Buff Einstein 640
Contents
Product homepage: http://paulcbuff.com/e640.php
Rob Galbraith has a more serious review for sports usage. This page is mostly just me rambling.
I use it with the Cyber Commander remote and Vagabond battery pack, it's a great setup.
Why?
- High output
- Portable
- Smart wireless control system
- Fun
Specs
640 Ws (wattseconds) output
Comparison to hotshoe strobe guide numbers is basically impossible, the internet suggests ~160 Ws for top-end speedlights
Weighs just on 2kg
About the size of a tissue box
General thoughts
It's a pleasure to use, and just works. Braindead-easy to use.
Obviously less conducive to rapid changes on position/composition than a hotshoe.
Takes the umbrellas you know and love. Built-in attachment mounting ring means heaps of options for light modifiers.
Plenty of power, this was shot with 1/250sec, f/16, ISO 100, and the light probably at 320-450 Ws:
Rest of the day's photos here.
Easy to move and adjust on location. Battery unit is convenient for weighing down the base of the lightstand a little, but not enough on its own unless there's no wind.
Portability
I have a Lowepro Fastpack 200, which is medium-sized - not huge, but big enough to carry a useful amount of gear. »What a normal loadout looks like
- D700 w/ 80-200 in the bottom main compartment
- SB-600 in the bottom compartment, in a divided section
- 50mm/1.4 stashed in another small divided section
- 16-35mm/4 in the top section
- Some free space in the top section for a jumper/shirt, laptop, and another lens/speedlight or two
You can fit an E640 in the top section with plenty of room on the sides:
It's about the same size as an 80-200mm f/2.8:
Annoyances
- Wireless receiver sticks out a long way, can't be stowed with it installed
- The Buff carry bag doesn't solve this, but has a little pouch in the lid for keeping the receiver
It's about the size of a AA battery
Why an Einstein vs. an Alienbee?
Compared to the B1600, which is also rated at 640 Ws.
- Universal voltage
- Cheaper wireless receiver modules
- Wireless controller is more expensive, but far more capable
Heavily integrated 2nd-gen remote control, the Alienbee 1st-gen cybersync stuff is kinda janky (perfectly functional, just not as nice)
- Better output-level control, another 3 stops of latitude
- Only ~350g heavier
- Brighter modelling lamp (250W vs. 150W)
Modelling lamp can track flash output with offset
- Slightly faster cycle time
- Flash duration proportional to power, like hotshoe strobes
Comparison to a speedlight system
Attribute |
Einstein 640 |
Speedlight SB-800 |
Notes |
Weight |
2kg |
500g |
They're probably fairly close in terms of output-per-gram |
Portability |
Much larger |
Compact even with attached foot |
- |
Light output |
Absurdly high |
Rather high |
Numerical comparison would require some apples-to-apples testing |
Burst capability |
Good |
A few flashes, depending on power |
Not specced. Try opto-slaving the E640 to a speedlight's modelling light for a laugh |
Cycle time |
1.7sec to full output |
2.7sec to full output |
2.3sec quoted for newer speedlights |
Output control |
1/10th f-stop |
1/3rd f-stop |
- |
Continuous shooting |
Basically non-stop |
Subject to overheating |
Speedlight behaviour varies between models. Buff gear only defines a maximum continuous usage for the Zeus lineup |
Modelling lamp |
250W bulb |
None |
Usefulness heavily dependent on your style, E640 cannot use lamp with battery |
What about cost? Assumptions:
- A pair of lights
- Don't bother buying the reflectors or grid, since we assume you already have some from your work with hotshoe strobes
- You've already got some lightstands too
For the lights:
- Two E640s will cost you about $1450 delivered
- Two SB-900s will cost you about $1050 from DD Photographics
- Two secondhand SB-800s might be found at Foto Riesel for $400
- And your Yongnuos and Nissins... I dunno how much they cost
Triggering:
- Opto-slave might be good enough for you
- If you're happy with RF poppers, the same gear will work for both studio and hotshoe strobes, with slightly different plugs on the receivers
- If you want remote power-control, $375 should get you a cyber commander and a pair of receiver modules
- Those are my old calculations which suggested $50 per receiver. Not sure why the receivers are apparently $70 now :/
- Another power-controlling option is the Pocket Wizard gear, but finding anywhere that even knows that the PowerMC2 receivers exist is challenging.
- $396 for 2x receivers from the local Buff retailer
- $275 for a MiniTT1 transmitter and AC3 Zonecontroller from Digital Rev
- That's about $670 of gear. On the upside, the transmitter and controller can also be used for hotshoe strobes (if you buy the TT5 receivers instead of the MC2 units)
Power:
- Hotshoe strobes bring their own. Cheap enough to be "free" for the sake of argument, or at least to be amortised over lifetime
- $400 for a Vagabond Mini Lithium pack, assume you've got extension cords lying around already