The Elinchrom Experience (D-Lite 4 it Studio Flashes and Magic Lantern)

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You can go a long way with just a camera and a handheld reflector.  You can get even farther with a camera, a speedlight, and a reflector. But to really take your images to the next level you're going to eventually want to get some studio lights.

I originally intend to buy a git with three Tokura/Starblitz 150 watt strobes but a good photographer friend of mine recoiled in horror when I told him this and almost died. The salesman at the camera shop here in Barcelona wouldn't even sell them to me.  Even though the kit I was looking at only cost 259 euros... he reccommended the 700 euro Elinchrom D-Lite 4 it system.
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Why the hell would I have even considered this?

The same reason I'm holding a Canon camera.  I used to have a Sony A200. I loved the camera. It took great pictures while I had it, but I never noticed what I was missing until I got my Canon (bigger selection of lenses, larger selection of Flashes, more wireless options, more accessories... etc...) It's the same with my choice of lights. I'm brand new to studio lighting... but even I had heard of Elinchrom.

Support for their products is DEEP with everyone from PocketWizard to Paul C. Buff making special versions of or adaptors for thier products to Elinchrom. Not only that, but the variety of original Elinchrom products is vast as well. And it's simply a higher quality of light and reliability and... ultimately... it actually winds up being cheaper. (Less money spent on parts breaking down, shipping for warranty, cheaper accessories... or NO accessories for the Tokura/Starblitz units and I probably would've had to buy the Elinchrom's in the long run anyway.)

Which brings me to Magic Lantern and my first photo shoot with the new kit.

Studio lighting really helps you learn to appreciate F11 and above... the caviat being it's hard to see a damned thing under ideal lighting conditions (ideal being pitch black). This is where the modeling lamps built into the Elinchrom units come in handy.  You can test out your lights and do your focusing under similar lighting conditions to when you snap the flash. The drawback being that it's sort of a pain setting up the modeling mode in-between every single shot. (One drawback to the D-Lite 4 it is that it comes with the Skyport Eco transceiver... which should've never been invented... instead of the Skyport Speed. The Eco stands for "Economy" as in "The Current State of the..." as in... "Not So Good" and you don't have control over the flash power or the modeling lamps like you would with the Skyport Speed. It ONLY snaps the flash.)

I went through a couple of settings but couldn't find anything that would buy me a better LiveView preview at high F-Stop (i.e. The kind of preview you would get if you had a flash attached to your camera at the same F-Stop) I just had my camera in my hands. At 1/160 F16 with no flash you have DARKNESS in LiveView. I attach my Yongnuo flash and you have LIGHT. I wish there was a way of telling the camera "But the light is COMING! I swear it!"

Obviously the camera is unaware that I've got two 400watt heads aimed at the subject. It would be nice if Magic Lantern could allow you to select the "I have a Flash" preview in LiveView.

But I was forced to squint hard and trust my gut feelings with the photos. All things considered I was very pleased with the results: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42146365@N06/7569125100/in/pool-elinchrom-d-lite

The Skyport Eco was a bit of a letdown... but the D-Lites did not fail me.

[Francis]

Under the Expo menu, set LV Display to Photo, no ExpSim. LCD shows a brightened image, but photo is taken at whatever manual setting you have dialed in (you are shooting in manual with those shiny new strobes right?).

I'm looking at buying my first set of studio strobes myself. Being in the USA, I've got access to Paul C Buff's Alienbees and Einsteins. Seems like a logical first choice. Enjoy the new toys!

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Thanks! You're a lifesaver!

I am ABSOLUTELY shooting in manual mode.

My best friend is rockin' Buff's stuff. The Einstein's come highly recommended.

I absolutely love the results he's gotten.

You can check out his stuff on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/AllHailProductions

It was almost ALL shot with the Einsteins (be sure to like his page if you like it :p )

I moved to Spain a while ago and Europe has a completely different LEAGUE of lighting choices. There's Elinchrom and Bowens and Interfit and Profoto... a lot of high-end stuff.

Buff has a great reputation though. And his Octabox is to die for.

Thanks for the help again!

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Under the Expo menu, set LV Display to Photo, no ExpSim.

Actually I can't find these settings. I don't have an option for Photo under Liveview on the Expo menu.

I'm using the December 2011 2.2 on a 600D

[Francis]

Trying to remember where that setting lived in the older version. Under Tweaks > Exposure Simulation: off perhaps? Just look around for exposure simulation or pull up the documentation while in the ML menu by pressing DISP and skim through to see where it lives in the menus.

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Trying to remember where that setting lived in the older version. Under Tweaks > Exposure Simulation: off perhaps? Just look around for exposure simulation or pull up the documentation while in the ML menu by pressing DISP and skim through to see where it lives in the menus.

There's a LiveView Type: Frame and Focus... but it doesn´t work. No matter what I set it to it returns to ExpSim

[Francis]

Well you can donate to get early access to 2.3 or download the autoexec.bin from this thread on the Google Groups page, found in one of Alex's posts from May 15. Just copy that file onto your card, replacing the existing autoexec.bin. On that version you should be able to find the option under Expo > LV Display: off.

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Just got RC2... the option isn't under Expo 

It looks like there are fewer options overall. Maybe I need to switch to "Advanced Mode" or something? (If so... I don't remember how to do it...)

I think I remember something similar with 2.2... then I switched the mode and had more options or something...

[a1ex]

ExpSim does not work on 600D. You can try display gain instead.

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Ah ok... Thanks.

(Audio level meters still don't  work either: Don't worry... it'll be in my notes! :p )

EDIT: That did the trick! I can now SEE in F16 in Liveview.

Thanks!

[smp]

We have 7 of the Einsteins and swear by them. Ironically (relative to this thread anyways) is that we used the Kacey adapters to mate Eli Octas (pure sweetness)