JohnJ wrote:
Paul Buff wrote:
.... Also, I doubt a Metz flash has anywhere near 300WS - any specs? I suspect 50-80WS max, but could be wrong - no specs that I can find.

Based purely on a direct comparison with a Broncolor 600Ws strobe (with reflector). The Metz was one stop under. It's 'ball park' enough. I have no idea what it's power really is.

JJ

The 60CT is 3/10 of a stop less than a 400w/s equivalent with a parabolic reflector. Your estimate of 300w/s is a reasonable assumption. Not because the 60CT IS 300w/s, but because the 600w/s is inefficient. The disguising factor is the inefficiency of the Broncolor reflector. The efficient use of the Metz reflector in not illuminating extraneous parts of an image area results in a better performance for light on subject. The same happens with any high powered 'old school' lighting i.e Metz CT60, Sunpak 622's they both perform outdoors extremely well, punching well above their weight output wise.

For 'light on subject' your estimate of 300w/s would be bang on with comparable reflectors. If you (could) compare 'bare bulb' the result would be much lower.. but you're not.

This doesn't make it 300WS. It's reflector is tuned for direct shooting and a rectangular patter and cannot be compared to studio flash reflectors, unless all you do is direct on-camera flash. (But don't try it on a 6x6 camera . . . and look at the exposure at the corners. We have reflectors in the works that can achieve GNs on the order of 600 from a 640WS Einstein, but you can't then say the Einstein suddenly has 3000WS. Compare this to the GNs of Metz and the actual power becomes apparent. In short, GN has no place in a serious discussion of flashpower or studio lighting.

The Broncolor reflector is not "inefficient" . . . it is tuned for studio shooting and just as efficient as the Metz reflector. Efficiency and beam patterns are widely misunderstood.

ukphotographer wrote:
bacilonur wrote:
Paul Buff wrote:
Make that 100% . . . 1 f stop.

Paul, are you talking about my comparison between an Acute2 2400 and 1200? The 2400 is listed at 1/320 (full power, t.5), so when you're outdoors at 1/250, you're only gonna capture 60 or 70% of its power.

?? Have you got that the right way round??

If the 2400 fires 1/1 within 1/320s and you're shooting at 1/250s then the whole flash will happen within the 1/250s time frame with the shutter fully open. 1/320s is a shorter duration than 1/250s. How do you reckon on only getting 60-70% ?
bacilonur has it right. The 1/320WS is t.5 so only 50% or so is dissipated in 1/320 second. The rest of it is cut off by the camera's 1/250 shutter speed and is lost.

Last time I checked (by actually measuring the t0.1 flash duration as being 1/70th second) the t0.5 of an Acute 2 2400 at 2400 w-s through a single head was more like 1/210th second) and as Paul and others have pointed out, using a high output narrow angle reflector, you can efficiently focus a lot of energy focused into a very small area if that is your desire.

I'm sorry I'm not pushing out more pix, right now my image processing computer is dead and I'm waiting for it's replacement to arrive.

Not sure if this will work for you but try either e_Vener at Twitter or http://touch.facebook.com/?w2m#/photos.php?pid=4323501&id=730557440

Using Profoto's figures, a 1200 Profoto at 1/560 compared to a 2400 at 1/320 made sense for a moment. Reading E-Vener's results now makes that irrelevant.

A 60CT isn't 300w/s it just provides a comparable output to a 300w/s unit with a parabolic reflector. You'd be as likely to put a 60CT on a background in a studio as you were to put a 300w/s strobe on a strap over your shoulder. 'Inefficiency' is only a measure of purpose. Where 400w/s strobes can be considered for the same purpose as c.160w/s 60CT's and the resulting difference is marginal but the bulk significant then it's easier to compare.

I've used 400 watt-second Lumadynes for years . If you add a decent external battery to the Metz 60 series flashes there just ain't that much difference in bulk or hassle between a Lumadyne or Norman 400c andthe Metz.

But none of the above have a 250 watt-second modeling lamp or recycle as fast as the Einstein or any other similar monolight or a pack & head system a d they really don't like dumping out that much energy in the form of heat as well as light in a ratta-tat-tat manner.

Thanks for the info Ellis

Could you take some photos of your new Einstein with your new Nikon 24mm F1.4 when you get a chance? Two birds, one stone and all that...

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/883270/0

Paul Buff wrote:
You can overpower any sun with 640WS Einstein/AB/WL and PLM. F22 to f32+ at 10' ISO 100.

Paul, thanks for confirming that. When I wrote more power I was referring to the generalities between high ISO usefulness and powerful strobes. I am aware that 600ws can handle the sun. The Einstein sounds good, I look forward to owners experience with them.

I have Lumedynes too. I had 60CT's as well, but their recycle was so slow and difficult to improve on with their pack system so they went - but their output was OK - and robust - very close to the Lumedynes @400w/s and the bulk was similar. Less bulk, same power faster recycle are the Sunpak 622's. No chance of a modeling light with these either, whether only 250watts or 650watts. Even 250 watts are useless outside! You just choose the lights you need, to do the job needing to be done. Whatever that might be.

There's a twit pic of the Einstein, the 24mm f/1.4g AF-S, a Nikon D3s, and Arca-Swiss p0 head at my Twitter page: http://twitpic.com/1e6f59

Einstein looks pretty compact, cool. thanks

I used to have a girlfriend who was a big "cat" teaser her name was Elena Vener
could they be related?
The good thing about Elena Vener is that at the end she really did it...
She was a big cat lover....

E-Vener wrote:
There's a twit pic of the Einstein, the 24mm f/1.4g AF-S, a Nikon D3s, and Arca-Swiss p0 head at my Twitter page: http://twitpic.com/1e6f59

good god, its almost too much amazing in one concentrated place

, I was thinking the same thing about an old girlfriend of mine!
I will post a photo of her on another site later.

r.gil wrote:
I used to have a girlfriend who was a big "cat" teaser her name was Elena Vener
could they be related?
The good thing about Elena Vener is that at the end she really did it...
She was a big cat lover....

As far as I know I have no relations named Elena Vener. But I'm glad to hear you got laid once in your life.

E-Vener wrote:
There's a twit pic of the Einstein, the 24mm f/1.4g AF-S, a Nikon D3s, and Arca-Swiss p0 head at my Twitter page: http://twitpic.com/1e6f59

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnWf1sQkjY

brett: THANK YOU!

I am now in the process of watching every video they have. You've ruined me.

So the frosted dome doesn't fully fit over the einstein light? like say the profoto light?

I can't tell in the photo, but it looks like it doesn't fully cover the bulb and socket.

I agree, it's hard to tell from the picture, but if you look at the preliminary manual (http://www.paulcbuff.com/manuals/e640prelimmanual.pdf), especially in the CAD rendering, you can see that there is definitely a gap. It does look like the flash tube is fully inside the dome, just that there is a gap behind it.