In the shopping cart (Alien Bees)

[defordphoto]

Alrighty...Getting ready to pull the trigger.

B400 AlienBees B400-Mello Yello $224.95 ea. 1 $224.95
B800 AlienBees B800-Mello Yello $279.95 ea. 2 $559.90
CB1 AlienBees Carrying Bag $12.95 ea. 3 $38.85
HG4X Four Honeycomb Grids $99.95 ea. 1 $99.95
LS1100 Backlight Stand $24.95 ea. 1 $24.95
LS3900 13-foot Heavy Duty Stand $69.95 ea. 2 $139.90
LSB48 Stand Carrying Bag $49.95 ea. 1 $49.95
SB3060 Giant Softbox (with LGSR) $139.95 ea. 1 $139.95
U32SW 32” Silver/White Umbrella $19.95 ea. 1 $19.95
U48TWB 48” Shoot-Thru Umbrella $29.95 ea. 1 $29.95

That's $1319.07 incl shipping

And then I have over at B&H a set of Pocket Wizards.

The Pocket Wizards are a no brainer, but any additions, subtractions on the light set?

Man, I love buying new stuff! :)

[mikesd]

No recomendations, Looks great. I wanna be you!:D

[defordphoto]

I want to use your credit card! :)

Actually, it's nice to pay cash for stuff...

I still haven't clicked BUY yet, and I did add a "barn door" attachment, just cause they look cool. :cool:

[wolf]

I would make one small change to your list. Instead of a B400 go for the B800 for $50 more. This way you have the extra power if you ever need it. Oh, also a flash meter (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=221078&is=REG) so you can do your lighting ratios without getting frustrated. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[defordphoto]

Already have a Sekonic meter. ;) And the 400 is going to be used as a background and hair light, so it's all good.

I think I have a pretty good base system and can grow from there with add-ons.

Appreciate the input, Wolf. I did a bunch of research on this today and feel good about what I have ordered. The cherry on the cake would have been the battery/converters, but I doubt I'd really have used them all that much.

Order has been placed.

[wolf]

That is a nice set up you have ordered, congrats. You are going to love your Bees, I know I sure do like mine. Have fun !

[defordphoto]

Thanks! Good to hear that from an experienced user. This is going to take me into an entirely new realm of the art. I can hardly wait.

[iwatkins]

Change the ABs to Elinchroms. They are a lot better.






There, that's confused you now hasn't it ? ;)

Ian

[defordphoto]

Nope, not at all. I know the ABs are not the cat's meow and there are several that are of higher, more professional quality, but until (if ever) I start running a pro studio, ABs are my cat's meow, and within my budget. ;)

[iwatkins]

Damn, I tried. :)

Seriously, have you considered adding a snoot ? I got one free with my Elinchrom kit, thought I wouldn't use it, but do nearly every shoot.

Cheers

Ian

[defordphoto]

I was looking at those and almost snagged one. I figured after about a month or so, I'd be ordering more goodies. I've got a whole new technique to learn now!

[Longwatcher]

RFMSports,
Congrats and welcome to the club. Although you have more guts then I do getting them in Mello Yello, I chickened out and settled for Space Black, but if White had been available, I would have probably gone for that instead.

To Ian, the only lights I think are better overall then ABs are the Elinchroms, but that is like 20D versus 1DsMkII you get a little more, but for a higher cost.

On a side note, I am considering getting a 5th AB light as I am now using all 4 of my current lights to get the effect that I want and I still need an occasional spot light. Waiting until after next shoot to see if I can't get it with 3 lights instead of the four I have. If I do get a fifth light it will be an AB400.

[defordphoto]

LOL! Yeah, I originally had them all black, but then figured I'd have some fun with this and go a little wild.

I love this new forum and it's nice to see good participation. Thanks all for making this forum a hot spot on the Internet.

[MediaMagic]

Looks good.. you'll love the Bees. I had a set of AB's before moving to the WL's (just a bit sturdier for a portable studio situation, but the lighting quality difference is nil as far as I can tell).

One thing to consider, is the giant softbox. I have one (giant is not a misnomer), and sometimes it comes in handy, but I found that I use the octabox or medium box far more often. You might want to consider adding a medium or octabox, since you're in the buying spirit! I'd bet that you'd use those more often than the giant box too, unless you are planning to do all full length types of shots.

The wireless adjustment and firing system sold for the AB's or WL's is pretty cool too, as is the vagabond battery pack.

I suggest that you get at least ONE pink one though! lol

[iwatkins]

RFMSports,

I can agree with your sentiments to go for a second batch of bits in a month or so. But I've found it is a bit like lenses, it isn't once, it is every month. Another softbox here, another grid set there :)

I actually had a set of ABs a while back before I switched to Elinchrom. I had issues with shot to shot output consistancy with the ABs. I think it was just my units though as no one else seems to have problems. I went with Elinchroms for my studio as I plan to use them everyday (hopefully soon, all day) and I can easily get all the parts and accessories here in the UK whereas AB stuff has to come from the US.

Anyway, hit the "Buy Lots Of Toys Now!!!" button. :D :D

Cheers

Ian

[defordphoto]

Appreciate the info MediaMagic and Ian. Media: I already hit the buy button so what's done is done. I'll evaluate my needs after I get what I ordered and then run from there. Love the feedback!!

[MediaMagic]

Cool deal... I know you'll enjoy them. I noticed in another thread you were wanting some info about the wireless system... everything you need comes with the package.. if you have any specific question about the wireless system, let me know. I've been using it for about a year and love it. If you've already purchased the Pocket Wizard system, then the only thing you could gain from the AB wireless is the ability to remotely adjust the settings, so it probably wouldn't be worth it. I had planned to get the PW system down the road, but once I got used to the AB wireless, I was happy using it to fire the flashes as well.

[defordphoto]

Yup. PW's are on the way too. :)

[toddb]

I have just one Bee 800 and the big softbox. I'm already tired of tripping over the PC cord connection. Can you tell me more about how the wireless works with studio lights, specificly these alien bees? I was reading on the alienbee site about a dummy plug you can use to disable your flash unit’s built-in slave tripper. So, with that bit of info, do you just get one set of pocket wizard (transmitter and receiver) and put the one receiver on one of the flashes and that flash will automatically trip the other flashes? Is that all there is to it?

For use that have already filled our credit cards, can I somehow set up my 550EX flash off camera for a hairlight and have it trip?

[Longwatcher]

Your 550EX will trip the slaves on the ABs, or at least mine will. A cool way to cheat at sync speeds as well. Although there is a slight color difference betwen the ABs and the 550EX.

As to radio remotes, I find that I prefer the sync coord as I can get a slightly higher shutter speed, thus freezing motion more. But then I am a bit strange.

And on the comment Ian made about light changing. Mine don't from shot to shot, but I have noticed that if there is a long enough pause (like a break to change cards and start downloading it to the computer) of about 1 monute or more, there seems to be a slight change in light levels, but then it stays the same for the next batch of shots. Could be my imagination as I usually reposition something in the scene (although usually not the lights). I do find it slightly annoying as I can't shift click all and then adjust white balance for whole shoot in one shot. But I can do a whole bunch at once. Maybe I use them differently then You do. I tend to take batches of 4-10 shots in rapid succession then change pose 4-10 shots, and so on until card filled. I am currently averaging 250 images per hour (or about 4 per minute) over a 5 hour period.

[iwatkins]

Longwatcher,

Yes, that is exactly how I tend to shoot, big non-stop shoot for say five minutes, a few minutes pause to redress set/repose model/change cards etc. Then do it all again. I would see light output changes (from brighter to darker) for the first six or seven shots of each little session and also a very slight cooling (few hundered Kelvin tops) of the light at the same time. Then everything would stay stable but then every fourth or so shot I would get another shift in light output (up or down) and also a small shift in colour temperature.

I didn't like this much and once I managed to break one of the stand support brackets (simply came away in my hand) I decided it was time to make a change, especially as it was going to be difficult to get spares for ABs quickly in the UK. Hence the switch to Elinchrom.

However, do not let this put anybody off. I believe I simply had a bad batch and this was a few years ago now.

Cheers

Ian

[toddb]

Your 550EX will trip the slaves on the ABs, or at least mine will. A cool way to cheat at sync speeds as well. Although there is a slight color difference betwen the ABs and the 550EX.

As to radio remotes, I find that I prefer the sync coord as I can get a slightly higher shutter speed, thus freezing motion more. But then I am a bit strange.


I have played a little with the 550EX on camera with OmniBounce and point it away to bounce some extra light around and using some white foam-board stuff. It does add some fill but it's allot of trial and error. Right now though, it's a hair light and/or background light is what I could really use right now which is why I ask how to get the 550EX off the camera, but sounds like it would be just as cheep to just get another light then to try to get it to trigger wirelessly.

Well, the cord is defiantly cheaper for sure. :-P I guess I'll have to get one of those PC connector tighteners. On sync speed, I don't quite understand this discrepancy between the camera's max sycn speed and what you should be at. I remember seeing the shutter at 1/500, but shoot at 1/180 with no problems, I'll have to experiment some more. Is this just a wireless thing and do the PW have the same adjustment that would need to be made? http://www.alienbees.com/wireless.html

I should have spent more time searching about the 550EX firing remotely before I asked. I see you can get special cord and use the PW with it...Wien stuff won't fire it without having to turn it off then on each time (that would have been nice and cheap). This forum does have allot of usefully info!

[charlesu]

Looks like a good kit that you will enjoy.

I have Photogenic Powerlights as my main studio lights. They are large, powerful and provide a wonderful consistent quality of light. I've definitely been spoiled by having them. But, they are not the most portable. I also have Speedos but am probably going to sell that rig shortly.

I was NOT prepared for the Alien Bees when they arrived. I've used White Lightnings and I knew they were not of the same build quailty and features as the Photogenics. But the Alien Bees actually made me laugh when I unpacked the first one.

First, they are very "cute" if I can use that word in regard to lights. Second, their overall look reminds me of a toy robot I had in the late 60s. I half expected blinking lights for eyes and a trap door for ray guns to pop out of the body. They have a sort of cheesy/cool factor going in their looks. They're not going to impress clients, but they won't overly intimidate nervous subjects either.

One pop on the 800 assured me that they should do the trick (mobile lighting) nicely. I can't say how they will hold up, what the color or consistency is like, etc. But, on cursory examination, they show some serious promise.

I have a tentative shoot in the studio tonight and am considering using them for that shoot. Wish me luck!!

[mjordan]

I have had Excalibur lights for about 4 years now and have really enjoyed them. The SP line of Excalibur still give the best bang for buck of the medium level lights available... even better than ABs. Especially if you need the light stands and umbreallas as well.

I've read a number of posts in serveral forums about the Bees having various problems, although they are replaced really quick and have good support. Probably not any more problems than other brands have, but some people would have you believe that they never have problems.

Jim, you didn't say what you plan to shoot... I doubt it's those little jet boats you are so found of. :D If you plan on shooting people and or things that need a little bit of diffusion, a 16" reflector (sometimes called a beauty or Hollywood reflector) are hard to beat. It's a 16" aluminum reflector with a diffusion half dome in the center. The flash flashes into the half dome, which reflects the light back into the aluminum reflector and then out on the subject. I have that as well as a 24x36" softbox and a 24" Octogon softbox, plus umbrellas from 60" down to 32". I use the 32" a lot for fill light. Something else I use is Photoflex Lite Discs. I have a number of 12" and 22" round Lite Discs. Some are black on one side and silver on the other and some are white diffusion material. They fold up into almost nothing and are great for quick diffusion, reflection and blocking light. I also have a couple of the Lite Disc holders that have clamps on them that can hold reflectors and other things and go onto a light stand. You will be buying extra light stands, they come in handy for a lot of things. I have the air cushion ones that slowly slide down when I losen them rather than just drop.

I also use a snoot a lot. Hopefully you got the 4 door barn doors and not the 2 door. The 4 door give you a lot more flexibility in closing down while the 2 door won't close down as tight on the light.

I've been getting into a lot of macro and still life type photography lately and have a 30" light tent that I use to put flowers and other object into. Works great if you do small stuff like that.

You might also consider a background stand (at least 9' wide by 10' high, seamless paper and muslin backgrounds. I have paper and a number of muslins, black, white, gray, and a couple of painted ones.

They can be fun if you have the room to use them. Unfortunately my studio, uh, I mean our living room, has taken over with furniture that I don't have room to move out, so it's real tight for me. I'd like to get back into shooting people but not having room to do that puts a crimp in it.

Have fun, Jim.

Mike

[defordphoto]

Everything arrived in perfect condition and 100% operational. They packed everything very, very well. I am impressed. I only had time just to see if everything worked with the Pocket Wizards and such and all is good.

Mike: The main reason for purchasing these was for a product shoot I have coming up. We also just got out taxes done tonight and I will now also be getting the Vagabond portable power supply for mobile shoots. And yes, I know I'll be buying more accessories as I start to use this system. So far I am impressed and will have playing with all this the next few weeks.

This new lighting forum has been an absolute blessing and I appreciate everyone taking part and helping me pick out this system with all the other cool threads going on here. Keep up the good work. Your knowledge is invaluable.

And yes, I did get the 4-door barn doors.

[2goldens]

GREAT INFORMATION. Loved reading it. It was what I was looking for. :D :D :D

[DocFrankenstein]

I've heard you should be getting four flashes... just in case one craps out on you, you can still survive with 3.

Not so only if you have 2 flashes left.

I envy you.

[NILOLIGIST]

I know I'm a little late....Congrats! Don't buy anymore items...You know I want to upgrade. :D Oh, the beauty dish is a MUST HAVE!!

NiL,

[Gary_E]

Damn, I tried. :)

Seriously, have you considered adding a snoot ? I got one free with my Elinchrom kit, thought I wouldn't use it, but do nearly every shoot.

Cheers

Ian
what do you use the snoot for