Elemental Genesis Flash

[Hodders]

I am looking to replace the speedlites I have with some proper lights. The recycle time is irritating and number of rechargeable batteries I end up with is silly. I also like the idea of being able to use a fuller range of proper modifiers and the bowens-s fit would make these easy to come by.

I am looking at spending about £600 and something like this elemental kit seems spot on.

A quick question, do the Genesis 250Ws heads have fan cooling ?

I know that Garry Edwards is involved with Lencarta is there a similar kit that lencarta do that would be comparable ?

 

[Garry Edwards]

There are various Lencarta kits that are roughly similar in price. Only you can decide which is better for you, I'm obviously not going to make comparisons between the quality of Lencarta flash equipment and products sold by others. This 3 head SmarFlash Kit is probably the closest match, add a background support system and a background and you'll be at a very similar price.

One thing you might want to compare is the recycling time, you say that the slow recycling of your speedlights is irritating and I can understand that - the SmartFlash allows 5 shots per second to be taken at minimum power, 1 shot per second at full power...
There is now a video on the Smartflash on Youtube and another one comparing the SmartFlash with the more highly specified ElitePro

 

[Hodders]

Cheers Garry,

It would seem (please feel free to correct me) that the Genesis 2 would sit in between the SmartFlash and the ElitePro in terms of price and power.

Quick question, do both models have fan cooling as I have been told that this is important in protecting the modelling lamp life span if fitted to modifiers like a soft box of grid where heat can build up.

Thanks for your quick response to my 1st post.

 

[Garry Edwards]

In terms of stored power, yes, but I have no idea how much actual power it produces because I haven't tested it for myself.

But power isn't that much of an issue anyway, the difference between the SmartFlash and the ElitePro 300 is only a half stop, and the difference between either of those and something that is theortically in the middle is neither here nor there - there are much more important things to think about.

All of the Lencarta mains powered flash heads have fan cooling. Tests with the lights running for 72 hours with the modelling lamps on proved that the fans do exactly what they say on the tin.

Personal view here - I don't think that fans on mains powered flash are a 'nice to have', they are a 'must have'. There is another manufacturer who introduced a range of budget lights without a fan, after a number of problems they had to upgrade the model by introducing a fan.