I started with profoto, well back in 2017, it was an aspirational purchase for me at the time. And several years later, I added more profoto units to my work.
I've been in the Profoto system for about 7 years... probably won't change. However when asked by new photographers I do point them towards Westcott...
I own both and the Profoto is such a higher quality in every respect. I felt like I was manipulated when I heard that the Westcott was Jinbei and not designed from the ground up as advertised. I only have 2 Profotos but what a difference in ease of use. Profoto for me. Westcott and Godox is a good starter system.
The AD200 had been the benchmark of value/performance but the FJ200 raised the bar. One thing the FJ200 has the AD200 doesn’t is the ability to plug in wall power and shoot all day. Same on the FJ400 that is comes with the plug vs $110 extra on Godox. If I had to fully start over, the FJ series is where I would spend my money.
@@MichaelFrederickPhoto What I meant to say was if the battery died and you connected the charger, would it work right away? Some people don't leave things in charged all the time because it's not good for the battery long term.
@@kifley19 that is correct, from what I read it will NOT work if dead then you plug it in. Its more of a feature to keep the battery juiced while shooting.
@@MichaelFrederickPhotoThis is my biggest issue with the feature. I truly feel there needs to be a way to bypass the battery entirely and power the light. I own four FJ400s, and while they've been solid lights, I'm genuinely concerned about what happens if I'm on a shoot and one of the batteries decides to die permanently (not super common but absolutely happens). I would essentially be out of luck unless I had a replacement battery. I contacted Westcott years ago asking if they had any plans to offer an attachment for direct AC power. They responded informing me that they did not. This single thing would give me so much peace of mind for the longevity of these lights.
Being a hobbyist, and not a professional photographer, I decided to graduate from Paul Buff strobes to Flashpoint/Godox a few years back due to the fact I could finally cut the power cords and go with batteries. Pricing and quality are both really good! Sal, you realize you dated yourself with the "White Lightning" comment. I love how you continually pump out the entertaining and instructional videos. Hopefully, I can get to St. Louis in the next couple of years for Shutter Fest! 🤣
Very informative video, Sal. Thank you. I have a bunch of Elinchrom gear but, a couple of years ago invested in some Westcott strobes. I have to say that the Westcott gear is great and I'm really impressed by the gear. Very notable is Westcott's ability to work with other brands and also their transmitters work with multiple camera brands. Thank you again!
I am 90% profoto, mostly older gear from 2000, Newer items are A1, B1, B2 and Ice lights. Flashes are Nikon thru the years and Quantum Trio and X5dr used for weddings.
Thank you for a VERY comprehensive review. I hang my hat in Nashville, TN. Home to Paul C Buff. So...I use their Einstein units (640WS) @ $500, as opposed to a Profoto 500WS unit @ $2000+. I have never had a problem with the Einsteins, and they've NEVER miss fired or not fired. Color balance has never wavered. They always work, and do exactly what they're supposed to do. That said - a few years ago, a famous You Tuber (Mark Wallace) did a studio power comparison of several strobes in the 500WS range. Two of which were a Profoto B1 @ 500WS and the Buff Einstein @ 640WS (which, factually only relates to a 1/3 stop difference). Interesting find was that the Profoto @ 500WS fired about 1/2 stop brighter than the Einstein @ 640 WS. Which implies/indicates that the "efficiency" of a unit can often be more important than its actual listed power capacity!! Which, in turn, referencing your comparison, I was surprised that the FJ200 was "only" a stop less than the B10. I was guessing it would be 2 stops or more. I will never own a Profoto simply because of their prices, but that said, IMO, they are probably the "most" efficient strobes on the market per WS rating, with the possible exception of Broncolor.
Always a big fan of your channel and Behind the Shutter Magazine since day one. I miss the hard copy issues and understand the reasons why it's not published. Great videos you put out. Anyhow, I've been with Elinchrome since 1980. Norman and Elinchrome were the only brands available for rent back then here. I used to get stuck with renting Elinchrome, so I got to know them best. It was a no-brainer to buy Elinchrome as I had bought my own accessories for the Elinchrome rentals. Not saying they're the best, I just know them the best. I'm still using 1990's EL 250, 500 and 1000 monoblocs with the Skyport trigger system.
Great video Sal! My first system was Phottix, but switched to Profoto because of your inspiring Great Wall China video and have not looked back since then. Thank you for all you do and see you soon at Shutterfest! 🙌🏼
Great job as usual Brooklyn My concern is that a lot of the FJ units seem to be rebranded Jenbei flashes Several years back I had a version of that that locked up on me in the cold. It almost cost me an opportunity for a championship photo. I had two 600 ex’s in my bag. They worked in the same temperature without any issues The next day I started buying profoto A year later I was in the same situation but a few degrees colder. I fired up two B2 and they were amazing. I am in Northern Arizona several of my counterparts have Godox with the extremes of summer and winter they are all dumping their systems. You can get a B10 new not the X for under 1400 new. Used under 1,000 For me I would rather have the quality Thanks for all that you do
Man, good overview, but the first thing you should have to say is that you are in the Westcott page. So you cooperate with them. Not disclosing a partnership when reviewing a product is not only problematic from the ethics point of view but also legally risky in some jurisdictions.
One question no one ever asks is do you want to buy products from a communist country. My first flash gear was from Norman, then went into Photogenic and Speedotron. I almost bought into the Elinchrom system but my local camera store had a special on the Profoto B1 travel kits as they were getting ready to get the B1X in stock. I did buy the Adorama Orlit because I wanted a cheap battery operated monolight for when I work around children, but it died after just a few months of use. So yes I believe the Profoto's are worth the money. I have also worked with White Lighting and Alien Bee so I know my way around flash equipment. Thanks for the video.
If you really want a beast of a flash look at the Godox AD1200 Pro. You buy one of those for the price of a B10 and that Godox will whoop that thing in every way.
In the end, get what you can afford and when you start being held back by certain constraints or features of your kit, upgrade. There are valid arguments for all of these brands in the different niches of photography.
Been a long time Paul C Buff Light user (AlienBees to Einstein) and now I've switched over to Profoto. My main reason is the technology because I can also use these lights with my mobile device OR my Hasselblad H System.
Im in the Profoto system, but im seriously been thinking of making a change, its just to damn expensive. As you say i get a lot of strobes from Westcott and only one from Profoto, the economy in Profoto is just not good at all. All the things around Profoto is expensive, light shapers, transmitters, spare parts. For a small business as my own, well is hard to carry. But i also like the lights, they never fail, the oldest strobe is my B1X from 2017, it has done a lot of work and still works like a dream, my B10s is just great, love them but i also been thought, never fall in love with plan A. Money is sadly the thing that mean the different at the end of the month. So next strobe for me will be some Westcotts FJ 200 instead of a new B10.
I bought an extra battery with my FJ200 and I also picked up the AC Adapter for in-studio use. Honestly, I've never had to switch or use either, but better to have than to need.
Really appreciate the review. Always good info from Sal. I have been a long time user of a > decade of PB Einsteins and was happy with them in that for their price point they were ahead of their time. I think as their innovator aged the new products produced by the company slowed to a standstill until they finally produced the Link. The Link was a brick and after a lot of input from fellow photographers I finally jumped ship and bought a 1/2 dozen of the Flashpoint 600 pros while they were on a big sale and for when I was traveling and just wanted something I could just shove in a bag I caught up some Flashpoint 200 pros and 300 pros. So far so good. I wanted the portability without a lot of bulk , PB since introduced their new 500 ws light but they don't have the broad choice of lighting and flashes on the same system. On the Profotos, I haven't ever used them but have heard that their reflectors can also be better than some of the competition so may help them on the power side when using direct light. I always watch your videos and appreciate keeping on all the new choices out there. So many more quality choices than 10-15 years ago. Thank you for all you do.
I have tried the Westcott system-FJ 400, FJ200, and the original FJ80. This is from the perspective of a long time Profoto user. What ultimately dissuaded me from buying into the Westcott system is that more than two years after the Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II were released, Westcott cannot figure full compatibility (TTL and HSS). And now the Nikon Z9, which is my primary camera, has the same fate. It has been more than a year. In speaking with a Westcott representative, they talked about “partial compatibility”, but my testing show terribly inconsistencies. So if you’re a Nikon shooter with any of the recent mirrorless bodies, including the flagship Z9, you can use them manually with Westcott’s system, but TTL and HSS will be iffy.
Always enjoy your videos and like your work. This video was well done, but a couple of your conclusions were not really apples to apples. Where you went off the tracks a bit was comparing the recycle times and battery life. Since your measurement showed the Profoto B10 read one full stop more powerful, it would make sense that the FJWestcott had faster recycle times and longer battery life because of it's smaller capacity capacitor. The battery only has to charge up to 200Ws, not 250Ws. The same goes for amount of energy transfered from the battery to the smaller capacitor. Drop the Profoto B10 down 1 stop and look at those specifications again, the Profoto is going to be very competitive.
ahhhh... i agree and dont agree. i have a a10 which has a fraction of the power. The A10 has a battery that gets 450 full-power flashes full-power recycling time of one second
@@SalCincotta1 Cool, so if I use my A10 batteries on my B10's I'll get faster recycle times, save money on batteries and have the same battery life!! (JUST KIDDING!! 😄) Good shooting to you and thanks for all the videos!
$1795 for a B10? Dang. You can get an FJ400 and have gobs more power for $599 or a Godox AD400 Pro for $649. I'm willing to pay for quality though, I just need to understand why Profoto is more expensive.
I have been such a fan of profoto and never mis firing and not over heating in the summer heat. How do they compare in that area because I started with godox and hated there lights due to mis fires and over heating in the summer heat. Switch to full profoto and will never switch now just love profoto. Yes I cringe paying for there gear but hopefully it last. I do wish profoto light modifier were cheaper but it is what it is lol.
i agree with you 100% on the godox. its cheap... and inferior for those reasons and many others. which i know is not a popular opinion. :) as for heat, etc... we shall see as i put them to use this summer in the st louis and floirda heat!!!
@@SalCincotta1 I know this is an older Vid but the overheat issue is one that I am concerned with. I have Godox and a limited Profoto system. I got a B10x because my AD300 Pro would overheat indoors on a portrait shoot?! I did not fell I put mucht abuse toward it either. Same reason I have Profoto A1x series over the V1 (I have both still) The overheat issue... How do these Westcotts do out when putting a lot of shots through them being that they're just rebranded cheap strobes??
@@ChongLisDriveThru i can only speak to personal experience. I have not had a single issue with overheating with profoto or westcott. When I am outside - im pushing the units at full power and firing a lot of shots. no issues to report. :) hope that helps.
I still use Alien Bees. They aren't the most progressive true, but I have stayed with them because of their customer service and value. I am really excited to try their new Celestial unit. I am hoping it is the competitor I have been holding out for. It would be great to see you do a similar video with that unit Sal.
I was not aware the Alie Bees was still alive. I remember reading the magazines and dreaming of them, 20 years ago. They were left behind by the technology train. Westcott had the money and could buy themselves back.
I've been looking to invest in Profoto but I've been read a lot of negative perspective from users saying their B10's not being reliable (both on forums and Profo FB groups). What has your experience been like over the long term.
For me they’ve always been reliable I mean I’ve used them for hundreds and hundreds of shoots and they’re incredibly reliable triggers work for long distances so I’m shocked anyone would say that they’re on reliable
My B10's have fired thousands of time in the last few years and never a problem. I also bought the B1's when they first came out and did a job in a gym with kids doing action stuff. I took 1000 images in one hour and the Profoto strobes never missed a frame.
Thank you for this video. I was hoping to hear some commentary on quality of the light, or look that the light can make. Do Profoto light strobes inherently make a "look" that is unique to the brand? For example, can someone look at the final result and know that it was shot on Profoto and definitely not Westcott?
I do not believe someone can look at the light and know the brand. this is usually tied to the type of light modifier you use. quality of light - we might start talking about duration of flash, color consistency, etc. I have seen no discernible difference in that for my work.
@@SalCincotta1 Sir I respect your views but there is a marked difference between a Godox light VS Elinchrom VS Profoto VS Westcott.. And I'm talking purely about the "Quality of Light" itself, which hasn't been discussed in the video above. Last month I've rented almost every brand and there is a HUGE difference between quality of Profoto and other brands out there. Of course most clients and amateurs won't be able to tell any difference. I tried my level best to save the expensive bucks and stick to Elinchrom but I did eventually buy Profoto.. of course its expensive but there is a difference in quality for SURE.. I'm surprised you haven't discussed about that in your video above..
@@studio6331 nothing you are saying is wrong... but there is the law of diminishing returns. and thats sorta my point in the video. as someone who owns all these lights... the difference is negligible at this point. again - imo. you would be hard pressed to look over my work and tell me which was shot with profoto vs westcott. hell... i would be hardpressed without seeing BTS. so build quality... i discuss that. but final results... i cant get there with you. again... its ROI. whats the noticable difference vs the cost to get there? is it worth 3-4x the price?? thats a tough one for me.
@@SalCincotta1 yes seeing how I'm migrating from Godox/Flashpoint to the westcott system.. I'm really looking forward to hitting the Westcott shooting bays at shutterfest!!
The nice thing about Westcott is the universal remote. You don’t need a dedicated remote for each camera brand except Sony. In some ways you need to look at Westcott as a disposable product. The cost to repair just won’t make sense. Just buy a new one and get a fresh battery.
Measuring the light output without a modifier makes no sense. The Profotos have this recessed flash tube and a reflector build in. this makes the beam more focussed and not 180-270 degree like a sticking out flash tube - means the beam is always already focussed and so more powerful at the same output. This also has negative impact like more uneven lit bigger shallow softboxes. ... so comparing with a maybe small 60cm double diffision softbox would be more realistic.
haha i will respectfully disagree. if i did the review with a modifier - i have the same complaints that using a modifier makes no sense because it introduces a softbox which modifies and alters the light... blah blah blah... so... yeah... :) no one is going to be happy no matter what.
@@SalCincotta1 hehe, I would not even say this is a disagreement, more like an unfortunate fact, which mean you can bet on these complaints - safe ;) it is complicated. Sometimes the different beam angle will be an advantage, sometimes a disadvantage. A lot of old Profoto users hating this new OCF Design. ven worse, old photographers know that Ws was never comparable - even in the same brand. Monoheads - vs Packs, vs different Flashtubes (Omega, Stick, Ring, .. )whatever:...
450 vs 400 flashes and the Profoto has 1 stop mor light output, than you can turn the power to half on the Profoto and get 800 flashes. And faster recycling time, and faster flash to stop motion…
I think you might be missing the point the same can hold true for the 200. So you’ve done nothing but prove the point I’m making at the end of the day you have to determine if it’s worth three times the money.
@@SalCincotta1 Sorry didn’t see to the end.. “the same can hold true for the 200” yes! but then at one stop les than the Profoto again! And so it goes… So I’m not missing the point with my point! Regarding the price, you often get what you pay for (50w more used on the Profoto, but double the power output) that’s one of the reasons it more expensive.. Thanks for the video…
Whoa, a full stop more power? That means the profoto is a hack of a lot more effecient! I mean, in watt/s its just a 20% increase, thats nowhere near a full stop
@@SalCincotta1 well with just a 50 watt/s increase i would expect them to be in the same ballpark with the light output. (as in the step from 200 to 250 is like 25% more power, not a 100%, but there is not a 25% increase in light output, there is a 100% increase right?) It's like the profoto is a 400 watt/s light compared to the westcott.
@@minedgroundhog youre equating a 1 stop of light output with 100% increase and then concluding that its more efficient... if the profoto 250w was like a 400 w... then when i compared a 400w light to it... then it would match up in power output and it wont.
I have tried both systems. I had an 80% out-of-the-box failure rate with Westcott. Bad batteries, triggers that didn't work and the FJ200s were the worst of all. The first one had high voltage electric arcing inside along with the smell of ozone. The second FJ200 lit up the overheating light out of the box and wouldn't flash. If you want reliable gear and don't want to be embarassed when your equipment fails in front of a client, stick with Profoto. Also, unlike Profoto and the Westcott FJ400, you cannot charge the battery while you are using the FJ200.
Why is that profoto users tend to ASUME or CLAIM that Godox lights doesn't come with warranty? NO one buys Godox lights from China, they buy Godox lights from the SAME company you get your profoto light from, and they all come with 1 or 2 years warranty.
You buy them from the same place? Hmm. News to me. Bought my Westcott from Westcott. In fact I was on a shoot yesterday and one of their techs FaceTimed me to help me w the stupid user issue I was having. I’m sure it’s the same at godox. Ironic though on the choice of the word assume in this statement from you. Seems like you may have assumed my friend. :)
@@SalCincotta1 You mean to tell me you had NO idea people In the US buy their profoto or (rebranded) godox at B&H or Adorama (to name a few)? Doesn't B&H or Adorama give out warrenty with thier product? In the UK here we buy our (rebranded)godox lights at EssentialPhoto and it comes with 2yrs warrenty. I have noticed that most Americans HATE anything that comes out of China. I bet you did not know that the westcott FJ lights are rebranded Jenbei lights (who copied godox lights).
@@akpevbe I’m highlighting what you’re saying is not accurate. What you do in the uk is not what we do here and vice versa. We can buy direct from both companies. That’s a fact. I can get support direct from each company. Another fact. I can not get support from godox. Yet another fact. And at the end of the day… talking to bh is not the same as direct access to the manufacturer. Whew… yet another fact. So… I appreciate you swinging but to get all puffy on me, but it’s time to sit down. Thanks and cheers. :) uk is a favorite for me!
@@SalCincotta1 Hahaha not getting puffy my G, just surprise that a long time photographer NEEDS to contact manufacturers to TEACH you how to use a simple flash lights 🤣🤣🤣.
