Lencarta or Bowens or 'X'

[Rudesing]

Despite the builders not appearing still , I am going to spend my pocket money and buy my studio lights.

I am planning to get two lights for my Hilite (6by7) and one main light with a HUGE octobox thingy. Which will be a huge improvement to my £250 Portaflash set with matchbox sized softbox (ok slight exaggeration, the softbox might be the size of a shoebox ).

Anyway, I have narrowed it down to the following (when I say 'I' I mean Mr Rudesing who is in charge of all things technical). I don't want to upgrade again, so what I buy is what I'm stuck with.

Bowens Gemini 500/500/500 £1450
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-bowens-gemini-500-500-500r-three-head-kit/p1030421

Lencarta 600/300/300 £850
http://www.lencarta.com/elitepro-mains-flash/fep600kt-elitepro-professional-portrait-kit/index.php

On top of this I'd need to get a massive softbox.

I'm interested to know if people think the Bowens set is over-the-top for a part time child-aimed studio or if it's a worthwhile investment.

Money is a strange one, the more I spend the more photography I have to do to pay Mr Rudesing back.

I am happy to hear other opinions or suggestions as well as any thoughts on the above.

 

[awp]

nothing wrong with the Lencarta kit - and great support if you need it.

 

[jayeshpp]

I would go for the Lencarta kit.

You'll be saving a lot of money, plus you can spend some that money on buying a large softbox. Lencarta have a 150cm Octabox which is pretty huge! And If they don't have the accessories/light shaping tools you need then you can always buy Bowens as they have the same fit.

I have 3 x 300W Elite Pro's and they are provide more than enough power.

 

[EdBray]

If I had £1500 available to spend on lighting I would go for a Bowens 400 Travelpak Kit and a Lencarta Elite Pro 600 and a large octa softbox.

With an additional stand this would give you a very versatile outfit as the travelpak kit can be used either with mains or with the supplied battery.

 

[Daryl]

Bowens are the work horse. If only part time work they will never fail you. We use Bowens and Elinchrome because we use heavy and abuse our lights. One flash tube replaced in 11 years. Lencarta look good and we will be looking at them this year for our togs kit. will have to see if they can take the pace of 500+ portrait flashes everyday none stop.

Bowens then Lencarta.

 

[HarryL]

I heard both Lencarta and Bowens use German made PerkinElmer flash tubes. Personally no compliant whatsoever about my Lencarta kit, but I'm yet to flash 500+ times a day though...

 

[Garry Edwards]

500 flashes per day isn't going to stretch the Lencarta kit - it's priced for amateur use but built for pro use.

The main reason for the price difference is nothing more than the fact that Lencarta sells direct, Bowens sells via retailers.

I question though whether you'll need more than 300 Ws per head - tests in my own studio produced f/7.1 with the 300 head fitted with the 150cm softbox at a distance of 10', 100 ISO - and as a more realistic distance would be 5' not 10' that would give you an aperture of f/13

 

[itsdavedotnet]

Check out elemental too, http://www.studio-flash.com/index.php website looks a tad strange but their heads are good, good support too, though maybe not quite as good as Garry posting on here

 

[Rudesing]

nothing wrong with the Lencarta kit - and great support if you need it.

Thanks for that!

I would go for the Lencarta kit.

You'll be saving a lot of money, plus you can spend some that money on buying a large softbox. Lencarta have a 150cm Octabox which is pretty huge! And If they don't have the accessories/light shaping tools you need then you can always buy Bowens as they have the same fit.

I have 3 x 300W Elite Pro's and they are provide more than enough power.

That's interesting, thanks! the octobox sounds perfect

If I had £1500 available to spend on lighting I would go for a Bowens 400 Travelpak Kit and a Lencarta Elite Pro 600 and a large octa softbox.

With an additional stand this would give you a very versatile outfit as the travelpak kit can be used either with mains or with the supplied battery.

Option 3 sorted, excellent idea! Now I just need to make a decision

Bowens are the work horse. If only part time work they will never fail you. We use Bowens and Elinchrome because we use heavy and abuse our lights. One flash tube replaced in 11 years. Lencarta look good and we will be looking at them this year for our togs kit. will have to see if they can take the pace of 500+ portrait flashes everyday none stop.

Bowens then Lencarta.

Thanks for that! Good to know Bowens live up to their name

 

[Rudesing]

I heard both Lencarta and Bowens use German made PerkinElmer flash tubes. Personally no compliant whatsoever about my Lencarta kit, but I'm yet to flash 500+ times a day though...

Thanks for that, I've heard good things about Lencarta too

500 flashes per day isn't going to stretch the Lencarta kit - it's priced for amateur use but built for pro use.

The main reason for the price difference is nothing more than the fact that Lencarta sells direct, Bowens sells via retailers.

I question though whether you'll need more than 300 Ws per head - tests in my own studio produced f/7.1 with the 300 head fitted with the 150cm softbox at a distance of 10', 100 ISO - and as a more realistic distance would be 5' not 10' that would give you an aperture of f/13

Thanks for that Garry. I suppose I'd only go for more than 300 Ws so I wouldn't have the urge to upgrade in a couple of year when part time becomes full time and I'm on location.

Check out elemental too, http://www.studio-flash.com/index.php website looks a tad strange but their heads are good, good support too, though maybe not quite as good as Garry posting on here

Thanks! Will check it out.

I love TP, thanks for all the help

 

[HoppyUK]

I also think you would be fine with less power, and save some money.

Bowens and Lencarta for sure, and I use Elinchrom D-Lites as do others on here. Elinchrom accessories are expensive, but good. Check out the video on this link which shows the easy versatility of their Rotalux softboxes, due to the design http://www.theflashcentre.com/rotalux-softboxes-c117.html

If you need to put stuff up and down for each shoot, some softboxes are a right pain - including the big Lencarta 150 I think, which doesn't use their quick system.

 

[EOS_JD]

Elinchrom 500BxRi lights and a 135cm Octa (I use the 400BX and 135c Octa. Superb! The octa is a breeze to set up and take down (works like a brolly)!

 

[itsdavedotnet]

Grrr I was all decided on a decent setup of elemental heads... and then you've just go to go and link something that makes a bowens setup just about affordable! And has travel pak connections.. I think I know deep down that they're the _real_ choice over elemental, seeing as I'm in this for the long run... will have to count the pennies.

you may have just cost / saved me lots of money, depending on how we look at it

calumet student card gets me 10% off bowens too, and decent spec kits come with 10% of their value in free bowens accessories too... ^_^

 

[Rudesing]

Elinchrom 500BxRi lights and a 135cm Octa (I use the 400BX and 135c Octa. Superb! The octa is a breeze to set up and take down (works like a brolly)!

Thanks for that! Good to know the octa is easy to set up, I get confused easily

you may have just cost / saved me lots of money, depending on how we look at it

calumet student card gets me 10% off bowens too, and decent spec kits come with 10% of their value in free bowens accessories too... ^_^

Oops, sorry! Hope it works out

 

[Treesie]

I have Bowens 500/500 and the very recent addition on a Lencarta smartflash. Have to say I'm very happy with the trio.

 

[Rudesing]

I also think you would be fine with less power, and save some money.

Bowens and Lencarta for sure, and I use Elinchrom D-Lites as do others on here. Elinchrom accessories are expensive, but good. Check out the video on this link which shows the easy versatility of their Rotalux softboxes, due to the design http://www.theflashcentre.com/rotalux-softboxes-c117.html

If you need to put stuff up and down for each shoot, some softboxes are a right pain - including the big Lencarta 150 I think, which doesn't use their quick system.

Sorry, I thought I had replied to this. I'll take a look at the video tonight. I think the softbox will stay up most of the time, but a simple option sounds like a better plan!

I have Bowens 500/500 and the very recent addition on a Lencarta smartflash. Have to say I'm very happy with the trio.

Thanks for that!