What exactly is the "underglow effect"? Is it worth it over the NXT 200?
475560
For the underglow effect...big fat no. There is no underglow effect I'm aware of except under the regulator knobs...it's not a big deal. The biggest difference is the electronic lighting. I would warn you about getting this delivered through UPS. I had to return two of them that I ordered from Amazon because they arrived dented. I ended up ordering directly from Coleman. I'm not blamming Amazon. The packaging is the problem...not sufficient for something this size and weight.
1859176
Just a sidenote to backdrop comment...I LOVE mine and never had an issue. My advice is invest in lights with a shadow box...these are way too harsh.
875388
Haven't noticed under the eyes specifically, just a glow overall. My neck is actually most dramatically improving.
1761507
Marc,It looks like the AL2223 has slightly better features. This is the model that I will be purchasing in the coming week or so. The contrast ratio is slightly higher (800:1 as opposed to 700:1) so I think this is a better deal. Maybe others have some feedback that will add to the discussion?: Michael
1950028
Alien Bees are far the best lights in their category. Apparently it annoys Elinchrom users ( see above )who paid much more for their lights, which in many aspects are inferior to Alien Bees. I originally used Alien Bees than moved to different lights, that to different ones again. But ABs spoil their users, You would have to move way far in the price in order to get the same level of satisfaction. The lights in the price range and even more expensive look and feel and work much worse. The Elinchrom DLites, even their BX series feel so cheap in comparison, and they do break often. Recycle time is longer, flash duration is way longer and you pay premium for this. Oh by the way Elinchrom DLites show the color shift too. Most lights tend to show more warm colors when powering down. How much is the color shift of ABs ? If you measure the color at 1/2 of the power than at the full power it would be about 150K colder and at 1/16 about 200K warmer. What is 200K ? For your information a human eye cannot distinguish 200K difference when looking at one photo then another. So do not be fooled by Elinchrom fans. Check eBay. Used Alien Bees go as much as 90% of their full price, no other brand including Elinchroms can brag by that. Thousand of users cannot be wrong.
1176031
As others indicated yes the xps3 is the NV model. However I can honestly say you do not really need to pay an extra $90 for it. The lowest regular setting is as bright as the highest NV setting. The lowest NV setting is nearly indistinguishable with a gen3 NVG.The lowest regular setting does not give any light signature revealing your position either. So all that NV button is doing is giving you a few steps dimmer than the lower regular setting.Had I known that prior to getting mine I would of just saved the extra money and stuck with the xps2. One less button to fool with and one less thing to go wrong with time, but still works fine with NVG on its lowest settings. As others indicated yes the xps3 is the NV model. However I can honestly say you do not really need to pay an extra $90 for it. The lowest regular setting is as bright as the highest NV setting. The lowest NV setting is nearly indistinguishable with a gen3 NVG.The lowest regular setting does not give any light signature revealing your position either. So all that NV button is doing is giving you a few steps dimmer than the lower regular setting.Had I known that prior to getting mine I would of just saved the extra money and stuck with the xps2. One less button to fool with... » Read More As others indicated yes the xps3 is the NV model. However I can honestly say you do not really need to pay an extra $90 for it. The lowest regular setting is as bright as the highest NV setting. The lowest NV setting is nearly indistinguishable with a gen3 NVG.The lowest regular setting does not give any light signature revealing your position either. So all that NV button is doing is giving you a few steps dimmer than the lower regular setting.Had I known that prior to getting mine I would of just saved the extra money and stuck with the xps2. One less button to fool with and one less thing to go wrong with time, but still works fine with NVG on its lowest settings. « Show Less
2208650
Decidedly better. I've been using an Omni-Bounce, Gary Fong Lightsphere, etc., but getting the flash up off the camera has made a big difference. Of course, you will need a cable or do as I did and spring for a set of Phottix remote flash triggers. :)
1887047
Marc, It looks like the AL2223 has slightly better features. This is the model that I will be purchasing in the coming week or so. The contrast ratio is slightly higher (800:1 as opposed to 700:1) so I think this is a better deal. Maybe others have some feedback that will add to the discussion? : Michael
1656474
I don't personally find I experience better visibility from the Silverstar, and in addition to extra money, remember as well that the Silverstar has a shorter design life. You'll not only pay more for them, you'll replace them a lot more often. Last year I was able to find the design life data on Osram Sylvania's site, but I couldn't find it just now. However, you can expect to replace XtraVisions more often than standard halogens, and Silverstars more frequently than XtraVisions. If I recall correctly, the difference in design life can come out to years for many drivers. The brighter bulbs achieve the extra "brightness" by burning a smaller filament at a higher temperature, so life suffers heavily. I don't personally find I experience better visibility from the Silverstar, and in addition to extra money, remember as well that the Silverstar has a shorter design life. You'll not only pay more for them, you'll replace them a lot more often. Last year I was able to find the design life data on Osram Sylvania's site, but I couldn't find it just now. However, you can expect to replace XtraVisions more often than standard halogens, and Silverstars more frequently than XtraVisions. If I recall correctly, the difference in design life can come out to years for many drivers. The brighter bulbs... » Read More I don't personally find I experience better visibility from the Silverstar, and in addition to extra money, remember as well that the Silverstar has a shorter design life. You'll not only pay more for them, you'll replace them a lot more often. Last year I was able to find the design life data on Osram Sylvania's site, but I couldn't find it just now. However, you can expect to replace XtraVisions more often than standard halogens, and Silverstars more frequently than XtraVisions. If I recall correctly, the difference in design life can come out to years for many drivers. The brighter bulbs achieve the extra "brightness" by burning a smaller filament at a higher temperature, so life suffers heavily. « Show Less
461136
I purchased mine specifically for gaming with PS3 and PS4, although I secondarily use it for movies as well. I could not be more pleased. I have not noticed any problems of any kind (so no banding or crescents that I've ever seen). I recently played a stealth game which naturally lives in the shadows. The dark rendering of this environment was fantastic. On the flip side, I've also played Knack which is full of very vivid colors. There are also a great deal of configuration options to get the look that you want.
2179407
Close to a mirror image for day. By night the IR really is not effective. My brake & backup lights help augment a little for darkness. The IR Blasters that come on the unit just create optical distortion. Good unit for the price I guess, I've seen better ones go for $150 and upwards. Good luck.
466670
Hi, smart question you just asked me. The light output is not sufficient to work under the hood, unfortunately. I do a lot of work on my 300zx and this light output is disappointing. I now just use it in a closet, which is dark so the light is ok for that. More robust is the way to go. It was cool that you asked me! Joe
1793896
forget about this. If you realy want high effencency go HID. You dont have to pay a lot. The cheapest one worth high price tag. I've tried both.
319447
There's a lot of misunderstanding about this mode. In good light, it gives you a different curve, or look, to the colors and highlights, shadows, etc. Some people like this look, and it gives you another tool to work with. For indoor, or darker situations, the less talked about feature is the spotlight setting. This setting zeros the gain, so in low light you get terrific video with no graininess--up to a point. You need to use it with 24p. The camera has lots of settings, so you really can't lose. For events--concerts, indoors, school plays, etc, the spotlight setting is a real pro feature.
303009
if you ask about illumination is better if you put some 4300k or 6000k, it brings more light, similar like the sun light but in my personal opinion the 8000k are the more popular or stylish, it depends on your election, and also depends in the brand of the hid. This is the first time I buy kensun hid lights.
295058
the matte and glossy finish is not an issue. And my 71F is in a room that gets tons of light. I'm not sure what some people are talking about when they warn about the finish. It only adds the beauty of the set. Go for it!
1794472
Certainly not for me, I could not justify the reduced light transmission of the APD filter. I use this often at f/1.2 and the APD version may be worse than f/1.4, some say 3/4 an f stop. Personally I thought about changing until I saw the impact on light and a rendering that i did not prefer.