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alien bees in the `UK?
if so, i can't find them - if anyone has a clue, could you let m eknow. thanks Mar 02 08 08:29 am Link Mar 02 08 08:39 am Link thanks much! Mar 02 08 08:51 am Link I considered these too, but the concern I would have is that repairs etc,. under warranty require them to be shipped back to the US at the user's expense. Mar 02 08 08:55 am Link yah, i was jusst thinking the same thing.... my place is prone to power surges and my electrical equipment is always having problems...... Mar 02 08 09:03 am Link I wouldn't even mind sending them back, I am just concerned about getting them back here. I don't trust our customs officers. lol. Mar 02 08 09:13 am Link It's not the concept of sending them back for service that's the problem - it's the cost. Unlikely to be economical. We bought a Kitchen Aid food mixer in the US because they were half the UK price. But it wouldn't work out of the box and the US head office said the 10-year warranty only applied within the US. Shipping something that heavy would've cost us more than it was worth. Three months hassle with the UK agents sorted it out. Mar 02 08 09:56 am Link If you are looking for cheap UK warranted flash units, Calumet's own-brand stuff should be of reasonable quality (they are the Bowens main dealer) and should be easy to arrange servicing/repairs for if necessary. http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/Cameras/P … h/Calumet/ Mar 03 08 04:14 am Link You can order Alien Bee's for UK use with a 220v power supply as opposed to the standard 110v, add around $20.00 to each unit for the change. You will have to pay UK import duty on them (not sure what the cost is) and shipping will be in the region of around $15.00 to $25.00 per unit. The warranty is valid in the UK. I'm with the US military here in the UK and did consider buying AB's last year, the power supply was not a major issue for me as I have the option of using 11v or 220v. However what did put me off was the 150w (max) modelling lamp that ships with these units. These are standard screw fit tungsten bulbs, which the UK is phasing out in favor of CFL's over the next year or two, with a complete ban on the sale of these types of bulbs coming in around 2009 I believe. Long story short, I ended up buying Bowens as another poster has already suggested here. The AB's are great value if purchased for use in the US, however for over here in the UK, when all the associated expenses, etc are taken into consideration, you might be better looking to the local market. Mar 03 08 04:36 am Link tami-foto wrote: Er, why not spend £15.00 (or less) on a surge-protection block? Mar 03 08 04:44 am Link The Rusty Horse wrote: ~threadjack Mar 03 08 04:51 am Link - Phil H - wrote: Hello Phil. Another year older as of today, busy as hell, but just about on top!.... Mar 03 08 04:55 am Link If you are in the UK, it's pretty hard to beat Bowens for value. Anything from the Esprit 1 range (1994 onwards) would be OK, and there are plenty of the Prolite range (1989 onwards) still in use. You should be able to pick these up on Ebay fairly cheaply. Bowens range: http://www.bowensinternational.com/timeline.php All of these use the Bowens S fit for accessories. Older Bowens (L-fit) and Courtney stuff 30 years old still works fine, but the trigger voltage is too high to connect a digital camera directly. Old Bowens can usually be repaired. Only buy these if very cheap. I use 2 30 year old Courtney 8000 flash for background lights, fired by the built-in sensor as a slave to my more modern (Bowens 1000DX) main lights. Didn't plan it this way, but the old stuff never died. Mar 03 08 05:20 am Link hughalison wrote: I have a couple of Prolite 60s (250ws) that I bought in about 1990 and used for a couple of years. They had been storage for around 15 years until I pulled them out last summer and now I use them all the time. Very nice lights - just wish I could find a compatible battery pack for them! Mar 03 08 07:37 am Link hughalison wrote: thanks i shall look those up! Mar 03 08 07:45 am Link Hehe - guess what... Calumet are the main dealer  Mar 03 08 07:46 am Link The Rusty Horse wrote: i have , nothing works - we are calling out an electrician to finally find out what the problem is. Mar 03 08 07:46 am Link tami-foto wrote: AB's are v.popular in the US, but Mr Buff's units are certainly not the most reliable and often get returned back to his factory. However, I do hear that the customer service is good; but this isn't the best position to be in when you're in the UK. Mar 03 08 05:11 pm Link |
