Studio lighting, Elinchrom vs Alien Bees

[JerryPH]

There's been some talk in the past about which one is better and the fact that there were some people that said the AB's had significant colourcast differences between high and low power.

Well, I found a bit of info where someone did a head to head comparison with some pretty interesting results. The bottom line is that yes, the AB's do have a colourcast, but the difference between 1/16th and full power is about 50 degrees K... no big deal to anyone except the most stringent professioanal. Also, there are other measurable differences between the two that finally (in my mind, at least) edge out a winner.

If you are considering between the Alien Bee 400s or the Elinchrome D-lite 2s, the Alien Bees can no longer be so easily discounted.

http://www.alienbees.com/compare.html

Now since this was done by AB, one may think there is the possibility of some discrimination. On that point, I leave that decision for you to decide after reading.

Enjoy!

 

[table1349]

There's been some talk in the past about which one is better and the fact that there were some people that said the AB's had significant colourcast differences between high and low power.

Well, I found a bit of info where someone did a head to head comparison with some pretty interesting results. The bottom line is that yes, the AB's do have a colourcast, but the difference between 1/16th and full power is about 50 degrees K... no big deal to anyone except the most stringent professioanal. Also, there are other measurable differences between the two that finally (in my mind, at least) edge out a winner.

If you are considering between the Alien Bee 400s or the Elinchrome D-lite 2s, the Alien Bees can no longer be so easily discounted.

http://www.alienbees.com/compare.html

Now since this was done by AB, one may think there is the possibility of some discrimination. On that point, I leave that decision for you to decide after reading.

Enjoy!

Interesting find. I always thought that the Alien Bees were a good value for a good product. Not something maybe for full time use for hours on end in the top end professional market, but still a good product.

 

[jlykins]

my next purchase is going to be an alienbee setup. As soon as the wife recovers from the 70-200 2.8 purchase I'll be ordering them.

 

[Village Idiot]

A lot of pictures and post on the POTN forum show this:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=443418&highlight=alien+bee+magenta

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=4605028&postcount=1

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=487068&highlight=white+balance

Unless they just rebuilt their lights, I find that claim of 50 degrees funny.

 

[JerryPH]

Unless they just rebuilt their lights, I find that claim of 50 degrees funny.

Funny sarcastic or funny that no one knew it was this low in the past, VI?

 

[Big Mike]

I had always heard that the color shift with AB lights was in the hundreds of degrees...not just 50. I haven't done any testing of my own...maybe I should.

 

[JerryPH]

Just read 8 of the 11+ pages in the 1st thread. Very interesting! So it may seem that:

- the ABs *do* have issues
- that its in the under 1/8th power range and lower
- that the issue is easy to get around (raise power and use more softbox diffusion or increase light distance, though that's not quite as good.)

 

[Village Idiot]

I had always heard that the color shift with AB lights was in the hundreds of degrees...not just 50. I haven't done any testing of my own...maybe I should.

+1

I think it was calculated at 200-350 degrees. There's a thread on POTN that some one did some testing with. It shows a bunch of different studio lights and the output consistencies. AB's also have a less consitant power output that the D lite. No color shift, but how much of a variance of actual power you get from pop to pop without changing any settings.

My next set of lights are probably going to be elinchrom 600RX's.