$200 for that trigger that requires a smartphone to actually work?! That's insanity. Including the phone cost, that makes it the most expensive trigger out of all those models while doing the least! I shoot with Godox/Flashpoint lights, and while their trigger certainly doesn't look at nice as the Profoto one, for $70 it actually does it job which is to fire the flashes and adjust them from the camera. Even my first Flashpoint light came with a cheap R2 trigger included with the light that could adjust power of multiple lights and it has a nicer screen than that HUB one. That trigger is a serious roadblock for anyone honestly considering this lighting system.

I hate using a phone to control anything when doing a actual shoot. the other side note to me at least is you dont need a AD600 for every light in a setup with the godox setup. you could have the AD600 as your main then like 2 of their speedlights for your hair lights or doing a catch light for their eyes. So in reality a 3 light setup with godox being a couple of speed lights and one bigger heavy hitting light like the ad600 seems like it would be way cheaper. PLUS for bang for your buck that godox Xpro trigger is pretty excellent. I have 2 triggers one for each camera if I am shooting a wedding I can swap back and forth and it works seamlessly. ... I'm not sponsored by godox or anything :P but I have to say I have been blown away by the quality for the price with them.

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

Yeah but you could make that argument with all the flash companies. Alien bees are cheaper too so you could suppliment those as well. Same with Profoto -P

@gregmosher4287

Жыл бұрын

​@@FStoppers quite true. and the Celestial flash probably is pretty solid. but a 200 dollar trigger that still ends up having you use a phone to manage the light seems a bit rough. having the phone abilities are a nice plus but I wouldn't want to have to rely on them.

Sad to see they haven't improved their transmitters' usability. I actually switched from Buff a couple years ago because of that. It's like they were designed by electrical engineers, for electrical engineers just in case engineers ever took pictures

@tdadelaja

Жыл бұрын

LOL

@joecapasso3741

Жыл бұрын

Buy the Fusion TLC to use with Buff lights. I'm predicting this light will begin to outpace anything else on the market.

@thedanwriter1

Жыл бұрын

Lmao

@rebeccaw.7399

Жыл бұрын

I agree to this statement 100%. I've been wanting to move away from PCB for this very reason, and have been checking out the Westcott FJ400.

@DonEvans1

Жыл бұрын

@@rebeccaw.7399 That's exactly what I switched to. Quite happy with the FJ 400s. I have four of them and two 200's

looks neat, but surprised they don't have a Sony trigger for it, the fast gels seem nice but i will probably stick with Godox

Your review is very informative. Love it

Thanks for the video. ... I'm happy to see that Paul Buff is coming out with new products, despite the shortcomings of its trigger system. I was a little worried Godox might put them out of business. I own both the Einstein and the Digibee 800 and used them side by side.. Although I rarely use the Einstein at full power, it's nice to have that extra light in a pinch. Also, the recycle time is a little faster when the Einstein is at half power and the Digibee is at full power. I've never been a big fan of the Cyber commander trigger system, which seems complex unless you use it all the time. I don't use mine more than once a month and find that I have to look up how to operate it almost everytime I break it out. You don't mention if the new Celestial unit is compatible with the Cyber Commander, but I hope it is. I'm a little surprised that the new trigger system requires a phone, which is an obvious flaw. I appreciate the stability of PCB products, but have always hated the assembly and disassembly required with each use. You have to slide in the transceiver, which has long pins that I'm always afraid of bending. You need to buy a separate battery unless you work close to an electrical outlet. When finished, you need to store the transceivers in a way that doesn't bend those delicate pins. The batteries need to be stored between 20% and 80% charge.....Anyway, it appears PCB has addressed these issues.

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

Yeah the cyber commander works but as I said in the video, it won’t do TTL or high speed sync. I agree with that receiver with the small pins. No clue why that was ever an acceptable design. -P

Plan to order one to try on Monday. I shoot mostly products and have 4 PCB X-800's and 3 PCB Einsteins with Canon HUB already. One of the best Celestial features for me is that because of the LED modeling lamp, it runs cool enough to work with the PCB Eclipse Projection attachment (which I already have as well). Having the handle with projection attachment will also be nice.

@Jdikmen

Жыл бұрын

My first Celestial just arrived today. So far, so good. The only two minor issues so far is the rotary dial is not 100% - it sometimes "sticks" (feels cheap) and the rubber dust plug cover will not stay shut. Working great with my Buff Projection Unit! Included instructions could have been better, but I figured it out in a few minutes. I have an iPhone 14 Pro, but I only use the Buff triggering app on my iPad Pro which is mounted to my tethering table. The app is great when it works, but if I add a light, I have to restart the app for it to "see" the new light (nuisance). If I went in the field I guess I would use the phone. Previous to the HUB, I was using the Cyber Commander. It was capable, but the screen was just too small for me. iPad is great for my needs.

I started doing a lot more flash jobs this year. Showed up to a corporate holiday party had an awesome skyline with Christmas lights basically everyone, exposed for the night skyline dropped my 600 down to min then sort of freaked out when I realized it was about 3 stops too bright! Started scrambling then just moved the softbox back about 10 ft! Hadn’t thought about it until I was in it. Now I would have double diffused or stuck my flash in there but some lessons have to be learned on the fly! Would be super nice to have a lower range.

@scottelly2

5 ай бұрын

You were better off moving your light back anyway, because if you didn't, then all the people close to the light would have been much brighter than the people far away from the light.

I'd love to see David in full colonial attire for a photoshoot... Make this dream happen guys!

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

Well he lives in charleston so that actually is a possibility! -P

@Neopulse00

Жыл бұрын

That would be cool

Hello thank you so much for all this amazing videos, please could you explain how this photo shoot taken for ‏montblanc legend

Always enjoying your videos you guys put out I feel you guys should have had over A million subscribers Last year you always put out great Product reviews....

Very enticing, until ya get to the trigger. I have Einsteins in studio, but typically use Flashpoint for site work, due to the simplicity of the system. I would likely go to Celestial if they made the trigger full function stand alone (no phone required!) PCB has been around long enough (and made similar mistakes often enough) to be embarrassed by this. Outside of the studio, things change quickly and subjects are often more difficult to manage. Having to dig out my phone and fiddle with an app as opposed to directly making changes through the trigger is a show stopper for me.

I like how Profoto allows taking a shot in auto to establish a base flash exposure and then holding the setting while flipping to manual for tweaking. I wonder if the Celestial paired with a TLC Raven would work similarly.

would be nice if it was Bowens mount the photography community needs to come up with a standard for flash triggers, that way one trigger can work with many manufacturers lights. of course the individual companies can still make their own with extra features but we should have one with basic functions. ********edit***** should have watched the video all the way through, did not know about the raven trigger.

Looks nice if they can redo the trash trigger.

So how did you get the OCF Magnum on the PCB Celestial? What adapter did you use?

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

Gaffers tape -P

Light looks great, especially the range and gels. Although didn’t look like they had a good 3 step CTO range. But the radio system looked way worse than Godox or Wescott I would compare it to. Also both of those systems regularly run sales so prices are much more comparable or better unless the same is true for thre Buff.

I don't get it? You need an I-phone to control the strobe? What is the trigger for?

Seems interesting but not enough camera brand support? I shoot Fujifilm x and gfx series so no support means no buy unfortunately.

So disappointed by the hub trigger. Using a cell phone app is unacceptable vs a real shoe mounted trigger with large display and buttons for super fast power changes.

ATG says the Link was Buff's failures. And years later, Buff Hub doesn't have ATG AF assist beam. ATG's has AF assist beam for mirrorless cameras!

Can't help but notice you didn't try running more than one light using that app. Based on the reviews that is where the whole system fails. Randomly dropping connections without notification, bluetooth conflicts, forget it. Time to get out of the Paul C Buff system.

This system is so good and so bad at the same time. I still use einsteins. And i actually love the function of the old cybercommander. It is absolutely garbage that they put the control of this awesome light in a phone app. My main phone function at a shoot is music and communication with clients getting to studio or location. I really wanted to like this light and upgrade to it. But unfortunately this is a huge miss for me. Unless the Raven controller can trigger this light.

Not being able to control your flash power from the trigger, not very modern ..

@Fstoppers how come you are the only one photographing anything now-a-days?

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

What does that mean? Are other channels not taking photos? -P

@aaronbelton4392

Жыл бұрын

Sorry I meant that Lee didn’t seem to be shooting anymore. Every time I see one of your videos I click super quick because I love the channel but it seems like you’re the only one taking photos which is great and I enjoy your stuff but it used to be both you and Lee but if lee comes out with a video I can almost gurantee he won’t be using his camera for photos. Just an observation

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

I think Lee just enjoys doing reviews more where as I prefer doing something organic. Plus at the moment I have the studio space for shooting while he has the studio space for reviewing. -P

This Hub is incredibly horrible. It looks like a child's toy.

Why at this low shutter speed and high ISO to bother with flash and not add the modeling light as a key and tune it to your liking? it does not make sense. It will make sense if your talent is moving and you want to freeze him with the flash yet you want to paint with the ambient like what Gavin Hoey did here, but your talent is stand still like a statue and you can get away with constant light only: kzread.info/dash/bejne/p2x-3NJyh7ywnpc.html

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

Yeah in this specific case the model wasn't moving but most of the time I prefer to shoot with flash to freeze motion. I simply meant that most strobes don't go down in power enough for easy night or low light shooting. -P

I don't think this is expensive at all

Man, ftoppers turned into a series of infomercials....If I want to shop for products I rather watch DPreview, at least they are more fun.

Way too pricey.

@joecapasso3741

Жыл бұрын

And profoto isn't too pricey? You've got to be kidding me.

I love everyone complaining about using a phone as if we don’t all have our phones attached to our hips already. Be honest, your smartphone is never more than an arm's length away and you know exactly how to use it expertly. This is not a big deal.

@scottelly2

5 ай бұрын

It is a big deal if you're getting a call in the middle of trying to use it to control your strobes . . . or if you're using your phone to play music, and it goes dead . . . or for many other reasons, like you just want something simple on your camera, and you don't want to have to take something out of your pocket just to adjust a light.

Fstoppers went from being top reviewers to people who would GLADLY sell their own mum for the right price. U guys LIE so much, NO one takes ur reviews serious anymore. How can this be cheaper than Godox when the Ad600 ttl or Ad600m starts from about $450? How can you sell this "1970" type trigger (that shows u nothing) for $200 and still NEED a phone to still control your lights? Were's the sense in doing that? Next time instead of calling it a REIVEW, simply tell the truth and let your viewers know its a PAID ADVERT.

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

I showed the prices at the end. The Godox AD600 is the closer competing product as shown by the power tests and with a trigger it is a few hundred dollars more. I agree, I do not love this trigger system and as a Profoto shooter I have no dog in the race between Godox, Elinchrom or Buff. -P

Their shipping costs are insane… when I called, they said they make no exceptions! Here’s and example… Their 2 foot length ⅛” (3.5mm) to ⅛” (3.5mm) Male Sync Cord is priced at $5.95 but to ship to me (in Hawaii) costs $60 UPS Ground … However, a Celestial will cost $90 to ship to Hawaii…

@FStoppers

Жыл бұрын

Ask if they can use a USPS flat rate box. I live in Puerto Rico and shipping here is insane too but USPS flat rate boxes are the same stateside as they are to the islands. Not sure if a celestial can fit in a large box though.-P

@Jdikmen

Жыл бұрын

I just received a Celestial, a second box of magnetic gels and some spare parts from Buff shipped to West Texas for $26 via FedEx. A lot of small businesses are getting hammered with shipping rates while the big guys get special rates and are able to "advertise" free shipping.

Sorry but this system is going to fold this is non starter no way . Very poor for price

@joecapasso3741

Жыл бұрын

I don't think your comment is going to age well.

@wellwhatthen10101

Жыл бұрын

@@joecapasso3741 who cares this is the truth

@scottelly2

5 ай бұрын

@@wellwhatthen10101 Well, your comment was a year ago, and I'm thinking about getting one of these "new" Celestial flash units. I have a pair of powerful White Lightning strobes and a small, simple, wireless trigger now. I like the idea of this thing (with the LED modeling lamp, fast recycle time for a battery-powered mono-light, compatibility with my White Lightning units, and what not), but I would prefer to be able to adjust the light levels from the remote, so I might end up with something else. I really only got the White Lightning mono-lights because they were a good deal at the time, worked with what I considered to be inexpensive triggers, and they were the most powerful and reliable strobes that I knew about. I had previously owned some Alien Bees (a couple B400 units, a couple B800 units, and a B1600), but I had always wanted something more powerful, and had my eyes on the White Lightnings. I guess I could just keep the White Lightnings as a second system that I could use when more power is necessary, and I could get the Flashpoint Robert Hall Holiday Bundle (three battery powered strobes with modifiers). Then I could add a 600 PRO kit with the R2 Mk II trigger. That would give me four lights, and then I could put use the White Lightnings on slave if I need one or two more lights.