rscheffler
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I have both. The AlienBees for about 10 years and a couple Einstein for a couple years. IMO the Einstein will be more consistent shot to shot in terms of exact output, if you're working quickly. My guess is for your set ups you're not shooting that rapidly, so it probably won't make a huge difference if you let the AlienBees recycle fully. In terms of noticeable differences in light quality, I haven't noticed anything in particular.
Some factors to consider: If you're often working at considerably less than full power, the flash duration of the Einstein becomes considerably shorter, which is better at freezing movement, whether it's subject or camera motion (which can still happen with strobes, particularly if hand held with lax technique). I have the AlienBee 1600s which already start off with fairly slow/long flash duration at full power and get worse at lower settings. And given the power of those units is equal to the Einstein, when down a couple power levels, the duration gets really long. In this respect the AB800 is somewhat better, but duration still increases as power output decreases. IMO, this is a key factor in favor of the Einstein, at least for my uses, which is a lot of event type work. I may not always need 640W/s output and will get good motion stopping power at lower power settings where the AlienBees won't. If you get into the Buff Cybersync radio system, the module for the Einstein is small and inexpensive and plugs in kind of like a memory card into the top of the unit. But they all will work well with their built in optical triggers if you're firing off one with a PocketWizard.
The Einstein will also be heavier than the AB800, which if you're booming lights, etc., is a factor to consider.
The new DigiBees are kind of a blend of the two. Smaller than AlienBees, though similar weight but with digitally controlled output for better shot to shot consistency. However, they share with AlienBees the increase in flash duration at lower than full power output.
One reason there might be a lot of Buff lights on the used market, other than their popularity, is the recent boom in interest in Godox lights, primarily for their fully self-contained, cordless, battery powered operation with TTL triggering (IMO not necessarily a great thing for shooting in a controlled setting) at attractive prices. The Godox AD600 is kind of a battery powered Einstein and the new Pro version ups the ante further. They're more expensive than Buff lights, but when you factor in the added cost of a Buff Vagabond Mini or Extreme battery and inverter, the Godox units end up the better deal.
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