Elinchrom D-4 Light or the Calumet Genesis 400 NEED TO DECIDE!? help

since I got a chance to use both teh Calumets and the DLites, I'd go with the DLites for 2 reasons.

1) easy to understand controls for changing power output
2) smaller + lighter construction.

the Calumets were amazing lights as well but they're substantially bigger then the Elinchrom counterpart.

We used cheap $19 Impact lightstands on the DLites + big softbox with any issues for 8+ hours and I wouldn't hesitate to do that again. We tried a calumet on it and it was just too heavy for the lightstand.

My personal opinion is if you plan to carry the lights around, get the DLites, if you plan to keep them stationay or minimal movement then the Calumets are great too.

a lightmeter is easy enough to use to figure out what a full stop is on the Calumets so thats not really an issue cuz if you're using studio lights like this, a lightmeter makes things worlds easier to setup.

i just ask for all the info cause iv never used cheaper mono lights! and i couldnt find the info that i was looking for nor could i get hands on with a set. cause calumet is a good 40 min drive for me

i work as a free lance assistant here in LA and mostly use Profoto so this will be a big leap! haha but finally getting my own equipment is somthing that im going to take serious cause i dont have alot of money and id like to start investing in my own equipment and not borrowing the good stuff!

i plan on taking my Light everywhere! im just going to have to sacrafice some on location stuff, i have a little honda generator than i might try out to power it cause its quite as all hell! but im going to read more about its inverter to see if its sine waves.

other than that im pretty set on the Elinchrom, but when i go to calumet to buy im going to check just to satisfy my curiosity.

oh and ill probably buy a bunch more once i win the lottery!

also would the AB dish work if i just modified the Back and put the Elinchrom adapt on it or is the speedtron a better dish. cause if i get the speedtron?

if i do get the speedtron ill do the Stephen Eastwood mod on it and probably do a writeup on it

The speedo dish is only $140 with the necessary mod parts. how much is the AB dish? Is it worth the maybe $20 difference to hassle with modding it and it may still not work?

Motofreak429 wrote in post #7595132
oh and ill probably buy a bunch more once i win the lottery!

also would the AB dish work if i just modified the Back and put the Elinchrom adapt on it?

You'd have to see how the mounting ring was attached and measure the diameter of the opening. Don't make any assumption about fit without getting specifications or physically seeing the dish.

ya im sticking with the Speedtron. basically same thing as the Mola. results are great. i just hope with my cheap budget these elinchroms will be able to hang! like enough power. but i cant wait!!

Motofreak429 wrote in post #7595276
ya im sticking with the Speedtron. basically same thing as the Mola. results are great. i just hope with my cheap budget these elinchroms will be able to hang! like enough power. but i cant wait!!

Unless you're working outside where you need to combat the sun you should have more than enough power. There are many forum members with 400ws strobes and no one is complaining about not having enough power.

ya i hardly use strobes for day shoots. mostly V Flats or just big white cards. easy peasy

Speedtron Beauty dist
It's my understanding that the D-Lite heads are not fan cooled causing a heat problem with the modeling lamps.

Can anyone verify this?

Thanks.

Don Bryant

I've got both fan cooled D2s and non-cooled D4s. Never had a problem with either and all sorts of modifiers.

Elinchrom actually just changed all their D lights to fan cooled. but i heard there a little noisey but well see when i get them

Motofreak429 wrote in post #7609525
Elinchrom actually just changed all their D lights to fan cooled. but i heard there a little noisey but well see when i get them

That change occurred a long time ago. If a retailer isn't selling enough D-Lite's then I suppose they might still have some of the older non-fan cooled models but the D-Lite's with fans have been out for a while.

i had just guessed cause its like a new announcment on the elinchrom website. my bad

i just bought the new cactus v4's i have no clue why. because i know ill end up using buying somthing else anyways

just if your reading this and your in the same boat as me. i did some research and its cheaper to get a package than order the dish the grid and the sock separate

here is the link to the Speedotron Dish, Grid, and sock combo for $272! and i worked out the math for the other and ud probably be saving around $60.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Dish_Grid_Refl​ector.html

if anyone knows of cheaper please share! haha