Photography News 15

Flash guide

Pixapro Lumi 400 1200Ws ThreeHeadKit with trigger and receiver £599.99

Lencarta SmartFlash 2 800Ws Lighting kit £649.99

Loads of shooting options

All the power you need

power, adjustable in 0.1 increments. Recycle times are brisk at 1.5sec (full power), falling to 0.3sec at 1/32 with a duration of 1/800 to 1/2000sec. The heads weigh in at 2kg and have handles making it easier to position them, and with change from the £1000 budget you can invest in any S-type fitting modifiers, or an extra Lumi 400 head for more power or a wider range of styles. These are priced at £179.99 when bought alone, and you’ll just need to add a £10 Pro AC Receiver onto that if you want to enjoy the full wireless functionality.

setting the power of the flash as well as the modelling lights, and it’s compatible with all current Lencarta models, so you can build the system easily. Recycle times are a nippy 1sec at full power and the heads are fan cooled, offering extended shooting. SmartFlash 2 heads use the common S-type fitting, so there are plenty of options when it comes to modifiers, including Lencarta’s own. Additional heads will set you back £109. With the number of lights in the 800Ws kit you could even split the four between club members, although an additional Wavesync trigger would be required.

Kicking out a serious 1200Ws at a very attractive price, this three-head kit includes (unsurprisingly) three Lumi 400 (400Ws) heads, three lighting stands, two 60x90cm softboxes, a 40in umbrella and a standard 7in spill-kill reflector, along with a rolling case for the lights and another bag for the stands. There’s also a Pro AC wireless trigger and three receivers, with a working distance of up to 50m (in the open), and the system supports 16 channels, also allowing control of flash power remotely. An intelligent slave cell and sync cable can also be used, while the flash can be set between 1/1 and 1/32

Providing a huge range of options in a kit, Lencarta’s SmartFlash 2 800Ws packs no less than four 200Ws heads, meaning you’re well covered for background lighting or shooting larger groups. Each head offers a six-stop power range, and the kit also includes two 60cm softboxes, two spill-kill reflectors, two white reflective umbrellas and four air-cushioned stands. Triggering comes via the included Wavesync Commander and a Receiver for each head, though sync cables are supplied and the heads can also be slaved. The Wavesync system allows full remote control, individually or collectively

π To find out more, go to www.essentialphoto.co.uk.

π To find out more, go to www.lencarta.com.

Bowens Gemini 500R (x2) Tx/RxKit £959

ElinchromBRX 500/500kit £959

High spec flash kit

Tough, powerful lighting

lights or groups without moving. Slave and sync cable options are also on board. Power is controllable through six stops via two dials and a digital display, one for full stops and another in 0.1EV, and recycle time at full power is 1.3secs (1/900sec duration). The modelling lamp can be set to mimic flash power, which is useful when assessing contrast. Gemini 500R heads cost £407 as single units and weigh in at 3.4kg each, with the chunky feel added to by a carry handle and a metal housing. They also use an S-type fit allowing modifiers from many manufacturers to be used.

open flash work. The BRX heads feature an iCell sensor for flash sync via speedlights, and settings can be controlled via an app on your iPhone or iPad, which is basically the future. The heads have a large, fan-cooled and ventilated, impact-resistant build to facilitate better cooling and a rubberised handgrip for carting them around. Power, covering six stops, is controllable in steps of 0.1EV if required and has a duration of just 1/2500sec for sharper results at low power. The BRX 500 heads cost £379 individually and are compatible with Elinchrom’s complete range of modifiers.

If you want a powerful, versatile and durable studio flash kit, the Gemini 500R Tx/Rx kit packs in two 500R flash heads (500Ws), one spill-kill reflector, one 90cm silver/white umbrella, one 60x80cm softbox, two 3.05m lighting stands providing lots of reach and a sturdy rollercase. The softbox offers two layers of diffusion to minimise hotspots and the umbrella’s cover can be unclipped, turning it into a shoot-through type. Also included is a Pulsar Tx trigger and receiver, the latter plugging into the Gemini head and operating across 24 zones and four channels, enabling you to set up and trigger individual

The BRX series sits just below Elinchrom’s top-of-the-line system, and is a fully-featured investment for serious studio or location work. The kit comes with two 500Ws BRX heads, and each has a built-in EL-Skyport receiver for easy triggering, two Portalite 66cm softboxes, two stands, an EL-Skyport transmitter and two bags for storage or transportation. The EL-Skyport system allows eight channels to be used across four groups, so you can build sophisticated lighting arrangements across multiple heads. It syncs up to 1/320sec and also allows for creative effects like strobing in

π To find out more, go to www.bowensdirect.com.

π To find out more, go to www.theflashcentre.com.

Photography News | Issue 15