Profoto b1 2 light kit vs elinchrom elb400 2 light kit

[arthurbikemad]

I am loving the HS (tail end etc etc etc) it works perfectly on my 5D, no need to tweak at all, right up to 8000/s all is good

Like you say its very quick to setup and in my case easy for me to carry around the pack and a single head, that and my tripod (to mount camera or head if I wish) I am good for a wander around with a single 400ws OCF setup, the heads are very light and simple grid and reflector gives me some flex on a walk round Very happy with mine, weather wise I did note some electronics can be seen on the PCB of the batteries (Li) so some care would be advised that those don't get wet, I suspect they are part of the charging circuit so perhaps mostly inactive but as all would know water won't do it any good. But yeah as you say the pack is robust.

Oh and btw @CSD those images are brilliant!!!

 

[CSD]

Oh and btw @CSD those images are brilliant!!!

Thanks, don't really do much personal work at the moment so it's not being actively updated. I also tend to only update 'experimental' images to Flickr and how I lit it for future reference.

 

[arthurbikemad]

@CSD Well if I need any advice you're sure the person to ask! As I said, your flickr pics are amazing, I don't see how it gets any better!!

 

[Pookie]

Well after almost 2 years with the Profotos and many years with the Elinchroms... I'm selling my 3 light Profoto B1 kit. I've found them to be a little unreliable in the ETTL department, there are some odd quirks with powering set-up and odd inconsistency with lighting at low power. They are nice looking and in a very pretty package but not robust for everyday use in the field. The batteries are pathetically short lived when working at mid-to-high power. Additional batteries are very expensive and you'll need a few if working on site. The other problems I'm having is with customer service, it is atrocious. Any item that need to be replaced or looked at requires the entire unit to be packed up and sent to their customer service in NJ... even if it's just a broken knob.

I love Profoto mods but same goes for any issues with those units needing a spare part. I've had two 5' Octa where the rods lose their aluminum end pieces. Essentially requiring a new rod only to be told the entire unit need to be sent for fault evaluation and possible replacement. It's a real head scratcher as their units are quite pricey and you would think they would be a little more customer service oriented.

The biggest reason for selling though is related to my work. I am a working photographer specializing in on-site portraiture (corporate, family, wedding and events). Monobloc lighting is a difficult proposition when on site. The entire unit is heavy and on a light stand or a boom this presents an especially unique problem compared to head/pack units. Any monoblock with a battery attached is a top heavy disaster waiting to happen. You'll need more sand bags and careful assistants just to watch over everything/hold them down. When working with clients there is the additional concern of having these units topple onto your subject.

Even if you're not interested in Elinchrom I'd go with pack and head. You can use the pack as weight and hang them low on any stand to avoid the top heavy scenarios. I do like the Quadra set as the light is very clean and consistent also. Their new HS trigger is great, not perfect but damn near everything I asked for when I was using PW to trigger my Quadras/Rangers before this new system was available.

The last straw for me was when I asked my employee's to pack a unit for a shoot... they always choose the Quadras. Why I asked? Well, on a painter pole boom or during set up they all said they were easier to hold/use after a few hours on location.

So when it was all baked down the decision was easy, real world use trumped all in the end. YMMV but for me this was final outcome. Hope this helps with any decision making if you're considering either of these units.

 

[StudentOfLight]

Well after almost 2 years with the Profotos and many years with the Elinchroms... I'm selling my 3 light Profoto B1 kit. I've found them to be a little unreliable in the ETTL department, there are some odd quirks with powering set-up and odd inconsistency with lighting at low power. They are nice looking and in a very pretty package but not robust for everyday use in the field. The batteries are pathetically short lived when working at mid-to-high power. Additional batteries are very expensive and you'll need a few if working on site. The other problems I'm having is with customer service, it is atrocious. Any item that need to be replaced or looked at requires the entire unit to be packed up and sent to their customer service in NJ... even if it's just a broken knob.

I love Profoto mods but same goes for any issues with those units needing a spare part. I've had two 5' Octa where the rods lose their aluminum end pieces. Essentially requiring a new rod only to be told the entire unit need to be sent for fault evaluation and possible replacement. It's a real head scratcher as their units are quite pricey and you would think they would be a little more customer service oriented.

The biggest reason for selling though is related to my work. I am a working photographer specializing in on-site portraiture (corporate, family, wedding and events). Monobloc lighting is a difficult proposition when on site. The entire unit is heavy and on a light stand or a boom this presents an especially unique problem compared to head/pack units. Any monoblock with a battery attached is a top heavy disaster waiting to happen. You'll need more sand bags and careful assistants just to watch over everything/hold them down. When working with clients there is the additional concern of having these units topple onto your subject.

Even if you're not interested in Elinchrom I'd go with pack and head. You can use the pack as weight and hang them low on any stand to avoid the top heavy scenarios. I do like the Quadra set as the light is very clean and consistent also. Their new HS trigger is great, not perfect but damn near everything I asked for when I was using PW to trigger my Quadras/Rangers before this new system was available.

The last straw for me was when I asked my employee's to pack a unit for a shoot... they always choose the Quadras. Why I asked? Well, on a painter pole boom or during set up they all said they were easier to hold/use after a few hours on location.

So when it was all baked down the decision was easy, real world use trumped all in the end. YMMV but for me this was final outcome. Hope this helps with any decision making if you're considering either of these units.

Thanks for a very insightful post

 

[Pookie]

Thanks for a very insightful post

Thank you... are you planning on purchasing any of these units?

 

[Viggo]

I have had the older Quadra, and never liked them. I'm a hobbyist and don't have assistants and bring my light where my kids play. No hss, the cable/battery pack and flimsy mount just adds up to it staying at home. Oh, and I had to bring the manual to adjust anything as the display is absolutely useless.

I'm in the process of buying a B1, and the fact that it's one simple tube nothing else is just perfect. I already have two ProFoto modifiers that are brilliant! The radio system is also in a different league.

Top heavy, well, I live in a windy place and the battery of the Quadra did not offer the weight needed. I bring and empty bag or a can and fill with sand or water on location and pour it out when I leave, a lot less weight to drag around the woods and slippery rocks along the sea.

Can't decide for you of course, but that's my experience.

 

[Pookie]

I have had the older Quadra, and never liked them. I'm a hobbyist and don't have assistants and bring my light where my kids play. No hss, the cable/battery pack and flimsy mount just adds up to it staying at home. Oh, and I had to bring the manual to adjust anything as the display is absolutely useless.

I'm in the process of buying a B1, and the fact that it's one simple tube nothing else is just perfect. I already have two ProFoto modifiers that are brilliant! The radio system is also in a different league.

Top heavy, well, I live in a windy place and the battery of the Quadra did not offer the weight needed. I bring and empty bag or a can and fill with sand or water on location and pour it out when I leave, a lot less weight to drag around the woods and slippery rocks along the sea.

Can't decide for you of course, but that's my experience.

You must have had them quite a while ago as PW made them capable of syncing up to 1/4000 and the new trigger is hands down better than Profoto's current offering. It's HS and goes to 1/8000 easily. As for needing a manual for doing anything, that's probably more of a personal issue than anything else.

Best of luck with the B1's though.

 

[Viggo]

I have had the older Quadra, and never liked them. I'm a hobbyist and don't have assistants and bring my light where my kids play. No hss, the cable/battery pack and flimsy mount just adds up to it staying at home. Oh, and I had to bring the manual to adjust anything as the display is absolutely useless.

I'm in the process of buying a B1, and the fact that it's one simple tube nothing else is just perfect. I already have two ProFoto modifiers that are brilliant! The radio system is also in a different league.

Top heavy, well, I live in a windy place and the battery of the Quadra did not offer the weight needed. I bring and empty bag or a can and fill with sand or water on location and pour it out when I leave, a lot less weight to drag around the woods and slippery rocks along the sea.

Can't decide for you of course, but that's my experience.

You must have had them quite a while ago as PW made them capable of syncing up to 1/4000 and the new trigger is hands down better than Profoto's current offering. It's HS and goes to 1/8000 easily. As for needing a manual for doing anything, that's probably more of a personal issue than anything else.

Best of luck with the B1's though.

Yeah it was a while ago, but many of things I pointed out are still valid though. Before the new transmitter came out, did you mean the Flex system that synced? I have had those and I would rather walk back and forth than ever touching the Flex system again.

What is better with the Elinchrom trigger than the ProFoto? It's an honest question as I haven't followed Elimchrom since I sold mine.

I have the B1 now, and my god it's beautiful to work with, do not regret buying it! Hss is flawless also.

 

[winglet]

Yep, I've had no issues with HSS or ETTL with the B1/B2's. Nor with Profoto mods, although it does seem quality control is slipping a bit over all brands. But that's more about globalization than which name is on the product.

The argument for pack and head has been pretty much negated for me with the B2's. And I love the integration of the whole system. Sometimes a monobloc makes sense, sometimes a separate head. I have both and haven't had any problems. The B2's are the weight of a speedlite and plenty of power for the types of situation where an assistant might be whining about carrying them.

But to each their own, Elinchrom makes some great lights, I've just had exemplary experiences with the B1 and 2's, perhaps the other guy just had bad luck. Happens.

 

[dv9161]

It wont let me create a new topic for some reason "only reply" so here it goes...

I own a Canon 5D Mk 3 and my go to lens is a Canon 24-70mm L f/4.
I am looking for a ring light like the one below for continuous lighting to fit around my lens but most sellers won't know if it will fit or not. I believe the depth # is 77 I am not sure. I have a budget of $200 to spend and I'm trying to find out which ones will fit. Thanks.

Ring light example image:

 

[gjones5252]

Thank you to everyone who helped me decide what to purchase after 6 months or so I am ready to share some of what i have done so far.
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=29177.0
here is the pictures and some of my thoughts. This page started going a different way and i also wanted it to be easier for others doing research to find my results.