lencarta safari li on

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Lencarta safari Instructions Manual

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• Page 1 Many thanks for buying the Lencarta Safari Li-on portable flash system. It’s very simple and intuitive to set up and use, but these instructions should make it even easier… Please check that the following items are included in your delivery: 1.
• Page 2 The standard head is supplied with a protective cap, which should always be in place when the head is being stored or transported. The head cap MUST be removed when in use and replaced by either a reflector, other type of light modifier or a softbox. The first thing to do is to attach the battery to the generator unit.
• Page 3 Power adjustment and settings. The maximum power is 600 joules (or watt seconds). To use the unit at full power, either attach a flash head to each socket or, if only one flash head is in use, attach it to socket A.
• Page 5 The modelling lamp The standard flash head has an extremely bright LED modelling lamp , covered by a yellow filter (see photo on the left). This produces a powerful, consistent light at 5500K, ideal for video use as well as its primary function as a modelling lamp.
• Page 6 You may have heard that airlines do not allow lithium batteries to be carried, but the restrictions apply to commercial quantities of lithium batteries, not on personal use items or where the battery is an essential part of the equipment, as with the Safari Li-on. Carry strap...
• Page 7 The Safari Li-on does NOT have an optical slave cell, because slave cells are unreliable in normal outdoor lighting conditions and useless in bright sunlight. If you wish to use one or more Safari Li-on units as slaves, you should fit a radio receiver to each unit. You can however, plug an optical slave unit into the synch socket if you wish.
• Page 8 Using your Safari Li-on as a ringflash If you have bought a Li-on ringflash kit, or have bought the optional ringflash head to go with your Li-on kit then you have the best ringflash kit on the market! Mounting the ringflash: The ringflash head can be used with all camera/lens combinations as long as the lens has a diameter of no more than 98mm.
• Page 9 All other S-fit accessories and light shaping tools will also fit your Safari Li-on standard flash head BUT you should not fit heavy accessories such as large beauty dishes or very large softboxes, because the plastic construction of the flash head is not designed to cope with the strain of heavy accessories.
• Page 10 All Lencarta products are fully compliant with both ROHS and EU standards and have been issued with the necessary certificates. We are also fully compliant with WEE Regulations and are happy to accept any Lencarta electrical products for recycling, once they have reached the end of their useful life.

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Lencarta Safari Li-on / Classic. Real world experience, anyone?

• Thread starter juggler
• Start date 27 Jul 2015

• 27 Jul 2015

So.. I've got the chance to buy a pair (as in two generators, 4 heads) of these for relatively little cash. Do they really show their age compared to the Safari 2? I'm slightly concerned by this line in the manual: you should not fit heavy accessories such as large beauty dishes or very large softboxes, because the plastic construction of the flash head is not designed to cope with the strain of heavy accessories. ​ What is large? 30x140cm strip box? 70 cm beauty dish? I'm told one of the chargers doesn't work terribly well. What's that likely to mean in practice? All experience gratefully received.  

Garry Edwards

Garry Edwards said: Those lightweight plastic heads on the Li-on weren't designed to hold heavy accessories, so we covered ourselves by telling people not to do it. But I've used them with 150cm octa softboxes and with 70cm beauty dishes, outside in the wind, many times. The point is that when I do it I have the common sense to tie them down properly, unfortunately common sense isn't all that common, hence the disclaimer In terms of spec, performance etc., each generation of the Safari is a substantial improvement on the previous one, but even the orginal Safari Classic (which is also pretty bombproof) is very capable. Chargers tend to either work or not, so if there is a problem it's likely to be with the battery, not the charger. Click to expand...

• 17 Aug 2015

Simon another consideration is the availability for replacement parts/spares for the older Lencarta products.  

alsos said: Simon another consideration is the availability for replacement parts/spares for the older Lencarta products. Click to expand...

juggler said: thanks; at the price I've been quoted I can afford to take a punt on being unable to find or afford replacement parts. Click to expand...

Garry Edwards said: I don't forsee any problems with replacement parts for a very long time. Apart from The Flash Centre, AFAIK we're the only manufacturer who actually has our own repair workshop, we're still repairing our very first flash heads, dating back about 12 years Click to expand...

alsos said: So you have replacement batteries in stock Gary? Click to expand...

• 18 Aug 2015

Cheers, When are you expecting them in stock?  

• 25 Aug 2015

Garry Edwards said: Errr... No. But another batch is going through the factory. Click to expand...

ShawWellPete

• 18 Apr 2016

I'm very keen to know when replacement batteries are coming back in stock. I managed to fry my Safari Battery by leaving it plugged in and I now have a very expensive door stop until I can get hold of another battery. Any news yet Garry?  

ShawWellPete said: now have a very expensive door stop until Click to expand...

Kodiak Qc said: • …funny way to put it! Click to expand...

ShawWellPete said: I'm very keen to know when replacement batteries are coming back in stock. I managed to fry my Safari Battery by leaving it plugged in and I now have a very expensive door stop until I can get hold of another battery. Any news yet Garry? Click to expand...

Phil V said: It's a fairly common English euphemism Click to expand...

DG Phototraining

Garry Edwards said: we're still repairing our very first flash heads, dating back about 12 years Click to expand...

DG Phototraining said: Good God man - still trying to repair them after 12 years !!! Just give up & bin 'em Dave Click to expand...

Phil V said: If you're happy to DIY it, I'm sure the actual batteries are probably readily available. Click to expand...

ShawWellPete said: I had a friend whose company makes battery packs for radio controlled cars and he very kindly offered to dismantle it and see if he could replace the cells. Unfortunately he couldn't. Click to expand...

Garry Edwards said: It's called customer service - and AFAIK the only other maker of reasonably priced gear that has our attitude is Elinchrom - but that's probably because they are the only other supplier who is genuinely able to carry out repairs Click to expand...

Garry Edwards said: It's called customer service Click to expand...

Michael Sewell

juggler said: So.. I've got the chance to buy a pair (as in two generators, 4 heads) of these for relatively little cash. Do they really show their age compared to the Safari 2? I'm slightly concerned by this line in the manual: you should not fit heavy accessories such as large beauty dishes or very large softboxes, because the plastic construction of the flash head is not designed to cope with the strain of heavy accessories. ​ What is large? 30x140cm strip box? 70 cm beauty dish? I'm told one of the chargers doesn't work terribly well. What's that likely to mean in practice? All experience gratefully received. Click to expand...

You can always buy one of these http://www.photospecialist.co.uk/ji...2MPvBG8GzV01tTU1Ba6Qw2UkSv3iZdAPZtRoCOnnw_wcB Mike  

ShawWellPete said: Any other suggestions Garry? I'd be tempted to upgrade if the heads were compatible but obviously they're not. Click to expand...

mike weeks said: You can always buy one of these http://www.photospecialist.co.uk/ji...2MPvBG8GzV01tTU1Ba6Qw2UkSv3iZdAPZtRoCOnnw_wcB Mike Click to expand...

DG Phototraining said: 12 years to repair one set of lights is NOT customer service !!! Maybe you didn't see the joke in my post based on what you'd written Dave Click to expand...

Garry Edwards said: Not a problem, and not needed. Click to expand...

• 19 Apr 2016

Garry Edwards said: Not a problem, and not needed. That joke was a bit too subtle from me, I'm not very bright... got it in the end though. Click to expand...

• 20 Apr 2016

ShawWellPete said: Sorry Garry, I slightly hijacked and revived this thread, any ideas about the battery replacements yet? Click to expand...

alsos said: I have enquired two or three times, they are always on there way and not been confirmed as in stock ;-) Click to expand...

Garry Edwards said: It's been so unbelievably difficult to a. get these made b. get them transported from China That I'm not going to say anything else on the subject until they actually get to our warehouse. Watch this space, because they may have already landed. The regulations on transporting lithium batteries (by sea as well as by air) have been tightened very considerably, and this has caused endless problems. Expect supply problems with all products that need lithium batteries in the future, because right now all legitimate businesses are affected. Of course, there are plenty of dodgy businesses, including Ebay/Amazon sellers, who so far have got away with making false customs declarations and who clearly don't care about public safety, but even that will change soon. Click to expand...

alsos said: I have no knowledge on shipping or transporting lithium batteries, sounds like there will be interesting times ahead seeing as more and more battery powered devices are lithium powered. Click to expand...

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• Lighting Equipment

Lencarta (Jinbei) Safari 600 Mk1 - any experience?

• portable flash battery strobes

By rodeo_joe1 March 8 in Lighting Equipment

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I just bought an old Lencarta branded "Safari 600" flash kit at auction - a real auction not Ebay!

It comprises two heads and a 600 watt-second battery-operated power pack. 

It all seems to work OK, but I have no idea how old or what use/abuse this kit has had. My concern is with the 24 volt NiMH battery pack. Spares are apparently Unobtainium and would no doubt be ridiculously expensive. 

So my questions are, if anyone has experience with this kit; what number of full-power pops is reasonable from a fully charged battery? And how frequently does the battery need charging in storage without use? 

I obviously don't want to lug it on location only to find it go flat on me after a few pops. Although I can't complain too much if the battery capacity is reduced, say, to half what it should be, since it only cost me about 1/10th of the new price. 

Info on the kit for the curious: The power pack supplies one or both heads simultaneously, dividing it's maximum 600 ws equally between heads. The heads cannot be controlled individually. Triggering - at a safe 7 volts - is by 3.5mm jack from the power pack, and "Power" is continuously variable on the power pack down to 1/8th power. 

Tests so far look promising. One head with standard 6" (Bowens-S fit) reflector gives a measured 100 ISO GN of 40(m) ~ 130(ft) and the CT remains fairly constant with varying power. In a softbox brolly the same head allows an exposure of between f/9 and f/10 at 2.5 metres. Also, the flash exposure will easily overpower overcast daylight, and pretty much balances full sunlight.

So far, so good. I expect only time will tell how limiting the lack of control over individual head output will prove to be. Although I'm fully prepared to augment the two head kit with a speedlight or two. 

Grateful for any additional info on this Lencarta or Jinbei outfit. 

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To answer one of my own questions: It seems that I struck lucky with the battery condition. I got over 100 full power pops from the battery with both heads connected. I can live with that. 

I could find absolutely no trace of an instruction manual online. Lencarta seem to have erased every trace of this item from their website, and it appears no-one else has archived any hard info about it online either. 

Doing a bit of maths - dividing the 3000 mAH/24 volt battery capacity by the stated 600 watt-second flash energy - shows that 120 pops is a reasonable expectation. As a comparison, a modern 75 watt-second speedlight running on 2500 mAH/5.2volt NiMH cells gives maybe 170 full power shots, which is about the same ratio between battery capacity and flash energy. 

The recycle time of the Lencarta "Safari" isn't exactly speedy though. Recycle time is at best 4 seconds, and this lengthened to over 5 seconds as the battery wound down.

I'll just have to wait and see how the battery holds its charge during storage without use. 

However, the battery casing is huge and would easily take 24 volts worth of 4000 mAH Lithium Ion cells, with plenty of room to spare for a battery management circuit.

The Safari battery pack next to a speedlight for comparison. The battery pack also weighs at least twice as much as the speedlight! 

John Seaman

Joe, out of curiosity I googled these and found two reviews which may help:

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/review-lencarta-safari-heads-and-ring-light.266649/

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/initial-review-of-the-lencarta-safari-600-ringflash-and-head.114813/

• 2 weeks later...

Thanks for those links John. I also found various other snippets of information on the Web. There was one containing a maker's claim of 1150 flashes per charge (!) - sounds unfeasible, right? But when the Lencarta rep was asked outright if that was full-power flashes, he evaded answering. No surprise there, then. 

Anyhow. I left the unit fully charged and unused for over a week, and then found I could squeeze 120 full-power pops, at 10 second intervals, out of the battery. That'll do. It's about what I expected.

The Chinese origin of the kit is given away by the amusing directions printed on the battery - "Do not dabble." and "Fever in using, charge battery after cooling." A reminder to pack some cold beers or Malaria tablets when on location perhaps?

I might still look into converting the battery pack to 4000mAh Lithium-ion cells... but the price of those has rocketed recently. 

Ah, for 55 quid plus auction fees I think I did OK though. 

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