What Portable Flash Kit Should I Buy? Comparing Einstein, Profoto B1 and the Broncolor Move 1200L

49 37



In this video, I go over the pros and cons of these battery-operated, portable flash photography studio lighting kits: The E640 Einstein Flash Kit from Paul C. Buff, the Profoto B1, and the Broncolor Move 1200L. Specific links to each piece of gear can be found at:

Buying your first strobe kit is a serious investment, so I’ve designed this tutorial to help first-time buyers, and buyers looking to upgrade their gear, better wrap their heads around the complexities of such a niche market.

I am not loyal to any specific brand. In this video, you will see Frankenstein-like creations of lighting kits made from many different pieces. The quality of equipment is much more important than the name that’s written on it, so I’m only including gear that I have actually used in the past and that I know to be good.

Tutorial filmed by Jared Levy and edited by James Daniel and Caleb Adams.

49 Comments
  1. Klaus Enrique says

    This was actually really useful. Thank you!

  2. Derick Shalo says

    Lol! Feel for those who spent money for these. Battery pack?? What the hell is that?? Talk about dinosaurs!!

  3. Especial 2X1 says

    bitch, have you seen yourself in a mirror?

  4. ifoxino says

    best review Joey ever. thanks a lot, i will choise profoto.

  5. MOVE says

    Bro, I see that you've witnessed so many people used 30$ stands, that you've mentioned like 5 times😂😂 that was a good one👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😂

  6. andy van says

    BEAUTIFUL voice over ( sounds like JIM Carey- AKA the Actor from "the cable guy" and "dumb&dumber" ), sounds really creepy :))))

  7. Stanley Wall says

    Beautiful Video … thank you ..you gave me great help with that ….

  8. Mat Teakle says

    This was extremely helpful. Thank you!

  9. Pardeep Dhaliwal says

    What abut Broncolor Siros l ?????

  10. Andres Capasso says

    te odio sos re sarpado y ni 30 capo cualquiera, que tengo que hacer con mis proximos 4 años de vida wacho na que ver re mono

  11. Crunk Lil says

    The strobes make the girl looks not so beautiful

  12. Donald Schiffer says

    Oh how things have changed since this was made…

  13. Mamiya Phan says

    I liked the color of the Einstein's the best

  14. z0rkny says

    Hey Joey, I would love to see an updated video with the DigiBees and Godox AD600 lines included. Those are real game changers for entry and mid-level market purchasers.

  15. Daniel Caja says

    Can you recommend a battery pack for the Profoto D1 (!) with good value? Thank you!

  16. Calebe Teles says

    Sorry for maybe a dumb question but do you use only one light for everything?
    if it's only one, that's ok, but I was searching for a system to use with a big main light and one or 2 other not so big ones.
    I'm new in this lighting stuff, but as I'm seeing I can't mix different brands of light so easily. So what system to invest?
    Now, the most interest for me has been the godox system which can use another brand speedlights and also have the AD200 and AD600 pro which would be great for a complete, but also "portable" light set.
    Is there another interesting system?

  17. Rhajiv Marmeto says

    Hi. Thank you for this video. This is what I really need to understand the world of Photography. I am reading right now the Lighting 101 in Strobist website and find it really really helpful! Thank you so much.

  18. Vadim Om says

    28:13
    dude, are you shure that you even know how to use a dslr? you are missing focus all the time, again and again
    these reference photos are awfull!

  19. Lorenzo Rhino says

    God damn good review!

  20. Blake Aghili says

    Joey! What is your backdrop here? I like it

  21. Juan García says

    There is a little profoto spot here

  22. don cox says

    ok i call BS on this hole video , 1 he didnt keep with in brand with his kits. 2 he acts like if you dont shoot with high dollar lights you cant get good photos and last he showed us edited photos as to show what you get from the higher end lights

  23. Luciano Di Gennaro says

    Can you tell me what is the brand of your C stand here? I want to buy the same exact model if i can find. Thank you

  24. AndyGoodstuff says

    An hour ago I was looking at LED lighting for under $50… What the fuck have I gotten myself into.

  25. jhonny smith says

    profoto is better in my opinion in terms of color and light quality broncolor looks meh …
    so i think B4 is worth 2000 more if light quality is same as baby monolight aka ( B1 )

  26. Ed Silva says

    Great comparison and love you honest commentary! The para177 photos look breathtaking!

  27. Urs Kuckertz says

    If you wanna test the real, robust, long lasting battery-operated portable flash, I would recommend the Bläsing Acculine 1200. The Move L is not even close to it. This company is since 50 years on the market and they created the proper light for car photography and now having this awesome accu babe. Have fun

  28. stepitup says

    I agree totally with your assessment of B1 and Elinchrom modifiers. I do the exact same thing.

  29. stepitup says

    I love it! This shit is expensive!!!

  30. Susie Czellar says

    You explained the info very well. Thank you for taking the time.

  31. Adrian David Payne says

    What is the Modifier Model # of the one on the floor at 19:08 ?

  32. "Space dock". I nearly died. lol

  33. Elena Kamenskaya says

    The BEST educational video I've ever seen. So clear and to the point. Thank you!!!

  34. sackheimbeutlin says

    Nice comparisation Joey! If anyones interested in a Broncolor move Kit with 2 Lamps, I just put mine on ebay for a reasonable price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Broncolor-Move-1200-L-Outdoor-Kit-2-/322744785346?

  35. RenoAudiNV says

    A sincere thank you for putting this together

  36. Amy Ortiz says

    Do you use a camera stand and if so Maybe I missed it what is your favorite one?

  37. Kathy B says

    Did u have to get any extra parts to mount the Einstein on top of the C-stand? If so what did u use?

  38. Feebysworld says

    dude, I get it. GET THE C-STAND. duh.

  39. Ctyler93 says

    So what about a budget setup for more of a beginner like a 300$ light (not including modifiers) and use as my main light then go with a few of my yongnuo 560iv for backround hair light etc.

  40. Milton Dass says

    Thanks we will try move broncolor.

  41. JM says

    @8:00 is he talking like Kai Wong just without the British accent? xD

  42. Sina Arnold says

    hey joey
    Thank you for the Video!
    What do you think about Jinbei Hd V?

  43. Pete Delaney says

    An incredibly well done presentation. Thank you so much!

  44. Stro Via says

    hi joey, i hope you have the time to answer my question. broncolor move is rated at 1200w. broncolor 800l is rated at 800w. i shot yesterday with broncolor 800l but i fell im an still under exposed whe i do HSS at iso50, 1/4000 f1.4 broad daylight. sony a7rii. my question is. should i just double up on broncolor 800l, i mean use 2 in the modifier which should yield 1600w or the Broncolor move still better? thanks

  45. Trent Austin says

    "I travel light. Weight is really important to me." Followed by, "You must carry a c-stand," without so much as an acknowledgement that they're far heavier than other stands. Followed by zero information on the weight of any of these kits, aside from a single mention that one of them is 8 lbs. lighter than a kit not even being reviewed. All of which means he should have said: "Weight is KINDA important to me, but I don't have to carry much of this stuff myself, so, I don't really think about it." And that's great. Assistants are great. But weight really IS important to me, and I know nothing more about it now than I did 30 minutes ago.

  46. Art Altman says

    Helpful video! Today in April of 2017 there are some newer intriguing options at Einstein price points that do high speed sync, such as Flashpoint and Orlit. (Bowens mount). How high a priority would you give to HSS? Have you tried any of the newer brands? Thanks!

    Ps: Flashpoint is USA name for Godex. Orlit is USA name for Jinbei.

  47. Jj Benz says

    after listening to the funny voice introduction everytime hes gonna talk about something, I came to the conclussion that thats himself

  48. daniel M says

    I like the Profoto B1 …… I currently use 3 Profoto 600R and one Profoto 1200R …….. will be getting a Tronix Explorer XT3. to power them on location …………… With a budget of $1,500 : You might consider buying a use Profoto 600R kit + a battery pack …..

  49. Don Parmezano says

    What kind of photo background is that?

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.