D1 500 Air / Gemini 500Pro what else?

Hi everyone,

if there is any topic that has it all, please help me find it, as I only found very fragmented info (here on forum and in Google) about some of the ones from the title. For me it wasn't enough to decide.

I am thinking of buying one or two of these babies for a start. Just haven't found any real and good comparison/side by side reviews. I was wondering if any of you used both of these ranges and can actually compare them, provide some more info on PROs and CONs.

I am also considering other brands more on the pro side in similar price ranges, so if you are aware of anything else worth the recommendation, please shout.

Thank you in advance

I've owned a couple of every generation of the Bowens monoblocks they now call Gemini. In fact I have 3 of the original Bowens Voyagers that are now 30 years old. They were ahead of their time with universal voltage (hence the Voyager name) and touch controls. They work as well as the day they were new and are still on the original flash tubes. In all the Voyagers/Travelights/G​emini I've owned I've never had a single problem. Bowens makes great modifiers and they're not horribly over priced. Pretty hard to beat Bowens in my experience.

I also own a lot of Profoto gear including a pair of D1 AIR 500s. They're great lights. One of the key differences is that the D1s have their shortest duration at full power, the opposite of most lights including the Bowens. They also have a wider range of power and can be set in 1/10 of a stop increments. AIR remote offers complete control of each light. Modifiers are pricey but the light quality is great. For larger modifiers like a medium to large softbox you'll want the optional glass domes.

Then there's the rest. Elinchrom makes good lights with a lousy mount that's not strong enough and can be difficult to use. The PCB fan club is alive and well on this forum. Not my idea of a pro level product, your experience might be different.

One of the better monoblocks on the market is available to you in the U.K. but we can't get them here in the U.S. yet.

http://www.hensel.eu …ash-devices/expert-d.html

K.C - thank you very much for the above info.

I am at the point where I have to start somewhere and then build it from there. So far I only used the Bowens ones, but then I made my research on the Profoto ones as well, and as usual there are fans for each. Not many people can truly compare these and I believe you have to try them all yourself to be able to recommend somehting to someone else.

So if you had to decide on one of the above, as the only range/system for the moment, which ones would you choose (for portaiture and fashion)?

If you can afford Profoto they offer superior light quality. The glass dome covering the flashtube creates a more diffuse and homogeneous light that's very nice to have. But remember the cost of the lights is just the beginning. The modifiers are where you'll spend more over time.

Thanks a lot K.C. I really appreciate your help.

You're quite welcome.

If you do go with Profoto I'd strongly recommend you look at other brand modifiers and don't just loyally buy the PF line. You'll save money and in many cases you'll have better modifiers. The Mola Beauty Dishes are superior to the Profoto in every way. Have a look at Polina Osherov's work for Mola Demi examples and Fiona Quinn's work for the Mola Setti.

For softboxes Elinchrom's Deep Octas are the current standard in beauty and fashion. You'll need a Profoto to Elinchom adapter for the mount but it's well worth it.

The Profoto Magnum and Zoom reflectors are great but test with the built in reflector first to see if you really need them.

FYI,
The D1 profoto's do not have the glass dome. They have a flat face.
The previous incarnation of the moonlight from profoto's had the glass dome.

Why not rent a few different sets of lights and test them for youself?
Thantway you could see first hand what you like and don't like.

mdr

The D1's don't come with the glass dome but they do make one for them. http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …61_Glass_Dome_f​or_D1.html

My D1 AIR 500s have the dome, and yes, they are an option.

In comparing them to my Pro 6, Pro 7 and Acute D4 heads the dome made a difference in larger modifiers, like a softbox over 3', but had no effect in the Mola Demi, Euro or Mantti. I tested with a flat diffuser on a Minola 5 flash meter.