# Expensive, but for the professional they are interesting.



## table1349 (May 17, 2016)

Broncolor launches battery-powered Siros studio heads for location photographers


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## gsgary (May 17, 2016)

Those look like good value

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk


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## table1349 (May 17, 2016)

Bronocolor makes a top notch product but at around $3000.00 a pair they won't be for the average amateur/hobby photographer.


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## Rick50 (May 17, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Bronocolor makes a top notch product but at around $3000.00 a pair they won't be for the average amateur/hobby photographer.


You got that right!


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## tirediron (May 17, 2016)

I don't even think they will be for the average professional.  There's no doubt that Broncolour and Profoto are top of the range products, but when I think about how much of my trusty, bullet-proof Speedotron gear I can get for the same money, I really can't see it!


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## chuasam (May 18, 2016)

Not bad for Broncolor standards. Quite affordable for that brand. The Broncolor Move kit is top of my win the lottery list.


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## tirediron (May 18, 2016)

chuasam said:


> Not bad for Broncolor standards. Quite affordable for that brand.


Fair comment, but that's much like saying, "That's a very reasonably price Lamborghini!"


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## table1349 (May 18, 2016)

tirediron said:


> I don't even think they will be for the average professional.  There's no doubt that Broncolour and Profoto are top of the range products, but when I think about how much of my trusty, bullet-proof Speedotron gear I can get for the same money, I really can't see it!


Transportation for location shoots with Speedotron is not nearly as practical however.  Don't know that I would necessarily consider them for in studio work alone, but location shoots they would be hard to beat.


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## chuasam (May 18, 2016)

tirediron said:


> chuasam said:
> 
> 
> > Not bad for Broncolor standards. Quite affordable for that brand.
> ...


I've used broncolor,  they're unbeatably tough. Day in day out abused for 5 days a week,  12 hours a day and they keep going. Alien Bees -  stare too hard and the plastic self destructs. Profoto are also very sturdy.


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## tirediron (May 18, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Transportation for location shoots with Speedotron is not nearly as practical however.  Don't know that I would necessarily consider them for in studio work alone, but location shoots they would be hard to beat.


Mehhh... I don't find my Brownline stuff to be a problem; it goes most anywhere.  I can get four lights, power-supply, tri-level, grids, snoots and reflectors all in a standard lighting case.


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## chuasam (May 19, 2016)

tirediron said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > Transportation for location shoots with Speedotron is not nearly as practical however.  Don't know that I would necessarily consider them for in studio work alone, but location shoots they would be hard to beat.
> ...


We used the Blackline at school; if you weren't fast enough to grab the new Profoto packs.
Speedotron always looked like something designed in the 1960s and never updated.


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## tirediron (May 19, 2016)

chuasam said:


> We used the Blackline at school; if you weren't fast enough to grab the new Profoto packs.  Speedotron always looked like something designed in the 1960s and never updated.


Blackline's great for the studio, but the packs are wayyyyyyyyyyy too heavy to haul around.  My little 200 w/s Brownline pack is literally smaller than the size of a box of tissue, and can drive two (three if I use a Tri-Level) lights with plenty of output for a standard portrait session.

You're right, Speedotron does look clunky and unsophisticated by today's standards, but it's tough and it works and works well.  There are packs that come up for sale that date back to the 50s, still in working order!  If needed 1/10,000 second flash duration or the ability to produce full-power pops at the rate of five per second, then yeah, I'd look elsewhere, but for what I do, it's perfect.

What I really like about it, and what turned me into a customer for life was when my very first powerpack needed a new 'push to flash' switch, I couldn't find an equivalent switch anywhere in my local electronics supply places, so I looked up Speedo's # and called them.  A guy answers, no 'phone tree, no 'For service in English...' just "Good morning Speedotron".  I tell him what I want, and within five minutes he's taken down my name, address and CC # and I had the part a week later!


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## table1349 (May 19, 2016)

Kids these days with their "Everything has to be modern" stuff.   

My studio set it Norman instead of Speedotron.  Got it lightly used a few years ago at a really good price and could not be happier.  They perform flawlessly every time all the time.  Pack light heads are very lightweight, meaning I don't need ultra heavy duty stands or booms.  I only have to worry about 1 pair of Pocket Wizards to operate the entire system.  I can control output for all the lights from the pack.  To make it convenient I even built a small rolling stand for the pack that puts it about 4 feet off the floor for easy access with storage underneath in the cabinet.  

To me clunky is having to sandbag a boom stand or any stand in place because the head is so heavy.  Clunky is having to buy ultra heavy booms to support the weight securely.   The only update I wish my set had was the built in PW receiver.  It was available but the person I bought it from used didn't use Pocket wizards so he didn't buy that pack.


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