Lencarta

purenvdesign

purenvdesign

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Joe
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Hey Guys

I am looking to get the Lencarta ElitePro Professional Portrait Kit. Is this a good choice? Or is it worth waiting a little longer to save for extra money for a Bowens 500r/500r/500r kit?

Thanks

Joe

PS
 
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Why has this got a thumbs down?.... Anyway... There is another thread with opinions in it currently active and have to say I am in the lencarta garage and have the Safari which suits me best. I like to do my shooting out and about ...
 
Garry Edwards will be along to advise on all things Lencarta (y)
 
Hahah Brilliant :D And dont worry, I have changed the icon. I dont know why I clicked that one.

I am getting to feel that Lencarta is the way forward. Apparently good support, good quality, good everything :D
 
Lencarta, recently described by some fella called Zack Arias at a recent workshop I attended,as the "Alien Bee's of the UK, but better"

I like them, use them and would recommend them. Solid build, great performance and realistically priced too.

Garry's around somewhere (he is Lencarta's UK support) and although a little old school (no bad thing) he's incredibly helpful.
 
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I have a set of ElitePro lights. They are very nice quality, they have fans so keep cool. They feel like they should cost twice as much to be honest. The light from them is consistent and even from shot to shot and light to light. I don't have any criticism of them.

(y)
 
I will be buying from them just on the basis of the feedback on this forum!
 
JasonRS said:
Lencarta, recently described by some fella called Zack Arias at a recent workshop I attended,as the "Alien Bee's of the UK, but better"

I like them, use them and would recommend them. Solid build, great performance and realistically priced too.

Garry's around somewhere (he is Lencarta's UK support) and although a little old school (no bad thing) he's incredibly helpful.
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Thats pretty awesome :) now thats a good quote :).

& yes Garry is the best person to ask he has endless amounts of knowledge and will help you with the stupidest of questions :) (i know i've asked them :p) or the most complicated ones.

I've not had any problems with any of my lencarta bits that hasn't been user error lol.
 
Hmmmmm.....Lencarta.....

Watch some Elite Pros taking the strain. http://peoplebyryan.com/fashion/behind-the-scenes-location-fashion

Oh and a Safari being used pretty hard. http://peoplebyryan.com/for-photographers/behind-the-scenes-at-a-bridal-fashion-shoot

What the other people said - Elite Pro are very consistent output and good value. Excellent support (Um, Garry - got that bit for me.....?). IMO better than the pricier Bowens.

I'm not finding the Safari battery lasts as long as I'd like but Garry's investigating. Plus I tend to be hard on kit. Octabox has taken a beating and is now staring to be slightly less octagonal....
 
another vote for Lencarta here (y)
 
My safari battery doesn't last as long as advertised either but even though I bought it second hand Garry is having a look at it on Sunday when I go to the next lencarta training day.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Hmmmmm.....Lencarta.....

Watch some Elite Pros taking the strain. http://peoplebyryan.com/fashion/behind-the-scenes-location-fashion

Oh and a Safari being used pretty hard. http://peoplebyryan.com/for-photographers/behind-the-scenes-at-a-bridal-fashion-shoot

What the other people said - Elite Pro are very consistent output and good value. Excellent support (Um, Garry - got that bit for me.....?). IMO better than the pricier Bowens.

I'm not finding the Safari battery lasts as long as I'd like but Garry's investigating. Plus I tend to be hard on kit. Octabox has taken a beating and is now staring to be slightly less octagonal....
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The bit was posted to you yesterday Jonathan, new model, so I had to hang on for a couple of day waiting for it to arrive. And there's a very clever gentleman with a beard and big glasses (AKA electronics nerd):) working on a solution for your problem as we speak. Plus the boss, who has been at our new factory for a long time now, is on his way back and I'll be nagging him stupid until any problems are completely solved.
It's good to hear that I'm not the only guy who thinks that treating gear gently means throwing it underarm - but I bet I'm the only one who tests the build quality with a shotgun...
 
Have had my Lencarta gear nearly 2 years now (I think). Doesn't get as much use as I'd like, but it's great quality. In fact my brother-in-law has pinched the whole kit and I'm having a problem getting it back !!

I don't think you can get better value for money with this kit.

Oh, and that Garry blokes a nice chap as well :D

Steve
 
I don't think you can get much of a better endorsement. Whenever lencarta kit is mentioned on TP it turns into a big studio kit love in. I don't think I have seen a bad word said about it. What I like is the fact that you can pick any kit from their range (all of which save you money) then swap things round to get the ideal kit for you. It's a real shame that their site doesn't do it but basically you can swap like for like things so if you want the mains triggers you just swap (they are the same price), you can swap a brolly for a soft box or two normal soft boxes for foldable versions. This is quite refreshing really and let's you taylor a kit for yourself. You just pay the difference. It is so flexible I was able to turn one if their basic kits into a "fill in the gaps" kit for me getting a smartflash kit and swapping the smart flash for a ring light and getting a fold up softbox, brolly and battery trigger etc

My studio looks like a Lencarta show room with a smartflash light on the hilite, elitepros, safari lights and a ring light :)
 
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Yeah I agree with Daren above, I was given the recommendation and checked them out and spoke to Garry at Focus on Imaging. Left me feeling I had found what I was looking for without the hard sell. It was great to chat to him and get the info. I was originally looking at the Smartflash, but decided to wait as I don't really have anywhere to use mains lights..

I then got the chance to try the Safari on a location shoot and I was in love... I am now a very proud and happy owner of the Safari with two heads etc.. I have since added a fising tackle trolley to it to get around..

A little video I did on it's arrival.. I realise my opening splash is too long and should have edited the music to make everything shorter..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r8Jlpv3bh4
 
purenvdesign said:
So roughly how long does the battery packs last ?
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They quote 1150 shots. I'm not sure what I get from mine but it is probably half that or less. My battery was not bought new so not sure how well it was looked after or it's age. Garry is going to try and rejuvenate it on Sunday but I might buy a second one to go with it anyway.
 
cowasaki said:
My studio looks like a Lencarta show room with a smartflash light on the hilite, elitepros, safari lights and a ring light :)
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Same i have smartflash's and the safari and everything else is lencarta branded :) stand softboxes, reflecters & just order a new background light stand :).


In regards to no. of flashes, first time i had charged my ringflash (2weeks ago) i got roughley 700flashes before it went flat, have fully charged it and done some test shots prob couple hundred int he last week and will charge it again thursday ready for fridays shoot so will let you know if after the 2/3rd full charge it does more, oh & have owned it from new.
 
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kiteninja said:
Same i have smartflash's and the safari and everything else is lencarta branded :) stand softboxes, reflecters & just order a new background light stand :).
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I have a different brand of backdrop stand, product table, backdrops & Hilite but yes mainly Lencarta. I did see a setup I would like by Elincrom which allowed remote setting of lights on/off, power settings etc etc which was nice but treble the cost :)

The thing I would like to see more than anything else is a mains power box for the Safari lights!
 
I'd save for bowens gear over the lencarta

purenvdesign said:
Hey Guys

I am looking to get the Lencarta ElitePro Professional Portrait Kit. Is this a good choice? Or is it worth waiting a little longer to save for extra money for a Bowens 500r/500r/500r kit?

Thanks

Joe

PS
Click to expand...
 
POAH said:
I'd save for bowens gear over the lencarta
Click to expand...

What advantage would it give you?

Build quality ?
Power ?
Compatibilty ?
Reliability ?
Colour temp ?
Speed of recharge ?
Portability ?

Any of these ?
 
Check out the elemental trinity series lights too, they've got really great specs, durable metal bodies and reviews are coming in very favourably. No connection to me.

All good kit though.
 
The battery should produce 1150 flashes, once it's been run flat and recharged a few times (only between 200-300 from the first charge usually)

On test, I set my camera to fire every 5 seconds until the battery was dead, and this produced 1187 flashes. Since then, the overheat protection in the generator has been 'improved' and sometimes now cuts out long before the battery is exhausted, when used on full power and with repeated, fast firing. Although this is good from a safety viewpoint it can cause problems for people who work it hard, and we've got a techo type working on a solution.
 
Garry Edwards said:
The battery should produce 1150 flashes, once it's been run flat and recharged a few times (only between 200-300 from the first charge usually)

On test, I set my camera to fire every 5 seconds until the battery was dead, and this produced 1187 flashes. Since then, the overheat protection in the generator has been 'improved' and sometimes now cuts out long before the battery is exhausted, when used on full power and with repeated, fast firing. Although this is good from a safety viewpoint it can cause problems for people who work it hard, and we've got a techo type working on a solution.
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Would this fix be retro fixable?
 
So does only having 2 lights with the safari come as a disadvantage?

Also can the safari kit also run off mains ?
 
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used both prefer the bowens (gemini pro series) kit for ease of use, build quality, faster recycling, faster flash and they are not basically rebadged jinbe products (not got anything against jinbe since my portable lights are jinbe lol )

I'd rather buy jinbe than the lencartas - I've had my jinbes for about 5 years now and they still work as good as they did when I bought them.


but thats only my opinion the OP should investigate and see the units himself. The lencarta do have the price advantage though


the portable safari don't have modelling lamp. controls are on the battery not the flash unlike the bowens

cowasaki said:
What advantage would it give you?

Build quality ?
Power ?
Compatibilty ?
Reliability ?
Colour temp ?
Speed of recharge ?
Portability ?

Any of these ?
Click to expand...
 
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POAH said:
used both prefer the bowens (gemini pro series) kit for ease of use, build quality, faster recycling, faster flash and they are not basically rebadged jinbe products (not got anything against jinbe since my portable lights are jinbe lol )

I'd rather buy jinbe than the lencartas - I've had my jinbes for about 5 years now and they still work as good as they did when I bought them.


but thats only my opinion the OP should investigate and see the units himself. The lencarta do have the price advantage though


the portable safari don't have modelling lamp. controls are on the battery not the flash unlike the bowens
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They are not just rebadged jinbe products they use the same cases and are put together by jinbe. Much in the same way that Marantz used to sell CD players costing many hundreds more that a philips model that looked the same. The Marantz model had numerous changes under the hood but was 95% put together in the same Philips factory! Volkswagen/Skoda/Seat ?????

The "rather have jinbe" comment makes no sense unless it was "rather have jinbe and save a few pounds" as they are improved over the standard jinbe models.

As for the rest:

Location of the controls is a personal preference so that is fair enough for YOU.

Lack of a modeling light is a disadvantage yes.

Faster recycling, faster flash - I've not seen the specs

Build quality - I'd have to see but the build quality of the Lencarta stuff appears very good to me.

Ease of use - How? I'd be interested to see. Is this linked in with location of the controls? Personally I find them on the battery helpful.


How much is a Bowens dual portable light setup ???

I bet it is more than the cost of a Lencarta Dual Light setup plus another battery pack and battery.

The Lencarta setup would give you control over both lights etc individually.
 
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POAH said:
only problem is with the one battery it limits your movement of the lights
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Buy an extra battery pack out of the change from two Bowens lights over a dual Lencarta light setup :)
 
thats a bit of an arsey reply TBH

The OP asked for an opinion I gave one

you asked to explain my opinion and now you are berating my reply :wacky:

cowasaki said:
They are not just rebadged jinbe products they use the same cases and are put together by jinbe. Much in the same way that Marantz used to sell CD players costing many hundreds more that a philips model that looked the same. The Marantz model had numerous changes under the hood but was 95% put together in the same Philips factory! Volkswagen/Skoda/Seat ?????

The "rather have jinbe" comment makes no sense unless it was "rather have jinbe and save a few pounds" as they are improved over the standard jinbe models.

As for the rest:

Location of the controls is a personal preference so that is fair enough for YOU.

Lack of a modeling light is a disadvantage yes.

Faster recycling, faster flash - I've not seen the specs

Build quality - I'd have to see but the build quality of the Lencarta stuff appears very good to me.

Ease of use - How? I'd be interested to see. Is this linked in with location of the controls? Personally I find them on the battery helpful.


How much is a Bowens dual portable light setup ???

I bet it is more than the cost of a Lencarta Dual Light setup plus another battery pack and battery.

The Lencarta setup would give you control over both lights etc individually.
Click to expand...
 
POAH said:
thats a bit of an arsey reply TBH

The OP asked for an opinion I gave one

you asked to explain my opinion and now you are berating my reply :wacky:
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Sorry but it was not meant to be arsey at all :shrug:

I was simply responding to your comments and correcting the bit about them being rebadged jinbe products which they are not!
 
POAH said:
the portable safari don't have modelling lamp.
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Um, yes they do. Pretty useless outdoors but it is there in case you lose your keys.

controls are on the battery not the flash unlike the bowens
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That really comes down to personal taste. I have 3 sets of location lighting gear (Bron, Lencarta and Strobeam). The Strobeam has the power adjust on the head and I hate it. Head is usually on a stand and often facing away from me so I can't check the power easily and if I need to adjust it I often have to move the light. Illuminated power control on the pack works better for me.

I also prefer the weight over the Bowens. Unless they have changed the Geminis there's a limit to how far I'd want to walk with pack and a couple of spare batteries. But then I prefer the weight of the Strobeam even more.

purenvdesign said:
So does only having 2 lights with the safari come as a disadvantage?
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Not sure what you mean there - there are 2 power outlets on the pack so you can use up to 2 lights per pack BUT it halves the power and (since the control is on the pack :) ) they aren't individually adjustable.. 1 light per pack is a great idea with any lights.
Also can the safari kit also run off mains ?
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No. But if you really can get 1,100 full power flashes of a charge (and I've yet to come close because of the problem Garry's working on) then it may not be that critical. 1,100 full power 600 w/s flashes is a long morning ;)

But weren't we talking about Elite Pros......? :)
 
POAH said:
thats a bit of an arsey reply TBH

The OP asked for an opinion I gave one

you asked to explain my opinion and now you are berating my reply :wacky:
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I hope I'm wrong, but it seems to me that you were not so much expressing your opinion as having a go at me (or is it Lencarta?) again, as in this thread (post 6).

No doubt you have your reasons, perhaps you know that I'm useless?:)
 
JonathanRyan said:
Um, yes they do. Pretty useless outdoors but it is there in case you lose your keys.
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Jonathon, He is right the Lencarta Safari light do not have modelling lights. I have one sat in front of me now :shrug:
 
cowasaki said:
Jonathon, He is right the Lencarta Safari light do not have modelling lights. I have one sat in front of me now :shrug:
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The ringflash doesn't, the ordinary flash head does. As Jonathan says, it's a dim light - it has to be to avoid flattening the battery - and it can only be on for 25 seconds at a time, but it is there. Possibly the second hand one you bought has lost it's bulb?
 
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