Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I'm curious before I buy the B800 if it is able to just be used as a studio light. I have the ABR800 which I use as a flash unit, and I want to buy two studio lights just for lights and not for flashes. I've been using another photographers equipment and he has a couple 1000watt lamps and I'd like to get a very similar setup. But I want to stick with Alien Bees.

All of our lights are considered studio lights. Specifically studio flashes. I believe you are looking for a continuous light source (which can also be considered a "studio light"). Yes, you can use the model lamp only to shoot by, however, that would be a rather expensive 150W (max) continuous solution.

Additionally, if you were looking to mix flash and continuous light, you would run into issues of power (flash is ALOT brighter than continuous, possibly making the continuous not very helpful), and more importantly, color temperature. Our model lamps are in the 3000K range, while the flash tubes are in the 5600K range.

Another thing to keep in mind is 1000W lights shot at 1/100 of a second= 10Ws. The same as your B800 at minimum power. But the bees are not continuously drawing 1000W and creating the heat of 1000W. And the continuous light is not stopping action as effectively.