Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I was an early adopter of the Einstein. I purchased 4 units as soon as they became available for pre-order. Yes, it took a while to get them. Yes, there were issues with the first version.
This is the same scenario for many new products that come around ......

What really strikes me, is that, not once did I have to call Customer Service to inquire about replacement units to V2. They contacted me. They swapped out my units and I had 4 new Einsteins in 4 days.

This is the very reason I keep coming back to Paul C Buff, Inc. when I need to purchase lighting gear. You guys are simply the best in terms of product innovation and customer service I've ever run across.

Thank You!

Thanks, and you're welcome. We are constantly improving Einstein and hiring really competent tech/engineering help in USA is becoming nearly impossible. Other companies are rehashing existing technology and designs and copying things. We really should be selling E640 for $1000, but that's not in my game plan . . . particularly not in this decade of cost sensitivities.

It's in mine. I was considering a "side business" taking Einsteins out of the plastic box, putting them in an aluminum enclosure with a Profoto reflector mount (easy to build, and it has snob appeal) and a "side arm" light stand mount inspired by the Bowens Gemini Pro (it really is the nicest mount in the industry). The case would have "kewl" Swiss styling cues, and they would bear the name "Lustrer" (French for "polish". That's "buff", LOL).

I'd sell it for $1200. (Well, Hensel has their new IGBT monolight for $3,400).

Give it a much worse user manual, very scanty and cryptic, and treat customers rudely over the phone. If one comes in for service, put the guts back in the original Einstein case and send it to Paul, then put it back in the Lustrer case after Paul fixes it, and charge my customer 3x what Paul charged me for the repair. Maybe let it sit an extra couple of weeks after I get it back from Paul, to make it a more believable European "experience".

I see your tongue is in your cheek. Maybe personal preference, but I think Profoto and Elinchrom monolights are uglier than a stick . . . each in their own way. Besides that, Profoto completely screwed up the Compact design in going to D1 with recessed lamps. No good for umbrellas, softboxes, PLM, etc.

To make matters worse, if one really knows physics they know that sticking a diffuser dome in front of a focused lamp it cannot replicate the true bare bulb lighting pattern of Einstein. Light waves don't turn corners and go out the side of such a dome with as much energy as comes out the front. Really opaque glass might come close if your want to make a 200WS light out of a 500WS source.