Alien Bees users check in!

There is a post on the AB tech forum stating that the V2 PLMs will have a speedring to center the PLM in front of the light. There will also be an Elinchrom adapter. Which means they will center over Gensis et al.

It will be interesting to see how this is implemented. PCB apparently thinks it is patentable.

The implication is that they will also be mountable in the normal way as well.

Interesting, I'd like to see how that is implemented, as well.

anyone want to sell their V1 PLM ? 64" or 86"
and does anyone want to buy a 20 degree grid ?

gonzogolf wrote in post #9804723
You can probably get away with the ab400, but the ab800 will work for you as well. I think you are being shortsighted in feeling that you will only want/need one bee. You can use speedlites with the bees, but its an imperfect solution as you dont have modeling lights, or quick recycle times. Plus speedlites dont give you access to larger modifiers.

thanks all, Ive decided to go with the 800. No, I dont only want 1 bee, its that I can only accord one for now. My speedlites have to be my additional lights for now.

george m w wrote in post #9804971
SheenL,
First of all. welcome !
Before we can make good reccos on whether the B400 or B800 is more suited, it would help if we knew what you are planning to shoot and what modifiers you are going to use. For example, it is not uncommon for me to use the B800 at full power when using the 30x60 softbox with both diff panels and grid in it. But then, I often like f/11 or so to get all of the DOF I need.
I chose to go with B800's....all of them so I would have easy to see proportionality in the model lamps/flash output.

Currently the only modifier i have now is a shoot thru umbrella.

wamguy89 wrote in post #9805577
If you're ever going to be shooting outside, then you should go with the 800 or 1600... The 800 seems like the best deal to me in terms of power and price... If I were you, I'd go with the 800 unless you're going to be doing strictly close-range studio work... Any particular reason why you're opposed to shooting above f/11? Haha

For now, I only plan to shoot indoors.. but I went with the 800.. Ive heard that I can correct for the color cast produced by the 800 in low power with a custom white balance. Well, If im shooting one person i like to shoot at wider apertures to get the backround out of focus. I dont want to be forced to shoot at f11 or higher because of to much power from the strobe.

Thanks for all your responses

constrict wrote in post #9807490
are the Parabolic Umbrella's ever NOT going to be on backorder? WTF?

I ordered the largest size in sliver about 3 weeks ago and have had it for about a week and a half...

don't know if you guys remember I was having a modeling light problem with a used B1600 I bought (would not track) so I sent it to Paul C Buff Inc to get it fixed, cost me $40 for the repair (can't remember but I think it was around $15 to ship it out to them) got it back the tracking works but now .... when I have it connected to the CSR+ and I control it with the CC, if I select modeling light off (which it should be when using the Vagabond II) it get's brighter than normal (brighter than full on CC, brighter than full with manual slider without CSR+ connected) instead of turning off .... tracking works but I need it off to use with the VII !!! I can turn it off with the switch on the back plate but that's not how it should be done. My B400 and B800 both work great .... I guess I need to ship it back out to them again !

Finally got to put my gear to use. A friend asked me to do some shots for there CD art work, so we headed out to venice beach. All shots taken with a single AB800 and 60" shoot through umbrella.

1.

stu46 wrote in post #9805837

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/stu46/443710343​3/

Your daughter is very lucky!

Or unlucky...depending on how you wanna look at it. Depends how well she takes it when her mother shows her baby pictures to all her friends when she's a pre-teen. But at least they're all stunning photos!

Savphoto wrote in post #9805621
Thanks on the comments from last page guys, haha.

I had an abr800 on camera axis at 1/32, 2x B800's on left/right at 1/16th, and a 285hv boomed overhead at 1/16th. I wish my dog didn't chew up my grid for the 285 though, you can see it making a round shadow on the chest in that photo.

excellent, thanks for the setup shot! what kinda of backdrop is that? where can i find something like that?

X2 ... Awesome setup

That was just my mom's projection screen for her presentations, haha. I used it on the black side so it is shown backwards in the picture. I had to photoshop the metal rod going up in the final photo.

SheenL wrote in post #9811309
thanks all, Ive decided to go with the 800. No, I dont only want 1 bee, its that I can only accord one for now. My speedlites have to be my additional lights for now.


Currently the only modifier i have now is a shoot thru umbrella.


For now, I only plan to shoot indoors.. but I went with the 800.. Ive heard that I can correct for the color cast produced by the 800 in low power with a custom white balance. Well, If im shooting one person i like to shoot at wider apertures to get the backround out of focus. I dont want to be forced to shoot at f11 or higher because of to much power from the strobe.

Thanks for all your responses

If you're using it indoors and want to shoot at wider apertures you definitely should have went with the 400, you will likely be using the 800 at it's lowest setting, which is also where the colour shift issues are.

Or you can do like I do: I bought the ND gels from PCB. You get a set of six of them. Two each of 1,2 and 3 stop. I punched a hole in them in the right place so that I can slip them over the shaft of the umbrella and they cover the face of the reflector. There you go....drop a single 1 stop ND filter on there and you turn your B800 into a B400.
IMO, the B800 is just a little more versatile in an overall sense. Being able to have the extra light can sometimes make the difference.
If you'd like to see how the ND filter looks on there, I'll go downastairs and grab a snapshot.

george m w wrote in post #9814002
If you'd like to see how the ND filter looks on there, I'll go downastairs and grab a snapshot.

please

brother and I messing around in front of my parent's house

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