Ok, short story, I ordered the new Celestials when they first came out and was so excited. Battery powered, TTL, HSS, and gel domes! Then I got them and unfortunately they were awful. Wouldn’t stay connected, wouldn’t change power levels through the app, the only thing that worked were the magnets for the domes. They had to go back. Then I saw your original hack video and found new hope! I grabbed two Digibees, the foam tape, and the magnets for a shoot I had today. THEN I saw your updated version and ordered the dots. They got delayed, so I went with the foam tape for today’s shoot. They worked flawlessly. When I got home to check the mail the dots had been delivered. 🤦🏼♂️ 😂 Anyway, now I’m switching them over. Great video and thanks for getting these hacks out there!
Hey, great story! Happy to hear you got things ultimately working. I love the DigiBees and they are my main strobes int my studio. The versatility of being able to use the colored gel domes with DigiBees make them even better. You might want to take a peek at The Raven for controlling strobes. I use this and yes, it's expensive, but I can individually remotely control all strobes in a really easy to understand way, no app needed. It works great.
@@MikeMcGeePhotography Thanks! I looked into the Raven, it’s a really great product. But I was able to grab the CyberSense while they still made them and it works great for what I’ve got going on.
Hi Mike, Thank you so much for the shout out on this update video! I really appreciate it! You are the one that had the brilliant idea to use the PCB silicone gel domes on the Digibee, and I can't thank you enough as they are SO much easier to use, especially inside a soft box or umbrella!! Thanks again for all the time and effort you put into making these instructional videos, and for being an inspiration to the rest us in the photography community! You are awesome!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Chad! Your update for this hack is perfect! I agree 100% that these colored domes are great to use with the Digibee, and so much easier when I use gridded stripboxes for shaping light. (The old way of colored film over light modifiers was not fun.) Thanks again for your excellent tip/suggestion!
Thanks for the follow up. @2:39 I was wondering the same thing about the db800 vs your other strobes. I had a pair of DBs a while back and currently have an Einstein pair but I used the digibee when I needed to pull out the strobes quickly due to the weight and led light. Now if only PCB would make a digibee like unit but with a quieter fan. On a side topic, I am curious though why you use Pocketwizards over the native PCB trigger/cyber commander.
Yes, exactly. I love the weight of the DigiBees as well, especially if you're using it overhead as a hair light or background light. The lighter weight vs. the Einstein let's say is actually beneficial in that regard. In regards to the PocketWizards, things changed for me with The Raven was able to shoot PCB CyberSyncs natively. Once that happened (and since I already have a HUB remote as well) I actually do now shoot with CyberCyncs connected to my Digibees & Einsteins (LINK has it built in.) I personally was never a fan of the CyberCommander as the user interface just didn't work for how my brain is wired, but the PCB HUB remote works very well with CyberSyncs. The Raven is even better and I can remotely control/adjust the power of each strobe in three different "zones" with The Raven using my CyberSyncs (or PocketWiazrds too) so the Raven update changed things for me quite a bit. Hope this info helps, and thanks for your kind words and question. Thanks too for watching! :)
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you like this. Due to the design of the alien bees, you'll need to take out the modeling lamp, and then it will work without issues. The large modeling lamp of the Alien Bee will hit the colored dome if it's still in the socket.
Hey Miguel, sadly, not really. The Einsteins are the toughest to "hack" due to their design. I actually sold all of my Einsteins (I had 5) in favor of DigiBees. I really think the DigiBees are a more versatile strobe now that this cheap hack is available with colored domes.
Hey there, they aren't ideal with the Einstein, but they can work with the Alien Bees if you remove the modeling lamp. I show how this works in my other (no "update") video on the subject here: th-cam.com/video/m2Q088sF7Bc/w-d-xo.html. Hope this helps.
Unfortunately, no, not really. In order for it to work you'd have to remove the Einstein modeling lamp, and the Einstein doesn't have a flat surface like the DigiBee or even the Alien Bees so it's not advisable, sadly.
Hi Mike! Thank you so much for this amazing video. I heard you say you were using the DBs more than the link. I was wondering if you might be to elaborate on why you are preferring the DBs over the link? I was considering purchasing a link, but after hearing this I’m second guessing this.
Hey Alicia, thanks for your comment and here is my best answer. After using both the LINK and Digibees for a while now, I can completely say that the Digibees are the way to go, especially if you keep an eye out for used DigiBees on secondary markets (eBay, CL, FB Marketplace, etc.) With the cost alone, you can get three DigiBee strobes from the price of a LINK. The DigiBee is smaller, lighter, allows for the colored gel domes (via this hack video), works great for video (all my YT videos are lit with the DigiBee LED modeling lamps) and the form factor is so much more portable. If you need portable power, you could always use the Vagabond Mini (again cheap on secondary markets.) With the LINK some honest drawbacks are, It's HEAVY, it's large, it's expensive. Also, a huge drawback is that in order to get firmware updates, you need the HUB remote. So a $900 strobe ends up being more like $1100. The one key difference is high speed sync. If you shoot a tone of HSS, then yes, the LINK might be best for you. But, I have a smaller studio and only shoot high speed sync when outdoors, and it's rare for me, so DigiBees do the trick. One other thing I don't like about the LINK is that if you let the batteries sit for too long without being charged, they will die. I had two LINK batteries in my Pelican case for over a year (since it was a pandemic) and they died. I literally never used them and they were dead. I had to mail them back to PCB to see if they could bring them back to life, and they could only do it for one of them, so one battery died without ever being used. I never had that issue with the vagabond mini. So for me, DigiBees are AWESOME. Small, chapter, super functional and powerful, with LED modeling lamps suitable for video. Hope that info helps! :)
That was very helpful! Thank you so much for your quick response. I do have one more question, if that’s okay. I currently only have an Einstein and was looking at adding two additional lights to start playing around with gels. I was originally looking at the link due to its led modeling lamp power capabilities, but definitely thinking now that the DB still has plenty of power. With adding these lights I need a way to control all 3 units. Would you still recommend buying the HUB to sync all of the lights? I watched your review on the HUB and you seemed to really like it. I was just wondering after you have probably used it for several months now, if you would still recommend it?
@@aliciakeephotography8084 Hey Alicia, the specs on the Paul C Buff web site show that the Digibee has an LED Modeling lamp that is 400W equivalent (6000 Lumens) and the LINK has supposedly double that of 800W equivalent. But just think that the Einstein has a 250W modeling lamp, so even the DigiBee is a big upgrade over the Einstein. Yes, you can use the HUB remote to control all three units separately by using the app on your smartphone but it's slow and sluggish trying to control things over a smartphone app. I actually no longer use the HUB Remote and instead use The Raven. It natively can control up to four different zones with Paul C Buff cyber sync strobes, and it can also control PocketWizard, Profoto and Godox strobes too. It's pricey, but the money you save from buying a DigiBee over the LINK will more than cover The Raven. Once again, Digibees can be purchased used and they have the perfect bang for the buck in my opinion. I made an early first look video of The Raven and you can check it out from my videos and how it works. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/5qXSqCYY7Y8/w-d-xo.html. Hope this info helps. :)
Ok, short story, I ordered the new Celestials when they first came out and was so excited. Battery powered, TTL, HSS, and gel domes! Then I got them and unfortunately they were awful. Wouldn’t stay connected, wouldn’t change power levels through the app, the only thing that worked were the magnets for the domes. They had to go back. Then I saw your original hack video and found new hope! I grabbed two Digibees, the foam tape, and the magnets for a shoot I had today. THEN I saw your updated version and ordered the dots. They got delayed, so I went with the foam tape for today’s shoot. They worked flawlessly. When I got home to check the mail the dots had been delivered. 🤦🏼♂️ 😂 Anyway, now I’m switching them over. Great video and thanks for getting these hacks out there!
Hey, great story! Happy to hear you got things ultimately working. I love the DigiBees and they are my main strobes int my studio. The versatility of being able to use the colored gel domes with DigiBees make them even better. You might want to take a peek at The Raven for controlling strobes. I use this and yes, it's expensive, but I can individually remotely control all strobes in a really easy to understand way, no app needed. It works great.
@@MikeMcGeePhotography Thanks! I looked into the Raven, it’s a really great product. But I was able to grab the CyberSense while they still made them and it works great for what I’ve got going on.
Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for the shout out on this update video! I really appreciate it! You are the one that had the brilliant idea to use the PCB silicone gel domes on the Digibee, and I can't thank you enough as they are SO much easier to use, especially inside a soft box or umbrella!! Thanks again for all the time and effort you put into making these instructional videos, and for being an inspiration to the rest us in the photography community! You are awesome!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Chad! Your update for this hack is perfect! I agree 100% that these colored domes are great to use with the Digibee, and so much easier when I use gridded stripboxes for shaping light. (The old way of colored film over light modifiers was not fun.) Thanks again for your excellent tip/suggestion!
2 Mike videos in one week??! Might be the greatest week of all time
LOL! It's insanity I tell ya!! :) Thanks for your kind words and I hope you enjoy the videos. :)
Great follow up, love it. THANK YOU!
Glad it was helpful, and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the follow up. @2:39 I was wondering the same thing about the db800 vs your other strobes. I had a pair of DBs a while back and currently have an Einstein pair but I used the digibee when I needed to pull out the strobes quickly due to the weight and led light. Now if only PCB would make a digibee like unit but with a quieter fan. On a side topic, I am curious though why you use Pocketwizards over the native PCB trigger/cyber commander.
Yes, exactly. I love the weight of the DigiBees as well, especially if you're using it overhead as a hair light or background light. The lighter weight vs. the Einstein let's say is actually beneficial in that regard. In regards to the PocketWizards, things changed for me with The Raven was able to shoot PCB CyberSyncs natively. Once that happened (and since I already have a HUB remote as well) I actually do now shoot with CyberCyncs connected to my Digibees & Einsteins (LINK has it built in.) I personally was never a fan of the CyberCommander as the user interface just didn't work for how my brain is wired, but the PCB HUB remote works very well with CyberSyncs. The Raven is even better and I can remotely control/adjust the power of each strobe in three different "zones" with The Raven using my CyberSyncs (or PocketWiazrds too) so the Raven update changed things for me quite a bit. Hope this info helps, and thanks for your kind words and question. Thanks too for watching! :)
This is so great, I have 2 Alien Bees, will it work with those too?
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you like this. Due to the design of the alien bees, you'll need to take out the modeling lamp, and then it will work without issues. The large modeling lamp of the Alien Bee will hit the colored dome if it's still in the socket.
Awesome. Mike any solutions for using gels with a softbox on the Einstein’s ?
Hey Miguel, sadly, not really. The Einsteins are the toughest to "hack" due to their design. I actually sold all of my Einsteins (I had 5) in favor of DigiBees. I really think the DigiBees are a more versatile strobe now that this cheap hack is available with colored domes.
Hi Mike, do you know if the domes would work with the Einstein light? Older models?
Hey there, they aren't ideal with the Einstein, but they can work with the Alien Bees if you remove the modeling lamp. I show how this works in my other (no "update") video on the subject here: th-cam.com/video/m2Q088sF7Bc/w-d-xo.html. Hope this helps.
Hi Mike! Great video. Will this work on the Einstein model?
Unfortunately, no, not really. In order for it to work you'd have to remove the Einstein modeling lamp, and the Einstein doesn't have a flat surface like the DigiBee or even the Alien Bees so it's not advisable, sadly.
Hi Mike, can this hack be used on the Alien Bee also?
Technically yes. Please see my other video where I demo this here th-cam.com/video/m2Q088sF7Bc/w-d-xo.html
Hi Mike! Thank you so much for this amazing video. I heard you say you were using the DBs more than the link. I was wondering if you might be to elaborate on why you are preferring the DBs over the link? I was considering purchasing a link, but after hearing this I’m second guessing this.
Hey Alicia, thanks for your comment and here is my best answer. After using both the LINK and Digibees for a while now, I can completely say that the Digibees are the way to go, especially if you keep an eye out for used DigiBees on secondary markets (eBay, CL, FB Marketplace, etc.) With the cost alone, you can get three DigiBee strobes from the price of a LINK. The DigiBee is smaller, lighter, allows for the colored gel domes (via this hack video), works great for video (all my YT videos are lit with the DigiBee LED modeling lamps) and the form factor is so much more portable. If you need portable power, you could always use the Vagabond Mini (again cheap on secondary markets.) With the LINK some honest drawbacks are, It's HEAVY, it's large, it's expensive. Also, a huge drawback is that in order to get firmware updates, you need the HUB remote. So a $900 strobe ends up being more like $1100. The one key difference is high speed sync. If you shoot a tone of HSS, then yes, the LINK might be best for you. But, I have a smaller studio and only shoot high speed sync when outdoors, and it's rare for me, so DigiBees do the trick. One other thing I don't like about the LINK is that if you let the batteries sit for too long without being charged, they will die. I had two LINK batteries in my Pelican case for over a year (since it was a pandemic) and they died. I literally never used them and they were dead. I had to mail them back to PCB to see if they could bring them back to life, and they could only do it for one of them, so one battery died without ever being used. I never had that issue with the vagabond mini. So for me, DigiBees are AWESOME. Small, chapter, super functional and powerful, with LED modeling lamps suitable for video. Hope that info helps! :)
That was very helpful! Thank you so much for your quick response. I do have one more question, if that’s okay. I currently only have an Einstein and was looking at adding two additional lights to start playing around with gels. I was originally looking at the link due to its led modeling lamp power capabilities, but definitely thinking now that the DB still has plenty of power. With adding these lights I need a way to control all 3 units. Would you still recommend buying the HUB to sync all of the lights? I watched your review on the HUB and you seemed to really like it. I was just wondering after you have probably used it for several months now, if you would still recommend it?
@@aliciakeephotography8084 Hey Alicia, the specs on the Paul C Buff web site show that the Digibee has an LED Modeling lamp that is 400W equivalent (6000 Lumens) and the LINK has supposedly double that of 800W equivalent. But just think that the Einstein has a 250W modeling lamp, so even the DigiBee is a big upgrade over the Einstein. Yes, you can use the HUB remote to control all three units separately by using the app on your smartphone but it's slow and sluggish trying to control things over a smartphone app. I actually no longer use the HUB Remote and instead use The Raven. It natively can control up to four different zones with Paul C Buff cyber sync strobes, and it can also control PocketWizard, Profoto and Godox strobes too. It's pricey, but the money you save from buying a DigiBee over the LINK will more than cover The Raven. Once again, Digibees can be purchased used and they have the perfect bang for the buck in my opinion. I made an early first look video of The Raven and you can check it out from my videos and how it works. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/5qXSqCYY7Y8/w-d-xo.html. Hope this info helps. :)
Thank you so much for all of this information! I will watch your video on the raven.