Alien Bees vs. Excalibur
Many people looking to buy their first set of studio strobes look at the Alien Bee or SP-System Excalibur monolights. Having used both, I thought it would be helpful to write up a comparison to help people decode.
| Alien Bees | Excaliburs | Comments | |
| Model | B400, B800 & B1600 | SP Systems Excalibur SP-3200 & SP-6400 | |
| Flash Power | B400: 160 WS B800: 320 WS B1600: 640 WS |
Excalibur SP-3200: 320WS Excalibbur SP-6400: 640WS |
in Watt-Seconds |
| Power Range | 5-stops (full to 1/32 power) Stepless adjustment |
3-stops (full to 1/8 power) Stepless adjustment |
B&H Incorrectly lists the Excaliburs as having a 4-stop range. |
| Modeling light Power | Supplied with 100W standard household bulb. Rated for up to 150 Halogene bulb | SP-3200: 100W Household SP-6400: 150W Halogen |
|
| Modelin Light Tracking | Modeling light can be 'Full', 'Off', or 'Track'. In tracking mode the power level of the modeling light 'tracks' the power level of the strobe. | Modeling light can be 'On' or 'Off'. A separate power control allows you to vary the power of the modeling light independently from the power of the strobe. The physical arrangement of the controls makes it easy to manually track the power of the modeling light to the power of the strobe. | |
| Full Power Recycle Time | B400: 0.5 seconds B800: 1 second B1600: 2 seconds |
SP-3200: 4 seconds SP-6400: 4 seconds |
|
| Guide number with standard reflector | B400: 118 B800: 172 B1600: 236 |
SP-3200:160 SP-6400:220 |
ISO 100 film. |
| Standard reflector | 7-inch silver, 80º spread | ||
| Ready Indication | Light on rear of unit. Optional visual indication, modeling light will turn off on flash, and will come back when unit is ready. |
Light on rear of unit. Optional audible indication, momentary beep when unit is ready. |
|
| Flash Duration at full power | B400: 1/6400 second B800: 1/3200 second B1600: 1/1600 second |
Unkown, but much slower than Alien Bees | |
| Built-In Slave | Yes. Disabled automatically when a sync cord is plugged in | Yes. Switch to enable/disable | |
| Sync Connection | 1/8" mono phone plug. Can also be triggered via optional remote control connected to dedicated RJ-11 (telephone) connector. |
1/4" mono phone plug | |
| Umbrella Holder | Yes, built-in to case. | Yes, built-in to case. | |
| Remote Control of power settings | Optional. Alien Bees offer a choice of two remotes, wired (using standard telehopne cables) or wireless. Wireless remote increases power range an extra stop or two. | Not available | Both can be triggered wirelessly with standard remote controls (including Pocket Wizard) and appropriate sync cords. |
| Fuses | Resetable Circuit breaker built into power switch. Turn unit off and back on to reset. | Uses two user replaceable 5m by 2mm fuses. Both are accessible from the back panel.
SP-3200: XX & YYamps |
|
| Size & Weigth | B400: 2.5 lbs, 5.5"x7.5"x9" B800: 2.9 lbs, 5.5"x7.5"x9" B1600: 3.7 lbs, 5.5"x7.5"x9" |
SP-3200: 5.5lbs, 4.9 x 8.9 x 15" SP-6400: 6.5lbs. and is 4.9 x 8.9 x 16.5" |
|
| Accessories | Barn door has 4 flaps | Barn door has two flaps | |
| Fans | Internal fan. Very quiet. | None. | |
| Auto Power Dump | Yes, slow bleed of excess power. | Yes, Flash will fire and recharge after a power reduction. | |
| Available Colors | White, Black, Yellow, Green, Pink. | Black | |
| Money Back Guarentee | Within 60 days you can return it for a full refund, less shipping | Varies by retailer. | |
| Upgrades | A lower powered unit can be upgraded to a higher power unit for $25 plus the price difference between the two. | Not Available. | |
| Warranty | 2 years. Includes flash tube. | 1 year. 90 days on flash tube. | |
| Distributed in the USA by | Manufacturer: Paul C. Bluff, Inc.
http://www.alienbees.com/ Only available direct from manufacturer |
BKA Photo
http://www.bkaphoto.com Available at a variety of retailers including, B&H Photo, Pitmann Photo, and lots of eBay sellers. |