[Astaroth]

Ok.... the credit card is burning a hole in my pocket... I blame the silly gold colour If they would only upgrade it to the black card I am sure it would be much safer.

Looking at studio flashes.... I am getting confused over fittings and how much by buying brand X of a flash head you are buying into the brand for accessories like soft boxes and snoots etc? On fleabay some accessories advertise themselves as universal, others like "s bayonet" and others with the brand name.

[Peakoverload]

Interfit and Bowens use S type fittings so you could use a Bowens softbox on an Interfit head and vica versa if you wish. Lastolite along with several other companies also make accessories that use S fittings but Lastolite also make ones that will fit Elinchromes and others too

Elinchrome use a different style fitting so you are restricted to their range of accessories as well as those of the likes of Lastolite but the Elinchrome range of accessories is very wide so I wouldnt let this steer you away from buying them if you feel they are the ones for you.

The thing you need to remember is that there are two ways of attaching accessories to lights. You have the things like Snoots and Softboxes that fit over the flash and use, for example, the S type fitting. Umbrellas are fixed via a screw under the head and the diameter of this hole varies. Interfit and Bowens use what is sometimes called a universal fitting which is 8mm in diameter but Elinchrome and Prolinca use a 'non standard' 7mm diameter.

[Astaroth]

hmm... I was lookinng at Elinchrome lights and whilst they do have a wide range of accessories they also have one of the most expensive especially if they are not as interchangable with other brands such as Bowens or Interfit (I see the interfit only do softboxes for Elinchrome in their "pro" range where as their stella etc have only the "standard" s fit)

I assume there is an elinchrome to s fit conversion kit available

just seen www.studioflash.co.uk who seem to do some more reasonably priced items.... any experience of their kit?