Flash for 'larger' areas and portable power source

[kathrynpiquette]

I am planning to undertake H-RTI on rock art in Egypt. I am concerned that my Speedlite 600 EX-RT flash with battery pack will not cope with being set at 100% power for repeated use day after day, and will struggle with large areas (it has been working great for smaller artefact surfaces imaged in museum contexts). Can anyone recommend a studio flash, monopod and portable power source that they have use in the field. I am looking for kit that can be submitted to the rigours of the Egyptian desert and heat, so if anyone has advice and experience to share I would be grateful. I understand that the Alien Bee 1600, previously recommended by CHI, is no longer manufactured?

 

Cheers!

[GeorgeBevan]

Kathryn,

 

In my experience working in Jordan with Rock Art the AlienBees 1600 is the way to go. I just checked the Paul Buff website and it seems that it is still manufactured. I would consider also using a different reflector than the one provided, like the 11-inch long-throw (a relatively inexpensive item). We used two of the Vagabond Lithium units in our work, each with two battery packs. Generally they performed well with the temperature approaching 50 celsius. Naturally a good set of neutral density filters (or a single variable neutral density filter) will be absolutely necessary for this sort of outdoor work in a very bright environment. For holding the spheres in place I would strongly recommend the Manfrotto "Magic Arms". Our monopods were also Manfrotto.

 

I'll be very interested to hear how your field work goes. We faced very considerable challenges doing RTI in remote areas.

 

George

[cdschroer]

Kathryn,

 

We have used the Alien Bees on location. We recently purchased the Einstein (also from Paul C. Buff) because it is dual voltage and we are doing more work where 220v is the norm. Also the Einstein is spec'ed to have more consistent color temperature than the Alien Bee. We have only recently been using it, and so far we are happy. We haven't taken it into outdoor settings yet. It is a bit more expensive, and it weights a little more. It is the same brightness as the AB 1600.

 

We used an old version of the vagabonds, and so I can't speak to the new ones, though several folks we have worked with have said they are great, and that fits with George's experience noted here. So, my recommendation is to look at both the alien bee 1600 and the Einstein (the Einstein is only available as the 640ws version - which is the same as the 1600 alien bee) Both on the http://www.paulcbuff.com/ website.

 

Good luck!

[GeorgeBevan]

Carla,

 

Are you guys using the Paul Buff solution to remotely control the Einstein or are you using Pocket Wizards? It looks like a really nice strobe!

 

George

[cdschroer]

We are using pocket wizards, because we are already invested in them, and they work well with our speedlite units. We are finding that the PW TT1 - TT5 unit combination is very reliable. We can use the TT5 with the Alien Bee or Einstein (with a mini jack cable) With the speedlites, no cable is needed. If anyone out there has tried out the Paul Buff triggers, please post your experience. They look like a decent more inexpensive alternative, but it's hard to say until we hear from someone who has actually used them.

 

Carla

[GeorgeBevan]

I've actually used the Paul Buff triggers quite a bit. They're very sturdily constructed and reliable. Their range is also excellent. I generally recommend the cheapest version to students, but the more expensive ones have a very similar functionality to the Pocket Wizards. It looks as if they would integrate very nicely with the Einstein lights.