from SB

Hi everyone, I have an old NORMAN Strobe System which I am thinking about selling and purchase a newer system such as GODOX/FLASHPOINT system. I checked eBay for price and it's not high-priced items due to the "OLD" strobe system. They all work fine. Should I sell them? or hang on to them? I first wanted to sell them but since they are not high-priced items I'm thinking maybe I should keep them... because I could use them with my future photoshoots if I want to. I have the following items.....

1@P1250-D Power Pack
1@800 Power Pack
4@LH2400 Lamp Heads With Fan
1@LH2400 Lamp Head Without Fan
2@Burn Doors
3@Grids
1@Snoot
1@20' Lamp Head Extension Cable
2@Halliburton Cases

I thank you for your feedback.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I'd keep it. One can never have too many strobes(lights).
--Bob

Quixdraw Loc: x

Be my reaction as well. Unless you could make a local sale, shipping would be a pain.

from SB

from SB

I understand. Thank you.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

To put it simply They Don't Eat , Crap or talk Back!!!
I doubt you will get what they are worth. KEEP THEM!!

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

Get your new system, get comfortable with it, and then decide. Chances are you’ll never use your old system in the future.

edrobinsonjr Loc: Boise, Idaho

Well put, Frank.

Most of us here are probably old but we still work - for the most part - would you sell or trade us off?

Maybe I shouldn't ask. :)

uhaas2009

Battery operation Strobe with built in remote what a blessing. 😉

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

What are you referring to ?
Battery powered strobes have been around for decades !!!

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

If you don't need the money or the space, then keep them. If you think you will never use them again, then sell them now because as time goes on they will be just worth less and less. You could try your local Craigs List.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Norman flash equipment is extremely well built and if kept in use, will last for many decades and is still serviceable through repair services such as Holly Enterprises. Norman may still offer repairs as well. The order unts have lots of point-to-point wiring, replaceable individual components, and circuit boards at can be troubleshot and repaired.

Unfortunately, there is a limited market, among younger photographers, for equipment that requires manual exposure calculation or without some of the newfangled features such as HHS and other advanced features. You may not get a fair price for your used gear because it is underappreciated. If, however, it is serving you well and you don't require any of the aforementioned special features, perhaps it does not need to be replaced at all.

All of us, on this thread, can advise you as to whether or not you should keep your Norman gear, however, I will give you some ideas as to why it is worth holding onto as per practical usage. Of course, lots depend on what kind of work you are doing.

POWER: 1200watts. seconds may come in handy for large interiors, situations where you need more depth of field, supplying adaquette lighht levels with modifiers and umbrellas, etc.

FIXED FILL: In my portrait room, I took my old Norman 2400 w.s. units and created a bank of ceiling bounce lights at the back of the camera room about 17 feet for the background. It provides soft even non-directional fill illumination with no fill-light units to move around and no wires and cables all over the floor. All other lights are on stands or ceiling rails and mobile. At full power, the fill meters at f/11. at 1/2 powere- f/8 and a 1/4 power - f/5.6. I can power down or attenuate the output as low as f/4 for selective focus and soft-focus lenses that need to be used wide open.

ACCENT LIGHTS: Even if you purchase new lights, sometimes you may want an additional accent or background light. Since you have barn doors, grids and snoots. etc., you can use your Norman heads for kickers, hair lights, or additional background lights to illuminate a high-key background or cyclorama.

SPARE LIGHTS: Even the latest and greatest lighs can unexpectedly malfunction and requre repair. It's good to have spares on hand.

COLOR TEMPERATURE?- There may be a difference between older and newer lights and units of different manufacture. Personally, and frankly, I have mixed and matched for years with little or no major issues. For critical colour control, I may use a few sheets of Roscoe filter material over an old lamphead to warm or cool it off a bit. My ceiling bounce system seems to be compatible with most of my newer lights.

Old and well-used flas tubes can develop carbonization of the electrodes that lead into- the tube's sealed envelope. This condition is indicated by a significant blackening of the electrodes and the surrounding glass and a marked RED bias in the resulting images. This will require the replacement of those tubes which are still available for your unit.

PERSONAL EXPEREINCE: My main system for commercial work are my Speedotron and Norman 2400 w.s systems. In the portrait room, I have Photogenic lights- someof which have been in service since the 1970s. I have Studiomaster and Flashmaster that who has been augmented with Power lighht modes for Photogenic- all the reflectors and accessories are still compatible. My handheld portables are from Lumadyne and that system is from the 1990s.

I am not living in the past or harbouring false nostalgia. I am impressed with some of the latest Chinese imports- nice industrial design, lots of neat features and the quality control has much evolved over the years. I am also impressed what the latest Profoto and Elechrome lines- nice stuff- if you have the budget. If I needed to retool today, I would certainly consider all of the aforementioned, however, as long as my old gear takes a likin' and keeps on tickin'- I'll hang on to it, use it, and may combine it with future new purchases.

My lovely wife and business partner is a neatnik and anti-hoarder, so old "junk" that no longer works have to go. A few old hulks remain for parts but the rest is given a dignified burial!

I hope some of these suggestions can help you make a decision.