What is the subjective difference between...

[joemig]

Hi again all,

In my ever more confusing search for my first flash, I've found that I

can get an Alien Bees 1600 for a little less than a white lighting X800.

Since I've never used a flash of this type before, my question is,

what it the subjective difference between an 800 and a 1600. I realize

one is more powerful than the other, but I mean in actual real world

use, where would an 800 not be sufficient, or would a 1600 be overkill

for portrait work?

[larry_ballew1]

I use a B800 in a softbox and it's perfect for portraits. I use it a lot on singles and couples and I've never needed it's full power. I also occasionally use it with the standard reflector to provide ambient lighting in smaller rooms by pointing it at the ceiling.

 

I don't know about White Lightnings, but Alien Bees lights can be upgraded to the more powerful sizes later. I had one of my B400s upgraded to a B800 a couple weeks ago. So you can always start out with less and upgrade later if you need more power. Also, if you make the switch within 60 days of purchase, you can upgrade for just the difference in price between the units.

 

Unless you're trying to light up a large area, I think a B1600 is probably more powerful than you need.

[ellis_vener_photography]

You do realize that you can turn the power down on the 1600, don't you?

[joemig]

Yes, I know the power can be reduced. I come from an audio background, and in things like power amplifiers, it's often said that you can never have too much power. It gives you a cleaner signal, less chance of clipping, etc. I don't know if there is a similar situation with regards to these lights. As I said, I am looking for real world experience with these. Is a 1600 something I would only need if doing group shots from a distance? Is there some advantage to having the extra power when doing full body type portraits, or is it something I would be unlikely to ever really need?

[brooks short]

If you can dial down the power enough to reach the f-stops that you want to use, more power is always better then less because the power is there when you need it.

 

Another concern is the brightness of the modelling lights. IMO a 150 watt model lamp is very dim. I'd look for a unit that has at least a 250 watt modelling lamp.

[bill c.]

Joe-- For simple portraits and perhaps groups of up to four people, the Alien Bees 800's will probably be more than enough. Keep in mind that often most photographers don't like to use really small apertures for portraits. The only time this might be required is with groups where people will be in drastically different planes of focus, and in that case you'll be back farther anyway.

 

If you will be taking large groups in big rooms, you might need more power, but when shooting large groups on the altar at weddings (up to 25 people) I often get away with two AB 800's with umbrellas set at or near camera position on tall stands, supplemented by an on-camera Vivitar 285. Using ISO 160 film I usually get about f16 with everything at full power.

 

However, if price is not a consideration, the only reason to get lower-power flash equipment is weight and size, and since the Alien Bees are all the same size and only a little different in weight, you might as well go for the big guys. -BC-

[mike_kearney]

The 250 watt modeling light is really an advantage and once you start putting the units in softboxes and use 100 ISO film, the extra power is also nice. The white lightnings have a 7 stop range and the AB's have a 5 stop range; I've never felt the WL X1600s were "too powerful" for a job, even headshots with TPX 320. Both are good monolights but I'd rather have some power in reserve.