Wednesday 30 March, 2011   Eduardo Frances   Packs, Reviews, Walimex   10 Comments

Walimex PBS-400 portable battery flash reviewed

On Assignment

I chose a nice location in Pamplona to do a photoshoot, hired a model and got a spin for a couple of ideas I had. I took the PBS-400 with me as my only lighting source for the photoshoot. It went great and without a hitch, the PBS 400 proving to be reliable and working smoothly through the whole shoot. I will include here some samples and a photo of the setup used:

Setup shot with the Walimex PBS-400 and 150cm Octabox

Yulia, photographed using the Walimex PBS-400

Yulia, photographed using the Walimex PBS-400

Yulia, photographed using the Walimex PBS-400

Conclusion

The Walimex PBS400 is a light weight yet rugged enough location kit that inspires confidence. It won’t break after two days of use (and believe me on this: I have been using it quite a lot). The head is a bit big compared to other units in the market (but still a lot smaller than a monolight) and the handle isn’t removable, but these are nitpicks rather than serious issues. Color exposure is consistent at all power settings and after some use, so no problem in these areas. One of the nicest surprises is that the unit came with a nice bag to carry it around which is well made and comfortable to use.

I have to admit I am not much of a fan of the gap in the head (between the housing  and the accesory mount) and thus I would warn you to protect the head from rain or snow (but as said before, I haven’t seen any flash head that doesn’t need to be protected from the weather) however it hasn’t been a problem while I used it. I would also warn against using the PBS400 head on a boom arm, I am not sure the swivel mount part that connects the head to the boom arm’s spigot would be able to withstand the weight and pressure (specially with heavy modifiers).

The battery provided me with more than 230 shots (some at full power and some at less power output, mostly depending on the modifier used. The ones shots with a beauty dish needed less power than the ones with the Octa).

Of course other portable units like the Elinchrom Quadra offer two outlets and a wider range of output power (and the new Quadra RX also has built in Skyport and all the benefits that having it entails). However, for the price, the PBS-400 exceeds expectations in key areas important to location shooters and does not dissapoint. So in the end I can gladly recommend the Walimex PBS400. Sure, if you have the extra cash there are options out there that have more features and if you need them they come with a price (things like faster recycle time, remote control via radio trigger or remote control, etc.)

Those with a low budget – or just wanting a good all-round performer to add some kick to their collection of hot shoe flashes – will be pleased with the Walimex PBS400, and how reliable and sturdy it is. In other words it is a bang for the buck (or the Euro, or the pound! :P )

Though now that we know price of the Jinbei Discovery DC600 (which we will review in the coming months) the PBS-400 faces some hard competition. It is a tough choice, however for €100 less you are still getting a whole lot for your money.

Great things:

  • Small yet very rugged
  • Simple and nice controls on the pack and head
  • Nice weight and size
  • Consistent color and exposure
  • Reliable operation
  • Output power matches the description provided by manufacturer
  • Good quality accesories included in the kit (charger, battery, bag, sync cable, shoulder strap, reflector, reflector, etc.)
  • User replaceable modeling light and flash tube
  • Uses the widely available S-type (AKA Bowens) bayonet for modifiers (speedrings, beauty dishes, reflectors, etc.)
  • Spare parts (extra batteries, modeling light bulbs, flashtubes, etc.) ready available at Foto-Walser (nice store with good customer service)
  • Modeling light with 50 Watts of power (not super strong but still usable indoors or at dawn/night)
  • Comes with a nice bag to pack everything
  • Great for those who want more power than what a hot shoe flash provides

Not so great things:

  • Gap in the head to allow ventilation is kinda too big (although there´s no weather sealed head from other manufacturers)
  • Head is kinda big compared to what other manufacturers offer (but it is still a whole lot more compact than a monolight)
  • A cap to protect the head socket port on the pack would be nice.
  • Modeling lamp isn´t LED (although there aren´t many manufacturers who offer this to be fair)

Where to buy

The Walimex PBS-400 is available now for €479.95 including VAT from Foto-Walser, based in Germany.

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  • http://www.pahountis.gr george pahountis

    thank you very much for this review!
    To bad this unit only offers down to 1/4 power,and not even lower….
    1/128 would be ideal inmo..

    • Eduardo Frances

      You are welcome! Yeah although for shooting outdoors it hasn´t been much of a problem, it depends on what you need :) .

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgar_moreira/ Edgar Moreira

    Thanks for the review, very complete and informative.

    Seem like a great option.

    • Eduardo Frances

      You are welcome Edgar! We are waiting for more gear to review in the following weeks so be sure to check the upcoming reviews too :)

  • Christian Lemus

    Very well written. Keep sharing those reviews :D

    • Eduardo Frances

      Thanks Chris!!!

  • HarjTT

    many thanks for the review as I’ve been looking for a single light solution without the costs of going to a Quadra and the PSB400 looks pretty perfect.

    I’m wondering whether the Octobox/beautydish has to be a specific make to go with the flashhead ?

    How do you think the PSB compares to Jinbei esp in terms of build quality.. my thoughts are the PSB being German should be very good even at its pretty low price.

    • Eduardo Frances

      You are welcome.

      This kit can use Bowens AKA S-type modifiers (reflectors, beauty dishes, softboxes, etc.)

      We are evaluating the Jinbei Discovery 600 right now and we can’t give too much yet as we are in the middle of the tests however I can tell you this in advance: build quality the Discovery 600 is much better, it isn’t that the PBS400 is bad but the DC600 is exceptionally good. We will have the review finished in a couples of weeks.

      One thing with the PBS400 is that I wouldn’t use it on a boom arm, I think the head wouldn’t withstand it (the swivel mount part where you put the light stand is plastic and I wouldn’t recommend using it on a boom, just to be on the safe side). :) .

  • Harjtt

    Hey Eduardo,

    Thanks for the reply and answering those questions and highlighting the issue with using the PSB400 with a boom arm. Right now I’m not sure whether thats a deal breaker, I’m looking at a single flash location kit thats portable and manageable by just one person.

    I was going to bite the bullet and get the PSB400 but will wait until your review of the DC600. My main concern was the weight of the battery packs as I don;t want to be lugging anything too heavy around and thats where the PSB400 appeals.

    Can you confirm whether the PSB400 has a modeling lamp or not? If not then I’ll be taking a much closer look at the DC600.

    Looking forward to your review of the DC600.

    • Eduardo Frances

      Thanks mate and you are welcome! The PBS 400 is lighter than the DC600 that is as much as I can tell you right now :) , once we complete the DC600′s review please look forward to it to compare them.

      I will do a kind of a “vs” post comparing color consistency and I will add size comparision shots and how much each weight too for people who are wondering about them.

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