New to Studio Lighting Alien Bees vs. Bowens

<p>I am a new member to Photo.net, but have followed this site for a while. I am also new to the world of Photography. My question is this, it seems to me that Alien Bees are a site favorite - how do they compare to Bowens, Photoflex etc.? I am willing to invest in good equipment but would rather go for quality over quantity. My starting budget for lighting is around $1500, I know that I can get a Bowens 500R 2 light kit from B & H for about $1300. I would like to be able to use radio triggers in the future, are all light sets compatible with them? Any help is much appreciated.</p>

<p>I am in the same boat. Instead of bowens i have been looking at the calumet travelites which are the same thing. I put a post of a similar question up today and got some good help.<br>

http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00VV2P</p>

<p>both systems have the ability to use radio triggers. I have worked with the travelites/bowens and they seem to do well. I have been trying to get the most out of my money as well as keeping good quality as well. everyone says that the aliens have great customer support and are good units. the modeling lights are 150 on the bees and 250 on the bowens. I am kind of stuck myself on pulling the trigger on one or the other. was set on the bees but have been leaning towards the travel lights just because i have used them. The alien cbersync remote triggers are cheaper and are suppose to work well, the pocket wizards of course work well and are more expensive. calumets triggers are cheaper then the wizards and will work on the bowens, but not as cheap as the cbersync.</p>

<p>you figure it out and let me know, i am tired of trying to figure it all out.</p>

<p>First of all, to Chach, I know what you're going through because I'm one of those people who researches everything to DEATH before I make a decision! I know I must drive my husband crazy :-) I drove myself crazy with the studio light decision as well. Like I mentioned in response to your other post, Buff has a 60-day money back guarantee, so that was reassuring when I made my decision.<br>

Harry, there are alot of great brands out there. I'm a Buff fan, which I've mentioned quite a few times to people, and I have White Lightnings. I haven't regretted my purchase so far! I decided on them because of the 250w modeling lamps, 1/4 power switch (on the 1600's and 3200's only), and the sturdiness of them.<br>

Basically, whatever your decision, good things to look for are how much power you'll need based on the type of photography you'll be doing, sturdiness of housing depending on your needs (are you going to be lugging them on location alot?), cooling fans for prolonged sessions, cost of replacement lamps, cost and availability of accessories, etc. If you go with a known brand like the Buff line, Bowens, Elinchrom, Hensel (which I've heard great things about!), you should be fine. Also, I've heard with just about every line that the kit stands are usually junk. Use them to hold reflectors and invest in better stands. I can't stress that enough, as the stands you get will be holding up some mighty expensive gear!<br>

And yes, radio triggers will work with any studio flash you get. I bought a set right away, and love them.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that Buff is also selling some radio triggers that include sophisticated remote control of his lights. That means being able to have a flash that's eight feet in the air and buried in a softbox not require you to touch it as you change ratios. Slick.</p>

<p>I went the pack/head route with White Lightning, but Paul Buff is also taking advance orders for his new digital monolights, called Einstein. Worth a look. When it's time for me to add monolights, that'll likely be what I get. It'd be hard to beat PCB in terms of bang for the buck.</p>

<p>"I would like to be able to use radio triggers in the future, are all light sets compatible with them?" Anything that can be triggered with a PC sync cable (or household blades or phone/phono jacks, etc.) can be triggered with radio triggers. All a straight radio trigger (e.g. Pocket Wizard) does is close a circuit, just like throwing a switch.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone, I appreciate the input. I have been on the White Lightning website this afternoon and do have another question - what is the difference between true watts per second and effective watts per second? I have only seen this on the White Lightning/Alien Bees websites. Thanks again!</p>

<p>A lot of people think its good to start with fewer lights in order to understand lighting better... I found that to be a good idea in some sense, but i very quickly wanted more lights, and I really think that 3 or 4 lights is a good place to start, and 5 lights are commonly used in one shot at or studio.</p>

<p>I have no idea about pricing of lights other than alien bees, because I am not in the market, but I am sure that $1500 will not go as far as you will like! By the time you buy light stands (alien bee heavy duty 13' stands are pretty good and cheap), softboxes and or umbrellas, barn doors, perhaps a snoot and or some grids, radio triggers, etc, the budget shrinks.</p>

<p>If you are thinking about shooting primarily indoors in smallish space (as most beginning studio photographers are) I think a two B400s and two B800s would be a great place to start. Alien bee HD stands work well, although I like others better because they fold up smaller, photoflex softboxes seem to be a good value based on construction and cost although the speedrings are ridiculously expensive, and the buff radio triggers have made me mostly happy so far. Convertable umbrellas are great and relatively inexpensive, and I would recommend two sets of barn doors and or two short light stands for rim and background lighting.</p>

<p>gotta go..hope that helps!</p>

<p>Harry here is a post that, although a bit lengthy, will probably answer some of your questions. <a href="http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00Uh0v">http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00Uh0v</a></p>

<p>To choose a flash setup I think it is important to stay with a system. You will invest as much or more in light modifiers (softboxes, beauty dishes, long throw reflectors, etc...) than you will in your strobes. It is important to choose a system that will meet all of your needs now and in the future. One that will grow with you and one that you can build on as your needs change.</p>

<p>The Bowens S Bayonet mount is probably the most common connection and found on many different manufacturers strobes. I started with JTL's and Photoflex strobes and then moved up to Bowens Quad X and Explorer Power pack systems. All of my modifiers that I have bought from day one work with all these strobes.</p>

<p>Last Spring I bought my first Radio Poppers and was in the first batch of PX's delivered. They announced shortly there after that with their "soon to be released" JRx's you could mix your Speedlites with studio strobes. They also announced that if you had Alien Bee or White Lightning units that you could control power output to those units from your PX transmitter. So last Spring I bought Alien Bee and White Lightning flash units as well as light modifiers to go with those strobes. I can tell you this, it has been very expensive equiping two seperate lighting system setups. The kicker was that Radio Popper delayed their JRx units until late this Fall so I got all dressed up and had no place to go all Spring and Summer. </p>

<p>Having both setups I can tell you that you would not be disappointed with either sytem you choose. They are both good systems that offer many lighting options.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>what is the difference between true watts per second and effective watts per second? I have only seen this on the White Lightning/Alien Bees websites...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I've seen several people advertise effective watt seconds. Photogenic still does for some of their series (PL1250 is 1250 effective watt seconds, 500 true watt seconds). True watt seconds are the actual units of energy (in Watt-seconds, or Joules) that are stored in the flash's capacitors.</p>

<ul>

<li>Only part of that energy actually gets to the flash tube. Some of it gets wasted as heat in the flash's control circuitry, connectors, and cables. Older pack-and-head systems waste the most energy. </li>

<li>Only part of the energy that gets to the tube gets converted to light, depending on the design and the condition of the tube, and the presence of things like UV reducing coatings. </li>

<li>Only part of the light from the tube makes it into the reflector, soft box, umbrella, and only part of that light ends up going in the direction that you want.</li>

</ul>

<p>The whole "effective watt seconds" thing got started when some 70's monolight makers noticed that their lights were running a stop or more exposure than 50's pack and head systems with the same power ratings. Some of the difference came from different reflector designs, some from the added efficiency of not driving 20 foot high voltage cables with really horrible connectors. Basically, any decent monolight with a good reflector does about double the effective watt seconds of a pack and head system.</p>

<p><em>"...Keep in mind that Buff is also selling some radio triggers that include sophisticated remote control of his lights. That means being able to have a flash that's eight feet in the air and buried in a softbox not require you to touch it as you change ratios. Slick..."</em><br>

<em></em><br>

Just like a pack and head system except for the need to find a separate electrical circuit for each monolight.</p>

<p>True, Brooks... except that unlike a lot of pack and head systems, the lights are individually controllable, rather than as a group or a fixed ratio. I realize that there are pack and head systems with discreet per-light output, but many are 1:2, 1:3, etc., with the whole rig's output adjustable. Monolights are individually adjustable across their entire range, and a remote contol system that can talk them each individually is actually pretty cool. They can also be farther apart from each other than many pack and head systems can gracefully support with out expensive, power-reducing additional cables or multiple packs.<br /><br />It's great we have so many choices.</p>

<p>FWIW, I'm happy w/ the JrX bee control (but be aware that this won't work w/ the Einsteins because that analog control port is gone)-:</p><p>I'm impressed w/ the Bowens QuadX. They're fairly massive compared to bees (only a consideration if you use them on location). Bowens also has most color/output consistency at below 1/4 power levels (at least until the Einsteins are released).<br></p>

<p>Thanks again, you have all been very helpful. RSmith, thanks for the reminder about the modifiers, Joseph thanks for the definition of effective watts.</p>

<p>I dont know Alien bees but i have used bowens gemini esprite 4x750 watt with two travelpack batteries with elinchrome skyports the past 5 years and they have never ever let me down. I use big octabox , bowens beautydish and 150 cm umbrella . Bfore christmas i sold my 2x750 kit so i could buy the new gemini pro 1500 watt head . and WOW this monoblock head is heavy duty equipment and i can still use my travelpack and lightmodifiers. All i all - a very versitaile system if you later wish to go from 500 w to any larger and i garantuee you want that sooner or later</p>

Both systems have the ability to use radio triggers. I have worked with the travelites/bowens and alien bee's and my decision was travelites... Never once had a problem in studio or on location with the travel-lites under heavy useage. Also dumped a 750 and stand unto a cement floor... picked it up and continued the shoot... I was amazed.

I have 2 b800's. I love them. I get great results with just the 2, but if I had the money, I would have bought a third and a

huge softbox. I have a brolly box and an umbrella. Works well, but a softbox would be better. You should be able to get

quite a bit with $1500 from them. They have great customer service, and if you want, they'll even let you pick it up in

Nashville. I did because I live close to there.

<p>Alien Bees and White Lightnings. Because ALL my friends were already using them, so if i break a flshtube or need extra gear all I have to do is make a couple phone calls. Everybody has bees....</p>