

As a relative newbie strobe owner myself, all I can add is ENJOY!!!

It's opened up a whole new world for my photography.

[Rudi]

I need help!! I got the Calmet Genesis 200 about a month ago. At first it worked fine, now it will not go off. I checked the sinc cable and make sure it's fitting tightly into my Canon 5d. Can anyone make any suggestions? Karen

Karen Curley

Try a different sync cord - cheap cords they are notoriously unreliable!

[slivr]

Kcurley -
I'd bet money it's your synch-cord like Rudi mentioned. I've had some seemingly perfect cords work through half a session, then quit for little to no reason. The first couple times it happens you fuss with the camera ... mess with the lights ... unplug and replug your cord in ... all to no avail. Swap for a different synch cord and the darn thing immediately starts obeying your commands again. Very irritating.

[kcurley400]

Thanks guys!!! That did the trick. It was totally the sync cable.

[2112]

Best thing about these lights I discovered is that they are very easy to pack back into the box and fit well for when you return them! :p

[slivr]

Sorry you weren't satisfied with the Genesis, 2112.

[turbo212003]

Got mine on tuesday of this week and i love them.

[tetrode]

Karen and Chris, don't let the gloom and doom merchants rain on your parade. The Genesis lights are outstanding and not just 'for the price'. They come with a few a rough edges and operational eccentricities but, with a bit of patience and ingenuity, they'll do whatever you ask reliably and repeatably. Accessorize wisely and, when the time comes, you'll be able to make a smooth transition to top drawer Elinchroms (though you may never feel that need).

Enjoy your lights. I know I've certainly enjoyed mine.

Dave F.

[tetrode]

By the way, Karen, this seems to be your first thread as a POTN member. Welcome aboard!

Dave F.

[2112]

Oh yea, I am not saying they suck because they dont at all. They are very well made lights for the price and are perfect for non pros just looking to shoot with basic setups at home. My gripe is what others here have mentioned too. Calumet not doing a proper job on the design and the lack of accessories available for them. So i took my own advice and rather than complain about it, returned them and ordered Alienbees ;)