Profoto 7b ( 1200WS on spec) compared ( power only) to Alien Bees 1600

[jay_kim6]

Which is the most powerful?

 

Thank you

[frank_skomial]

Alien Bees 1600 model haw 640 WattSeconds energy, while Profoto has 1200 WattSeconds, and that is also expressed in the price difference.

 

The Profoto is about twice more powerful than the Alien Bees.

 

.. and do not pay attention to any "equivalent" or "effective" values, just make sure you compare true measurable values of flash energy expressed in WattSeconds.

[ellis_vener_photography]

".. and do not pay attention to any "equivalent" or "effective" values, just make sure you compare true measurable values of flash energy expressed in WattSeconds."

 

Well yes ignore the effective watt-seconds claims. It is somethign apaprently PAul C. Buff had to adopt i nthe early days becaasue his main competitor at the time Photogenic was using the claim. The problem is you need to know what other brand Photogenic was comparing themsleves too and Photogenic has never ever come clean about it. (my suspicion is that it was Norman gear which was (is?) frightfully inefficient). Nor has Photogenic ever revealed how they did their tests.

 

But there is a lot more to light quantity than just watt-seconds -- there are efficiency factors in changing stored energy (watt-seconds) into light illuminating the subject: Cabling, flash tube design, reflector design and reflector choice.

 

Frank is right though the Pro 7b is more powerful than the Alien Bees 1600. A better "apples to apples " comparison is the Profoto 600 watt-second monolight vs the AB 1600.

[jtk]

A plug for Norman: it has always been known as the most reliable equipment, partially DUE to its very slight relative inefficiency ("effective/equivalent" vs watt seconds). Efficiency is cheap and light, reliability is expensive and heavy.

[ellis_vener_photography]

'A plug for Norman: it has always been known as the most reliable equipment, partially DUE to its very slight relative inefficiency ("effective/equivalent" vs watt seconds)."

 

HAving had more norman packs blow up on me -- P2000D, P2000Xt, and an 800 watt-second SuperLite unit that had belonged to Len Jones -- in the middle of a job -- and I am very careful with using, storing and packing equipment - than any other brand I wish you well.

 

As far as the "very slight relative inefficiency" of Norman al lI can tell you is that I don't consider 50% less efficent (that is a full stop) to be a very slight difference.

 

That was the result when I compared a Norman P2000 to compared to Speedotron Blackline, Elinchrom, and Balcar systems with all were set to 2000 w-s output . I then had an adapter cable made by Flash Clinic to run the Speedotron 102A head from the Norman pack ( the adapter cable only changes the configuration of the pins for the cooling fans so that as you dim the modeling light from the pack it keeps the Speedotron cooling fan at full speed). the result was the same: the Norman P2000XT + Speeodtron 102A combination was a full stop more efficient than a Norman/norman set up.

 

I tested all of the set ups bare tube, with a standard reflector, into the same softbox, and bounced in to a V of white flats. I took readings with a Minolta Flash Meter IV mounted on a light stand six feet from the head and confirmed the readings by photographign a Kodak gray card 4x5 Provia 100F and comparing the densities with a lab's densitometer. I did these tests back in 1997 or 1998. I concluded that the gross inefficiency problem has to do with the cabling or the flash tube Norman uses.

[jay_kim6]

Thank you so much all

 

My wife took pic at beach facing sun with AB's 800 & Quantum & silver reflector but it wasn't enough power

 

so I just wondering that AB's 1600 can overpower sunlight?

 

If not can I use Vagabond II with speedotron 4803cx?

 

2 years ago I rented Honda 3000w generator from homdopt & they cook my speedotron flash head ( big smoke & everyone got scared )

so I don't want that happen again

 

thank you again.

[ellis_vener_photography]

"My wife took pic at beach facing sun with AB's 800 & Quantum & silver reflector but it wasn't enough power "

 

this has nothing to do with the differences between various brands but without knowing how far away the lights

were set from the subject, what light modifier she used (umbrella? softbox? what size? standard reflector? high

intensity reflector? no reflector?), the ISO, aperture and shutterspeed, beg pardon but that is a meaningless

statement.

[jay_kim6]

Thank you everybody

 

I wanted overpower sun light so I wasn't sure AB's 1600 can do it or not.

I can make deep blue sky with nicely lit object( 10'. f32. iso125 )around my studio with 4803cx but not location.

I am thinking to buy

White lighting 3200 or Profoto ComPact-R 1200 Monolight or Zeus 2500

 

Does anyone use Zeus 2500 unit?