Elinchrom Users Only (Mark III) [Abandon hope all ye who enter]

mtimber wrote in post #13380080
I cannot remember the settings on the camera as I was eyeballing them and just going up and down on the power from the remote, but I think they were mid to low range on the power output (shooting indoors, f11, hairlight, background snoot).

I think I got off about 40 shots with two running.

I did not even know I had to maintain them, until you (I think it was you) mentioned them on this thread.

I think I am heading down replacing the cells route.

If these will only give you 40 shots before they run out (two strobes probably low power), as standard, then I will need to revisit my options.

But because I did not maintain them correctly, I suspect I have shot the battery cells.

SLA batteries need to be 'conditioned' and will dry up if they're left off the charger for too long. Symptoms of a dying battery are that they don't hold the charge for long or just don't charge.

I've never done testing with multiple BXRi's on the XT SE because it's not rated as compatible (and I've proven it myself) with multiples. Some people get it to work but since it is known to glitch with some, it's considered incompatible.

As far as power goes, I can shoot using a fully charged XT SE with a 600RX at full power, I get around 300 pops. Even if we allow for the differences in consumption with the bi-voltage power supply, it shouldn't work out to 40 pops with two BX500Ri's, even if they were at full power, and you've indicated they weren't near or at full power.

I know it's a bit too late, but manufacturers do provide manuals, and as much as we all like to think we don't need to read manuals, every so often you do find things like the information about how to maintain your battery.

Doesn't Robert's of Indianapolis rent bodies? Can you rent one of each and play with them?

If it were me...I would choose glass over bodies any day and twice on Sunday.

Are just getting tired of the T2i? As you have mentioned, minus AF and build it is almost a 7D.

Not Elinchrom...but pretty cool video....

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …un-and-gun-with-hard.html

yeah... T2i is very limited (in some respects that is good though, but I don't have specific WB control, etc), viewfinder is junk, and I prefer a bigger body (thats what she said).

Indy is 4 hours away.... and I don't have any reason to get up there anytime soon. With CLP, I could buy the body for $1087, and resell it for $1150 in a heartbeat. I'm going to pick up the 7D and play with it for a bit. I already know I like it, so if anything, I will probably end up selling the T2i, and at that point anything is fair game.... but at least by then I will have a decent lens to strap onto both bodies.

Sounds like a plan...

Quick question for Quadra users: Do you need to keep the battery plugged in when not used?

windpig wrote in post #13378240
Take a look at the Photoflex. I've got the smaller Elinchrom, it's nice, but no grid. The Photoflex are nice and are priced right, I just picked up the 15 X 55 with the grid, it's the one you can use hot lights with and it's bomb proof.

Is the general consensus that Photoflex softbox egg crates are the best bang for your buck?

Highlight_Photography wrote in post #13379910
Putting my Elinchrom D-lites to use for the first time

Pretty darn good

Harleypugs wrote in post #13380737
Not Elinchrom...but pretty cool video....

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …un-and-gun-with-hard.html

Great video. That guy has some amazing images.

Csae wrote in post #13380103
Did you happen to leave the modeling lights on? That will Seriously Drain your batteries right up.

Yes, they were on full power.

mtimber wrote in post #13381588
Yes, they were on full power.

modeling lights will absolutely decimate your battery life. turn them off and you will get lots and lots and lots more pops out of the battery.

they weren't designed to run constantly. only to deliver short bursts of pure sine wave power to sensitive electronics.

mtimber wrote in post #13381588
Yes, they were on full power.

Well then that's your answer. Even though the modeling works work, it's not recommended to used them with portable batteries.

Charge the batteries fully and then use the strobes with the modeling lights off and you should see significant improvement in battery life as well as recycle time.

TMR Design wrote in post #13380612
SLA batteries need to be 'conditioned' and will dry up if they're left off the charger for too long. Symptoms of a dying battery are that they don't hold the charge for long or just don't charge.

I've never done testing with multiple BXRi's on the XT SE because it's not rated as compatible (and I've proven it myself) with multiples. Some people get it to work but since it is known to glitch with some, it's considered incompatible.

As far as power goes, I can shoot using a fully charged XT SE with a 600RX at full power, I get around 300 pops. Even if we allow for the differences in consumption with the bi-voltage power supply, it shouldn't work out to 40 pops with two BX500Ri's, even if they were at full power, and you've indicated they weren't near or at full power.

I know it's a bit too late, but manufacturers do provide manuals, and as much as we all like to think we don't need to read manuals, every so often you do find things like the information about how to maintain your battery.

Lesson learned the hard way.

Innovatronix do claim these are compatible with the BXRi's, are you saying you disagree with this from experience?

Now the search is on for compatible battery cells.

Thanks for the information, it seems I have killed them.

Mark

an hour of shooting with modeling lights on full and 40 pops to boot is actually pretty impressive.....

mtimber wrote in post #13381604
Lesson learned the hard way.

Innovatronix do claim these are compatible with the BXRi's, are you saying you disagree with this from experience?

Now the search is on for compatible battery cells.

Thanks for the information, it seems I have killed them.

Mark

One Brxi will work fine, more than one not so much.