Bowens or Elinchrom


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hokkaido88

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Dec 29, 2007
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Which of the brand is better in term of:-

i) Compatible with third party part i.e from China/Korea
ii) Cheaper Power pack.
iii) Durable( not the one need to send for service just after warranty)
iv) Accurate color temperature
v) Doesn't have overheating problem i.e power and color temperature would be inaccurate if it's overheated.

And lastly is it true that the entry level model of Elinchrom D-Lite 4 Two-To-Go Set is not really made in Swiss(Judge from the build quality) but from China?
 

Which of the brand is better in term of:-

i) Compatible with third party part i.e from China/Korea
ii) Cheaper Power pack.
iii) Durable( not the one need to send for service just after warranty)
iv) Accurate color temperature
v) Doesn't have overheating problem i.e power and color temperature would be inaccurate if it's overheated.

And lastly is it true that the entry level model of Elinchrom D-Lite 4 Two-To-Go Set is not really made in Swiss(Judge from the build quality) but from China?

Hi,

I have a pair of Bowens. Have had them for about 4 years now and never had a problem.

They are well built and appear constant in power.

Cheers :)
 

Hi,

I have a pair of Bowens. Have had them for about 4 years now and never had a problem.

They are well built and appear constant in power.

Cheers :)

Just curious,
what is the amp and how much did u pay for it?
 

I've been shooting 2.5 years with Elinchrom (RX600, RX1200, ringflash). No problems so far at all. Never even had to change a lamp.
And bet you - I'm firing a lot of shots in a short period when shooting. Never ever had an issue with overheating. And the recharge time is short. Within 1-2 seconds you are ready for your next shot.

For non-original equipment you can only use non-electronic parts, i.e., soft boxes, lightstands, etc. Don't think you will have any luck in combining either Elinchrom or Bowens with Chinese copy products.
 

just get any one of them you will be fine.

I have a Bowens power pack with light head and a mono bloc almost thirty years old, still working fine, and Ruby still able to service them.

and I also have a pair of Elinchrom 50 which should be 20 over years old, also still working fine now.

How durable of the products is depend how you use them, anyhow use will shorten their life, don't use also will spoil, so Nothing will Last Forever, there are NO lights on earth does not need any servicing, so as long you have the agent able to service the lights, you need not to worry.
 

Thanks for the infos. I was worried that the unit might need servicing/replacing part as the warranty expired.If it's only after 4-5yrs , then it'd not be a problem.

Anyone I heard most entry level of the well known brand are make in China/India. Is it really true that Elinchrom D-Lite 4 Two-To-Go Set is Made in China/India? And that's why it's build qualiy looks inferior to the pro model?
 

i, too, have two units of Bowens 400Ds. they are at least 20 years' old. still firing, faithfully.
 

Thanks for the infos. I was worried that the unit might need servicing/replacing part as the warranty expired.If it's only after 4-5yrs , then it'd not be a problem.

Anyone I heard most entry level of the well known brand are make in China/India. Is it really true that Elinchrom D-Lite 4 Two-To-Go Set is Made in China/India? And that's why it's build qualiy looks inferior to the pro model?


Nowadays not suprising, everythings seems to be made in China
 

so either brand is ok?

How's bout both entry level one? Will it be as durable as the pro level one?

How's bout third party accessories? Both also can use China softboxes?
 

Bowens Gemini 200 w/s Kit sets you back about $1,600 while Elinchrom D-Lite 400 w/s for $1,199. Both kits come with 2 heads, stands and accessories. I was on budget so settled for Elinchrom and Cathay offered one Skyport Universal set for less than $120 as opposed to the original $300ish price. Elinchrom D-lite build is plasticy but am not sure about the Bowens either. So far so good la and it's fan-cooled as well - previous versions didn't have. Last I check, a 3rd party batt pack costs $600+ from Cathay. I'm still using my two 580EXIIs and CP-E4s for outdoor lighting where A/C is not available. Have yet to see the need for more power...so OK la and compact.

The only complain I have is Elinchrom's low-end stuff allow you to use only their umbrellas as the mount hole is smaller – 7mm diameter and a standard 33" shoot through costs about $30?! Not sure about softboxes but the one that came with the kit sucks.... OK to mount HARD to dismount... silly design. Well, overall, am alright with the heads and in the end I bought 2 shoot throughs and 1 silver umbrella... haha expensive though.. bloody hell.

Well, Elinchrom and Bowens are good brands... lies on budget.
 

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rendition, is this the best price if pay by cash?If yes can you PM me the details(i.e which shops)

How's the color consistency of the Elinchrom? Does the color shift if you change the shutter speed?

If it's plastic, is it still more reliable than the China one?

Sure or not Elinchrom can use third party battery? Is third party battery is from China? Is it safe to use without damaging the light in the long run?
 

rendition, is this the best price if pay by cash?If yes can you PM me the details(i.e which shops)

How's the color consistency of the Elinchrom? Does the color shift if you change the shutter speed?

If it's plastic, is it still more reliable than the China one?

Sure or not Elinchrom can use third party battery? Is third party battery is from China? Is it safe to use without damaging the light in the long run?

why should color shift if you change shutter speed?
only advanced powerpack with option to change flash duration alter color temperature.
those are in the region of 8k and above... so will not apply to you.

so far only budget model have been mentioned.
 

rendition, is this the best price if pay by cash?If yes can you PM me the details(i.e which shops)

How's the color consistency of the Elinchrom? Does the color shift if you change the shutter speed?

If it's plastic, is it still more reliable than the China one?

Sure or not Elinchrom can use third party battery? Is third party battery is from China? Is it safe to use without damaging the light in the long run?

I believe all prices in Cathay (esp Lighting section) are fixed regardless of method of payment and I made through Nets. As far as I know, only Cathay carries Elinchrom. If you wanna go elsewhere, it would be online at B&H or MPEX.

Errrm, I have yet to experience colour shifts so I guess it has been consistent. If you want to be anal, you can always go old-skool and practice shooting to your Kodak Gray Chart.

I said third party cuz that's the one the chap at Cathay offered me and I remember vaguely its China made.

I have used the cheap Jinbei Delicacy 180 set and in terms of built definitely the Elinchrom's better. Also you're getting better features like fan-cooled, digital control for more precise power output, recycle beep, adjustable modelling light yada yada... Visit elinchrom.com and do your homework my friend
 

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