[Starting a Portable Studio Kit]: My questions to you.

[Marloon]

hey guys,

over the past few days, i've been starting thread after thread after thread to answer my questions, And i definitely dont want to do that anymore. So what i've done is just started this thread and i'll continously dump my questions here.

So i'm transitioning from 285hvs to portable studio strobes.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Ya4atgftyQU/So-mL19oD6I/AAAAAAAAAnc/EdwOqsjZ0jI/s800/IMG_5280wtmk.jpg

Why?
-more power to lower ISO, and to increase DOF
-faster recycling speeds, and the advantages of modeling lights
-use of a wide variety of modifiers

Only draw back for me:
-Weight
-Cost

I've got 2000 dollars to spend and i wanna get a decent kit that i can just continuously add onto.

After having 5 flashes (4 285hvs, and 1 430ex), i've decided that whenever i use these flashes, all of my shots are carefully planned and are for projects as oppose for events. So i've decided that i could carry the extra weight, just as long as i have the extra power because sometimes i end up doubling 285hvs to get the extra power of something like a b400 (which is approximately 2 285hvs).

My Plan:
I'll "downgrade" from 4 285hvs to 2 studio strobes.

What am i buying.
-Vagabond II FOR SURE
-2 Studio Strobes (Either WL or AB: 600 min Effective Ws (equiv to 8 285hvs each))
-3 Impact HD Stands
-1 Silver Reflector
-Photoflex Large Softbox
-Photoflex 5' octodome
-Sandbags
-Jrx Remote setup

my Questions for you:
-What light stands would you recommend? I need 13's Air cushioned / Not. I need cost effective Light stands.
-WL or AB?

I'll add more questions as time goes. I've got until end of 2009. I want a perfect set. (there is no perfect set - i know..)

[Marloon]

A quick search answered my question. Answer found on dpreview.


my Questions for you:
-WL or AB?


I've posted this before. I asked the question of the Paul Buff people. They told me that although the basic circuitry of the current WL and the AB is the same (in fact, the AB is the "parent" of the current WL circuitry), the difference is primarily in physical and thermal robustness.

The AB circuitry is on two boards relatively close together in the shell; the WL circuitry (same basic design) is spread across four boards in a larger shell. I speculate that makes it easier to cool.

The WL shell is, as you can see, solid aluminum while the AB shell is Lexan. That makes the WL physically tougher, but in practice, it takes quite a whack to break the Lexan--and I doubt the circuits of either can stand that many gees. It would probably make a difference under a PRESSURE situation, like boxes (or luggage) stacked on the lights. I'd expect the Lexan would crack or deflect enough to bend something inside, where the WL would resist the pressure.

The WL has a 250 watt modeling light; the AB comes with a 100 watt lamp that most people immediately replace with 150 watt Sylvania Halogenas from Lowes or Home Depot (perfectly safe, according to AlienBees). The company also states that a 250 volt bulb can be used on AlienBees IF it's used in an open-air situation, like an umbrella but NOT like a softbox. Obviously, the fact that the WL has a better thermally protective design is the difference there. In practice, 150-watts is more than adequate for the kind of living room portraits the ABs are designed for. If you're doing commercial work and lighting larger sets, you want the WL modeling light power.

The WL has separate manual controls for the flash and modeling power while the AB has a single control for them both. That's pretty much a matter of individual taste, but the WL levers are directly parallel to each other, so it's just as easy to flick them both simultaneously with the same finger as it is to manipulate the single AB lever.
The WL has a thermal-controlled fan--comes on when necessary (which isn't very often); the AB has a constant-on fan.

The WL has a postive lock lever on the reflector mount in addition to the spring-loaded fingers; the AB just has the spring-loaded fingers. Also, the WL reflector mount is screwed into the aluminum housing; the AB reflector mount is screwed into the Lexan. Those two differences mean the WL can hold a far heavier light modifier than the AB (like maybe that 9-foot octobox). However, the AB mount is no wimp, and, again, it can hold just about anything you'd use for the living-room portraiture it's designed for.

Finally, the AB's Lexan shell means it can't drain off static electricity as readily as the WL's aluminum shell; some people have reported that under very dry and stacticky conditions, they've gotten spurious flashes when they touched an AB after walking across a carpeted floor.

[bobbyz]

Modelling light is not going to help much when using vagabond in outdoor environment. If you need to go for AB1600, I would get X1600 (WL brand) so that I can use it as AB400 if I need to, like indoors.