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Profoto Goodies: Acute 600e compact strobe kit and Acute 2400 kit.

fotografz

Well-known member
Kit #1 consists of a 3 outlet Profoto 600e AC generator box, one Acute e Head, one Zoom reflector, power cord, sync cord, and one Microsync remote trigger with sender.

This is a tiny but powerful asymmetrical portrait or location kit, The box is only 5" X 6" X 7.5" and will drive any Acute head. Power ranges from 600w/s to 75w/s ... the lowest power setting allows portrait work with wider apertures.

The Acute e head is lighter weight than standard Profoto Acute heads and features user replaceable strobe bulb as well as a standard household bulb socket for the modeling light. Just one head and a reflector flat and you are in business :thumbup:

The Microsync wireless trigger doesn't have the signal distance of a Pocket wizard, but is quite small, and the sender portion of the kit is literally tiny ... perfect for cameras like an Olympus, Leica M, but will work on any camera with a hot shoe. The receiver portion shown in the photo takes common AA batteries. The sender is not shown ... it is what triggered the strobe in the photo :)

Kit as described: $875. plus shipping
If you are a full time photo student, and can provide proof of such, the price is $675.


Kit #2 consists of one Profoto Acute 2400 ALFA AC 3 outlet generator box, power cord, sync cord, and includes one Pocket Wizard MultiMax trigger with Paramount Cords ingenious plug-in to secure the pocket wizard (the pocket Wizard is removemable for other useage.) The Acute 2400 ALFA accepts any Acute, Acute e, or D4 strobe head with power adjustable from 2400a/s to 300w/s. This box was just serviced by Profoto and works like new.

Price is $975. for the kit as shown.

Why a generator box verses self contained mono-heads? A generator box allows central control of up to 3 heads rather than moving around the set to each mono-light to alter the light output ... and allows placement of the lighter weight strobe heads on boom-arms, inside softboxes with diffuser covers, or in awkward, hard to reach positions.

Shipping/insurance costs are the responsibility of the buyer. Ground shipping is suggested. US buyers only please. If you are local to the Detroit area, I will throw in a new light stand and Wescott umbrella. Or if someone also wants those they can have them for the additional shipping costs.

Payment via PayPal e-check (add slight fee), check accepted but has to clear before shipping. Regular Paypal buyer adds fee.

Reasons for selling? I now have two Profoto D4 2400R boxes, a Hensel Pro Mini 1200AS kit and Porty Premium 1200 kit, 5 Profoto Mono heads and am adding a Hensel 1500 Speed ... enough already :LOL:
 
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jlm

Workshop Member
i'm toying with the idea of the 2400 to replace what i have now (I use two 800watt Alien Bees in softboxes); what would you see as the advantage of moving to profoto? for some minimal studio tabletop work, quite a bit of wall mounted art, now shot with the two AB's and softboxes
 

fotografz

Well-known member
John, I'm assuming that your Alien Bees are self contained mono heads. FYI, they do not make any 800 w/s heads ... they call them B800s, which are 320 true w/s with the caveat of being 800 effective w/s (sorry, I don't know what that means.) Nothing wrong with Alien Bees and if were you I'd keep them for background lighting.

The first advantage is that you are working with a generator box which provides central control. This specific box let's you distribute and refine 2400 w/s light output to three separate heads. Three heads are always better than two ;) I frequently use three heads in most of the work I do ... Key, fill and the 3rd to refine ... often with a modifier like a grid to pinpoint light ... or as a bottom light with a translucent product table.

So, for example of central control: if I were shooting wall mounted art I'd have a soft box mounted on a boom arm high above and pointed down 3/4 similar to the way museums light paintings. With a generator box you can dial the light balance right from the camera position ... with a mono head you have to lower the light on the boom each time to adjust the power level.

If you use monos in a really good soft box that encloses the head, (like the Elinchrom Octabox with a diffuser that I use with a Profoto twin head), with a mono you have to rip off the diffuser every time you want to adjust the power. If you have a bottom light under a translucent product table, you have to crawl under the table to adjust levels ... etc., etc., etc.

The other advantage is 2400w/s ... lets say you are shooting some small objects with a CFV and 120 macro with a C/U tube ... and you need to stop down to get the item sharp back to front ... you need some power.

Profoto is a good brand, built to last, and easy to get serviced ... and most all of the lighting modifiers work with all heads.:thumbup:
 

fotografz

Well-known member
generator looks great, but the profoto twin heads are $$
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/294083-REG/Profoto_701_111_Pro_7_Twin_Flash.html

any suggestions here?
That head is for the the monster $8000. Pro 7 generator boxes John. This box used the much more affordable Acute, and Acute D4 heads ... which are relatively easy to find used or demos (B&H has Acute D4s in their used department right now).

You'd need a twin for what you're doing like another hole in your head anyway.

I have one in a 7' X 5' soft box, and rarely use the twin capibility.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
sounds like we can make a deal; i won't need the wizard though, as I already have three...
 

jlm

Workshop Member
marc:
generator arrived, seems I am a bit unclear about settings.
the profoto site only has info on the non-alpha box, which has full, half and 1/4 settings for A and B, plus the bracket goes from 1 to 1/4, and it has several other controls.

this box has full and half, then the bracket control adjusts overall from 1 to 1/2.
i put in two heads, that would be a max of 1200 per head, now i want to cut overall power to 1/4, or 300 per head. set each control to 1/2, then the bracket to 1/2? what about the A+B and A-B switch>

do the modeling lights dim accordingly?
what is the small fine adjustment knob in between the Flash On and A power switch?

next would be how to proportion the power between A and B different from 1:1

thanks
 

fotografz

Well-known member
marc:
generator arrived, seems I am a bit unclear about settings.
the profoto site only has info on the non-alpha box, which has full, half and 1/4 settings for A and B, plus the bracket goes from 1 to 1/4, and it has several other controls.

this box has full and half, then the bracket control adjusts overall from 1 to 1/2.
i put in two heads, that would be a max of 1200 per head, now i want to cut overall power to 1/4, or 300 per head. set each control to 1/2, then the bracket to 1/2? what about the A+B and A-B switch>

do the modeling lights dim accordingly?
what is the small fine adjustment knob in between the Flash On and A power switch?

next would be how to proportion the power between A and B different from 1:1

thanks
John, instructions are on the Profoto USA site:

http://www.profoto-usa.com/

This is the manual listing:

http://www.profoto-usa.com/customerservice/manuals/

Go here and download this manual ... pictured right on the first page is your generator box.

http://www.profoto-usa.com/customerservice/manuals/Acute12&24.pdf
 

jlm

Workshop Member
marc: thanks, unit works fine.

now to try and decipher that symmetric/asymmetric mumbo-jumbo and the inward/outward pointing arrow cyphers.
looks like it has a slave photo detector as well

jm
 

fotografz

Well-known member
marc: thanks, unit works fine.

now to try and decipher that symmetric/asymmetric mumbo-jumbo and the inward/outward pointing arrow cyphers.
looks like it has a slave photo detector as well

jm
John, go back to that Profoto USA manuals site and click on the Acute 600e-1200e pdf ...
then scroll down to the label showing all the output configurations ... print that and stick it on the side of ther box for a quick reference guide until you get it down pat.

All Acutes configure power in this manner. So, if I recall correctly it's the same distribution configurations as your box ... only yours is 2400 w/s total. At least it'll show you how to make equal light out put (symmetrical) or unequal light output (asymmetrical)... at various levels of intensity measured in watt seconds (w/s) ... but your box is more powerful so the numbers are actually higher.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
thanks marc; i can follow the chart, but am too dopey to understand exactly what the A+B, A arrow B actually means
 

fotografz

Well-known member
thanks marc; i can follow the chart, but am too dopey to understand exactly what the A+B, A arrow B actually means
It's just a way to distribute the levels of output ... I never cared why it was that way.

You just creatively decide what you want ... and how much of it.

If it's even light, like for lighting a larger group of people evenly, it's Symmetrical you'd want ... then you decide how much light, and use the different combinations of settings to achieve it.

If you want to do a key directional light and a fill, like lighting a portrait, then it's Asymmetrical you want, and again, decide how much light using the various combinations of settings.

You can refine the basic settings by altering the distance from the light to the subject ... or by use of diffusion ... or by bouncing light off of a large surface like foamcore, a nutral colored wall, or a collapsable flat.

What kind of light modifiers are you thinking of?
 

Jeremy

New member
Oh, I wish I'd seen this deal on the 600e setup (especially being a student) before it sold! I also must applaud the after-purchase help from fotografz.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
marc is the best.

But I only bought the 2400, so as far as I know he still has the 600
 

Jeremy

New member
I think I was confused because Mark refers to the 600e/1200e manual, but John asks about 2400 w/s packs.

Mark can you give us an update on what's still available? I'm interested in the 600e setup if it's still available.
 
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