So, to help me (and others) I compiled a table of similar powered studio lights. The boxes in green are simply the unit that provides the best feature in the bracket. The score, is the number of green boxes for the unit out of the total. The one in red is the one on paper that is seemingly the best, however...
The Lencarta wins hands down on value for money. Also, although it doesn't have auto dump Garry has explained why this is not necessarily a benefit and a simple technique (popping a test flash)provides a quick and effective solution. To note some of the other units have more power, but the modelling lights are weaker. For me starting out with studio I think having similar power modelling lights and flash power is a good thing, also I dont think I will notice a huge difference between the 300w and 400w in the home portrait/nursery environment.
Quick question for Garry - if you read this. Rather than a soft bag, I was considering getting a cheap hard/aluminium case with foam insert suitable to fit 3 heads in etc (obviously not the stands) I wondered if you could suggest a suitable set of dimensions for a case to put them in? Also can you confirm the stands are 1m collapsed? Thanks.
Well, the ElitePro 300's are about 430mm x 210mm total (without reflector but with head cap). I say 'about' because I've just measured one in my studio with a tape measure, it will be pretty close.
The spring damped stands are 93cm long when collapsed for storage and the air damped ones are 104cm.
As for power, the real world difference between 300 and 400Ws is insignificant. Watt-seconds (or joules) is just the amount of energy stored in the capacitors, and it's very possible that a 300Ws head of one make may deliver more power than a 400 Ws head of another make. And anyway, it's all very much dependent on the modifier fittted. For example, the Bowens standard reflector is highly efficient and delivers a lot more power than the Lencarta one - but the Bowens one has a mirror-like surface and so produces a much harder light than the Lencarta one, which has a much softer surface. Now, if you want a Lencarta flash head you can fit a Bowens reflector to it and vice versa and so can get a meaningful comparison - but you can't do that with say Elinchrom, who use a different fitting
There's a review of five different studio heads in the current edition (December dated) of Advanced Photographer magazine - Elinchrom D-Lites, Interfit, Lastolite, Proline and Westcott. In the following month's edition, there's Lencarta, Elinchrom BX-Ri, Profoto, Broncolor and Bowens.
There are direct comparisons of the actual light output, range of power, consistency of output and colour shift, flash durations, modelling lamp brightness and range, amongst other things.
Even if I say so myself the tests are quite revealing.
Many magazine reviews are, frankly, unhelpful to buyers. From my own experience, many of the reviewers know less than many of the readers, and often the 'best' product is the one with the
perceived best value for money (lots of features and low price) with actual performance either not understood or ignored.
But Advanced Photographer seems to be setting a new standard, with thorough tests and detailed info that can only help both readers and the better companies. I say this based on what I've seen in there so far, and because I know who is doing the reviews for them. I don't have any idea how well Lencarta is going to do in these reviews, but I'm confident that the products won't disgrace themselves
What stands out in that comparison is that Lencarta are doing a good price on individual heads. When comparing a kit, they're not really any cheaper than Elemental (not sure about the others). For example, a 2 head Lencarta kit costs £400, a 2 head Elemental kit costs £529, and for that extra £129 you get the better air damped stands (minimum £30 difference), a softbox & umbrella vs 2 umbrellas (say an extra £40 worth), and a radio trigger system (£40 for a Lencarta set), plus an decent case. Depending on whether you want those extra bits, it might mean there's roughly nothing in it price wise.
Like you say, the auto dump probably doesn't matter as you can get used to doing it yourself (as long as you do).
Fair comment. Lencarta's approach is to sell basic kits with no frills, and the main reason for that is that a very large percentage of customers are pro photographers who already have the 'extras' that are often bundled in other kits. Once the new website has replaced the existing one the 'kit' builder' will come back to life (we're looking at the end of Jan here) and people will have the option of jiggling with kit contents when they order, but they will still start off with a basic kit that they can add to if they want to, but they won't be forced to.
When you compare bundled accessories you really need to compare the quality with other brands, which can be difficult. An included bag may drop to bits after a week, an air damped stand that takes so long to reduce in height that you can drink a cuppa while you wait isn't a lot of use, nor is a stand that is so wobbly at high settings that it's downright dangerous - I'm not commenting on other brands, but I do know that the Lencarta stands are very strongly made, they're rigid at any height and that they provide the right amount of damping to do the job without slowing the picture-taking process up too much.
And speaking of stands, the low-priced Lencarta spring damped stands are fine for amateur use, because most amateur photographers are careful people who look after their gear and who will always support the weight of the head when they lower the stand - and anyway, the spring damping is a massive improvement over no damping at all. Pro photographers who employ assistants are more likely to benefit from air damping, because lighting assistants have been known to be... a little less careful
So, is any one of those options a better choice for the OP? Frankly I feel that although I personally would dismiss some of those options, there are some there which, although different to each other, are safe choices.
the tests are quite revealing.
though I think you can have too much of a good thing