Einchrome equiv of B800 pros/cons

ok.. Heres the thing.. I use B800's but i'd like to add to my set..

However.. i'm in the UK.. And The supplier/importer has ceased to trade..

SO i'm tempted to cut my losses, sell up and go with something that has more of a UK presence like Elinchrome..

Can someone advise me on what the closest equivalent to the B800 is in their range? And what are the pro's and cons?

What would you do?

You'd be looking at the new D Lite RX 4
http://www.adorama.com​/EL204871.html

If it were me I would consider the newish Godox QT series - http://www.godox.com …udio_Flash_QT_S​eries.html

Uses the same controls as the AD 180/360, V-850 & most likely the new V860c.

Rocky Rhode wrote in post #16681480
If it were me I would consider the newish Godox QT series - http://www.godox.com …udio_Flash_QT_S​eries.html

Uses the same controls as the AD 180/360, V-850 & most likely the new V860c.

Available from Lencarta, based in Yorkshire, as their Superfast series in 300Ws and 600Ws versions. 3 year warranty, UK taxes & duties paid, local support, known & reputable supplier, no waiting a fortnight for a slow boat from China and then another 10 days for Royal Snail to deliver the demand for import duties/VAT.

Elinchrom have a very strong UK presence (thanks to work of the late Malcolm Whittle over about 3 decades) but are somewhat limited in the selection of non-Eli modifiers available by comparison with the Bowens-fit alternative. So your choice would be relatively limited. The D-Lite 4RX is available in the UK from The Flash Centre, as headed by another Mr Whittle (guess how that happened!)

Whortleberry wrote in post #16681951
Available from Lencarta, based in Yorkshire, as their Superfast series in 300Ws and 600Ws versions. 3 year warranty, UK taxes & duties paid, local support, known & reputable supplier, no waiting a fortnight for a slow boat from China and then another 10 days for Royal Snail to deliver the demand for import duties/VAT.

Elinchrom have a very strong UK presence (thanks to work of the late Malcolm Whittle over about 3 decades) but are somewhat limited in the selection of non-Eli modifiers available by comparison with the Bowens-fit alternative. So your choice would be relatively limited.

Probably way better quality too. And I say probably only because I haven't seen/used them this side of the pond. But this item in their FAQ says much.

Rocky Rhode wrote in post #16681480
If it were me I would consider the newish Godox QT series - http://www.godox.com …udio_Flash_QT_S​eries.html

Uses the same controls as the AD 180/360, V-850 & most likely the new V860c.

They look great.. but where can I buy them from in the UK??? that website has no prices on or supplier lists..

Rushmore wrote in post #16683460
They look great.. but where can I buy them from in the UK??? that website has no prices on or supplier lists..

There are TWO links in my post just above.

Whortleberry wrote in post #16683768
There are TWO links in my post just above.

I missed those links also.

Rushmore wrote in post #16683460
They look great.. but where can I buy them from in the UK??? that website has no prices on or supplier lists..

windpig wrote in post #16683973
I missed those links also.

Ah - well I thought they were obvious. Suppose I would do, seeing that I put them there. Let's try again
Link to UK source of Lencarta-branded Godox QT studio flash units:
Lencarta Superfast 300Ws (link)
Lencarta Superfast 600Ws (link)
and just for good luck (on the basis that the links apparently weren't as obvious as I thought they were)
Elinchrom D-Lite 4 RX (link)

Interesting quandary, the Eli is cheaper, but the modifiers are limited for you in the UK.

Elinchrom modifiers are not in the least bit limited whatsoever in the UK.

Plentiful and just as cheap as Bowens S fit at the lower end of the 3rd party market, and the best quality modifiers as Eli own brand.

How about Fotodiox in the UK?

windpig wrote in post #16684499
How about Fotodiox in the UK?

Available through Amazon.co.uk but shipped from USA. Hence they "attract" 3.7% import duty plus 20% VAT (these 2 on the international shipping & insurance as well as the product price) plus £13.50 service charge on arrival on these hallowed shores. They suddenly change from a reasonable budget option to quite pricey, which is a shame. There is also about a 7 day lead time while Royal Snail deign to inform us that duty is payable - we can't jump the queue because we need the 17 digit Royal Mail generated code before we can even pay the additional fees online. Trying to pay through the postal service is just a bad joke.

Trailboy wrote in post #16684493
Elinchrom modifiers are not in the least bit limited whatsoever in the UK.

Plentiful and just as cheap as Bowens S fit at the lower end of the 3rd party market, and the best quality modifiers as Eli own brand.

Genuine Eli modifiers are as readily available here as anywhere, at the usual genuine prices. 3rd party ones tend to be available in certain sizes only (ie the quick sellers, unsurprisingly), not the breadth of choice available for Bowens. A lot of suppliers don't / can't / won't supply other than Bowens fit. The choice becomes a little wider with eBay from Pearl River Basin suppliers or from Shanghai but then we don't know what the quality is like till they've arrived. One of my students uses Elinchrom and we've had an awful job getting him any decent quality modifiers which

1. actually fit properly
   
2. don't sag like last Xmas balloons
   
3. don't mangle colour balance through use of UV fluorescing materials
   

Whortleberry wrote in post #16684631

1. don't mangle colour balance through use of UV fluorescing materials
   

Would that be blatantly obvious in a picture, or are the colour shifts subtle? Have you any side by side comparison or can point towards one? Reason I'm asking is that I have a non-original-manufacturer softbox (it's a Lightech 90x120) and have considered buying third party light formers. But this UV thing is a big caveat emptor I had never considered.

I have never had a single problem getting any quality Eli fit modifier I need in the UK, all good quality.

Off the top of my head, all offer decent quality stuff, all UK dealers and all available in Eli fit:

http://www.bessel.co.u​k
http://lencarta.com/
http://www.viewfinderp​hotography.co.uk/

and more Ebay sellers than you can shake a stick at.

Do not base your choice of flashhead just on its fitting.

All three exhibit at Focus/Photography Show in a few weeks in Birmingham, so just tootle along to see everything and make your own mind up.