Where next from Bowens kit?

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DynatechFan

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Hi there - first post here, been taking pictures for a while :)

Anyhow, I love tinkering with portrait lighting and have built up quite a bit of portable strobist stuff over the years, pretty much all Bowens kit with the bigger Pentax/Metz flashes and the odd piece of (workmanlike) Calumet hardware when Bowens were a bit pricey

Bowens stuff seems really nicely put together (esp their umbrellas) so I have pretty much ignored all the other brands. But with the brand now dissappearing I am looking at other kit - but not being a pro I dont get much chance to compare kit side by side or chat with peers

Westcott, Interfit, Lastolite all seem to be in this space and all seem to have their fans and detractors

Currently in the market for a reflective umbrella or two, but have yet to find a back to back comparison of these. Going forwards I suspect light modifers will be my primary focus as there isnt anythiong else I really need
 
I always consider brollies to be an ongoin expense rather than an asset.

There's really no discernible difference in the light output between brands, which leaves build quality, and frankly brollies are (to an extent) fragile. They all fail at some point, so I would never buy a 'premium' brand, it's just a future expensive piece of junk. I wouldn't buy a £5 one but there's no difference between a £10 PhotR or a £60 Profoto.

Other more complex modifiers are a slightly different kettle of fish, I'd recommend Lencarta, but there are other respectable brands without paying through the nose.
 
Phil V said:
I always consider brollies to be an ongoin expense rather than an asset.

There's really no discernible difference in the light output between brands, which leaves build quality, and frankly brollies are (to an extent) fragile. They all fail at some point, so I would never buy a 'premium' brand, it's just a future expensive piece of junk. I wouldn't buy a £5 one but there's no difference between a £10 PhotR or a £60 Profoto.

Other more complex modifiers are a slightly different kettle of fish, I'd recommend Lencarta, but there are other respectable brands without paying through the nose.
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As above, and Bowens didn't even actually make their own overpriced umbrellas anyway, the firm that made them for them, and who printed their name on them, sell to a host of others too, expect to pay around £15 for something decent.
 
thanks folks - as a keen amateur I tend to buy stuff to look after but get what you mean about umbrellas being consumable

fwiw I picked up Bowens 35" silver/shoot through for less than a tenner and 45" silver /shoot through for £18 each at Wex recently - which seemed very decent prices compared to the only others I looked, ie Westcott which seemed less nice for similar money

Not seen Lencarta in UK will go hunt that down and have a look
 
thanks folks - found the Lencarta website and had a dig around, lots of good stuff :)

BTW if Bowens didnt make their own unbrellas, who did?
 
DynatechFan said:
BTW if Bowens didnt make their own unbrellas, who did?
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Would have been a Chinese firm that re-branded them, not that it's something to criticize them for, it's what every other company does (more or less).

I think Calumet umbrellas of the same size (roughly 90cm and 110cm) were made in the same factory, every other version I've seen of that umbrella design hasn't been as well made.
 
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