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I'm looking into getting a light system.

I have been reviewing the light packages on the Elinchrom website, and mostly looking at the D-Lite 4 vs the Quadra Ranger. Besides the price, I would like to get any expert opinion on what are the major differences between these two packages.

Would both units perform the same quality under the same condition?

  • Does it just come down the Quadra Ranger just has a better build quality then the D-Lite 4?
  • It swivels better?
  • It can be placed better?
  • Is the light better on the Quadra then the D-Lite 4?

I know the Quadra is a "Pro" series light system but what makes it so "pro" that the D-Lite 4, which is half the cost, could not do?

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The Ranger series is a battery-powered power-supply-plus-head system; the DLite series is a mains-powered monolight (power supply and flash head in one box).

Unless you are doing location shooting and can't depend on mains power being available, the Ranger series is probably the wrong choice. Even if you are concerned about the weight of the DLite units for mounting, a mains-powered pack & head system would be a better choice for use in your own studio or if you can count on AC power being available. Batteries aren't forever, and mains-powered packs will recycle faster.

On the other hand, if you are shooting mostly on location and either need to be very portable or can't count on power being available, then the DLite series won't be of much use to you unless you also have a large generator handy -- a set of Elinchrom monolights can really guzzle down the power. (I always loved their recycle time -- the lights I had could keep up a pretty consistent 2 frames per second at half power.) This is where the Ranger series makes its wages, and it has some significant advantages (as a system) over competitors like Lumedyne and Quantum, where you'd need to mix and match with third-party equipment to get softboxes and other modifiers to work with the flashes. That's nothing against the competition's quality or versatility, it's just an easier task to put together a system with the Rangers.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ So the ranger is better suited for: • Mobility. Easier to move to an on set location • Lighter system to carry • Flexibility with 3rd party components Do both system provide the same "light" quality. Does one system have the ability to provide a broader range of brightness or effect with it's lighting system? \$\endgroup\$
    – lou1221
    Jan 1, 2011 at 17:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ You can achieve pretty much the same effects with both (with adapters to use the Rangers in the same basic modifiers as the mains-powered heads and monolights), but you won't be able to shoot nearly as quickly with the Ranger and the LED modeling light isn't quite the same as an incandescent. Again, which system you buy depends on what kind of work you plan to do -- if you can count on power being available, the DLite is a better choice. The last thing you want is to miss the shot because you're waiting for your flash to recycle. \$\endgroup\$
    – user2719
    Jan 1, 2011 at 17:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Does LED light provide anything more to a picture that an incandescent couldn't do ? \$\endgroup\$
    – lou1221
    Jan 2, 2011 at 4:21

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