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Thread: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

  1. #41
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    I'm not sure you can make too many decisions based both on quality and origin; buying the best (you can afford) often means looking outside your own pond.

    Case in point: I ended up getting two Profoto 600R monolights, which were excellent, just fantastic.
    However, I recently put them up for sale since I wanted to use them outdoors, and I found that reasonably-priced portable power options for the 600R were limited.
    I also didn't like the idea of a top-heavy monolight losing a battle to strong winds.

    I was in New York this week-end, I picked up a Profoto 7b outfit locally, and couldn't be happier.
    The Profotos feel, look and perform better than any other flash/monolight set-up I've had before (including Alien Bees, Dynalites, Bowens and Elinchroms), and I'm sure this latest 7b kit will surpass my high expectations for it.
    It feels unbelievably solid, robust and powerful; well-engineered, well thought-out and executed simply but elegantly.

  2. #42

    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    So the counter argument is a more expensive item made in Europe...

    It's less about waving the American flag and more about shaking my proverbial head at China... Where corners are constantly cut, labor is spat on, the environment is a joke.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  3. #43
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    Quote Originally Posted by dodphotography View Post
    So the counter argument is a more expensive item made in Europe...
    Not really; it's about getting the best quality you can afford, regardless of country of origin.

  4. #44
    Daniel Stone's Avatar
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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    Unfortunately, the Europeans are the only ones who are producing PORTABLE, battery operated battery pack+head options. Well, a battery pack that can actually act as a counterweight.

    While Paul Buff makes lightweight, portable lighting options, sometimes a battery pack that actually has some heft to it helps keep a light stand steady in breezy/windy conditions.

    Same as with tripods, I chuckle when I see a 5# tripod weighted down with 20# of sandbags, when the photographer has a 20# gitzo studex in the grip truck

  5. #45
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    Quote Originally Posted by Daniel Stone View Post
    Unfortunately, the Europeans are the only ones who are producing PORTABLE, battery operated battery pack+head options. Well, a battery pack that can actually act as a counterweight.

    While Paul Buff makes lightweight, portable lighting options, sometimes a battery pack that actually has some heft to it helps keep a light stand steady in breezy/windy conditions.
    A counterweight is putting it mildly; with the lead-acid battery installed, the 7b weighs 27 pounds (!), the batteries weigh slightly more than the pack without battery.
    So great for shooting outdoors, in wind for example, but lousy on your back.
    Might have to get me one of them new-fangled assistants.

  6. #46

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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    this might be an interesting read regarding HSS and Hi-SYNC, as it might be important point of decision.
    I would always bear in mind what you can do with these lights and with a DSLR, apart from large format.
    High speed sync/ hi-sync is THE game changer for flash photography especially with DSLR.

    https://fstoppers.com/originals/fsto...hi-sync-102293


    cheers,
    thomas

  7. #47
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    Interesting read, Thomas, and certainly more technical than I've ever delved into flash photography.
    It really highlights the differences between strobes used for both digital and film.
    The new B2 is only 250 w/s, but people are using it for HSS and to overcome daylight, the latter would be very hard to do on film, ISO 100 and maximum sync speed of, say, 1/500.

  8. #48

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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    Ari, as far as i understand, the Profotos aren't really 250 or 500 when used to "combat" daylight. the pulse they do in HSS mode robs plenty of power. it would be great if this manufacturer would "double" rate their flashes. 1- regular use e.g 500ws, HSS say 125. This is where Elinchrom and say Priolite, maybe even some others, have a big advantage. that long flash duration of say 1/200 at 400 or 1000 W/S is exactly that. So, if used for film with compur type in the lens shutters and speeds of 1/500, Elinchrom (ELB 400) and Priolite (MBX 1000 HotSync), deffo have the advantage, as from effective 125 W/S to 1000, there are 3 diaphragms! not bad...

    all in all, we film people can't combat the sun, just the clouds lol


    Quote Originally Posted by Ari View Post
    Interesting read, Thomas, and certainly more technical than I've ever delved into flash photography.
    It really highlights the differences between strobes used for both digital and film.
    The new B2 is only 250 w/s, but people are using it for HSS and to overcome daylight, the latter would be very hard to do on film, ISO 100 and maximum sync speed of, say, 1/500.

  9. #49
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Monolights: Profoto or Einstein?

    Thomas, I'm no fan of the design of the D1, B1 or B2 heads; they look like solid flashes, but I like having a unit where the flash and modelling bulbs protrude and allow more flexibility for control and shaping.
    My old 600R monolights crank out a lot of power, more than enough to overcome the sun at ISO 100, and the old 7b kit I bought does that twice as powerfully.

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