Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

They are set to different channels, same frequency. I didn't have this problem until I set it to studio to try to get the blue bar to show up. Now I still cant adjust the power or even get it to fire.

It still triggers my SBs. The Einstein only fires when it picks up the SB flash, if I take them out, the CC will not do anything for the Einstein.

Are you using a CSRB+ on the Einstein, or the CSXCV (the piece that plugs directly into the top of the light)?

The CRSB+. One on the Einstein and one on the SB600.

For clarification's sake: The blue vertical bar indicates power level (correlating to the white EU numbers on the right). The adjustment of this bar assumes connectivity to the light unit to which it is attached. If there is no such communication, the blue bar is irrelevant, as there is no such adjustment. Einstein was designed to utilize the CSXCV reciever for power adjustment, and there is no RJ11 (telephone) jack to use the CSRB+ for power adjustment. While not "incorrect", I do not know how or why the vertical blue bar appeared for that channel (this comes from programming the CC to do so, and CSRB+'s have to be programmed manually). In any case, the blue vertical bar is of no use in this instance. You will want the white dash at the bottom of the channel column.

However, the CSRB+ can be (and presumably is) connected via the 1/8" sync jack on the light for triggering. You will also be able to group and meter the light, but you cannot adjust power. Essintially, treating the Einstein like any other light. In this set up, you would want to define Einstein as a monolight (SETUP> SPEC LIGHTS>OTHER>MONOLIGHT). Setting up your SB's as SPEEDLITES is also recommended. This will help in identifying your lights.

For optimum performance, our $29.95 CSXCV is recommended for the Einstein, which will automatically set up from the "OPEN MEMORY" menu, as well as allow for full power adjustment.

First time testing the Einstein out with skateboarding today. Not really happy..

Problem number 1

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9165/dsc4170w.jpg

I was told that my Nikon SB 600s would work with the Einstein. I had them set up to the left in this photo, and they are completely overpowered and become useless.. Now what do I do? Save up for another Einstein so I'm not stuck working with one flash again?

Problem 2

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/5575 ... rsion2.jpg

Check his left leg in the photo. Motion blur, I was told to go with the Einstein over the AB units to avoid motion blur because Im shooting skateboarding.. do I need more flash units to avoid blur like this?

Well, the Einstein IS more powerful than the SB600s. How are you setting up the shot--do you meter each light's contribution individually? At what power setting are you using the einsteins in these shots? If at high levels, then yes, your SB600s will have hard time competing with it. And, if at high levels, there can be more motion blur risk. You'd want to be in action mode, and lower power settings for the shortest duration pulse. If you are shooting at a lower speed than your max synch speed, that can also contribute to motion blur. There are a LOT of factors at play here. Are you using any modifiers with your speed lights? That can cause a stop or more loss right away.

With the first problem... the two flashes will work together fine... just have to turn down the bigger light. I'm only guessing, but the SB600 must be about 1/8th or 1/4 the power of the Einsteins. The SB800 is twice as powerful as the SB600. It doesn't mean they won't work together. Also, the image appears to have been shot at f/22. The SB600 is going to have a heck of a time pushing enought light out for you.

On the second issue... my thought is that with it being shot at f/5, the blur is from too much ambient light. No amount of flash from any company will take care of that.

The above two posts are correct. Especially the part that says there are a lot of factors at play.

Yes, Einstein is estimated to be about 8+ times more powerful than the SB800/580EX level lights. They play nicely together, but still within thier different limits and abilities. Working together is not the same as working identically.

As for the blur. If you have camera settings that show blur without the flash, they will still show blur with the flash. If the settings do not show blur, then the Einsteins will not introduce any blur themselves.

For example, I shot some...trickers/dancers... this weekend. The set we shot on was in a confrence room, lit by our old WL10,000 (I wish I could have changed to my Bees, but they were on a nother set). These durations are 1/100 of a second (t.1), and there was significant blurring in the motion. If I did not use the lights, the images would be black, therefore no apparent blurring. If I had used Einsteins in that situation, My t.1 would have been 1/1500, freezing the action nicely. This is where fast durations shine.

In brightly lit ambient, a 1/250 shutterspeed can show blur on its own. Adding flash will not remove the ambient blur. The ambient light does not have to be pitch black, but the more ambient to flash there is, the better.

Wind took out the beauty dish today and my Einstein is broke. Filling out the repair form, where is the serial number for my unit? is it the white sticker on the bottom?

Yes, it should have "E640" at or near the beginning.