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White Lightning X800 or AlienBees B800?
I am looking to purchase my first studio flash and I'm considering a White
Lightning X800 or an AlienBees B800. Judging by specs alone, they are both very similar. Does anyone have experience with one or both units to suggest I go one way or another? I have a very small area in my home that I intend to use (about 12'L 12'W 10'H). I live in Hawaii so I will also do a lot of shooting outdoors so I need something relatively portable also. Indoors, I'll do mostly portraiture and black-n-white figure poses. Outdoors, I'll do a lot of bikini beach shots as well as darker mountain and rainforest-type areas. In an earlier post, I asked if I should purchase a Canon 550EX and 420EX instead of studio flashes but most people advised against that. My camera is a Canon EOS 10D if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance for the help and advice. |
#2
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White Lightning X800 or AlienBees B800?
Sean Ras wrote: I am looking to purchase my first studio flash and I'm considering a White Lightning X800 or an AlienBees B800. Judging by specs alone, they are both very similar. Does anyone have experience with one or both units to suggest I go one way or another? I use White Lightning Ultra Zaps, and they are great units. I think that the main functional difference between WL and AB units are that the AB are a lower priced line oriented more towards advanced amateurs and entry level pros. But they are from a company that makes very good products and stands behind those products 100%, so I wouldn't think of them as cheap or second rate in any way. I have a very small area in my home that I intend to use (about 12'L 12'W 10'H). I live in Hawaii so I will also do a lot of shooting outdoors so I need something relatively portable also. Indoors, I'll do mostly portraiture and black-n-white figure poses. Outdoors, I'll do a lot of bikini beach shots as well as darker mountain and rainforest-type areas. In an earlier post, I asked if I should purchase a Canon 550EX and 420EX instead of studio flashes but most people advised against that. My camera is a Canon EOS 10D if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance for the help and advice. Shoe mount flashes simply cannot give you the control, power, or flexibility that studio lights can. People like the shoe mounts I think because they can dial in flash ratios and let the system take care of the metering. In truth, changing lighting ratios and metering with studio lights can be very easy and fast, with greater control and a wider variety of controls. I do recommend the excellent RC1 remote control. It will give you complete centralized control of up to 4 WL or AB lights, and when combined with a wireless trigger is an extremely convenient way to control your lights. You will need a flash meter of some sort. Beware false economy here. If your first meter does everything you want to do, you'll save money in the long run. Lisa |
#3
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White Lightning X800 or AlienBees B800?
"Sean Ras" wrote in message ...
I am looking to purchase my first studio flash and I'm considering a White Lightning X800 or an AlienBees B800. Judging by specs alone, they are both very similar. Does anyone have experience with one or both units to suggest I go one way or another? I have a very small area in my home that I intend to use (about 12'L 12'W 10'H). I live in Hawaii so I will also do a lot of shooting outdoors so I need something relatively portable also. Indoors, I'll do mostly portraiture and black-n-white figure poses. Outdoors, I'll do a lot of bikini beach shots as well as darker mountain and rainforest-type areas. In an earlier post, I asked if I should purchase a Canon 550EX and 420EX instead of studio flashes but most people advised against that. My camera is a Canon EOS 10D if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance for the help and advice. I have both an Ultra Zap 800 and an AlienBee B400. I'm very happy with both. Some of the areas that cost cutting was used on the AB is evident, but I'm still satisfied with the AB's quality. I plan to purchase another AlienBee in the future -- choosing that over the White Lightning mainly because of price. I want to echo Lisa's thought on a flash meter. A Minolta Autometer is "only" about $220. |
#4
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White Lightning X800 or AlienBees B800?
curt call wrote: I want to echo Lisa's thought on a flash meter. A Minolta Autometer is "only" about $220. That's usually my suggestion. The Sekonic L308 is a little cheaper, but lacks the flexibility of the Minolta. Minolta has just come out with a new version, the Autometer VF, which is not only easier to type but appears to do a much better job of showing the ratio between flash and ambient light. A nice improvement, for the same price. Lisa |
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