The cruelty! Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4

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Moab Man

Senior Member
The wife, Moab Lady, has purchased me a full light kit. She even took me to check it out and make sure it would meet my needs. It was all quite a surprise as she has been really good to me providing me with the tools I need. Immediately I was quite excited as I started to think about how I would rearrange my studio where I use to shoot green screen video. Then she hit me with the cruelty... you don't get it until Christmas and you must act surprised.

It's a nice kit and I imagine will make my photography better now just like having a nice stove makes you a great cook. :)

Elinchrom D-Lite RX 4 2-Light To Go Kit EL 20852KIT B&H Photo
 
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BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I'm recognizing the fact that one of these days I'm going to need a good studio strobe. Hope I don't have to wait for next Christmas. ;)
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
sonicbuffalo said:
Tell Moab Lady thanks from us as well, as we'll get to see a lot of your pictures using the new equipment. A great Christmas present!
Click to expand...

Looking forward to it myself. I already own umbrellas paired with flashes. And I had a shoot in Idaho I did with backdrops that were lent to me. It was fun, but limited in the amount of time I had to play. Now that I will have my own I'm excited to play. I know I also have, adding to the cruelty, some new backdrops coming that Moab Lady is picking out. So with all these new tools in my bag, and a really nice camera, I should be able to just click a button and have a spectacular image. :)

Funniest part is the more I learn, the more experience I have, the more I realize how much there is to learn. Fearful my brain is reaching capacity.
 
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Fortkentdad

Senior Member
stumbled on this old post when researching Elinchrom strobes.

after a couple of years how well has this worked out for you? still happy with the lights?

ironically it was while I was looking at some continuous lighting systems that my wife saw the Elincrhom D-lite RX 4x4 (the 2x4 replacement)

From what I've read this unit and system get great reviews. What has your experience been?

PS my wife isn't so cruel as to make me wait to Christmas. (and I'm holding out for a Siggy Artsy 50mm 1.4 under the tree this year).
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
Fortkentdad said:
stumbled on this old post when researching Elinchrom strobes.

after a couple of years how well has this worked out for you? still happy with the lights?

ironically it was while I was looking at some continuous lighting systems that my wife saw the Elincrhom D-lite RX 4x4 (the 2x4 replacement)

From what I've read this unit and system get great reviews. What has your experience been?

PS my wife isn't so cruel as to make me wait to Christmas. (and I'm holding out for a Siggy Artsy 50mm 1.4 under the tree this year).
Click to expand...

I very much love the lights and would buy again. Here are some things that I have learned over the years.

Pros:

The light output is consistent. Which is one of the things that brought me to these lights.
**Lights are more versatile that initially led to believe.
^^Lots of adapters on the market so you're not locked into some pricey components.

Cons:

Accessories I generally have to buy online. Not too many places carrying strobe stuff (at least where I'm at).
Elinchrom stuff can be expensive.
**Elinchrom uses an odd umbrella shaft size.
Transmitter can be a bear to fit on the top of the camera.


**Using an umbrella to kick out the light and disperse it initially looked to be very expensive. Elinchrom uses a slightly smaller non-standard shaft size. I stumbled upon it one day watching a Youtube video where it mentioned that integrated into the base, below the light, is a universal umbrella shaft slot. Low and behold, it was there. No where else did I ever find that info.

^^Elinchrom attachments (softboxes etc.) are pricey. I purchase other brands of attachments and use adapters to make it fit. Big cost savings.


In regards to the constant lights, which I have considered. I have recently been swayed back away from them due to studies on (I forget the scientific name) pupil dilation in photography. The point of it was that wider pupils are viewed as more attractive, intimate, and welcoming - particularly in women. This would not be possible with constant light. If you would like to read a bit on it: https://blogs.scientificamerican.co...look-of-love-in-your-eyes-the-light-the-heat/

The bottom line, yes, I would buy them again and I hope this helps.
 
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Fortkentdad

Senior Member
Thanks for the update and personal review. Is very helpful.

I'm not completely convinced I will not get these, but didn't get them today.

I did go down to "The Camera Store" in downtown Calgary. (Yes that is their store name) This is an independent store with great staff. I've come to trust their advice. The fella helping me steered me back to mastering the strobes I have (my speedlight collection, SB600, 700, and Metz equivalent of the 900). Learn to use three lights. Experiment with lights on manual instead of TTL as most strobes don't (and all the affordable ones) do not come with TTL - at least not yet). I did leave the store with a speedlight softbox (a strip box) and a diffuser umbrella, and a better stand as the umbrella is a little large. When I get home I'll put them up and post pic's in "my latest purchase" thread.

His suggestion that I become more proficient with speedlights made sense to me. The softbox and covered umbrella I did get were not that pricey $75 CDN each which is less than $50 US$ today - thanks to that latest yankee invastion to Canada - 'Black Friday". And then we do it all over again with deep discounts on Boxing Day (Dec 26) a Canadian tradition.

One thing he said I'd like your thoughts on, he told me that speedlights can be combined with strobes - if you know what you are doing. If not the strobes will probably overpower the speedlights. But more to the point there are going to be locations where you would not take your strobes for a variety of reasons so mastering you flash units is a good investment in you skill set.  And by master them he was suggesting shooting in manual and learning to use a light meter. He did say that the speedlights can be used as triggers as most strobes (including the Elinchrom) can be triggered optically by another flash.

How skilled in lighting do you think a body needs to be to manage these strobes well?

He also was as un-enthusiastic about LED and other continuous lighting as the salesman suggesting I should get the Elinchrom. He did have one very nice circular led lamp - lovely soft light - it was $2,300 on a Black Fri. special. And needed a heavy duty $250 stand. But as he demonstrated the light does fall of sharply after only a few feet. Great for portraits of one, maybe two side by each, He just felt that the LED's while coming a long way, were not there yet. There was no mention of pupil size. Interesting article.

So my take away from that visit to "the camera store" - invest in my skills before equipment. Learn a lot more about lighting. experiment with my speedlights. learn more about shaping light. I have only every used a simple shoot through umbrella and an of flash small portable diffuser.

IF I were to get strobes then I think this set would be the set I would choose. But for the moment I think I'll wait.

And my dearly beloved can get me that Siggy Artsy Niffty Fifty 1.4 for under the tree.
 
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