Where for best prices on Balcar lighting?

[Andre Noble]

Doing initial research for powerful packs (ie, 4,800ws & up for LF portraiture)o f the type which will be less likely to trip household breakers. This has led m e to look at Balcar brand flash packs (even though I like the value-for-money Sp eedotron line). For example, there's a 6400 ws pack with a listed current draw o f only 16 amps (compared to 20 amps for corresponding Speedotron pack)for $3,600 at Calumet. Ouch!

Other than ebay, can anyone suggest a dealer with the most competitive prices on these packs? I won't be buying right away, so feel free to add to this post wh enever so inspired. Thanks. Andre

[Fred De Van]

I have been a Balcar user ever since Dick Bali and Fred Thomas started building them 35 years ago. I have used lots of others too. All WS are not the same. There is a BIG difference in light output. I sincerly doubt that you need 4800 WS of Balcar output for LF portraits. The heads alone are a major factor, then the electrical design. On one surprise situation, I lit the atrium of the Wash. DC Marriot with Bill Marriot in it, when on assignment for Forbes, with a 600 WS Balcar Rapid 600, using asa 50 Chrome film. It would have taken 2400WS of another makers power to do the same photograph. I can assure you that 3 Balcar 1200 WS packs will not trip a household breaker in fast mode. They make a lot of usable light and in LF portrature, the slow charge mode is faster than most others running full out. Balcar is a good choice. So is Comet and most of the big bucks Euro systems. They are worth the price.

Fred

[Ellis Vener]

I second Fred de Van's post about Balcar efficiency. look for some of the older A1200 or A2400 packs on eBay, where I bought most of my Balcar kit. i have a Rapid 600, a Rapid 1200, 3 A2400 and one A5000 pack and about 12 heads and about a half dozen head extention cables, various reflectors,sync cables and cases that I don't think I paid more than $2000 for (over a year and a half ) to acquire them. A couple of packs have needed some relatively minor work but that is all. The newer design for the U heads are a bit better than the older "silver bullet " cans if you are going to use softboxes because of the three point mounting system. But either head type will get you started.

If you think Balcar is expensive, then price Comet, Profoto and Broncolor!

[Bob Salomon]

"All WS are not the same"

Not so. All WS are identical. They are the unit of measurement (also called Joules) that measures the STORAGE capacity of a flash.

What they DO NOT DO is indicate flash output.

Flash output is effected by the angle of coverage of the reflector (or lack of a reflector), reflector finish, diameter of the flash tube, length of cabel from capacitor to flash head, diameter of the wireing, number of connectors between the capacitors and the tube, size of the connectors, capacitor size, capacitor loading, etc.

It is impossible to accurately measure the output from a flash from the WS rating.

Output is always rated by guide number, F stop, BCPS at a given angle of coverage, etc.

Buy a flash by WS and you will invariably find lower WS flash that has = or greater output at the same angle for the same or much less money.

A favorite way to mislead is to give the output at a narrow angle or at 2 meters instead of 10'.

Make everything equal coverage, distance, etc. and then compare power.

[Andre Noble]

Thanks all for info and feedback. Will continue to keep eye on Balcar. Thanks.

[ponz]

Hello Fred and anyone else still around from this thread.

My name is John and I have the opportunity to purchase an A5000 Power Pack and three "short U" heads. The woman selling this equipment purchased it at auction years ago. I spoke with someone at Calumet Photo in Chicago and they guessed the equipment to be about 25/30 years old and they no longer produce such powerful units. Speedotron is the only outfit that comes close. He went on to say that most parts are available, BUT - If a board ever fries I'm out of luck.

Can this possibly be a 5,000 w/s unit?

http://www.balcar.com/PHOTO/images/A...%20english.pdf

Is someone able to provide me any info on this equipment? I certainly would appreciate it....

Thanks - Ponz

[Richard Reddy]

It's always a pleasure to hear the thoughts of Bob Salomon, who is connected to HP Marketing (Heliopan, Linhof)... we have crossed paths.

Now on the lighting, Calumet is the best bet. I think they represent Balcar in USA. Prices are not too steep at Calumet, but a little unfriendly. It is a highly competitive business just the same, so a few dollars more can mean substantially greater quality. Probably you'd need to buy outside the US to get the same equipment elsewhere, and then you get whacked on shipping costs and issues of warranty. This is an expensive line, but well-worth the money--speaking as a physicist, engineer and former camera/lighting technician. Balcar is a leader in quality, so if you want their gear, you've gotta pony-up. You won't find much Balcar used; photographers who spring for Balcar tend to be fairly successful, and the heads/monolights have a very long service life. Packs have outstanding design and construction. Used gear is quickly sold.

I just purchased a nice Hensel Kit from a US dealer (B&H). The first thing I did was make sure Hensel is not represented by HP Marketing! At one time, HP was representing some lighting companies, but I think they ditched HP. For the money, I think Hensel has a pretty good 3-light 1500 watt-second kit (an accurate power rating)--high engineering refinement.

A few years back I put some 105mm Heliopan filters up for sale on eBay, and legal Eagle Bob Salomon got eBay to cancel my auction over trademark issues, for saying the filters were "new". In actual fact, some of the filters were new. How amusing to find eBay Trademark Nazis showing up in this forum, and acting as though they are our pals! I wouldn't go out of my way to look up all of Bob's postings, about one posting per day, but when I happen to see one, it's prudent to remind other artists that Bob is definitely not on our side!!! He's here with the idea of making money on Linhof and Heliopan, and you wouldn't want to turn your back on him!

Years later I see no reason to be nice to Bob. His reputation should reflect his actions. After all, photographers are a community. People should know that Bob will send you mail telling you to revise the descriptions of gear sold on eBay, to satisfy outrageously overreaching legal definitions of trademark. Then, if you don't do it, he'll collude with eBay site managers to have your auction canceled, with treats of being kicked off of eBay if the item is re-listed. Of course, it is sellers, not spectators like Bob who enable eBay to make money. Since that time I have not sold anything on eBay, but will buy items from other artists. My used gear is recycled by other means, so this little adventure cost eBay at least a thousand dollars they might have collected on about 12K of gear. No need to feel defeated by corporate tough guys!
Instead, I can undermine Bob Salomon's efforts to sell, right here, right now! How does it feel Bob, if the shoe is on the other foot?

Including ND filters (graduated/half frame), I've bought about $1500 worth of filters,
from B+W (Schneider glass is excellent), for new lenses. Never could get used to gels.
As I was buying Heliopan filters, this is a small loss for Bob the middleman, who works for a firm that doesn't design or build anything and is strictly in business of selling.
Talk about raising the cost of merchandise!

My 105mm Heliopan filters are adapted to 82mm lenses and a 95mm lens, and I use my hand or a grey card (handy!) as a sun shade. Heliopan sells a screw-on 105mm shade, but I wouldn't give this firm another nickel! A Panoramic camera is also on my wish list, but I have ruled-out Linhof because they are represented by HP Marketing, which is to say, Bob the trademark cop. No matter. Horseman makes superb cameras, and I don't mind buying Rodenstock again, because it appears this firm is no longer represented by HP Marketing. In the meantime, I can get 6x17cm off of 5x7 sheets, and Fujinon glass. It's not such a bad idea to spend a little more on your subjects...

Thought I'd bring this up, for those artists who dislike the idea of being pushed around by big corporations like HP Marketing, over trivial nonsense.

And you also have my highly qualified opinion of Balcar (Wow!), which is what this thread is about. You'll get no smoke and mirrors, or disreputable behavior from Balcar. They're pros.

[HeinrichVoelkel]

Balcar is the best...purchased a lot from them, almost everything new. Used it for many years and Im still happy with the gear. Best and cheapest buy will be the Bay...you will love it. Focusable heads, you can go from spot to flood with a quick turn of your wrist....


by the way... thank you bob for your thoughtful comments on balcar

[Richard Reddy]

To Ponz,

I think this is an older unit. If you check out B&H and other vendors, there are
powerful packs available--but they're expensive. For example, Elinchrom will give
a 4800 watt-second pop ( * Mfr # EL 10327.2). This is two packs feeding one head, the most common configuration sold these days because you can scale-down the power easily by using one pack, for common applications. I suggested B&H because you can first search AC strobe lighting for 2400 watt-seconds or more, by a check box, and then sort the list by the most expensive first. The most expensive packs will be those delivering the most power. Good way to find stuff fast--but buy where you like. This is one head that plugs into 2 packs.

Profoto has a 4800 watt-second pack, if you've got ten grand. Elinchrom & Broncolor both have 3000 (approx) watt-second packs for about 6k. On the cheaper side, it is still possible to find Norman 4000 watt-second packs, by doing a Google search. This taps in camera store web sites, who might have a pack in inventory or a used unit. Used Norman is pretty good, assuming it's not a rental pack or something that's been used in combat. Though discontinued, Norman most likely continues to support their best clients (parts/repair). On used packs, if they look pretty, it's a good sign. Avoid beaters!

Speedotron still sells a 4800 watt-second pack--it's a bargain for 2300.

Last point, if your circuit board croaks, all is not lost. A good repair outfit can repair circuit boards of all kinds, replacing diodes, transistors, etc. as needed. Older boards in particular are likely to have standard components. It's not unusual to find repair operations with drawers full of used/new circuit boards dating back many years, waiting for the just the right occasion--or shelves full of old packs, waiting to be cannibalized.


Good luck!

[HeinrichVoelkel]

Andre, what do you you need so much power ( or Joule ) for. Do you want to shoot at f'45 at 1 meter with 25 ISO film?

I'm using 200 Ws to to equal sunlight with a f'stop of 8 from 2 meters with large format on a 160 VC...

just wondering?!