Alien Bees ABR800
I recently purchased the Alien Bees ABR800 ringflash. From what I understand, it’s the best value in the market in regard to ringlflashes. Other models go for quite a bit more and are unwieldly. I’m personally a fan of Alien Bees and have had great success with their products, so I was happy to go with them on this piece of gear.
I’ll start off with my gripes. The construction, mainly the base of the unit, doesn’t feel incredibly sturdy. It’s made out of hard plastic which isn’t uncommon, but it’s slightly awkward. There are two mounting options: 1) on a light stand using a standard type of swivel mount, or 2) mounting on a tripod. The unit comes with a thread on the bottom which a quick-release plate can be screwed into. Forward/backward and vertical adjustments are made by slightly twisting a knob which increases/decreases pressure. When I first twisted the vertical control knob, there was a bit of resistance, twisting more cracked it. I tried using epoxy with no luck. Twisting with pliars worked but was unacceptable in the longterm. An email to Alien Bees brought a replacement very quickly, for free. Their service is second to none.
Now for the good stuff. The light is very very nice. With or without the optional moon unit (essentially a softbox), the light is brilliant. It’s taking me a bit to get used to but that’s the case with any new gear. I can’t expand too much on it since I’ve had it for only a week, but I’m looking forward to experimenting outdoors with the ABR800 and Vagabond battery pack. I’m confident this will take my images to a new level, and beyond.
Update
This post apparently appears often in Google searches for the ABR800 battery. If you’re looking for information or a replacement: http://www.alienbees.com/battery.html
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