I am currently shooting with Photogenic monolights - I bought into them a few years ago and now have a four light system.
Now I would like to shoot in locations without available power sources, thus needing a battery system; I have not found anything that will work with the pl1250dr series lights and I am not interested in getting into a generator.
So now I am doing some home work on battery powered pack systems. I know I want to take a step up from the prosumer (photogenic) and get into something in Broncolor, Profoto, Bowens, etc, in the future.
Sage advice would be greatly appreciated.
Posts: 103 | Location: Chicago IL | Registered: 05 August 2006
Dyna lite makes a great battery that I've rented, it's around 1100 dollars. you could hook your current stuff to it or when you get new packs etc... you could use it to power them as well. Also there's http://www.innovatronix.com/cgi-bin/productcatalog/deta...id=323&categoryid=42 they are cheap but have been well reviewed, they probably make the insides for everyone else. I've looked at the profoto and broncolor battery systems and while it is nice to have a battery and pack all in one they are wick expensive, and can be limiting.
I have a innovatronix. it's o.k. for quick small shoot. Recycling is slow. and your better not using the modeling light...sucks too much juice. I was intersted in the dyna-lite: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?shs=xp1...p&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t but at this price, i'm going to save my money and go for a generetor. there getting smaller and make less sound. but you are never out of power if you have Gas. the problem with the batterie systeme is if you need to use 6 or more flashs you need lot's of batterie.$$$$$$ or 6 times the price of the acute B...$12K...ouch!
Posts: 102 | Location: Montr�al | Registered: 16 January 2005
I'm a die hard Profoto fan but I couldn't justify buying a Pro7b or Acute 600 for a past job as a back up. I researched my ass off on inverters and I have to say, Paul Buff has it right. I wouldn't bother with anyone else's. His Vagabound system is cheap and way better engineered than any of the other more expensive ones. Worth while looking at them
Posts: 776 | Location: USA/EU | Registered: 21 January 2002
I had been going down that road but became concerned with weight and price - not that a new system would be cheaper.
It looks like I would be spending about $600 on an inverter (1500/3000watt) + battery + some sort of case = about $800 and a 60lb package. Not nearly as portable as an Acute system or something similar.
I am certain I do not want to go down the Alien Bees road.
Posts: 103 | Location: Chicago IL | Registered: 05 August 2006
You should have a look at the honda generetor. I saw the EU2000i for 869.95$ and weight 46.3lbs or the EU3000is for1599.95. They Make less noise than the old ones. And they are practical in other situation. Do you like Camping!
Posts: 102 | Location: Montr�al | Registered: 16 January 2005
Originally posted by Dale-Murray: [qb] Maybe I will rethink the inverter deal.
I had been going down that road but became concerned with weight and price - not that a new system would be cheaper.
It looks like I would be spending about $600 on an inverter (1500/3000watt) + battery + some sort of case = about $800 and a 60lb package. Not nearly as portable as an Acute system or something similar.
I am certain I do not want to go down the Alien Bees road. [/qb]
Why not? the Vagabound is only $299, comes with a battery or you can attach the leads to your car.
Posts: 776 | Location: USA/EU | Registered: 21 January 2002
Hell, I plan on throwing the Vagabound over my assistant's shoulder and he can carry a 1200 Acute over the other and have him hold a stand with a head and softlight reflector, totally portable.
Posts: 776 | Location: USA/EU | Registered: 21 January 2002
"I am certain I do not want to go down the Alien Bees road."
Why? I have a Vagabound at home that is five years old, and works great. I just used one of the newer ones at my staff photog job on a shoot at an excavation dig, and it worked just fine.
Patrick Ray Dunn
Posts: 420 | Location: San Antonio, Texas | Registered: 11 March 2003
A geny is great but still requires cords and is harder to move about if that is a prerequisite of its' function. The Vagabond is almost back-packable material. Either can be a good solution depending on the details of the OP's needs, which we are in the dark about. Flash us please; no modeling light required.
The lights I am using are the DR series from Photogenic, which means they are digital as in digital circuitry.
In another thread Paul suggests that I need at least a 2000 watt inverter for these lights - and did not suggest I consider the vagabond system. I am concerned about the voltage drop that occurs with the vagabond system.
The inverters I had considered were 1500/3000.
I guess I need to do some more testing before I rule out anything.
the reason I am not considering a generator is I live in an apartment and I do not want to small the gas, etc in the apartment.
Paul Buff OK - you did it right. I would suggest the meter probably is probably misreading a tad because of the transient nature of the waveform. They tend to do this. The real reading is probably a little lower, as supported by the other poster's oscilliscope capture of the waveform (he came out with 28A peak, which is about 20A RMS).
Surely the light can tolerate some voltage drop - even AC lines sometimes brownout to around 100VAC. This would suggest something closer to a 1500W - to 2000W inverter would do. But this is still a big inverter. It would require a huge battery to work right because the battery current would be around 150 to 200A. You may find a generator to be a better power source.
quote:
Paul Buff Vagabond II recycles Zeus and similar power packs that draw approximately three times the current as the light in question. Recycle time at 2500 actual WS is nine seconds. In the process, the AC voltage necessarily drops to about 55VAC. So the question is not current draw of the light, it is immunity to low AC input.
Posts: 103 | Location: Chicago IL | Registered: 05 August 2006
When I said "Alien Bees Road" I was referring to the lights themselves, not the vagabond. The vagabond has a voltage drop during the charge period, I fear what that drop may do to the electronic interface on my lights.
I spoke with a guy here at work and have figured out a way to test the volt drop tolerance of my lights using a dimmer switch and a volt meter.
Ultimately my concern comes down to voltage drops screwing up the electronics and without knowing that tolerance I am pretty much in the dark as to what I can and cannot use.
Posts: 103 | Location: Chicago IL | Registered: 05 August 2006
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