professional lighting for wide open aperture

[Miria]

HELPPPPP!!! i own 3 elinchrome delite rx 4 lights and looking to trade it in for einstein paul buff is this a fear trade i can not find anyone who used elinchrome for newborns??

[Manfred M]

First of all, the Elinchromes are better lights than the Buff lights. Why would you not stick with them?

It doesn't matter that you can't find anyone who uses Elinchrome lights for baby photos. At that level, the brand does not batter and as you already own them, what more do you need?

Buff Alien Bees are entry level lights and while the Einstein 640 lights are much better, but not nearly as robust as the Elinchrome line.

P.S. I've owned four Paul C Buff Einstein 640 lights for about 8 years and do use them regularly. Okay for indoor use, but they are a pain to use outdoors in anything other that a very still day. The issue is the Balcar mount that they use - not ideal for large soft boxes.

[William W]

HELPPPPP!!! i own 3 elinchrome delite rx 4 lights and looking to trade it in for einstein paul buff is this a fear trade i can not find anyone who used elinchrome for newborns??

I think you need to explain in more detail what questions you want answered; what it is exactly you what to achieve with your photography; and provide a bit more information about your gear, your skills and experience.

In our Studio and sometimes also on location, I used Elinchrom Studio Flash Heads (for about 25 years), for New Born Portraits.

For New Born Portraiture, I did not necessarily always use the Aperture, wide open: the Aperture choice varied depending upon the DoF required, but the choice of Aperture did NOT influence the choice of Flash Lighting.

For 'newly born' or 'at the birth' Portraiture I used Available Light.

WW

[rpcrowe]

I seldom shoot wide open in controlled conditions... I usually save my wide open shooting for outdoor portraiture in which I need to blur the background since I have limited control over the BG except for the angle or place of shooting...

[inkista]

Um. Are you in the USA? Because if not, Buff lights generally aren't going to be worth it.

[Manfred M]

Um. Are you in the USA? Because if not, Buff lights generally aren't going to be worth it.

Outside of North America, not just the USA, Kathy. I know that the majority of the people at one of the photo clubs I belong to use Buff lights (mostly Alien Bees). Outside of North America, the lights are not worth the effort, especially with some of the Chinese manufacturers producing some reasonably priced alternatives. I know a few photographers in India that use Godox in their studios.

[rpcrowe]

There is one advantage to the Paul C, Buff line of lights (I don't know how other brands stack up against them) That is the continuing support that the company provides for their products...

Case in point, I have a pair of the original Paul C. Buff White Lightning, "coffee-can", strobes wihich have not been produced for many-many years and were first introduced in 1882. About two years ago.I broke the flash tube on a WL-5000 strobe. Replacement was readily available from he company..