Lighting

[droyz2000]

I have read quite a bit on this forum about lighting. It seems that most of the members on here suggest Alienbees. I was just wondering what another good lighting company was. I am not worried about price at this point because the lights are not for me, I would just like know what the best of the best is.

 

[fmw]

Some photographers would vote for ProFoto or Broncolor as top of the line brands. They are in a different price category altogether from Alien Bees. At the bees price point you could choose Calumet or Norman and probably get better units.

 

[Big Mike]

Alienbees get so much mention because they are cheap...pretty much entry level studio lights...and maybe you could say they are almost trendy, among newer photographers. If you want best of the best...I don't know but I'd listen to what Fred ^^ has to say.

 

[dbyrd]

I have used alot of different lights over the past 25 years in my studios. The reason you hear so much about Alien Bees is, they are good! I started using Alien Bees when Paul Buff first put them on the market, prior to that I used his White Lightning series.
For the "Digital" studio, Alien Bees will perform as good or better than lights that cost 5 times as much. I currently use 6 Bees, including their new ring light. The internal slaves are the most reliable I have ver used, the lighting is consistent, the weight is light(housed in a Lexan body, the same material NASA has used for years), you can buy a portable battery system to use on locations, and the customer service is the best in the industry!

 

[thebeginning]

I've done a fair amount of research, as well as ask questions to Paul Buff, the owner of AB's, in order to find if AB's are really all they're cracked up to be. they definitely are. I narrowed my search down to a set of 2 AB's and a set of 2 photogenic monolights, both with the same power. the AB's blew the photogenics out of the water as far as speed went, and were slightly cheaper. I haven't bought them yet, but i'll be getting two AB's and some mods in the near future.

I think many photographers don't take them seriously because of the more 'playful' marketing they have, and the bright colors you can get for the monolights. darn shame, i think.

 

[Mad_Gnome]

I own one Alien Bees B800 monolight already, and you can be sure I'll be purchasing more in the future. Operation is fairly straightforward, yet the lights have a good amount of adjustability to account for a lot of shooting situations. They're rugged as all get out, have plenty of accessories that attach with ridiculous ease, and their customer service is second to NONE! I ordered a Vagabond battery pack, and when lifting it out of the shipping box, the hard plastic plate inside the lid broke. I emailed them to ask about the process, and they shipped a new bag out THAT DAY, no questions asked! Paul C. Buff has earned another customer for life! :thumbup: