Einstein - Pre Orders !!!

I wonder how Alienbees will be run as a company after the old man is gone.... I read somewhere that Buff is a pretty old guy now.

JayStar86 wrote in post #11189137
I wonder how Alienbees will be run as a company after the old man is gone.... I read somewhere that Buff is a pretty old guy now.

It's a question I've posed several times - he's 76, can't get anyone decent to work for him (shock!), and is self-diagnosing illnesses because the doctors he sees are apparently too stupid to do the job.

As I keep saying, buying lights is like buying a camera - you're buying into a system. Given the issues they're having already, why would you buy into it? It's hard to see where the improvement is coming from.

It's not being personal, it's just reality.

Jay wrote:

To which I would say....Jay, let's just hope that it's not run the same way that one of the other brands seems to be run here in the USA and Australia. Look at the following quotes from another thread going on right now. And these quotes, Jay....are from the 'faithful' of that brand....some of which are very, very quick to jump into each and every AB/PCB thread to slam the man, his products, and his company:
===============

Quotes from that thread:

For me the big thing that Elinchrom needs are affordable and easily usable grids designed as part of their softbox system, not an add on afterthought.

Why doesn't Elinchrom seem to care about the NA market? All I hear about is AB, and some Profoto. Either that or I'm just stuck in a bubble.
edit: Oh, I dunno how other honeycomb grids are, but I'm quite annoyed at how fragile the Elinchroms are...put a little too much pressure on the ring, and some of the cells collapse. On the thinner/wider grids (30 & 20º) in particular, but the 12º isn't that much better.

If nothing else, bogen needs to hire someone to answer/return phone calls on the warranty/repair line. I bet I get someone on the horn maybe 20% of the time I call. Again, simply not acceptable for a brand that makes gear for working professionals. I know this isn't elinchrom's fault (it's bogen), but nevertheless, bogen is who represents them here in North America..

Elinchrom gear is virtually nonexistent in the rental world (making it difficult for new buyers to try out), and I've heard this is largely because of the incredibly delayed/prolonged repair turnaround times....far too much to deal with as a rental shop. In my own experience, the ONLY fault of Elinchrom is that on the 2 occasions where something needed to be warrantied (my ranger) it took almost a month, and even then, I think only got it back because of significant ****/persistent calling. I've since made a contact with one of the heads of bogen repair, and that helped quite a bit the second time...but for working pros, that's simply unacceptable.

Their boxes are super lightweight and to acheive this they've had to sacrifice heat-resisting properties and versatility. Forget 1000w video lights, the heat from a modelling light can be enough to melt a rotalux - from the inside or from the outside.

When do I get my ranger rx pack?
And why is the Australian distributor (Kayell Australia) always out of freakin stock?

Apparently it took numerous shipments over several months to get the new Quadra Ranger RX A sets in stock after delays and being sent S heads instead or A's.

I've also been waiting over 5 weeks for my Ranger RX with no ETA when they will be hitting Australian stores, I'm not too sure how long Ed has been waiting for though?

mickeyjuice wrote in post #11189127
...
Wouldn't someone who "really truly cares about his customers" get it right before shipping, and not use his paying customers as alpha/beta testers?

What a bunch of tools.

A bit OT, so apologies in advance.

Great minds do, sometimes, think alike, Mic. That adamdewilde post you quote prompted me to send a PM a few hours ago to one of our well-known "haters" expressing the exact same thought: If PCB TRULY cared about his customers in the manner Adam apparently believes he does he wouldn't be shipping them questionably designed, untested, often-non-functioning products that don't work reliably (if at all) out of the box and that have to be updated repeatedly. This is the point that seems to elude the true believers.

Did you ever see Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

Dave F.

Why is this thread still going? I though we settled this with the 3 melted einstiens in three hours.

tetrode wrote in post #11189601
A bit OT, so apologies in advance.

Great minds do, sometimes, think alike, Mic. That adamdewilde post you quote prompted me to send a PM a few hours ago to one of our well-known "haters" expressing the exact same thought: If PCB TRULY cared about his customers in the manner Adam apparently believes he does he wouldn't be shipping them questionably designed, untested, often-non-functioning products that don't work reliably (if at all) out of the box and that have to be updated repeatedly. This is the point that seems to elude the true believers.

Did you ever see Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

So you're saying we're both smart?

Never seen that movie - we worked it out a couple of years ago that I've watched less than 100 movies in my life, a little under 2/year. I haven't watched one since I've been in Melbourne, and that's 2 1/2 years now...

sigma pi wrote in post #11189702
Why is this thread still going? I though we settled this with the 3 melted einstiens in three hours.

I'm still waiting for a friend who tells me that he's got a copy of it to send it through. Then I'll make it available again to all

mickeyjuice wrote in post #11189827
... we worked it out a couple of years ago that I've watched less than 100 movies in my life, ...

That's amazing. My dogs have watched more movies than you. So I guess that means you have a really tiny DVD collection.

Dave F.

tetrode wrote in post #11189914
That's amazing. My dogs have watched more movies than you. So I guess that means you have a really tiny DVD collection.

Dave F.

My wife has got a few DVDs. I've got an attention span that is WAY too short for most movies, I have a severe difficulty with suspension of disbelief (see my responses to PCB and his minions) AND I have a stuffed neck that makes sitting in one spot for more than about 10 minutes very painful.

But I've never liked sitting and not doing stuff, ever. Probably the ADD. (I got 18.5 out of 20 on the Adult ADD test my doc made me do - is that good? Looks like I passed with flying colours!

here's some highlight reels from the beginning of this thread, funny how we all have different opinions now

FJ LOVE wrote in post #9409140
from the spec sheet this looks like a very versatile light, using it for sports is also a plus. i just hope my 800s don't get jealous when they see einstein getting all the attention.

mickeyjuice wrote in post #9683195
Yesterday, I shot a magazine cover, double truck inside, a full page for the same article and a few other images with a couple of 550EXs and umbrellas

(Which doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to my Einsteins, no sir

Seanzky wrote in post #9956133
It's already available for order but the queue is long as hell.

tetrode wrote in post #9956487
Don't tell Rob but I actually preordered two Einsteins the end of last June. If I like 'em, I figure I can use my Elinchrom accessories via the Kacey adapter; if not, reselling them should be no problem. I was told on Tuesday by PCB Customer Support that my number should come up next week or possibly the week after.

Dave F.

J Kacey wrote in post #9957204
Hey Dave,
I will be waiting your review before I place a order. Did you get a Commander to test with it? Results of the combo will be interesting.

Seanzky wrote in post #9964329
I don't read FM anymore. Thanks for letting us know.

tetrode wrote in post #10076562
Congratulations! The poster on the Fred Miranda site who had pre-order number 001 mentioned that his Einsteins had 225 or so pops on them right out of the box. PCB responded that each and every Einstein was being tested for accuracy and that was the reason for the elevated pop count. It's a good thing to be sure.

My Einsteins were shipped today.

Dave F.

ZSutton wrote in post #10078746
Einstein Review-
Am I satisfied? Absolutely. At a price point under 500 dollars (439.95 USD), these lights cannot be beat! They function well, and Paul C Buff has seemed to improve on the already great design of the AlienBee system. I highly recommend the upgrade to anyone who is currently using an AlienBee system and looking for a nice little upgrade. The digital display makes using these lights even easier, and the added support in the mounting brackets will only help you rest easy when using a larger modifier.

To see the full review, and color comparision with an AB800, check out my website -
http://zsuttonphoto.co​m/?p=130#more-130

flash69 wrote in post #10079640
That's funny, I was just watching the video again and noticed what I thought was a puff of smoke.

FJ LOVE wrote in post #11189977
here's some highlight reels from the beginning of this thread, funny how we all have different opinions now

Reality rather than promises made us that way

Thought I would chime in to let people know how much of a backorder they have going on right now for the Einstein. I called in and asked about my order (placed 10 days ago) and they told me they expect to ship my 3 units by late November. The mount fix should be coming out around the same time in early December. I also have a 64" silver PLM on backorder which they expect to be shipped at late November, and a Vagabond II which should be shipped mid-December

I'm going to just go ahead an ignore a lot of the complaints issued on this thread because in all honesty I don't really care for the drama brought on by forum topics like this. I'll get the unit, test it out myself, and if it isn't up to par I'll just ship it right back. Internet message boards are breeding grounds for fanboys and haters alike. I would much rather depend on reviews from trusted and respected photographers than anonymous forum users.

Florida_Photography wrote in post #11190156
I'm going to just go ahead an ignore a lot of the complaints issued on this thread because in all honesty I don't really care for the drama brought on by forum topics like this. I'll get the unit, test it out myself, and if it isn't up to par I'll just ship it right back. Internet message boards are breeding grounds for fanboys and haters alike. I would much rather depend on reviews from trusted and respected photographers than anonymous forum users.

Well, that's the advantage of having been on a particular forum for a while - posters are no longer "anonymous", and you know who to trust and who you can't.

Florida_Photography wrote in post #11190156
Thought I would chime in to let people know how much of a backorder they have going on right now for the Einstein. I called in and asked about my order (placed 10 days ago) and they told me they expect to ship my 3 units by late November. ... I also have a 64" silver PLM on backorder which they expect to be shipped at late November, and a Vagabond II which should be shipped mid-December

.... I'll get the unit, test it out myself, ....

Or your descendents will

Dave F.

mickeyjuice wrote in post #11189163
It's a question I've posed several times - he's 76, can't get anyone decent to work for him (shock!), and is self-diagnosing illnesses because the doctors he sees are apparently too stupid to do the job.

As I keep saying, buying lights is like buying a camera - you're buying into a system. Given the issues they're having already, why would you buy into it? It's hard to see where the improvement is coming from.

It's not being personal, it's just reality.

george m w wrote in post #11189233
Jay wrote:


To which I would say....Jay, let's just hope that it's not run the same way that one of the other brands seems to be run here in the USA and Australia. Look at the following quotes from another thread going on right now. And these quotes, Jay....are from the 'faithful' of that brand....some of which are very, very quick to jump into each and every AB/PCB thread to slam the man, his products, and his company:
===============

^^^ See while I agree with you guys wholeheartedly about "buying into a system"... I thought about it long and hard before I bought my alienbees stuff a couple months ago and I knew about all the issues surrounding Paul C Buff and Alienbees.

So why I did I still go ahead and buy two AB800's, Vagabond II, 47 Octa, Med SB and a couple grids..... there products are still the best bang for your buck out there in lighting world atleast from what I have seen out there.

As much I know I would rather be buying into a different system while Im on the verge of buying another AB400 and a couple modifiers from PCB... its just when I look at the cost of their products for the money I am looking to spend gives me the best for my buck.

I cannot afford Elinchrom or Profoto.... so for the kind of money one spends on Alienbees is there anything better for the money I ask?

I asked that same question over and over and I couldn't find anything. So I went ahead and still bought PCB products despite the companies problems and issues. And Im sure there are hundreds of others out there just like me with the same reasoning.

The point of this post is to give you a perspective of why someone would still buy PCB products despite the companies shortcomings. I personally agree with many that PCB and Alienbees is on the path of self destruction.

I can only hope that after the old man goes who ever runs the company will do a better job.

If I had the dough I would buy Eli lighting in a heartbeat.

JayStar86 wrote in post #11190295
^^^ See while I agree with you guys wholeheartedly about "buying into a system"... I thought about it long and hard before I bought my alienbees stuff a couple months ago and I knew about all the issues surrounding Paul C Buff and Alienbees.

Thinking about it before doing it is sensible. It's the ones who just go "There's nothing anywhere close to ABs so I'm getting them" WITHOUT thinking that I'm railing against.

The D'Lites are in the ballpark, but if they don't do what you need, they don't do it. Most, however, don't even know they exist because they do zero research, then desperately defend their purchases.