studio lights. advice on what to replace some bowens pls.

I have been fortunate in that I have been able to borrow a set of 3 bowen equipe heads and equipe 2400 power pack/control. I am starting to get my head around it but I have found out he will need it back in about 4 to 6 weeks.

so what would you recomend I consider from the market today?

I want the flexibility to shoot portraits and products and it will need to be portable as I travel to other internal locations for shoots. depending on cost I may not be able to get a battery power pack.

I have purchased a large beauty dish with the bowens fitting so what ever I get I need to be able to fit this

budget is upto £800 - 1000. I have noticed that US to UK prices are basically what you can buy in the US for $500 it will cost £600 so I may end up asking a friend to bring it back for me.

I would love advice on what is available and would suit my needs.

thanks very much

First and foremost, personally I would go with a monolight system. That way you have total control of each individual flash head. Secondly since you're in Europe, you could possibly get a very nicely used set of Hensels. Regarding your BD, unfortunately each lighting manufacture uses a proprietary type of mounting system for their units. So, with you buying a BD with a Bowens mount on it, well then, hey you're sort of screwed..... However, typically, there is a get around. If your mount has screws on it, then you can unscrew that mount and what ever lighting system you do end up with, you can just purchase a new mount (you might have to drill some holes), then replace it. If your BD mount doesn't have screws that attaches it, then you can either sell it (maybe to your friend) and get another one, or take a hack saw to it, purchase the mount that you need for your lights, then find some sort of DIY way or remounting the new mount to the BD.

Thanks for that.
From memory my BD does have a removable mount so I should hopefully be able to get a fitting to suit which ever system I go for.
Will go and check out the Hensels.
Andy

There are quite a few lights coming out of China that have nice features. Lens Carta has some products from Godox that use Bowens mounts and have IGBT power control which offers some nice benefits.

Other than that, I'd be inclined to look at the leading European brands; Elinchrom etc.

The Einsteins are nice but loose their price advantage when they get to Europe so that changes the options. The new Profoto B1 has a nice feature set, but can be a bit pricey.

dmward wrote in post #16530137
.....I'd be inclined to look at the leading European brands; Elinchrom

Yep, forgot about the Elinchroms... I knew there was another high quality affordable lighting system from Europe but just couldn't remember it. WTG, Dave.....

I have read a number of reviews for these flash units. battery powered with over 250 flashes and upto 1/8000 flash duration.
would like to hear of your thoughts on them please.
Strobeam D4 HSS IGBT
http://www.viewfinderp​hotography.co.uk …ead-strobeam-d4-hss-igbt/

thanks

thats what you call Murphy's law. just found out strobeam has gone bust.

The Bowens Equipe head uses a modelling lamp of 300w rating. Many inexpensive studio light kits include heads with very low power modelling lights...only 60-100w, occasionally 150w. So beware that, if you are accustomed to being able to SEE the modelling light output even in bright ambient light circumstances, that you look for 150w modelling lights -- at the absolute minimum! 200w-300w is better, unless you think you will ONLY shoot in a darkened home area and not be prone to washout by window light!

My very first port-of-call in this situation would be to look at Lencarta's range. Yes, Chinese made (Jinbei & Godox) but proving pretty reliable - to the dismay of some of the rampant xenophobes in certain parts of this Forum.

• Bowens-compatible so your beauty dish isn't redundant.
  
• No silly import duty literally on your doorstep - which really hurts.
  
• No messing about with voltage change and/or the wrong mains plug.
  
• UK-based sales / support (though I've never heard of anyone actually needing support yet).
  
• Reasonable priced modifiers / accessories from the same source.
  
• Access to a massive range of after-market modifiers from the inter-webby-thingy, most of which seem to escape import taxes.
  

thanks for the info. I have been looking at the lencarta flash and they seem to be the way fowards for me and the superfast gives me some fun options.
cheets

also I am going to the photographt show. on the down side I am flashless at the moment.