Ready for a studio strobe with beautydish

I have been looking for a nice studio strobe. I want just one strobe which I can take on location (outdoor). I want one to get more power and better light quality.

All the comments and results on this forum about the Alienbee 800 makes me want one. But I don't live in the US so that's not a good choice probably.

After that I looked on the elinchrom website. The Quadras seems like pretty versatile strobes. But they are not so strong. (1,5 stops more than a speedlight).

Now I just don't know it anymore. I would like to get an affordable setup (+/-800 euro) with a good quality of light which can overpower the sun quit a bit.

I am also looking for a good beautydish. The Moola Setti looks awesome but is way to pricey. So I need a tip for a beautydish as well.
I also hope that I can trigger the strobe with my new Yongnuo 622c and combine it with my speedlites if I need to.

So my critic list:
- One studio strobe (Which is nice for in-and outdoor use)
- One batterypack
- One good beautydish
- Overpowering the sun a bit would be nice
- I hope I can use the YN622c with the strobe
- And combine my speedlites with it
- Higher speed sync would be nice
- Budget is not really there. I hope below 900.
- I already have some lightstands

I want to make a good purchase I really don't want to regret it!
So do you know a good strobe which is available in europe (Netherlands) which will suit my critics? Let me know!

Hi Bonbridge: Appreciate your problem, US made/sourced units tend to become very pricey and problematic in Europe - not least because of shipping costs. One EU brand which is winning a lot of fans is LENCARTA, here in the UK. They have two portable versions which are worth your time to look at. The Safari Classic would come in well below your budget while the Safari Li-ion pushes the budget a touch but has a weight advantage.

Both use a readily available Bowens S-bayonet fitting so a massive range of modifiers is available from many sources. EU warranty, of course so no problems there with shipping back to USA if there should be any problems.

Worth at least a look?

An alternative, of which I have only read but never actually handled, is the Quantuum R+600 from Hubert at Foto-tip.eu. (Very quick and reliable in my dealings with him for other items, not Quantuum). Again, Bowens S-bayonet and an EU warranty. My German is, regretably, insufficient to closely check the specifications and the English translation may lack certain nuances. Perhaps your grasp of language is up to the job.

Two alternatives for you to consider - hope it helps!

Thanks alot for the response!
I will definitely take a look at those!

Someone out here with other great suggestions?

Do alienbees not ship overseas? If not, forgive me but I would still consider them. Specifically, the B1600. You say you want to over power the sun. Then don't gamble with only 320 Ws (B800). Not only does it have 640 Ws, it also has a slower t.1 duration which is actually a GOOD thing in your scenario because you also mentioned wanting to shoot at shutter speeds faster than x-sync. The YN-622c transceivers have their own type of Hypersync, called super sync, which ultimately does the same thing. This technology would take advantage of the B1600's slower duration and allow you to shoot wide open without the hassle of ND filters.

As for beauty dishes. I personally own a mola Demi (22") but I'd suggest looking for a Kacey 22" dish. It's literally identical to my Mola with one exception: it's made of plastic. That's a good thing though. It's really light an extremely durable. Dent resistant, while producing the same great results as the Mola. Slightly cooler WB though due to a different paint used.

Oh and to power the AB1600, I'd highly recommend the mini vagabond lithium pack. I have a couple friends that own them. I still remember my first time seeing one and being totally in shock. At first I thought it was a joke. No kidding! The unit is absolutely TINY!! And it just seemed to keep on going. I was totally impressed. While owning an Elinchrom ranger, myself, if I plan on adding to my arsenal, I may very well go this route next time.

Ryan: To give you an idea of the 'problems' with US sourced products (in this case from B&H):

Mola Demi US$278.95
Shipping (cheapest method) US$82.88
Taxes US$113.33
Total US$ 475.16
Converted to OP's currency = €366.21
That'd leave €433.79 or US$474.92. Can't get a great deal of flash/strobe for that money.

Add the strong likelihood of transit damage and it really isn't viable. Buying from within the EU is different in that, although each country has different sales tax levels (UK is 20%, Netherlands is 21%), we pay the tax at the rate pertaining in the source country. The tax is also payable on carriage. However, there is no import duty from one EU country to another - only coming into the EU from elsewhere. Importing from the USA becomes extremely expensive, especially when the budget is retricted in the first place, as Merijn's (OP) already is. Also, there's the voltage problem - Alien Bee's are doubtless available in our 230v arrangement, but it's not their 'native format' hence there's the potential for additional hiccups.

Nice idea - just doesn't work this side of the pond, more's the pity.

Ouch. And I thought I had it bad here with 12% HST. Fair enough. As for the BD though, I said that I own the mola. I didn't recommend it; I suggested trying to get his/her hands on the Kacey, which is nearly identical. I don't know how hard it would be to find one second hand, but that was sort of what I was insinuating.

I picked up on the Mola reference because I knew the B&H site would give me all the ancilliary charges we'd have to suffer over here. No reason other than as an esily accessible example of how the prices sneaks up.

I can't say what the secondhand market in Holland is like, but in the UK they virtually killed it when tax was imposed on secondhand sales as well as new ones. Yep, 20% VAT on secondhand gear too. Grrr.

Safari which is the same as Jimbei is a great portable strobe kit. I have a Jimbei RD1200 and it works very well on location or studio work when you need that extra power. Replacement batteries are alot cheaper then my quadra batteries.

If the Safari Li-on Portable Flash System was sold in the USA I would have bought one.

Whortleberry wrote in post #15291375
I picked up on the Mola reference because I knew the B&H site would give me all the ancilliary charges we'd have to suffer over here. No reason other than as an esily accessible example of how the prices sneaks up.

I can't say what the secondhand market in Holland is like, but in the UK they virtually killed it when tax was imposed on secondhand sales as well as new ones. Yep, 20% VAT on secondhand gear too. Grrr.

Right but no one is going to charge 20% if you buy from someone online and meet in person. Haven't you heard of Craigslist?

You trusting soul, you. We also have 'Car Boot Sales' (Yard Sales over there?) - I wouldn't buy anything electronic from those either.

Scott: While Lencarta freely admit that the Safaris are made by Jinbei, they do insist that there are differences in spec and circuitry. Whether we actually take this at face value is open to conjecture.

Thanks for all those reactions!

I can import an alienbee from:
http://www.paulcbuff.e​u.com/

But where I live (Netherlands) we have got a 230 Volt lightnet, not a 220V.
So that's a problem I think.

Are there other models from Elinchrom or an other European brand which are comparable with a AB1600?

Here is a video of a photographer who used a AB800 for this shoot. I like the result. But you guys think 320W/s is just not enough? What about 400 or 500W?
http://www.youtube.com …ECA8&feature=re​sults_main

Merijn: Followed your PCB link. The fact that

1. The title refers to 230v version
   
2. The sub-title refers to 220v version
   
3. The tex refers to 110v version
   

All portable JINBEI, except the old series RD, now powered by lithium batteries.
JINBEI Discovery DC 1200
JINBEI Discovery DC 600
JINBEI Free Lander FLII 500
www.goldenshell.com.cn

You can buy in Europe: www.foto-morgen.de
You can buy in China: www.thephotogadget.com