Who has the Elinchrom D-lites

right for months and months I've bing debating over studio lights as I keep getting a lot of people wanting me to photograph them. I keep coming back to the D-lites as Bowens are just out of my price range. I don't have a studio, so the lights would be used in peoples houses or in a make shift studio in a rented space e.g town hall, church hall. I would like to do some location work but they dont have a power pack do they, or i couldn't find one that would work with them. I'm just wondering what the quality of these lights are or if they are versatile enough for what I want to do, it would mostly be staged, very theatrical stuff, have a look at my portfoio as I'm crap at explaining the pictures i make. Thanks for any advice Gaz

right for months and months I've bing debating over studio lights as I keep getting a lot of people wanting me to photograph them.

I keep coming back to the D-lites as Bowens are just out of my price range.

I don't have a studio, so the lights would be used in peoples houses or in a make shift studio in a rented space e.g town hall, church hall.

I would like to do some location work but they dont have a power pack do they, or i couldn't find one that would work with them.

I'm just wondering what the quality of these lights are or if they are versatile enough for what I want to do, it would mostly be staged, very theatrical stuff, have a look at my portfoio as I'm crap at explaining the pictures i make.

Thanks for any advice

Gaz

Gaz, I've just purchased two D-lite 4 kits and straight out of the box I got great results. Mind you though, I was looking to achieve a high key look, I've not tried anything creative like your photography yet. Ephotozine Shop has them at £450 a kit at the moment(which is cheaper than I paid but we won't go there!) No hesitation in recommending Elinchrom. Steve

Gaz,

I've just purchased two D-lite 4 kits and straight out of the box I got great results.
Mind you though, I was looking to achieve a high key look, I've not tried anything creative like your photography yet.

Ephotozine Shop has them at £450 a kit at the moment(which is cheaper than I paid but we won't go there!)

No hesitation in recommending Elinchrom.

Steve

yeah I noticed that price hence why I was asking about them. Wish my bloody job would hurry up and pay me tho. I'd need a few accessories I thnk umbrellas and perhaps a snoot tho, but I'm sure i can find those on ebay. Have you got any pics up that you took with them?

yeah I noticed that price hence why I was asking about them. Wish my bloody job would hurry up and pay me tho.
I'd need a few accessories I thnk umbrellas and perhaps a snoot tho, but I'm sure i can find those on ebay.

Have you got any pics up that you took with them?

I ordered a dlite 4 kit today so hopefully should be receiving it soon. Will let you know what kind of results you can get with them. Love your work by the way!

I ordered a dlite 4 kit today so hopefully should be receiving it soon. Will let you know what kind of results you can get with them. Love your work by the way!

thank you glad you like it. Wish i would get paid then i could perhaps jump in the deep end and buy them :-D Do you have your own studio or like me are you going to be using them in small rooms and where ever you can find a place?

thank you glad you like it.

Wish i would get paid then i could perhaps jump in the deep end and buy them

Do you have your own studio or like me are you going to be using them in small rooms and where ever you can find a place?

Hi Gaz I use the d-lite 2 kit and find them exellent,I shoot mainly in a small room approx 12x 18ft and find that they perform just fine,easy to pack away to take with you and not to bulky when set up.

Hi Gaz I use the d-lite 2 kit and find them exellent,I shoot mainly in a small room approx 12x 18ft and find that they perform just fine,easy to pack away to take with you and not to bulky when set up.

garth your images are ace, did you use the dlites on all of them? you say there easy to set up, but how easy ar ethe soft boxes? as i'd need to set up quickly and pack away quickly as I'd be shooting in other peoples houses and random empty spaces

garth your images are ace, did you use the dlites on all of them?

you say there easy to set up, but how easy ar ethe soft boxes? as i'd need to set up quickly and pack away quickly as I'd be shooting in other peoples houses and random empty spaces

Nah, I haven't got my own studio, it will just be for use in the same type of places as you want them for: here and everywhere! I've heard that they are supposed to be easy to put up and down, and are supposed to be easily portable which was a big selling point for me. I have been looking at them for months now. Can't really afford them but couldn't resist as the ephotozine store has £100 off them at the mo. Can't afford the light meter, backgrounds, etc yet though so guess I'll have to improvise somehow until I can! Anyway I will let you know how good they are when I receive them!

Nah, I haven't got my own studio, it will just be for use in the same type of places as you want them for: here and everywhere!
I've heard that they are supposed to be easy to put up and down, and are supposed to be easily portable which was a big selling point for me.
I have been looking at them for months now. Can't really afford them but couldn't resist as the ephotozine store has £100 off them at the mo. Can't afford the light meter, backgrounds, etc yet though so guess I'll have to improvise somehow until I can! Anyway I will let you know how good they are when I receive them!

Just found a great deal on Lastolite Lumen8s. spaphoto.co.uk are doing a three heads for the price of two deal on both the 200s and the 400s. I just ordered the 400s - cost £650. Only £50 more than the Bowens 250 twin head kit! Just using a pair of D-Lites now to do an assignment for college. They are lovely and light but these particular ones are being a bit hit and miss with triggering with the synch cord - probably just a loose connection - but I have noticed that they don't like firing at all when the power is turned down lower than about 2.5. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Really wanted to open up the aperture a lot more but am having to shoot at f32 1/125th ISO Lo0.7

Just found a great deal on Lastolite Lumen8s. spaphoto.co.uk are doing a three heads for the price of two deal on both the 200s and the 400s. I just ordered the 400s - cost £650. Only £50 more than the Bowens 250 twin head kit!

Just using a pair of D-Lites now to do an assignment for college. They are lovely and light but these particular ones are being a bit hit and miss with triggering with the synch cord - probably just a loose connection - but I have noticed that they don't like firing at all when the power is turned down lower than about 2.5. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Really wanted to open up the aperture a lot more but am having to shoot at f32 1/125th ISO Lo0.7

The D-Lites are good. Maybe not in the same class as the Elinchrom professional lights (the D-Lites are basically a re-brand and update of their old Prolinca range) but still a good product, and their accessories are excellent too. The problem as I see it is the cost of accessories. If you want to go for creative lighting then you'll be thinking in terms of spotlights, beauty dishes, a few different honeycombs at least, and my guess is that Elinchrom are happy to discount their lights so that they can clean up when people buy their accessories. Conversely, Bowens (which are also excellent) are more expensive to buy but their accessories are generally cheaper - and there are lots of third party accessories available that are just as good but for far less money. So, although Bowens will cost you more initially, they will be cheaper in the long run. And you might like to consider the new range from Lencarta. I'm their photographer and product tester so I know their products well, IMO they're the same as bowens but much cheaper, and they take the same range of accessories and sell a wide range of them at fairly reasonable prices.

The D-Lites are good. Maybe not in the same class as the Elinchrom professional lights (the D-Lites are basically a re-brand and update of their old Prolinca range) but still a good product, and their accessories are excellent too.

The problem as I see it is the cost of accessories. If you want to go for creative lighting then you'll be thinking in terms of spotlights, beauty dishes, a few different honeycombs at least, and my guess is that Elinchrom are happy to discount their lights so that they can clean up when people buy their accessories.

Conversely, Bowens (which are also excellent) are more expensive to buy but their accessories are generally cheaper - and there are lots of third party accessories available that are just as good but for far less money. So, although Bowens will cost you more initially, they will be cheaper in the long run.

And you might like to consider the new range from Lencarta. I'm their photographer and product tester so I know their products well, IMO they're the same as bowens but much cheaper, and they take the same range of accessories and sell a wide range of them at fairly reasonable prices.

Another option are Interfit and new range of stellers.

Another option are Interfit and new range of stellers.

Update: Now have the Lastolite Lumen8 f400 kit (three heads for the price of two) and they are brilliant. Rumour has it that they are Bowens, rebadged (photog tutor told me that). Solid, dependable feel, easy to set up/break down, come in a great kit bag on wheels, consistent light. In comparison to the D-Lites well, there is no comparison. The D-Lites are certainly lighter to carry but I'd choose the Lumen8s any day. The D-Lites feel flimsy and plasticky in comparison and the blister buttons are just horrid when judged against the proper switches and dials on the Lumen8s. On the downside, perhaps, there is no powerpack - all heads are monoblocs. Mind you, it would be a rare occasion for me when I'd need portable power. Kit comes with one Ezybox (softbox) and one white reflector brolly plus the three standard reflectors. Bargainous! Oh and another downside of the D-Lites, you have to take them into the Flash Centre to change the modelling lamps when they blow - fine if you're nearby but not if you're not.

Update: Now have the Lastolite Lumen8 f400 kit (three heads for the price of two) and they are brilliant. Rumour has it that they are Bowens, rebadged (photog tutor told me that). Solid, dependable feel, easy to set up/break down, come in a great kit bag on wheels, consistent light. In comparison to the D-Lites well, there is no comparison. The D-Lites are certainly lighter to carry but I'd choose the Lumen8s any day. The D-Lites feel flimsy and plasticky in comparison and the blister buttons are just horrid when judged against the proper switches and dials on the Lumen8s. On the downside, perhaps, there is no powerpack - all heads are monoblocs. Mind you, it would be a rare occasion for me when I'd need portable power. Kit comes with one Ezybox (softbox) and one white reflector brolly plus the three standard reflectors. Bargainous! Oh and another downside of the D-Lites, you have to take them into the Flash Centre to change the modelling lamps when they blow - fine if you're nearby but not if you're not.

[quote]Update: Now have the Lastolite Lumen8 f400 kit (three heads for the price of two) and they are brilliant. Rumour has it that they are Bowens, rebadged (photog tutor told me that). Solid, dependable feel, easy to set up/break down, come in a great kit bag on wheels, consistent light. In comparison to the D-Lites well, there is no comparison. The D-Lites are certainly lighter to carry but I'd choose the Lumen8s any day. The D-Lites feel flimsy and plasticky in comparison and the blister buttons are just horrid when judged against the proper switches and dials on the Lumen8s. On the downside, perhaps, there is no powerpack - all heads are monoblocs. Mind you, it would be a rare occasion for me when I'd need portable power. Kit comes with one Ezybox (softbox) and one white reflector brolly plus the three standard reflectors. Bargainous! Oh and another downside of the D-Lites, you have to take them into the Flash Centre to change the modelling lamps when they blow - fine if you're nearby but not if you're not.[/quote] Hi Jane, Where did you get this deal from if you do not mine telling please? Martyn

Quote:Update: Now have the Lastolite Lumen8 f400 kit (three heads for the price of two) and they are brilliant. Rumour has it that they are Bowens, rebadged (photog tutor told me that). Solid, dependable feel, easy to set up/break down, come in a great kit bag on wheels, consistent light. In comparison to the D-Lites well, there is no comparison. The D-Lites are certainly lighter to carry but I'd choose the Lumen8s any day. The D-Lites feel flimsy and plasticky in comparison and the blister buttons are just horrid when judged against the proper switches and dials on the Lumen8s. On the downside, perhaps, there is no powerpack - all heads are monoblocs. Mind you, it would be a rare occasion for me when I'd need portable power. Kit comes with one Ezybox (softbox) and one white reflector brolly plus the three standard reflectors. Bargainous! Oh and another downside of the D-Lites, you have to take them into the Flash Centre to change the modelling lamps when they blow - fine if you're nearby but not if you're not.


Hi Jane,
Where did you get this deal from if you do not mine telling please?
Martyn

Lastolite units are "not re badged Bowens" they are made by a Falcon eyes but to Lastolites specifications. The Dlites are assembled in India for elinchrom

Lastolite units are "not re badged Bowens" they are made by a Falcon eyes but to Lastolites specifications.
The Dlites are assembled in India for elinchrom

[quote]Update: Now have the Lastolite Lumen8 f400 kit (three heads for the price of two) and they are brilliant. Rumour has it that they are Bowens, rebadged (photog tutor told me that). Solid, dependable feel, easy to set up/break down, come in a great kit bag on wheels, consistent light. In comparison to the D-Lites well, there is no comparison. The D-Lites are certainly lighter to carry but I'd choose the Lumen8s any day. The D-Lites feel flimsy and plasticky in comparison and the blister buttons are just horrid when judged against the proper switches and dials on the Lumen8s. On the downside, perhaps, there is no powerpack - all heads are monoblocs. Mind you, it would be a rare occasion for me when I'd need portable power. Kit comes with one Ezybox (softbox) and one white reflector brolly plus the three standard reflectors. Bargainous! Oh and another downside of the D-Lites, you have to take them into the Flash Centre to change the modelling lamps when they blow - fine if you're nearby but not if you're not.[/quote] Neither can you change the flash tube on lastolites,they have to go to a dealer, you can on eli's, and the flash recycle time is much quicker on Eli's.

Quote:Update: Now have the Lastolite Lumen8 f400 kit (three heads for the price of two) and they are brilliant. Rumour has it that they are Bowens, rebadged (photog tutor told me that). Solid, dependable feel, easy to set up/break down, come in a great kit bag on wheels, consistent light. In comparison to the D-Lites well, there is no comparison. The D-Lites are certainly lighter to carry but I'd choose the Lumen8s any day. The D-Lites feel flimsy and plasticky in comparison and the blister buttons are just horrid when judged against the proper switches and dials on the Lumen8s. On the downside, perhaps, there is no powerpack - all heads are monoblocs. Mind you, it would be a rare occasion for me when I'd need portable power. Kit comes with one Ezybox (softbox) and one white reflector brolly plus the three standard reflectors. Bargainous! Oh and another downside of the D-Lites, you have to take them into the Flash Centre to change the modelling lamps when they blow - fine if you're nearby but not if you're not.


Neither can you change the flash tube on lastolites,they have to go to a dealer, you can on eli's, and the flash recycle time is much quicker on Eli's.