Rime Lite XB Prime - 'Cyber Commander' type flash system

Selbosh

Selbosh

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RimeLite, the Korean lighting manufacturer, have come out with a new line of lights, the XB Prime series, with a clever new control system a bit like Cyber-Commander-meets-EL-Skyport. Basically you can control absolutely everything from the remote, or your computer, and it will also do all sorts of nifty exposure calculations. The lights themselves have a Bowens S bayonet.

Full details:
http://www.rimelite.com/en/products/2526

rimelite-bxprime.jpg


Also branded as Fomei Digital PRO X (Czech/Europe) and Mikrosat Digital R (Hungary).

In the UK
Photomart are the UK's Fomei distributor, and they do the previous Digital Pro series, but it remains to be seen whether they will be stocking the Digital Pro X. In addition some of the other European Fomei distributors may ship to the UK.

Viewfinder Photography are the official UK distributor for the Rime Lite XB Prime. It's not on their web site yet, but you can request a PDF of their 2010 catalogue and it's in there. They have the monolight versions of the XB 500 (£459 inc. VAT), the XB 700 (£499) and all the wireless gizmos to go with them.

NB: This is not an advertisement and I have no affiliation. Just thought people might find this interesting.
 
I think when we know if all these systems work - it will be great for us as consumers
 
As far as the quality of the lights themselves goes, here's a review, by one of Photomart's specialists, of the Digital Pro (Rime Lite Prime) series, on which the Digital Pro X (Rime Lite XB Prime) is based:
http://www.photomartpro.co.uk/photoweek/2008/11/fomei-launches-in-uk.html
But what really impressed me was the “Digitally Super Stabilised” output flash that provides output of such good consistency that the “FotoRobot” company uses the Fomei Digital Pro series for their photographic sequencing system that requires between 30- 50 flashes/second.
Click to expand...
Of course the wireless system remains to be seen.
 
elemental also do a system with similar (though not computer based, and the remote control looks simpler) remote control, their 'visico' system, in 500ws and 800ws heads.

all in one triggering and control setup etc on this looks VERY neat though, the whole system looks fantastic really...
 
Hi,

Be careful with Rime Lite, because I just went through a view months of successive bad experiences with no end in sight! But maybe there is somebody with a good idea for me, to help me:

1.) I miss one receiver for my strobes XB prime strobes, in order to be able to use the remote control. More than 3 months I tried to get hold of one through their distributor, Erlich Labs in Tel Aviv (Israel), but they don't even answer me anymore! They tell me that Hyundae Photonics (Korea), the manufacturer, will send next week, next month, or that they can't deliver.

Maybe you know a place where I can get this exact piece. I can't afford to buy an other system. Also, for my work, and in my setup, I can not climb up to the strobes to change the settings, and than put them back into the same position... I need a remote control. That's why I bought their strobes, which did sound wonderful on the paper. The distributor Erlich Labs also appeared quite serious.

2.) The remote control does not work as it should! All products, so far, come without user manuals. I got one though by email upon request. Even if you are able to understand their English - judge for yourself and go try to read their Website -, you will not find in their user manual any information which you could not have already figured out by yourself.

What's the problem? RimeLite Hyundae confirmed me by email, that there is no memory function for the Scan button! Which means that after each automatic power off (after a 1 minute delay), I have to first power up (slow), perform a scan (~4 seconds), dial in the strobe (another two buttons to press), push the "XB" button, and only after all this procedure, can I change the settings on the strobe! This not practical at all, to say the least.

3.) One of the pieces I ordered, the radio trigger (transmitter sitting in the hot shoe) , did arrive after three months, and only after I had to call the distributor, Erlich Labs, over and over again. Upon really insisting they could suddenly find one piece! Well, anyway it turned out to be not compatible with such an exotic camera as the Canon 5d mark II! And Rime Lite Hyundae knows that (got a confirmation by email)! The transmitter for the flashes does not sync up to more than a 100/s! And they still keep on selling them without saying a word! The piece is absolutely useless to me! Nonetheless the distributor in Israel, Erlich Labs, wants to see the piece to check if it's not my camera that's messing up. Well, you got the style.

So meanwhile I had even to buy radio triggers from an other company.

4.) I'll stop here for the moment.

I spent a lot of money and time on this, and I regret.

Now, if you know how I can get the one missing receiver, which plugs into the XP Prime strobes, please help me. Better even, if you know anybody that wants to buy all of my XP prime studio strobe equipment for good money, I would immediately buy something else.
 
nino said:
Hi,

Be careful with Rime Lite, because I just went through a view months of successive bad experiences with no end in sight! But maybe there is somebody with a good idea for me, to help me:

Etc...
Click to expand...

I think that most people reading this forum know that I have access to A LOT of lighting equipment that other people don't have access too, and that I try to be fair in the things that I say about various products that I know about, have tried, tested and formed objective opinions about.

My take on this make is that they are in fact excellent, despite the experiences outlined above.

But they do have a big problem, lack of customer support in this country, or indeed within Europe - so much so that a former stockist and advocate of these lights has now had to give up on them, or so I'm (unofficially) told.

A pity. Why oh why do so many of these firms not realise that customer support is by far the most important thing to customers?
 
Garry,
I do understand your feelings. I tried also to argue with them, the distributor, asking "Why are you doing this?". I mean to say that they, from the beginning, treat you like an enemy. Even if I am "only" a costumer, you could at least talk to me, explain... not just do the plain story telling, which will evidently turn out not to be the truth. And they know that the costumer will know that they just told him anything but the truth. And even about the costumer knowing all this, they simply don't care, and they show it. But they took the money from me, for a product that could really be good. Actually I like them, the strobes. For the money, they are good value, but you'd better don't have to ever need anything from them, from their support, their costumer service or any spare part, because even to change the bulb you have to come to them! You wont even get a manual in English.
So, in the end I bought into the XB series, because of all the wireless possibilities at an affordable price. But now what I am left with, is simple good strobes, with NO extras what so ever, at least that I could use. I just paid. That was the end of our relation.
That's really sad, I agree with you, the poor company and the poor distributor and the sad little product!
 
Garry Edwards said:
My take on this make is that they are in fact excellent, despite the experiences outlined above.

But they do have a big problem, lack of customer support in this country, or indeed within Europe - so much so that a former stockist and advocate of these lights has now had to give up on them, or so I'm (unofficially) told.
Click to expand...

Which stockist is that?
 
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