Alien Bees Vs. Elinchrome

[Jewel]

I am researching what studio lighting kit to purchase and am torn between the Alien Bees and the Elinchrome. The price for Alien Bee kit I am looking at is approx. $600 vs. $2,000 for Elinchrome.

I am the type of person who would rather buy something "up front" that I know I am going to be happy with and not want to trade or upgrade a couple years down the road. With that said, should I spend the extra money on Elinchrome? Are their lights/lighting that much better?

I mainly photograph dogs.

[gonzogolf]

I think you've identified the primary difference, price. The elinchroms are great, and from what I understand they have more consistent color temp across the power scale and perhaps more pop to pop power consistency. That said I have alien bees, love them. Great bang for the buck. I would suggest this, especially as you are new to this sort of lighting. Get the bees, try them, see if they satisfy you. If not they sell on the forums here used for 90-95% of their new value. Simply put, you cant lose much trying them, but I think you'll keep them and be a happy person.

[dmward]

And, unless you have to pull the trigger soon, PCB is going to offer a new light sometime in December. (They have said in other fora that the schedule is still intact) It uses an advanced trigger circuit that delivers more consistent color temp and flash to flash intensity.

There is info on the new products page of the PCB website which should give you some information for comparing with Elinchrome and others.

I too use ABs and find they deliver the goods, are durable and its easy to find adaptors for just about any modifier.

As for modifier, have a look at the PCB PLMs. I have the large and medium sized and find they offer a versatile and easy to assemble kit for location setups.

(I apologize if this sounds like a PCB ad, but I find his products are very useful and affordable. And, I have no relationship with the company other than being a satisfied customer.)

[kenyee]

And, unless you have to pull the trigger soon, PCB is going to offer a new light sometime in December. (They have said in other fora that the schedule is still intact)

Saw a slip on FM...I don't think it'll be in December...they don't even have final production units yet. Once you get those, you need to go through FCC testing, UL, etc. assuming you don't find any problems w/ the final test samples...

[dmward]

Not sure about the testing etc. With networking products we could get the approvals in production prototypes if I remember correctly. As long as the spec was the same as the production units.

the tread I saw PCB was presistant about end of December.

[Seanzky]

I own Bees as well and I'm very happy with them. My suggestion to you is to buy what you can afford for now since it seems like price is a big factor by the sound of your post. What I did was get the Alienbees because they were what I could afford and I needed them then. Now though, if I had extra money, I would like to get Quadras for their ultra-portability. There's nothing wrong with owning both and using them for different applications. Just write down all the criteria you look for in a strobe and put them in order of priority. If portability comes first, price next, color consistency, followed by customer support, etc. then you decide based on which you think best suits you.

That's just an example, by the way. I hope I've helped.

(I hope this doesn't turn into a bashing thread.)

[snyderman]

you didn't say exactly what equipment from each brand you compared, just offered a price. Elinchrom makes a pretty decent and complete kit for around $740 that can be purchased from B&H.

dave

[dmward]

Sean has outlined a good analysis technique.

It is more objective and detailed than the assumptions I made based on your stated intents.

All the major brands are good lights. It does come down to what's most important to you.

[TMR Design]

A lot of your decision making process should depend on how demanding you are of your gear. Do you like or want digital controls and the repeatability they offer? Do you want radio remote control capability? What types of modifiers do you want to use? Do you plan on working in the studio, on location, or both? Do you do print work where exposure must be spot on and extremely consistent? What range or apertures do you shoot and how many stops of control do you need?

If you can answer those and other pertinent questions then that may help you and point you in one direction or the other.

PS> there's no 'e' at the end of Elinchrom :)

[Karl Johnston]

can't go wrong with either.

[TMR Design]

can't go wrong with either.

Depends on your work and how demanding you are. There are differences to be aware of that need to be considered when choosing strobes.

[MSPhoto]

Initial outlay difference is fairly significant but, since your criteria seems more related to long term satisfaction than cost, Elinchrom would be my suggestion. I started with AB and worked my up to Elinchrom which is now my preferred system. Good luck with your choice!

[Damian75]

A lot of your decision making process should depend on how demanding you are of your gear. Do you like or want digital controls and the repeatability they offer? Do you want radio remote control capability? What types of modifiers do you want to use? Do you plan on working in the studio, on location, or both? Do you do print work where exposure must be spot on and extremely consistent? What range or apertures do you shoot and how many stops of control do you need?

If you can answer those and other pertinent questions then that may help you and point you in one direction or the other.

PS> there's no 'e' at the end of Elinchrom :)

I think Rob really hit the nail on the head here. You really need to make a check list of things that are important to you and I think you will find the choice is clear. For me the digital controls and the range of the Elinchrom system really out weighed the cost difference. Also with the price difference you have listed I am not sure you are comparing apples to apples make sure with the PCB stuff you are looking at the True watt seconds. As has been shown on this forum alone you can create great images with either system you just have to figure out which will fit your needs the best.

[Jewel]

Thanks for all the great feedback so far. Here would be a general list of my priorities:

1. Quality light source (long term satisfaction is very important to me)
2. Speed of light is important since I will mainly be doing dogs/pets that move around (can't have any blur)
3. Portability is not really important right now. I would use the studio lights in a home studio that I am setting up, but also on location (probably mostly indoor - I will need to get batteries at some point)
4. Money is last on my list - I would rather spend the extra money now if it is worth the difference.

You are right - I just tried to compare apples to apples and Elinchrom makes a kit that is $1,245 which is 2 400bx's, stands, umbrellas - similar to the $600 kit from Alien Bee

I am an amateur/hobby photographer, so I don't know what settings and other accessories I will use until I am able to get the studio set up and experiment. It will be trial and error I am sure. I have lots of people already lined up to shoot since I am very involved in dog showing and other dog activities.

I have a friend who has alien bees and loves them. My Mom's best friend who is a retired photographer (she did mainly portraits and weddings and was extremely successful) has Elinchrom that she has had for probably about 25-30 years and they still work awesome; a proven workhorse. She has the 400bx's.

I'm just worried about getting the Alien Bees and then regretting it.

I took this in my Mom's best friend's studio (who has the Elinchrom set-up)
http://jewelmcdonald.zenfolio.com/img/v7/p228695399-2.jpg

This photo just made the cover of a mastiff calendar:
http://jewelmcdonald.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p534599856-2.jpg

Here's a shot I just got of my husband and new puppy.
http://jewelmcdonald.zenfolio.com/img/v8/p330975-2.jpg

Lastly, I saw a post from Scott Kelby that he recommends Elinchrom, and that keeps sticking in my mind. I respect his opinion.

[kenyee]

Seems the answer is you should try your mom's setup and see how you like it. And then try someone's AB setup as well.

The dog pictures you posted aren't moving ones but unless you're going to get them to twirl around w/ hair flying everywhere, flash duration won't really be an issue...

[Jewel]

My Mom's best friend is in Illinois and I am in Florida, so I only got to try it this summer when I was up visiting. My AB friend is here in Florida, so maybe I will ask if I can try his.

In a studio environment, I do doubt there would be much movement most of the time, however, if I am shooting a Afghan hound or a dog with long hair, I may try to put a fan on him to add an extra element.

[Magic 24]

I'm just worried about getting the Alien Bees and then regretting it.

Lastly, I saw a post from Scott Kelby that he recommends Elinchrom, and that keeps sticking in my mind. I respect his opinion.

If I had the money the SK does, then sure, I'd buy the E's but with a budget...it's AB's.

[Damian75]

One thing to consider no matter what strobes you go with is budget in a good light meter. With subjects like pets and children where it is hard if not impossible to get them to do the same thing twice you want you exposures to be correct right out of the gate.

[Jewel]

Okay, thanks for that suggestion. I will get a light meter as well.