I don’t care what the task at hand is, there are as many ways of accomplishing it as there are people trying to do so. It doesn’t matter whether you are doing maintenance around the house, travelling across the country, cooking a meal for a large group of people, or taking a photo, there is no one “right” way.

It makes me shake my head when reading any of the more  popular photography discussion boards, to see the response from the masses when the contributor says they are going to add a nice shiny new piece of gear to their arsenal. Usually the first few will say congratulations, followed shortly by those who ask whether the contributor has considered the options, and finally the group who proclaim the superiority of the various knock-offs. All these groups provide useful information, but it is the  anger that the knock-off fans spout that amazes me. it’s not like the guy (or girl) is asking you to help pay the bill. They haven’t started a go fund me page, they’ve just stated what their plan is, and they are looking for constructive feedback.

We all work in different ways, have different needs and place different demands on our equipment. If yours works for you, that’s great, and I respect that you’ve made a decision and are happy with it. If I want something different for me, that doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, just that I have decided that something different is right for me. That’s why our studio just added a set of ProFoto B1x lights and an air controller to our equipment list.

They weren’t cheap; the whole setup cost round-about $8,000, but this is a long-term commitment. I didn’t invest in ProFoto, I invested in me.

I did research, lots of research, and considered all the usual suspects: ProFoto, Elinchrome, Broncolor and Godox. My requirements were pretty straight-forward: minimum 500 watt/seconds,consistent colour temperature, battery powered and able to be controlled remotely. Having the battery and the flash as a single unit would be a bonus. When all was said and done, I felt that ProFoto made the most sense for me, and after trying them out for a day and a bit, I think I made the right decision, a decision that in no way effects what anyone else does.

Good equipment doesn’t necessarily translate into a good photographer anymore than good tools ensure craftsman-quality work in any field. What it can do is present otherwise unavailable opportunities. What you do with them rests completely with you.

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