Ooooh, new stuff from Elinchrom!

[Rudi]

Check out the website! Some cool new stuff that wants to come home with me (does it ever end? :D ).

http://elinchrom.com/

Thanks to Dave F. (tetrode), who alerted me to this news. Depending on how you feel about spending the money for all this new stuff, direct your responses appropriately. Send your thanks to me, any complaints about being broke are Dave's department. Thanks! :D

[tetrode]

Check out the website! Some cool new stuff that wants to come home with me (does it ever end? :D ).

http://elinchrom.com/

Thanks to Dave F. (tetrode), who alerted me to this news. Depending on how you feel about spending the money for all this new stuff, direct your responses appropriately. Send your thanks to me, any complaints about being broke are Dave's department. Thanks! :D

You always manage to make me smile, Rudi :lol:

Dave F.

[TMR Design]

The Elinchrom family of products keeps getting better and better. Those are some really exciting new products.

An Elinchrom Octa that accepts grids is HUGE!!!!!

[Rudi]

That new Ranger Quanta is HUGE too! Or should I say "tiny", but HUGE news! :)

[Rudi]

The Elinchrom family of products keeps getting better and better. Those are some really exciting new products.

I know it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about my decision to go with Elinchrom this time around! :) Some years ago I had a Bowens outfit. I was happy with it at the time, it's just that this time I decided to go with Elinchrom for their large range of accessories (and getting larger and more extensive all the time!).

[Jannie]

Awwwwwwww, when will this stuff be available, an Octobox with a grid, whooooopeeeee, and folds like an umbrella-YAHOOOOOOOOO

The new light looks expensive, I'm guessing priced between the BX and RX maybe. My concern is that the light source is smaller, will that make it spotty for using with grids, sometimes bigger is better but we'll see. If it's lighter than the others that would be neat.

LED modeling light? I didn't know they were that good yet!

[JMHPhotography]

Since when has "Red Eye" been an issue with studio lighting?

[eduardofrances]

I wonder if this means the old Ranger AS is going down in price?? also I wonder if the BX500 will be priced like the BX400 :)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Forkball: I think they are refering to an optical slave system that can skip pre-flashes from TTL units -like the Calumet Genesis and the Interfit EXD200- :)

[Olm02R]

wow... that's an awesome news from elinchrom... now i can't wait to go shopping again hehehe!!!

[JMHPhotography]

I wonder if this means the old Ranger AS is going down in price?? also I wonder if the BX500 will be priced like the BX400 :)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Forkball: I think they are refering to an optical slave system that can skip pre-flashes from TTL units -like the Calumet Genesis and the Interfit EXD200- :)

:lol::lol: Oh... well clearly I need to go to bed and get some sleep. I was wondering what that meant. Thanks.

[Hermes]

Since when has "Red Eye" been an issue with studio lighting?

From my experience it is literally impossible to get red-eye with studio lights but if the new feature narrows the model's pupils and allows more of the iris' colour to show then it could be a very useful feature for beauty work.

[Gentleman Villain]

wow these are great moves by elinchrom.

I've always loved the look of elinchrom boxes but absolutely need to use grids for most studio shots. The new boxes have the grid option and recessed edges...this is incredibly cool.

The 1100ws Ranger pack is usually too powerful for my taste....the new 400ws would probably be plenty of power for about 80% of the location photos that I'd usually take...that's definitely a nice move.

And two of my favorite elinchrom heads have always been the old el500 and el250 compacts...it looks like Elinchrom is paying homage to them in the 2 new heads. The built in skyport is first class feature. Without a doubt, the number one issue I have on location shoots is syncing...anytime a cable or attachment can be eliminated for syncing that helps to alleviate one potential problem (like a bad connection or static electricity etc) Anyhow, a built in skyport is just icing on the cake...very cool move

[Gentleman Villain]

oooh....that LED daylight on the portable pack head sounds interesting...One of my complaints about the Ranger 1100 and freelites is that the model lights on the heads are pretty weak. They're adequate but weak...I wonder if Elinchrom solved this problem with the LED

[steveathome]

Looks like some great new products, however, I cant see any indication of prices as yet. Not even from the main UK agent.

[hawk911]

so- anyone venture a guess if we can swap the existing modeling light for the LED version on the D-series?

[Rudi]

I wanna know how much the Ranger Quanta will set me back. That would be just perfect for my wedding shoots!

[TMR Design]

The Ranger Quanta caught my eye too. That could be the answer I've been looking for so I'm going to sit tight and see what pricing is like on these new products before many any decisions.

[hawk911]

so the Quanta would just work on Ranger heads? Still nothing for the D to make them portable other than a Vaga or Tronnix?

[Hermes]

Has there been any announcement of the new skyports yet? according to my dealer they're working on a new skyport receiver with a stronger trigger pulse pulse that will trigger all cameras and flashes without the current compatability problems.

[TMR Design]

Hi Hawk,

Elinchrom doesn't seem to be developing standalone battery systems for their strobes. They, obviously would prefer that we buy in to a Ranger system.

In my continued research I haven't found any solutions other than the V2 or Tronix and it would seem that the only way to use those is to dedicate one battery to each strobe and that resolves the problem or stability and consistent power.

If the portable or location work you do can be done with one strobe then you're fine.

[Jannie]

I had trouble sleeping last night, I want, I want...

[shooterman]

Check out the website! Some cool new stuff that wants to come home with me (does it ever end? :D ).

http://elinchrom.com/

Thanks to Dave F. (tetrode), who alerted me to this news. Depending on how you feel about spending the money for all this new stuff, direct your responses appropriately. Send your thanks to me, any complaints about being broke are Dave's department. Thanks! :DMy wife officially hates you. ;):p:D

[Rudi]

The Ranger Quanta caught my eye too. That could be the answer I've been looking for so I'm going to sit tight and see what pricing is like on these new products before many any decisions.

I'm not regretting the RX600's, Robert, but the weight savings and ease of use on location (especially with two heads) of the Ranger Quanta are making me think hard about how to pay for it. I guess booking more outdoor shoots would be a start! :D

[TMR Design]

I'm not regretting the RX600's, Robert, but the weight savings and ease of use on location (especially with two heads) of the Ranger Quanta are making me think hard about how to pay for it. I guess booking more outdoor shoots would be a start! :D

Absolutely Rudi. Knowing you have clients that are effectively paying the bill makes it much more affordable and justifiable.

[hawk911]

I'm glad you said more justifiable because I can justify any and all purchases in my head, just not in my checkbook or my wife's head. And that huge Rotalux looks great.

[DavidPhoto]

the new rotalux boxes look great.

[TMR Design]

the new rotalux boxes look great.

They sure do. One thing that's been missing from the Elinchrom product line and the Rotalux Octa's has been a recessed front diffusion panel and the ability to accept grids.

I'm excited to see pricing on this and the other new products.

[Gentleman Villain]

Since when has "Red Eye" been an issue with studio lighting?

good point - that part of the PDF is kind of confusing

INTELLIGENT SLAVE CELL
Red eye pre-flash auto-detect.
Programmable and pre-set effect modes.

I think this means that the built-in slave can distinguish the difference between a TTL type preflash from a legitimate command to fire...some of the white light slaves on my old Elinchrom heads would get tripped up like that...It's hard to tell for sure from the PDF but that's my assumption anyway

[Jannie]

Drool, drool yes I plan already to buy the 53" Octabox and the grid, my guess is the box will be about $75-$100 more than the current one and the grid probably $200-$275.

[Rudi]

There are a couple of thing that I am excited about with the new offerings. While I have yet to use a grid with either of my softboxes, I am glad that I will now have that option. Of course, it will mean having to buy a new Rotalux from Elinchrom. :) The second thing is that tiny little 400Ws Ranger! So much more portable than (the already very portable) 1100Ws version. The fact that they made the modeling light LED will make it much less power hungry, and actually useful in the field! Programmable delay before the modeling light turns off is also nice.

The one thing I'd like to know - will the current 190cm Octa remain in the line-up alongside the new Rotalux offerings? The new largest Octa only measures $175cm across, and since the idea of the large Octa is a large, soft light source, I am just wondering whether I should buy one of these soon, rather than waiting. If the large Octa is being replaced with the new model then old stock will dry up eventually (although the Rotalux moniker makes me think that the new 175cm Octa is a traditional softbox design).

[Gentleman Villain]

The one thing I'd like to know - will the current 190cm Octa remain in the line-up alongside the new Rotalux offerings? The new largest Octa only measures $175cm across, and since the idea of the large Octa is a large, soft light source, I am just wondering whether I should buy one of these soon, rather than waiting. If the large Octa is being replaced with the new model then old stock will dry up eventually (although the Rotalux moniker makes me think that the new 175cm Octa is a traditional softbox design).

I bet you're right ....the 175 octa doesn't sound like an indirect bank.

I'd imagine that Elinchrom chose to make the new 175cm diameter Octa to match up well with the 33x175cm strip indirect-bank http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16825-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26160_13x69_Striplite_Softbox.html

[steveathome]

Hello Rudi.

The new offerings from Elinchrom look very exciting, I am particularly interested in the BX 250 Ri, rather than having to buy into the RX range for remote control.

However, I am intrigued as to how powerful and useful an led can be on the new ranger series, compared to a modeling lamp?

[tetrode]

It will be extremely interesting to see how the new 175 cm Rotalux compares to the big Octa in terms of light quality. The size difference really isn't that great: 69" vs. 72". The Octa, of course, is an indirect type modifier with the light mounted internally facing away from the subject and that, supposedly, is what makes the magic. However, I wonder if the effect couldn't be simulated in the new big Rotalux by using one of Elinchrom's deflector plates.

Personally, I think I'm going to be first in line for one of the new style 53" Midi Octas (price permitting, of course).

Speaking of which (pricing, that is), I spoke with Bogen's Elinchrom product manager this morning (Bogen Imaging being the US distributor of Elinchrom products). He said he won't have any information regarding availabilty or pricing of the newly announced products until he meets with the Elinchrom folks at Photokina in a few weeks. He did invite me to track him down at the PhotoPlus Expo here in New York in October to get the full story.

Dave F.

[Rudi]

He did invite me to track him down at the PhotoPlus Expo here in New York in October to get the full story.

Dave, Dave, Dave! You're a sucker for punishment, aren't you? Volunteering like that... You do know you just volunteered to go and get that info on behalf of all of us Elinchromians on POTN, don't you? :D

[tetrode]

Dave, Dave, Dave! You're a sucker for punishment, aren't you? Volunteering like that... You do know you just volunteered to go and get that info on behalf of all of us Elinchromians on POTN, don't you? :D

Rudi, Rudi, Rudi! You of all people should know how selfless and sharing I am when it comes to my virtual POTN family ;) Rest assured I'll be posting any and all pithy tidbits I might glean as soon as I get home from PhotoPlus.

By the way, the Elinchrom product manager is also the Lastolite product manager. While we were chatting he said they'd have a HiLite background set up at PhotoPlus and I was welcome to bring a camera and we'd slap a Skyport on it and do some test shots with their models.

Dave F.

[Rudi]

Oh how I wish I was in your neck of the woods for the Expo (or in Germany for Photokina).

[Gentleman Villain]

However, I am intrigued as to how powerful and useful an led can be on the new ranger series, compared to a modeling lamp?

yeah me too, the 50 watt model lamp on the current freelite s and A is pretty dim and shuts off after only 20 seconds. If the new head with LED is just slightly brighter than the old 50watt and can stay on longer then that would be perfect :D

From what I understand, these surefire LED flashlights are really popular with the military guys in Iraq and some can be bright enough to temporarily blind people http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/900/sesent/00

[Faolan]

Oh god just what I needed to see not... My credit card is cowering in the corner now :/

The lack of grids for their softboxes was one of Elinchroms main weaknesses compared to the competition it's nice to see they've finally addressed this issue. It's just now to see the results of these changes. Also the new Ranger kit looks tempting as well.

Thanks for the heads up, I'm going to have to keep an eye on the TheFlashCentre now !

[jgettis]

The red-eye they are talking about is the pre-flashes on your camera the slave on the flash is programable to ignore them so that the camera can set off the flash correctly. John

[DavidPhoto]

The red-eye they are talking about is the pre-flashes on your camera the slave on the flash is programable to ignore them so that the camera can set off the flash correctly. John

not sure I understand...why would you be using eTTL preflashes with your strobes????

[Rudi]

Trust Elinchrom to announce the Ranger Quanta right after I decided to bite the bullet and lug my RX600 plus Tronix Explorer XT for on-location work... The Quanta is exactly what I'm after for my wedding shoots! Depending on exactly when in 2009 it becomes available, I just might soldier on with the hot shoe flashes for a little longer. Then again, the Tronix will always come in handy... :|

[TMR Design]

Trust Elinchrom to announce the Ranger Quanta right after I decided to bite the bullet and lug my RX600 plus Tronix Explorer XT for on-location work... The Quanta is exactly what I'm after for my wedding shoots! Depending on exactly when in 2009 it becomes available, I just might soldier on with the hot shoe flashes for a little longer. Then again, the Tronix will always come in handy... :|

Hi Rudi,

The Quanta is exactly what we've all been looking for. :D
Perhaps my waiting and not impulsively buying will pay off.

[Rudi]

Robert,

In my case, the Quanta (or original Ranger) was always going to come after the RX monoblocs. It's just that the Quanta just might speed up my purchasing cycle! :)

[TMR Design]

Robert,

In my case, the Quanta (or original Ranger) was always going to come after the RX monoblocs. It's just that the Quanta just might speed up my purchasing cycle! :)

Speed up the purchasing cycle? Hmmm, that's always nice. :D

[Jannie]

This I think is going to become frustrating. I really need to get strobes if I'm going to do this (at least I think this is what I need) within the next month or two. I am thinking the new head and the new Octobox with the grid are very attractive but if they won't come out for 4-6 months like this sometimes happens, I may have to buy something else and should I just then go with a 2-lite D kit and not buy the Octobox or, or, or...

[TMR Design]

Hi Jannie,

If you're not concerned with the remote control capability then I would suggest getting the Style 400BX instead of the D-Lite's. The D-Lite's are fine strobes but they are for those that are more budget oriented. The build and feel of controls is not that of a BX or RX. If quality of light, pop to pop consistency and consistency of color are the key issues and build/feel are not something that would bother you then by all means go for the D-Lite's.

Although I've gotten mixed feedback on this, I have heard from some that larger, heavier modifiers place too much stress on the swivel mount of the D-Lite's. I can't confirm this myself but having owned D-Lite's I can say that I would not feel comfortable with a 53" or a 5 ft. Octa hanging off the front of the strobe.

Honestly, I think you'd be pleased as punch with a pair or 400BX's, assuming you don't want to wait for the release of the newer strobes.

[Jannie]

Yes I've wondered every time I've looked at the D lights how they would hold up with a heavy box pointed sometimes straight down onto a table. We've talked about this before but until this latest announcement it was down to the 400BX.

Truthfully I hope to do work I can post on the stock photo websites, there is sooo much already there and yes I know, most of it is pretty blah but the stuff that sells seems to be very clean/crisp and well art directed if not very creative...just my take.

My research has me to believe that a lot of the buyers are from corporations and companies using the photos for presentations. This might cause the somewhat generic look.

I don't really know if this is a way to go, but I have so much experience with food and product photography and find tabletop work to be really fun so I've been wanting to give it a try.

I do not live in an area where getting out side to take photographs is much fun for about 6 months out of the year so having something to work on photographically as well as hopefully creating an income where I'm not having to haul equipment around is a big plus. Setting up a "real" studio and going back into the production business at my age is not a consideration nor a desire.

The desire to do portrait work is something that I'm just finding fun, working with people and trying to find ways to regenerate what I know about photography into what I can do now. If it can turn into something more, to develop some style which is exciting could be really neat; to just shoot what used to at least be referred to as regular portraits wouldn't be interesting. Lighting and working with the people is pretty neat but I have a ways to go with it.

Truthfully I can put together a tungston or quartz constant light setup fairly economically, but wish to have equipment that will take me further with other types of work if I can work into it.

Another thing about getting strobes is the look they give, I often used to shoot with HMI's on interior shoots just because they gave me a cleaner look for some things. This is not an option for me now, nor a desire so I'm hoping that whatever strobes I get have good modeling lights, this is important.

[Rudi]

What Robert said! If you're not looking for remote control, the BX400 is as fine a strobe as you can get! And... I started my Elinchrom journey with D-Lites (D-Lite 4 kit), and had a 53" Octa hanging off one of those, and I can tell you that I am a lot more comfortable having it hang off one of my RX600's! The BX400's are just as solid, and the difference is noticeable - with the D-Lites there was a lot of "give" in the swivel mount if you bumped the Octa accidentally or moved the stand (it flexed, and it flexed a lot!). To be truthful, the D-Lites flex a lot even when you're mounting accessories, and when you have a close look at the plastic swivel mount... well... from now on I plan to only hang small modifiers off them!

Truth be told, I never had a problem with one of them breaking, but have heard several reports of that happening. What's worse, it's not usually the swivel mount that snaps, but the light casing. While I'm sure they're both replaceable (at a price), I wouldn't want to keep snapping these things on location. You'd have to have a lot of backup heads with you, just in case! :D

[Rudi]

Speed up the purchasing cycle? Hmmm, that's always nice. :D

ROFL! As long as the cycle doesn't speed and wobble out of control! :D

[Olm02R]

anyone know if they're making grids for their softlite? or is there other brand grid that fits elinchrom softlite 70cm??? thanks.


Jeff.

[fi20100]

Just saw an interview with Elinchrom (www.kamerabild.se (http://www.kamerabild.se/artikel/webb-tv_lattare_batteriblixtsystem_fran_elinchrom_08092 4085441-973.html)) where they were talking about the new BX 250/500 Ri and the Ranger Quanta. Now they didn't talk about any specific prices, but the said that the customers will be very pleased with the price on the Quanta unit... he said they should be under 10 000 SEK, which is about 1000 euro. They also said that the new BX 250/500 Ri would be prized similarly like the old BX / FX units :)

So I think that's good news! :)

[Rudi]

I really hope that the Quanta is priced aggressively! If it is, I will buy one very soon after they're available (could use it on a job tomorrow, to be honest).

[fi20100]

Well, looking at the prices in Sweden (and Europe overall) and comparing to the US, that would mean that the Ranger Quanta kit would land pretty close to 1000 USD, which seems like a good price.

[tetrode]

Just saw an interview with Elinchrom (www.kamerabild.se (http://www.kamerabild.se/artikel/webb-tv_lattare_batteriblixtsystem_fran_elinchrom_08092 4085441-973.html)) where they were talking about the new BX 250/500 Ri and the Ranger Quanta. Now they didn't talk about any specific prices, but the said that the customers will be very pleased with the price on the Quanta unit... he said they should be under 10 000 SEK, which is about 1000 euro. They also said that the new BX 250/500 Ri would be prized similarly like the old BX / FX units :)

So I think that's good news! :)

Thanks for posting this, Stefan. It was great to be able to see the new Quanta and BX heads in the video even if I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying.

Dave F.

[fi20100]

Thanks for posting this, Stefan. It was great to be able to see the new Quanta and BX heads in the video even if I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying.

Dave F.

Just for you... I tried to transcribe the interview. I did it as fast as I could, so there might be some "Swenglish"... anyway, I'm sure you'll get the meaning.

************************

Reporter: Magnus Fröderberg

Reporter:
Elinchrom has gone from being a strobe brand for the pro photographers to a brand that is also popular among hobby photographers. At Photokina, Elinchrom launched two new products clearly aimed at hobby and freelance photographers. They have a version of their popular FX and BX series, which have been combined to a new BX series with an incorporated Skyport. There’s also a completely new mobile battery system that we’ll take a closer look at. We’ll ask Anders (Forsslund) from Aifo (www.aifo.se) to explain a bit more.

We have a new Elinchrom strobe here. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Aifo:
This is the new Elinchrom Ranger Quanta. A small 400WS battery strobe that weighs only 3kg. It has an incorporated Skyport, so you can control and trigger it from the camera. It has doubble outputs, two strobe heads with fixed symmetry.

Reporter:
Do the two outputs have different power?

Aifo:
That’s right. You can get 400WS from one of the outputs if you use only one output. If you use the B output you’ll get max 133WS. So there’s 1 f-stop difference between the two strobe heads.

Reporter:
Why would you want to use only the B output?

Aifo:
If you want lower power, or very little power. Also if you want very fast flash durations. You can get as fast as 1/6000 flash duration.

Reporter:
So you can freeze fast motion. How does the weight compare to the Ranger series?

Aifo:
Compared to the Ranger series, the Quanta is about half the weight. The smallest Ranger weighs about 6kg.

Reporter:
Not only has the battery pack shrunk but also the strobe heads have become smaller.

Aifo:
Yes, this is a new kind of strobe head. The head alone weighs only 250g. And it also has a smaller mount (socket?) compared to the traditional Elinchrom mount. But there is a mount adapter, so you can use your old Elinchrom accessories.

Reporter:
Does it hold the large soft boxes (is it durable enough???)?

Aifo:
Yes, it will hold the large soft boxes.

Reporter:
And it looks like there is no light bulb in the middle?

Aifo:
That’s right. It’s a new kind of LED that has come out on the market. A stronger LED that is daylight balanced and has the corresponding brightness of a 50W halogen lamp.

Reporter:
I can think that a lot of model and freelance photographers will appreciate the lighter weight, but will they also appreciate the price?

Aifo:
Yes, I can guarantee that!

Reporter:
And the price will be?

Aifo:
The price has not quite been set yet, so we have to come back to that at another time… but we think it will be just under 10.000 SEK.

Reporter:
And when will they be available?

Aifo:
March 2009.

Reporter:
You’ve earlier had two series for hobby and “lighter” freelance photographers, the FX and BX. What will happen to them now?

Aifo:
They will be discontinued by the turn of the year, and replaced by the Elinchrom BX 500 Ri and 250 Ri. The difference is tougher body shell and handgrip (better build quality). It also has an incorporated Skyport and a new type of photocell which can identify the pre-flash of the hot shoe flashes.

Reporter:
And the Quanta has the same?

Aifo:
That’s right. It’s called EYE-CELL, the new photocell.

Reporter:
You said it was tougher… will it better resist impacts?

Aifo:
Yes, and there’s no fan grid on top anymore. The fan has been moved to underneath the strobe. So the fan takes in air from underneath and blows it forward. So the cooling has also been improved.

Reporter:
And they’ve become a bit more powerful than the old FX series?

Aifo:
A little bit more powerful, from 400WS to 500WS.

Reporter:
How much more expensive will these be?

Aifo:
They will be in the same price area as the old BX series.

Reporter:
Thanks.

[DavidPhoto]

Wow. I think the new BX with integrated skyports could become very popular. I wonder if that will cut into the RX market.

[m3rdpwr]

It also has an incorporated Skyport and a new type of photocell which can identify the pre-flash of the hot shoe flashes.


Thanks and interesting on the pre-flash thing....

-Mario

[fi20100]

I definitely think the new BX Ri will be an option for people looking at the RX. I'm also wondering about color balance between the new BX Ri and RX line. How well do they play together?

[DavidPhoto]

The new battery packs only have 400ws though. I do like the smallish heads though. The Ranger will certainly still have a place for outdoor shoots.

[tetrode]

Just for you... I tried to transcribe the interview. I did it as fast as I could, so there might be some "Swenglish"... anyway, I'm sure you'll get the meaning.
...



Thanks a million for your time and effort in providing this translation, Stefan. Now my American Express card is really starting to throb :(

Dave F.

[Rudi]

Thanks a million for your time and effort in providing this translation, Stefan. Now my American Express card is really starting to throb :(

Dave F.

Yep. If the Ranger Quanta really is around $1000 USD, one of them is going to find a home right here. :)

[fi20100]

Thanks a million for your time and effort in providing this translation, Stefan. Now my American Express card is really starting to throb :(

Dave F.

No problem :) Found this video of it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMW4wS8btIs It looks so small!!! :)

[Jannie]

Wow, thank you for all of this information. I do need a couple of strobes and was planning to make the purchase by the end of next week, I wanted to get the BX400 two light kit, am I totally out of my mind to do this. I do not know if I can wait until the end of the year. At first I know I won't need the skyport switch for adjustments in brightness ( but expect I will within a year) but the BX does have the trancsiever for firing doesn't it, if I have the skyport transmitter on my camera.

Also if I get two 400BX's now, does it sound logical to get one of the new 500 heads to work with these two, that way I still have one remotely adjustable head for anything out of physical reach or inside of something like the Elinchrom 74" octobox. Am I okay mixing heads like this?

[Rudi]

Also if I get two 400BX's now, does it sound logical to get one of the new 500 heads to work with these two, that way I still have one remotely adjustable head for anything out of physical reach or inside of something like the Elinchrom 74" octobox. Am I okay mixing heads like this?


You'll be fine mixing them like that. One of the things that I don't like about the new BX500Ri is that because of the extra power, minimum power is also increased. For a small home studio, this is mostly a disadvantage! One of the reasons I went with the RX600's is that they can be turned down lower than my D-Lite4's at minimum power, as well as having the flexibility of having 200Ws more power at the other end. Of course, you can always buy the BX250Ri to counteract that, but then you lose the advantage of having the power if you need it.

That said, the BX250Ri has a better power range than the BX100 (or FX100), IMO.

[tetrode]

Yep. If the Ranger Quanta really is around $1000 USD, one of them is going to find a home right here. :)

Not to be the bearer of ill tidings, but I stumbled on this comment about the Quanta earlier today:

"I just read on another site that they are just prototypes at Photokina show. They aren't expected to ship until next March!

Oh yeah , and apparently they will be 1700 euros. More than i thought they would be."

Dave F.

[Rudi]

I was afraid of that possibility. In that case I would just stick with my RX600 and Tronix Explorer XT for the time being. That is not the same as saying that I will never buy the Quanta, it just means that I won't buy one until I have an outdoor booking on a very regular basis. :)

[fi20100]

Not to be the bearer of ill tidings, but I stumbled on this comment about the Quanta earlier today:

"I just read on another site that they are just prototypes at Photokina show. They aren't expected to ship until next March!

Oh yeah , and apparently they will be 1700 euros. More than i thought they would be."

Dave F.

Well, as I had translated the interview, they said it would come out in March 2009. As for the price, I think you're a bit off.

Aifo.se has already listed the Quanta so you can pre-order. The Elinchrom Ranger Quanta Asymetric is 9987,50 SEK (VAT included) and a Elinchrom Ranger Q strobe is 4118,75 SEK (VAT included). That's 1457 euro, or 1166 euro if you've got a business and exclude VAT.

[tetrode]

Well, as I had translated the interview, they said it would come out in March 2009. As for the price, I think you're a bit off.

Aifo.se has already listed the Quanta so you can pre-order. The Elinchrom Ranger Quanta Asymetric is 9987,50 SEK (VAT included) and a Elinchrom Ranger Q strobe is 4118,75 SEK (VAT included). That's 1457 euro, or 1166 euro if you've got a business and exclude VAT.

Well, that's potentially good news, Stefan. It will be interesting to see what the US pricing will be on the Quanta and the new BX series lights.

Dave F.

[fi20100]

I checked the Aifo prices against B&H (for other Elinchrom products), and it seems if you convert the SEK to Euro, the same number in dollars are very close to what B&H sells the same stuff for. So by that formula it would be about 1450 dollars. It seems in the interview he was talking about the Ranger Quanta without the head, when he was saying just under 10 000 SEK.

[Jannie]

This dollar thing is all relative at this point, if the US bailout happens and the government dumps 700 Billion dollars of new made money (essentially) into the market, there's no telling what the USD will be valued at. It's a question I'm asking myself right now as to what to buy now and whether to wait.

Will prices go up? it sure did with some of the high end Japanese cutlery I've invested in, one item I purchased about 4 months ago after being warned to expect the prices to go up was $325 and today it's $485, scary. But mostly it could be that the USD would drop in value and then everything coming into the country could get really expensive.

So it's a big question as to what prices will be for anything that far away in the future!

[hawk911]

With all the new stuff, they must have stopped shipping old stuff. I tried to get a 30deg grid, and it's backordered 6-8 weeks.

[Faolan]

Try getting Beauty Dishes in the UK, I ordered one several months back but they just can't make them fast enough... I give up in the end!

[Hermes]

Try getting Beauty Dishes in the UK, I ordered one several months back but they just can't make them fast enough... I give up in the end!

Where did you order from?

If you really can't get something in the UK, you can always order from B&H in the US. Even with shipping and VAT the price is rarely higher than buying from the UK and they keep much more stuff in stock.

[chrisvl]

When will the new rotaluxes be available?

[Philscbx]

Thanks' Rudi, it didn't take me long to find the source you provided.

[Rudi]

A short video of the Ranger Quanta at Photokina, this one shows the size of the flash head nicely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMW4wS8btIs

[fi20100]

A short video of the Ranger Quanta at Photokina, this one shows the size of the flash head nicely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMW4wS8btIs

Yeah, it looks really small... Don't know if I wanted to hang a large soft box on it :D

[Jannie]

It is puzzling about the largest Octobox, by making it shorter inside will the head be mounted in the more traditional method? It really would not be a bad idea to make yet a larger one if this is going to happen or just buy one of the older versions before they stop making them.

[Faolan]

Quadra pre-order from here (UK)

http://www.theflashcentre.com/elinchrom-ranger-quanta-kit-i2716.html

£1,028 inc VAT.

Also the new BXi are listed on the site...

[Rudi]

It is puzzling about the largest Octobox, by making it shorter inside will the head be mounted in the more traditional method? It really would not be a bad idea to make yet a larger one if this is going to happen or just buy one of the older versions before they stop making them.

Can't be sure of course, but I think that the EL Octa Light Bank (Beauty Light) will remain in the line-up. The new 175cm Octa appears to be a traditional softbox (i.e. strobe facing forward).

[Gentleman Villain]

Can't be sure of course, but I think that the EL Octa Light Bank (Beauty Light) will remain in the line-up. The new 175cm Octa appears to be a traditional softbox (i.e. strobe facing forward).

That would make good sense in terms of pricing.

There's too much of a price difference between the current medium and large octas. The medium direct octa is about $300 and the large indirect octa is closer to $1000.

So if elinchrom makes the new 175 OCta a direct (strobe facing forward) octa...then it can be priced somewhere in between 300 and 1000...which should make it more affordable for people to get into a larger box.

Just speculation...I don't really know

[Jannie]

That would be very nice, especially the closer it gets to the 300 end.

[tetrode]

Apparently, there's not going to be as much "new stuff" as we had hoped.

I spoke with Bogen's Elinchrom product manager at the PhotoPlus Expo here in New York last Saturday. He said Elinchrom has decided not to go ahead with its plans for a new line of softboxes. There will be no new recessed front midi Octa, for example. Instead, said he, Elinchrom will produce prostheses for the existing line that will add a surrounding lip and which will accept grids. At least this was my understanding. I'm not sure how this can be implemented as I don't believe there's any Velcro on the outer perimeter of the Rotaluxes to which the add-on can be attached. I found this bit of news to be quite disappointing. Also disappointing was the fact that no estimated delivery dates could be offered.

The new BX ... ri strobes were also on display at the show. Sorry, but these seem more like D-Lites than BX or RX units. In fact, they're made in India just like the D-Lites and seem to have similarly under-engineered lightstand mounts.

The ri's do indeed have in-built Skyports but, for some strange reason, cannot be controlled by the Skyport computer interface.

I don't know what the digital setting range is on D-Lites, but the ri lights go from 1.3 to 6.3 unlike the RX (and maybe BX) lights which have a range of 1.5 to 6.5. Odd, I thought.

Dave F.

[eduardofrances]

Apparently, there's not going to be as much "new stuff" as we had hoped.

I spoke with Bogen's Elinchrom product manager at the PhotoPlus Expo here in New York last Saturday. He said Elinchrom has decided not to go ahead with its plans for a new line of softboxes. There will be no new recessed front midi Octa, for example. Instead, said he, Elinchrom will produce prostheses for the existing line that will add a surrounding lip and which will accept grids. At least this was my understanding. I'm not sure how this can be implemented as I don't believe there's any Velcro on the outer perimeter of the Rotaluxes to which the add-on can be attached. I found this bit of news to be quite disappointing. Also disappointing was the fact that no estimated delivery dates could be offered.

The new BX ... ri strobes were also on display at the show. Sorry, but these seem more like D-Lites than BX or RX units. In fact, they're made in India just like the D-Lites and seem to have similarly under-engineered lightstand mounts.

The ri's do indeed have in-built Skyports but, for some strange reason, cannot be controlled by the Skyport computer interface.

I don't know what the digital setting range is on D-Lites, but the ri lights go from 1.3 to 6.3 unlike the RX (and maybe BX) lights which have a range of 1.5 to 6.5. Odd, I thought.

Dave F.

With the economy like it is today companies will have to chop projects and find cheaper and easier solutions -like the ones described for the softboxes- sad indeed...

[TMR Design]

The lack of a recessed grid on Elinchrom octa's is far from the end of the world. Sure it would be nice but Elinchrom users have never been bothered or felt short-changed without them.

I was at the Photo Plus Expo 2 days before Dave and also spent some time with the Bogen Imaging people discussing Elinchrom products.

When I asked why they continue to use the 7mm umbrella shaft I saw the reps eyes roll and the response was "I have no idea", which I thought was kind of funny.

The 400BX has been repackaged in the newer black housing and my understanding is that the strobe and its design is the same as the current 400BX. The newer BXri's look to be somewhere in between D-Lite's and the 400BX, with what appears to still be an inferior swivel mount and handle. The RX's have not changed but according to the rep I spoke with, we're going to see new RX strobes with built in Skyports and some other features that he could not comment on but speculated that the ability to ignore pre-flash will be one of the upgrades.

[Rudi]

The lack of a recessed grid on Elinchrom octa's is far from the end of the world. Sure it would be nice but Elinchrom users have never been bothered or felt short-changed without them.

Very true. And If I need more control, I can always buy other brands or use my new Deep Octa (which I'm really loving right now :D).

The 400BX has been repackaged in the newer black housing and my understanding is that the strobe and its design is the same as the current 400BX. The newer BXri's look to be somewhere in between D-Lite's and the 400BX, with what appears to still be an inferior swivel mount and handle. The RX's have not changed but according to the rep I spoke with, we're going to see new RX strobes with built in Skyports and some other features that he could not comment on but speculated that the ability to ignore pre-flash will be one of the upgrades.

I don't particularly like the look of the new BX Ri series. If the build is similar to the D-Lites, that would be another strike against them, unless the price reflected that. And the whole pre-flash thing is of no consequence to me, although I'm sure plenty of people will find that invaluable. If I ever buy new RX strobes and they have it included, fine, but it won't make any difference to the way I shoot. :)

[goldcanon]

the new rotalux boxes look great.

[Gentleman Villain]

I agree with Robert...The lack of a recessed edge on octas wouldn't be the end of the world. Personally, I love Elinchrom octas because of the pretty wrap-around light they create and the light spill. Recessed edges would kill that wrap-around & spill.

The time when it's nice to have access to grids and recessed edges is when setting up edge-lights. I've always liked to use Chimeras because they can be purchased with recessed edges, tight grids, and attachable barn doors. If used properly, it's possible to set them up as edge-lights without needing to setup an addition flag to prevent flare to the camera lens.

Shooting table top, products and still lifes are a bit different than photographing people. The sets are tighter so it's necessary to have much more control. So grids and things like that tend to be more important for that type of work than people work. (from my experience)

Now that I've had some time to think about these new Elinchroms...I've concluded that they still might not offer enough control. The grids look like a pretty wide spread which would be OK for portraits but probably a little too loose for still lifes. But who knows??...just depends on the style of the photographer.

Anyhow, if people are really into grids then they might want to consider Chimeras Super Pro Plus. That's what I use....after having some time to think about it....I think I'll stick with Chimeras for grids and Elinchrom for everything else.

[Jannie]

Guess I'll just wait to see what they come up with for a grid on the Deep Octa. Actually I haven't found a need yet for a grid yet, nothing that I couldn't easily flag off.

[TMR Design]

Guess I'll just wait to see what they come up with for a grid on the Deep Octa. Actually I haven't found a need yet for a grid yet, nothing that I couldn't easily flag off.

Hi Jannie,

I know you're really sold on Elinchrom products but I think you would be remiss if you remain closed off to the idea of introducing other brands into your kit. Mike makes a very good point and brands like Chimera have some wonderful and flexible products that would complement the Elinchrom strobes nicely. There's absolutely no reason why you can't use the Elinchrom Octa's when you don't need the added directionality and isolation, and then use something like a Chimera Pro Plus (or other brand) when you do need the added accessories like grids, barn doors, etc.

[hawk911]

I'll throw RPS in the discuss, only to see what others feel about them compared to Elinchrom, Chimera, and the rest. They are compatible with the Elinchrom mounting system.

[Jannie]

Oh I'm not closed off, I even asked for other tools that might be an advantage working with my kit. So far as softboxes go, I can't see the need for anything I don't have but have wondered how much I'd like the Chimera 3'x4' softbox with the grid, pricy thing that grid is and unsure if it's better for table top to consider the silver lined one or the white lined one. So far with the time I've had with the Elinchrom on table top, I love the silver lined octoboxes-both of them with just the little metal diffuser covering the bulb and no silks at all-and have wondered if I'd gain anything at all with the Chimera that way but add the grid.

I think I can be content with the two Octoboxes I have right now, will probably get the grid for the 39" Deep Ocotobox if it actually does come out.

This is as much a hobby as a quest to go back to work but in a somewhat different mode of photography. So part of what I'm looking for is just because I love messing with lighting and with table top I get to do it all by myself, experiment etc. So that is a big part of the reason for my interest.

Another part is we don't know what is going to happen with the economy. I'm not going to be lala and say things won't tighten up, Elinchrom's decision to not make the new line of boxes makes sense; import/export just might spend the next couple of years changing a lot.

I'm not going to depend upon new products coming out right and left as they have in the past. I doubt the new camera models are going to be coming at us as fast as they have in the past.

I want to get solid with my kit (almost am right now) before any large financial changes happen. It's already happened in another interest of mine and I stopped my involvement completely. I would not blame manufacturers reducing their lineup of gear to simplify production, that would seem like a sensible business decision.

But I buy at a local store, I get to look at, demo and just simply stand there and figure out what I appreciate about a product before I buy. I have not seen a Chimera in years but they have all the Elinchrom/Profoto and some others.

[Faolan]

Spoke to The Flash Centre, they have a shipment in London of the new softboxes waiting distribution apparently so if you're in London you may want to pop by...

[Cathpah]

bringing this thread back from the dead....it's a zombie thread! must...eat....softbox...err...BRAINS!

zombies aside....are there any updates on the grids at all? I've seen some of the hooded diffusers now go on sale, but haven't heard about any grids for any of the softboxes. Are any grids happening at all? Or did they just nix inventing certain grids?

[DavidPhoto]

hooded diffusers?

[tetrode]

hooded diffusers?

Street gang in Los Angeles.

Dave F.

[Rudi]

Street gang in Los Angeles.


Nearly ruined another keyboard! Read this over my morning coffee... :D