For a long time I’ve been hiring my lighting when necessary, but lately I’ve been shooting with lights more and more and I decided it was time for me to take the plunge and pick up a set to call my own. I knew I needed something portable – so battery power was a must – and I also needed a set up which wasn’t going to break the bank.
I’d used the Elinchrom Quadras a number of times before and whilst they are teeny tiny, I’ve never felt comfortable mounting big modifiers to the plastic accessory ring they require. Then there’s the Paul C Buff units from the states, which boast great features but don’t ship to Europe nor have an international warranty. No bueno. And then there’s the Profoto B1 which whilst I’m certain would be fantastic, I didn’t fancy parting with a kidney to get my hands on a set.
After a lot of reading around online and weighing up the pros and cons of a few systems, I opted for the Lencarta Safari 2 1200w kit. A full stop more powerful than the Quadras and with better recycling times, an LED modelling lamp suitable for minor video work, metal construction and the popular S-Fit accessory mount. The spec was impressive.
Hit the jump for more on the Lencarta kit and check out my unboxing video…The reasons behind the decision are quite simple, it’s a kit which gives me a lot of flexibility and power, in a small package which will travel well all for a very reasonable price. Using the ever popular S-Fit mount means that accessories are plentiful and available at a range of prices, meaning if I want to test drive a particular modifier the chances are I can pick up a cheap one to try before I go all out on a more expensive (and durable/portable/sexier) version.
This one is short and sweet as I’ve not had much time to get hands on with the kit just yet, but I’ll be reporting back with my findings in the next few weeks – stay tuned!