The KSPD WebLog

After my disaster with my Inovatronix ExplorerXT I decided to go with the AlienBees Vagabond II.  All I can say is that it performed FLAWLESSLY!  I have nothing bad to say about it. The recycle times were impressive (less than 1 second with 3 AlienBees B800 units at about 1/8 power).  It’s nice to be back in action in the mobile power department.

Rena did great and she is a long-time friend.   We sneaked into and shot in the old sub-level of Old Sacramento.  It was a fun shoot and I really enjoyed working with her!

Had another outdoor shoot with Veronika.  Typical AlienBees 2x B800 setup.  This location was more remote and there was no power available.  I used my Innovatronix ExplorerXT and it worked great for about 5 minutes then it went DEAD.  I finally realized that after owning the unit for about a year, the unit was deffective and it has never charged correctly.  I always thought it was wierd that the charging LED never stayed lit for more than about 30 seconds but I thought it was still charging because it had always worked fine.  After this shoot, I now finally understand that I have just slowly been depleating the charge of the batter over a year long period and that it has never really been charged since I have owned it.  I now have a completely useless, dead external power pack that is out of warranty and no longer a winner in my opinion.  Even better, I can’t get a hold of Innovatronix for support or anything.  I’ve emailed and called with no luck.  I guess you get what you pay for.

I purchased a Paul C Buff external power source today.  I have a feeling it will perform much better.

I am working on building my people portfolio this month and Laura was kind enough to pose for me.

These shots are very straight forward.  Alienbees B800 key light with large octodome with grid and another Alienbees B800 with medium softbox for fill.