Adorama Rovelight RL 600, thoughts?

agv8or wrote in post #17576642
In my quick and dirty testing I found the RL-600B had about a 2 stop flash output advantage over the CL-360 and INdra 500. More testing is warranted to verify these initial findings but so far I am pleasantly surprised.

I'm not surprise that the RL-600 is more powerful than CL-360, but 2 stops over Indra 500? I mean I understand that RL is 600ws while Indra-500 suppose to be 500ws. Your "initial" finding make me worry about the Indra unit, (well I was thinking about buying Indra vs RL earlier, but I end up w/ RL because price and TTL seem wonky at the time), this imply that Indra unit is relatively underpowered compared to well brand 500ws unit. I think I saw it somewhere that RL is about 1 stop more than E640 at max.

someone0 wrote in post #17576672
I'm not surprise that the RL-600 is more powerful than CL-360, but 2 stops over Indra 500? I mean I understand that RL is 600ws while Indra-500 suppose to be 500ws. Your "initial" finding make me worry about the Indra unit, (well I was thinking about buying Indra vs RL earlier, but I end up w/ RL because price and TTL seem wonky at the time), this imply that Indra unit is relatively underpowered compared to well brand 500ws unit. I think I saw it somewhere that RL is about 1 stop more than E640 at max.

Like I said, the testing was done really quickly in my house so I need to verify my findings but I was more surprised at how the ODS timing effected the flash exposure in HSS. When I tested the Indra against my Canon Speedlites I found it comparable to just 6 600EX Speedlites. I would have guessed at least twice that many would have been needed so I was not so surprised there. I have always assumed that the flash units pulsed the flash, like the Canon Speedlites, to achieve HSS. In the Indra manual it states that the use of HSS may shorten the life of the flash tube so I assumed this was due to the rapid cycling of the flash. If the flash is pulsing then you would think that the ODS timing would have no effect on the flash exposure but with the 600B it changes the overall flash exposure by about a full stop and not just at 1/1 power but at the lower flash powers as well (edit: reread Elvis' review and I now know how the 600B works in HSS so the ODS timing makes sense). After all in non HSS I could only get a clean frame at 1/1 flash power by adjusting the ODS timing but it quickly degraded from there as I lowered the flash power. When I get time I will do some more testing using other radio triggers I have to achieve HSS and compare the findings. I will have to compare the 600B to the E640 as well as I find that a little hard to believe as I have found the PCB strobes to be very comparable to my Bowens and Calumet strobes of higher wattage ratings.

Additional: Did a comparison using the Odin and the Yongnuo YN-E3-RT/YNE3-RX combo to trigger the 600B in HSS by placing the 600B transmitter in their respective receivers. The Odin (without ODS dialed in) and the Yongnuo YNE3 combo yielded the same flash output results. When I added ODS timing to the Odin I picked up a full stop of flash output as I previously stated. I also tried this setup with the Yongnuo YN-622C TX/RX combo but was getting the flash firing late at the end of the frame. According to Elvis' review this combo should have worked but then again I have never gotten along with the YN-622c's as they seem to hate me and the feeling has been mutual. Oh well since I am getting a full stop more flash output from the Odins it looks like the choice to use. If I need an "on camera" flash then I can use a Mitros+ or 600EX-RT to trigger the 600B although I would lose that 1 stop of flash output.

you mean this: http://www.imafoto.net …600-vs-pcb-einstein-e640/

I think this came from this link originally paul c buff jumped in.

http://www.fredmiranda​.com/forum/topic/13243​54/0

I use 600w Mettle strobes with yn622's. Has anyone compared these two lights as far as output above sync speed? I can't adjust timing or anything (I don't think?), but I usually get a pretty consistent frame at all power levels.

Larger interior spaces being tackled by the Rovelight.

Tried the Rovelight for the first time yesterday. I am happy with the HSS results.
Sony A72

Hey guys I have an Indra and did tests against the sun in TTL in HSS. Turned out well. Wish it had extra stop power like RL 600w.

My question is when I changed to manual mode in HSS at same settings 1/1600, F/4, ISO:100. I was trying to figure out what power to shoot. Could I use light meter? I had to chimp to get it right. Did I do something wrong?

I'd easily get a RL again. Might still. I just like looking at remote and seeing power settings.

That junk remote of Rovelight is supposed to be replaced sometime in 2015. The only (and a serious) downside to a great package.

Apparently I have the older Phottix Odin TCU. I did some testing tonight on the rovelight I purchased as I couldn't justify the Indra right now. In the studio, HSS I'm getting a clean frame but at a huge power loss. Is this the consensus? And oddly, as I lowered my shutter speed, I got brighter images at same power setting - I was shooting ISO 100 with negligible ambient.

I know it's working because if I turn off HSS on the rovelight, I get a black image. Another interesting note, I got the same results with the rovelight remote on an odin receiver as I did with the odin RX wired to the rovelight.

Nice!! How did you trigger the flash from A7ii?

Buchinger wrote in post #17578961
Apparently I have the older Phottix Odin TCU. I did some testing tonight on the rovelight I purchased as I couldn't justify the Indra right now. In the studio, HSS I'm getting a clean frame but at a huge power loss. Is this the consensus? And oddly, as I lowered my shutter speed, I got brighter images at same power setting - I was shooting ISO 100 with negligible ambient.

I know it's working because if I turn off HSS on the rovelight, I get a black image. Another interesting note, I got the same results with the rovelight remote on an odin receiver as I did with the odin RX wired to the rovelight.

I use the YN-622C/TX solution so I never have that problem(meaning I didn't even have to adjust the timing). But I did take a look at the Odin method, guide here. If you look at the diagram of the flash power curveline. It's most likely that your trigger somehow trigger late toward the end of the trail and that would explain why the image appear to have suffer power loss. From what I have seen the other review and tested myself, RL at max power w/ HSS on/off make no perceivable different and that's a good thing, a very good thing. It also mean, it also means, it keep the power at the peek level pretty stable. Imagine a flash power of normal monolight that look like the one in the diagram, and then the RL look a lot more like a shape of the water bottle cap, where the peek actually more flat. I'm making the assumption here as I have no method of recoding the light output. But from the picture I tested, the image seem very consistent from the top to bottom of the frame. I'm not saying that one brand of trigger is better of worse than another here, but rather one is more compatible (less tweaking require) than another, and it change from one monolight to another. Most likely you need to somehow adjust the timing on your Odin to get better result. But none of the trigger should have zero effect on the flash power output since we are talking about manual flash here not TTL.

amirg wrote in post #17578857
That junk remote of Rovelight is supposed to be replaced sometime in 2015. The only (and a serious) downside to a great package.

Nice. Where did you hear this? I wonder how much it'll be for past purchasers and how much it'll up the price of the entire unit.

You can see references on FlashHavoc.com. A retailer of these lights here in Canada has also announced upcoming release of a new HSS capable remote in 2015. Jinbei already released TR-611 but stopped production presumably to improve design. the new TR-A6 prototype has an LCD (hopefully to show power setting).

As far as this increasing the price of the entire package I don't expect a big jump as remote triggers are very inexpensive these days and a good one could help them sell a lot more of their main money-making products, their lights. Just my 2 cents though.

I used a Phottix Odin trigger on the camera and a receiver plugged into the Rovelight. Worked great on the A7II.

Jim

Another with the Sony A7II.
-Jim

NOT ANOTHER FLAT TIRE!