Canon Speedlites vs Elinchrom Quadra Ranger

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I'm thinking about a BIG upgrade in lighting, like many people here I love my Speedlites, but I'm needing to light bigger subjects like rooms, and vehicles, and I need more power, but more softly controlled.

I currently use 3 strobes, 2 Canon Speedlites, and 1 Metz CT45, all controlled by Elinchrom's Skyport system. I have a Ezybox Softbox which is brilliant, but comes up against a lack of power in sunlight, or when I've got to light a whole room, or a fireplace shot etc.

Q: Just how much more powerful does anyone think Elinchrom's cool Quadra Ranger has over my set up? I don't know how to judge how much 'light/power' my three strobes actually have. I know the Metz is the meatiest!

Q: I've read you can put big Octabox softboxes on the Quadra Ranger too, so I could use it in studio too for products - softbox both lights in the kit, but are they powerful enough?? At least because they're daylight balanced they would work with the strobes I've got, so I could fire off the Ranger AND my 3...:lol:
 
Elinchrom Quadras are well cool :) But I think the batteries don't have huge capacity and aren't they limited to 400ws? Not sure on that, but 400ws is about the minimum you need to make an impression in sunlight. From what you're shooting maybe you don't need hundreds of flashes in one session and they come with a spare battery pack don't they?

I think Garry posted an estimate of about 60ws for a big hotshoe gun, and testing my own Canon 580EX against an Elinchrom D-Lite 2 with 200ws (firing into the same softbox) I would say that's about right as it was approx two stops down. 400ws would be a further stop up, and 800ws another stop again. Now you're rockin!

If you're shooting static subjects, is multiple flash an option? Heck of a lot cheaper for the odd occasion. I used to use that trick a lot in my quest for f/64, but you need very low ambient light and be nippy with the lens cap between flashes. Unless your camera has multiple exposure facility.

If it was me, and it was affordable, I'd try and make it work with the Quadras, but mainly because they are cool and cute :D There are lots of battery-generator options about these days. Lencarta Safari seems to get a lot of good mentions.

Not sure which Canon flashes you've got, but the 550EX, 430EX and 580EX don't take well to an optical slave in a multiflash set up (you have to modify the slave slightly) but your radio jobbies should be fine.
 
Nice reply HoppyUK - thanks. My local dealer (Focal Point, Exeter) has got a Quadra Ranger set-up (the diddy one!) that they're hiring out for 6 months and very good rates, and I'm going to hire this and his more powerful Quadra RX standard set-ups to compare, so I'll do some testing too.
 
blinkerz said:
the price seems to close to the Ranger RX which is 1100 ws... and much more useful for location work.. 400 ws wont go far with modifiers as they will eat up too much fstops..
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Yea - that's my big worry. Loads of portability and funky led modelling lamps, but actually, is it enough power for photographing Strobist style, or in a studio?
 
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