b800 vs 580ex question

Will two 580ex speedlites make up the output power of a single alien bee 800? Will this be even close on max power?

No. A B800 is 320 WS. 580EX's have been referred to as being between 50 and 60 WS. So you'd need approximately 6 580EX's to get the power of one B800.

Its hard to compare speedlites with studio strobes because the output of a speedlite can vary because they have focusing lenses that maximize power at particular distances and studio lights are bare bulbs. But in my experience, no probably not even close depending on whether you are using modifiers or not. I think the 580 is about a stop less powerful than an ab400, so two would be roughly the same as the ab400 which is half the power of the ab800.

munzzzzzzz wrote in post #11719087
No. A B800 is 320 WS. 580EX's have been referred to as being between 50 and 60 WS. So you'd need approximately 6 580EX's to get the power of one B800.

oh wow really, can some one confirm this?

gonzogolf wrote in post #11719099
Its hard to compare speedlites with studio strobes because the output of a speedlite can vary because they have focusing lenses that maximize power at particular distances and studio lights are bare bulbs. But in my experience, no probably not even close depending on whether you are using modifiers or not. I think the 580 is about a stop less powerful than an ab400, so two would be roughly the same as the ab400 which is half the power of the ab800.

tolyD wrote in post #11719100
oh wow really, can some one confirm this?

What Gonzogolf said is closer to what I've seen, i.e. you'd need 4 580EX flashes to equal one B800 strobe

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=1010590&po​stcount=14

PacAce wrote in post #11719451
What Gonzogolf said is closer to what I've seen, i.e. you'd need 4 580EX flashes to equal one B800 strobe

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=1010590&po​stcount=14

this is great info. Lets says i can get my hands on four 580's, will this be same as getting b800 or anything close to it? i want to know if its a better choice over b800without looking at the price and batteries. basically i want to know the performace side for shooting portraits.

Im planning on doing 1 SB24 1 LP160 and 1 580EXII... All close to the same power.

With 2 I was able to get f16 at 6 feet roughly at 100iso.. This was not by light meter it was by taking a picture of the subject at 6 feet and looking at what settings were the proper exposure.. With a soft box or umbrella i would think it would be what around f8? f11? I want a AB but its just so big... :/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/bhursey/5324611​774/

tolyD wrote in post #11719600
this is great info. Lets says i can get my hands on four 580's, will this be same as getting b800 or anything close to it? i want to know if its a better choice over b800without looking at the price and batteries. basically i want to know the performace side for shooting portraits.

Better choice is subjective. If you are going to always use them shooting into the same modifier, than the 800 would be a better choice. If you are going to split them up for main, fill and rim, then the 580s would work.
You cant help but look at cost though. 4 580's, stands, triggers and brackets is going to be expensive.

bhursey wrote in post #11719676
Im planning on doing 1 SB24 1 LP160 and 1 580EXII... All close to the same power.

With 2 I was able to get f16 at 6 feet roughly at 100iso.. This was not by light meter it was by taking a picture of the subject at 6 feet and looking at what settings were the proper exposure.. With a soft box or umbrella i would think it would be what around f8? f11? I want a AB but its just so big... :/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/bhursey/5324611​774/
Cactus v5 dual flash bracket by Brian Hursey, on Flickr

take it outside on a nice bright sunny day and post your results using it as fill. i would like to see them. yeah same here i dont like the size of the alien bees.

u will wish u got the AB800 for sure. It is SOOOO much less stressful to shoot with than a 580ex II. Those things take FOREVER, relatively, compared to a AB800 to recycle.

The price of a 580exII is $450 on b&h, two of them would bring you to $900. You can get a couple B800's and a vegabond for that price.

tolyD wrote in post #11719600
this is great info. Lets says i can get my hands on four 580's, will this be same as getting b800 or anything close to it? i want to know if its a better choice over b800without looking at the price and batteries. basically i want to know the performace side for shooting portraits.

If you can get four 580EX flashes, then performance-wise, it would be equal to the B800 in most cases. However, whether it'd be a better choice or even practical is another matter. If you already have 4 flashes, then by all means, make the most of what you have. But I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to buy 4 flashes just so I wouldn't have to buy a strobe unless those flashes were going to be used for other purposes as well.

I know some one that has few broken flashes laying around 550 and 580 and I can get those for very cheap price. One of them has burned out strobe and others with some cosmetic damage. My plan was to find some broken once on eBay and put all these together by fixing them. I think this will save me tons of money. Now with having four strobes I can do much more then with just one b800 for a small home studio. i hope its easy as it sounds and i dont waste my time and effort.

tolyD wrote in post #11719600
this is great info. Lets says i can get my hands on four 580's, will this be same as getting b800 or anything close to it? i want to know if its a better choice over b800without looking at the price and batteries. basically i want to know the performace side for shooting portraits.

Depends on how you plan to use them. One alien bee would be better if you are planning on using a single light modifier like a softbox, its a bare tube so it fills a large light source easily. But if you want two lights, one key and one fill well then it follows that two lights would be preferable. I know you said you have sources for speedlites so I can comment, but with an even playing field the AB is a much better value than multiple (or even a single) 580ex for studio use.

tolyD wrote in post #11719924
I know some one that has few broken flashes laying around 550 and 580 and I can get those for very cheap price. One of them has burned out strobe and others with some cosmetic damage. My plan was to find some broken once on eBay and put all these together by fixing them. I think this will save me tons of money. Now with having four strobes I can do much more then with just one b800 for a small home studio. i hope its easy as it sounds and i dont waste my time and effort.

Don't forget to also factor in the price of the external battery packs which you are going to need for those strobes, unless you were planning to wait between shots for the flashes to recycle.

And remote triggers for each flash unless you can gang them all together to one trigger.