One light kit (incl battery) for $1000?

I am going to be buying a lighting kit to use at weddings to light couples shots, family portraits and to also be used uring receptions. I have a stand already but I need to purchase everything else for $1000. I need a battery, probably a vagabond ii, a flash and some radio poppers. What are my options here? I need to get this stuff within about a month so I think the Einstein is ruled out. What do you think? **

I say an AB1600 with the large softbox, Vagabond II, and a CyberCommander and CSRB+ to remotely control power / use the CC as a light meter if necessary.

Im trying to figure out something that fairly portable at the same time so I'm not completely loaded down during wedding shoots. Would there be a good way to maybe use 3 (or so) vivitars inside an Apollo softbox? How many would I need to get close to the same output as a b1600?

Also, when using the CC and CSRB+, can I use a splitter or something to control all the identical hotshoe flashes as well as changing their output from the CC?

You can't remotely control the power levels of the Vivitars with the CC/ CSRB+ combo. Only the Alien Bees.

jklewer wrote in post #9817530
Im trying to figure out something that fairly portable at the same time so I'm not completely loaded down during wedding shoots. Would there be a good way to maybe use 3 (or so) vivitars inside an Apollo softbox? How many would I need to get close to the same output as a b1600?

Also, when using the CC and CSRB+, can I use a splitter or something to control all the identical hotshoe flashes as well as changing their output from the CC?

I don't know about the 1600, but i can tell you from experience that 4 285's are so close to the weight of a ab800 that it doesn't make a difference. The vagabond is on the heavy side, of course. It does a good job stabilizing the stand. The slickest, fastest moving system i've seen with a vagabond involved an assistant and a backpack for the battery and an extension pole for the lamphead/softbox. Work toward this goal. It was super cool.

I think you would need roughly (7) 285's (assuming approximately 50ws each) to equal the 1600. This is obviously completely hypothetical, as well as completely impractical. Another important and useless fact is that (7) 285's without stands or batteries would be only $30 cheaper than a 1600 and the vagabond. The csrb+ 'plus' features and the CC only work with the buff flash units.

640Ws divided by 50 is closer to 13.

111t wrote in post #9817837
I don't know about the 1600, but i can tell you from experience that 4 285's are so close to the weight of a ab800 that it doesn't make a difference. The vagabond is on the heavy side, of course. It does a good job stabilizing the stand. The slickest, fastest moving system i've seen with a vagabond involved an assistant and a backpack for the battery and an extension pole for the lamphead/softbox. Work toward this goal. It was super cool.

I think you would need roughly (7) 285's (assuming approximately 50ws each) to equal the 1600. This is obviously completely hypothetical, as well as completely impractical. Another important and useless fact is that (7) 285's without stands or batteries would be only $30 cheaper than a 1600 and the vagabond. The csrb+ 'plus' features and the CC only work with the buff flash units.

Thanks for the advice, Im really interested in controlling the flash output from in-camera so it looks like I am locked into the bees, which is fine by me. I know the vagabond is heavy, but at least it will pack a punch for an entire day of wedding shooting (romantics and family, etc). Looks like I will probably be "hiring" my wife as my lighting assistant!!

dmward wrote in post #9819364
640Ws divided by 50 is closer to 13.

Whoops, my bad... i must have been thinking of the 800.

elinchrom quadra? but a bit out of your price range. Light though...

I'd agree with the Ab and vagabond setup. seems that your only real option for what you want.

C_Riv wrote in post #9827081
I'd agree with the Ab and vagabond setup. seems that your only real option for what you want.

Yeah, it seems I didn't have much of a choice. I just pulled the trigger on a B1600, Vagabond II, 64" PLM, Cyber Commander, CSRB+ and a bag. I'm really pumped to get it all and put it through some work.

Thanks for all the help!