ARB800 Ring Flash

[Doc4659]

I shoot a lot of events, parties, Red Carpet events.
I’m considering purchasing one of the Alien Bee ABR800 Ring Flash Units.
What has been everyone’s experience with these units?
Thanks in advance for your opinions and experiences.

[tc95]

Dave, well worth it...it will also double as an extra light source if you need it at a shoot....

[Arcusmedia]

its all i use... I have a b800 for a fill flash and a ring flash as my main

[Kalrog]

I have one and I like it. They give you a look you can't get any other way... but that look can be way over done, so be careful.

Upside - full power strobe. Ring Flash. Reasonable price. Modifiers.

Downside - portability. If you want a ring flash to carry around with you, this isn't the right one. It needs to be plugged in and it is relatively heavy. Consider one of the add on modifiers for an on camera flash if you want to walk around with it.

[darktiger]

For portable power the elinchrom Quadra would fit the bill.. actually I have seen people mount it to their hotshoe with an adaptor...... This is coming from a AB guy....

Alien Bee ABR800 is nice even with a VML, but it still is kind of big to lug around on a red carpet event....

[dmward]

I have one and also a VML.
What I'm having trouble with is understanding why you want to use this at a red carpet type event.

Ring flash is a special look and I'm not sure what it offers that a TTL flash on the hotshoe doesn't deliver for this type of shooting.

[brad]

I rarely use it as a ring flash.. almost always as if it were a standard mono block - with the large moon unit on it.

Recent shot:

[dmward]

Originally Posted by Arcusmedia

its all i use... I have a b800 for a fill flash and a ring flash as my main

Eric how do you fill a ring light?
Now if you are using it as an Octabox then I understand but then its not a ring light.

I rarely use my other than as a ring light.

I do have the large Moon unit with just the full diffusion panel. I use it as a background for product shots.

I also have the small Moon unit that I like on the ABR for a fill light with camera and ABR mounted on a tripod.