2 Alien Bee B800 or B1600

Hi I have owned a WL 10,000 light for some time. Now I am ready to add more lights to my set up.

I plan to do some shoots (family portraits) outdoor on location on the beach and local parks. Pet photography indoors

and outdoor.

Also some indoor shots where I must mix Strobe and day light so I will be shooting around f/16 1/125 asa 100

and I would like to use the strobe with bounce umbrella or octabox. My question. Is one B800 a good match to my

WL 10,000 for this kind of work? Or should I get a B1600.

Budget is $1100

 

I have two obtions

1-B1600 stand, two umbrellas, transmiter, 2 receiver, Vagavond

2-B800 and all of the above (this would give me a total of 3 lights counting my WL 10,000)

Your help is greatly apreciated.

Sergio

Sergio; I don't know how powerful your WL 10,000 is. But You're going to want a light that can go down to about 5ws for indoor studio work if the studio is small. And you'll want some serious power for the outside shots.

 

You might be better off with another WL. I use the WL 1600s which are 660ws and have 7 stop range. These also go all the way down to 5ws. All the other WL and AB lights have a 5 stop range. So the WL 1600 is the most versatile and can go from about 5ws to 660ws. If you get the 11" reflector you double it again to 13,300ws. That would be my recommendation.

 

Also there is the durability aspect. I also use AB lights, but only indoors. I use WL for the outdoor work as they seem much stronger and able to handle the rugged outdoor environment.

The AB800 will give you f/11 - f/16 at 10 feet into a 48 inch umbrella. Is this enough power? You could go with the AB1600, but it only has a 5-stop range and may be too powerful for some situations. Another option is the White Lightning X1600. The advantage is the extra power and a 7-stop range. It costs a bit more, and it's a bit heavier. But that's what I'd buy if my needs matched your needs.

Thanks guy X1600 has been ordered.

Sergio