You know how it goes when you open the box and take that first look of the contents? The first thing you notice is always the largest,boldest item in the box. So when I opened the SP-Systems Excalibur 1600 package I was instantly caught by the shiny metallic blue colored flash unit. Like it or not, it sure has a strong presence... Then I picked it up and explored the design and structure more thoroughly; The flash is well built, compact, feels strong yet not too heavy,with good ergonomics including a built in carrying handle. With a positive first impression I went ahead and opened the whole kit to explore what's in it. Let's take a look:
- Reflector
- Flash
- Sync cord
- AC Power cord
- DC Power cord
- Protective cap
- Flash tube
- Tripod adapter
- Modeling bulb
B&H also include an 8' Air Cushioned Light Stand with the AC/DC version, and also an umbrella with the AC-only version of the flash. A nice package.
Click here for a complete list of B&H Kits for this item.
There are three small but imporantfeatures Ireally like in the kit SP-Systems provide:
The flash tube is designed to plug in and out quickly and easily. No screws involved, no need to dismantle anything. just push it in or out into the well built socket and you got your flash going.If you value the ability to replace bulbs easily in case of malfunction, you'll surely appreciate this feature.
The tripod adapter is very useful. not only for that flash in particular, but also to attach all sorts of lights / cameras / clamps to your various stands. I immediately put this one in my accessory case, together with other things I always carry.
The protective cap is long enough to be mounted even when the modeling bulb is installed. This may sound obvious but I've seen some flashes that have a protective cap too short, forcing you to remove the modeling bulb and look for an alternative box to protect it when carrying the flash to locations.
Specifications:
| Maximum Watt/Seconds | 160 |
| Guide Number | 110, in feet @ 100 ISO |
| Recycle Time | Minimum 1 sec, Maximum 3 sec |
| Flash Duration | (t 0.5) 1/500 sec at full power |
| Flash Variability | 3 f/stops, Full to 1/4 power, 160 to 40 w/s |
| User Replaceable Flash-tube | Yes |
| Changeable Reflector | Yes |
| Modeling Light Wattage | 60W Tungsten standard household |
| Voltage Stabilization | Yes, +/- 1.5% |
| Flash Ready Indicator | LED Charge indicator |
| Operating Voltage | 110-120VAC, 60hz |
| Sync Voltage | 9V |
| Built-in Slave Cell | Yes, switchable |
| Circuit Protection | Fuse safety protection |
| Fan Cooled | No |
| Auto Dump | No |
| Dimensions | 4.9 x 8.9 x 15" (12.5 x 22.5 x 38cm) |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3kg) |
The flash
The Excalibur is made of strong plastic. Its body is designed in cubic shape with ventilation slits and has a carrying handle that ןs sticking out at the back of the flash. The handle also protects the control panel that's located at the back of the flash. At the bottom there is a mounting bracket that's used for mounting the flash on a stand, installing an umbrella, and adjusting the angle. Securing the flash to the stand is done by turning the secure knob. Locking the flash angle is done with a quick and convenient handle, with a serrated axis that allows the flash to maintain a precise angle for long time even when using large softboxes and such. Nice planning. If you want to screw your Excalibur on a a standard camera tripod you also have a useful metal adapter that's included in the kit. SP-Systems provide a variety of light modifiers (i.e. softboxes, reflectors...) that you can attach to the flash using a single locking screw operated by hand, and a slight turn that locks/unlocks the reflector in place.
Control Panel
- Main power on/off switch. (lights when turned on)
- Modeling lamp on/off switch. (lights when turned on)
- Slave sensor on/off switch.
- AC power input
- DC power input (from a quantum compatible battery pack)
- Fuse
- Test button (fires the flash manually)
- Sync socket (accepts 1/4" plug)
- Slave sensor.
- Ready light
- Modeling lamp power (1/4, 1/2, Full)
- Flash power (1/4, 1/2, Full)
- AC/DC selector switch
As you can see the power variation you can get out of the Excalibur is limited to only 3 steps, unlike some of the other flashes in that category that offer an infinite step-less selector from minimum power (e.g. 1/8) to Full power. This is one drawback of the Excalibur. Another thing to note is the lack of buzzer to notify you when the flash is charged and ready to shoot. When shooting studio or even location assignments you may want this beep to notify you when you can take the next shot, but If you plan to use the Excalibur for event photography the buzzer is unwanted guest, so you won't mind not having this feature.
Performance
The three main criterions I always check in monolights are:
- light intensity
- recycle time (recharge between shots)
- heating
The intensity of the Excalibur 1600 AC/DC as I measured it is:
ISO 100, 1 meter (3 feet), maximum power: The light meter reads F/22 (without softbox)
ISO 100, 1 meter (3 feet), low power: The light meter reads F/10 (without softbox)
The measures were taken with the reflector attached. Keep in mind that other light modifiers (i.e. softbox, umbrella…) decrease the output intensity and that means using smaller apertures or higher ISO on your camera.
I also like to test my flashes for event photography conditions, so I check it for longer distances and higher ISO:
ISO 800, 10 meter (33 feet) maximum power: The light meter reads F/8
ISO 800, 10 meter (33 feet) half power: The light meter reads F/6.3
When using flashes in events, I prefer to use the lower levels on my flashes to get a faster recycle and prevent over heating of the flash unit. I've found the Excalibur useful for group shots when shot through a translucent umbrella, and for areal illumination of the sitting area of a typical wedding venue on 1/4 or 1/2 power when bounced off a white ceiling (no umbrella attached) and it also does well on the dance floor as an effect light coming from the side, through an umbrella. However, the maximum power of the Excalibur is somewhat disappointing, as the 100ws Impact monolight overcomes it on maximum power. F/11 vs. F/8 @ ISO 800 / 10 meter, and F/32 vs. F/22 (!) @ ISO100 / 1 meter. More watts, less light. SP-systems guys, please explain...
Recycle time
The official specs state a minimum 1 sec, and a maximum of 3. The actual performance was slightly different. For the low power (1/4) I measured 1.15 secs (just like the Impact 100ws monolight) and for maximum power i measured 4 seconds. Now, the 1/4 power recycle is relatively fast, I could not complain over a 1 second charging. It's fine for most studio assignments, and also for event photography as long as you don't shoot in continuous mode and keep the 1 sec interval in mind. However, the 4 seconds period when working on maximum flash power is too long for many tasks, and slower then stated in the specs. I consider this a serious drawback. Again, when doing event photography I tend to use my flash on low to medium power settings and for those the Excalibur recycles fine.
Heating...
No overheating documented, both in the studio and on challenging event photography photo-shoots. Although the Excalibur is not fan cooled, It managed to stay relatively cool throughout long sessions and events, and I never had to let it rest for a while (Happened to me with some other products). The ventilation slits are well designed and wrap the flash from all sides so I guess there's enough "breathing" for it to discharge the heat produced during work. Here's a tip, if you don't use the modeling light, turn it off; less heat and burden on the electric circuits of your flash.
Flash Synchronization
The Excalibur has a built in optical slave cell that functions very well indoor. From a 10 meters distance it consistently responded to a faint 1/128 flash shot from a Canon 580EX, bounced from the wall (no direct eye contact between the slave cell and the flash beam), Impressive. For longer distances and when shooting outdoors on events you can use a direct sync cable (supplied with the flash) or, as I prefer, use a radio slave to trigger your flash wirelessly. A good feature SP-Systems included is the on/off switch for the built in optical slave cell. If you leave it on, it will react to flashes fired by you (or by others) evenwhen a radio slave is plugged in; Not a good thing to do, as for the flash may fire together with your pre-flash (evaluative flash) and miss the actual shot. So be sure to turn off the slave switchwhen using an external sync device such as Pocket-Wizard or any other radio slave.
Using the Excalibur off the grid
Portability and ease of use are a must when it comes to location and event photography. SP-systems offer a Quantum compatible battery pack to operate the flash on DC mode, and you can also use standard Quantum packs for that purpose. Unlike my bigger, ever hungry monolights, the Excalibur is also easy to operate using a small, inexpensive and highly efficient DIY power pack I put together, providing AC power for the flash unit. You can read all about the off-grid monolight battery power pack here. Note that the Excalibur recycles slower on DC mode; 5.5 seconds on full power, and 4 seconds on minimum. I consider this a very bad performance, this is why I prefer using my DIY cheaper solution and take advantage of the fast 1.15 secs recycle time on minimum power and 2 secs or so on half power.
Summary
Pros:
- Short recycle time on minimum power with a good output intensity.
- Compatibility with standard lighting stands and a generic umbrella socket.
- Designed well, including ventilation slits and carrying handle.
- Modeling light, utilizing a common household bulb.
- Can be operated off-grid easily with a simple DIY power supply.
- Instant replaceable flash tube with no screws,
- DC mode for Quantum battery packs.
- Large (1/4") sync socket.
- Includes slave on/off switch
- Reliable, strong.
Cons:
- Disappointing Maximum power recycle.
- Disappointing Maximum power intensity.
- Only 3 steps of output power.
- No fan cooling.
- No buzzer to notify the flash is ready to fire.
- DC mode recycle is too slow
I came to like the SP-Systems Excalibur 1600 AC/DC Monolight, mainly because it's a durable, reliable, and well designed flash, in the low price category. The people that designed it did a good job putting together a unit that is easy to operate, and works smoothly and consistently over long sessions. However, the Achilles' heel of this flash is the too-weak-too-slow maximum power characteristics. It is less powerful then the 100ws impact monolight, and recycles much slower on maximum power. If you use it on low power or half power, recycle time is much shorter and light efficiency is exactly as I expect from a flash of that price and wattage.
Overall it is a good choice for small-home studio setups, event photographers looking for inexpensive reliable light, and some fill light/hair light assignments in larger studios. I give it a kudos for the design and quality, and I take one back for the max power issue. It's a quality flash and will most likely serve you well, as long as you understand its intensity limitations, and short/long recycles.
SP-Systems products are sold on B&H, you can order it online in the following kit configurations:
- Reflector, Modeling Light
- Sync Cord, Umbrella
- Air Cushioned Light Stand
- DC Operation Possible
- Reflector, Sync Cord
- AC and DC Power Cords
