• Alien Bees have a plastic case, and the White Lightning’s have a more durable aluminum case.
• The White Lightning units weigh more (4.1 lbs vs 2.1 lbs for 800 W units), and thus aren’t quite as easy to transport as the Alien Bees
• The Alien Bees flash units have a 150W modeling bulb, and the White Lightning uses a 250W modeling bulb.
• The White Lightning has separate manual controls for the flash and modeling power while the Alien Bees has a single control for them both.
• The Aliens Bees circuitry is more compact, and thereby runs hotter
• White Lightning has a 5 year warranty, Alien Bees warranty is 2 years
• White Lightning use multiple smaller capacitors for faster recycling
• Alien Bee units use a new and unique design on the power supply where the very heavy power transformer has been eliminated. The White Lightning units use a more traditional design with the transformer in the power supply.
• The White Lightning lights can be adjusted over a 7 stop range, whereas the Alien Bees can be adjusted over 5 stops
• The White Lightning units use multiple circuit cards, instead of a single one like the Alien Bees which makes repair easier

These are the main functional differences between the two, do you know of any others?

Digital SLR Camera Reviews Summary:

Who this camera is for:

• Point and Shoot power users looking to learn more about photography and learning how to use SLR cameras
• Existing Canon SLR photographers who would like something lighter for traveling but still an SLR format
• Point and shoot users looking to make better quality prints
• An extra SLR camera for wedding photographers, etc

Who this camera isn’t for:

• Photographers looking to take photos in tricky or low-light photography conditions
• Existing photographers looking to switch from a film SLR to a digital SLR
• Anyone looking for a very durable, long lasting SLR
• Someone who needs video capability

From the manufacturer:
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi offers an unbeatable combination of performance, ease-of-use and value. It has a newly designed 10.1 MP Canon CMOS sensor plus a host of new features including a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, the exclusive EOS Integrated Cleaning System featuring a Self Cleaning Sensor and Canon’s Picture Style technology, all in a lightweight, ergonomic body. The Digital Rebel XTi is proof positive that Canon continues to lead the way with their phenomenal digital SLRs.

Product Description
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi has a newly designed 10.1 MP Canon CMOS sensor plus a host of new features including a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, the exclusive EOS Integrated Cleaning System featuring a Self Cleaning Sensor and Canon’s Picture Style technology, all in a lightweight, ergonomic body. The EOS Digital Rebel XTi is compatible with all Canon lenses in the EF lineup, ranging from ultra-wide angle to super telephoto lenses, and including Canon’s EF-S series lenses, manufactured specifically for Canon’s APS-C sized digital sensor. Canon’s Speedlite 430EX is perfectly suited to the EOS Digital Rebel XTi. In addition to Canon’s EF lenses and Speedlite flashes, many other accessories are designed by Canon to work perfectly with the EOS Digital Rebel XTi. The Battery Grip BG-E3 adds a vertical shutter release, and can hold two NB-2LH Battery Packs for increased shooting capacity. Canon’s Semi Hard Case EH18-L can accommodate the EOS Digital Rebel XTi with a small zoom lens. An EF 18-55mm is included in the EOS Digital Rebel XTi Lens Kit. Image Sensor Type – High-Sensitivity, high-resolution, single-plate, CMOS sensor 3 – 2 Aspect Ratio Recording Format – JPEG, RAW, and RAW+JPEG simultaneous recording provided USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Interface, mini-B port, NTSC/PAL for video output Viewfinder Type – Eye-level SLR with pentamirror Shutter Speeds – 1/4000 to 30 seconds Self-timer – 10 seconds delay, 2 seconds delay with C.Fn-7-1 (mirror lockup) Continuous Shooting Speed – Approx. 3 fps (at shutter speed of 1/250 sec. or faster) Compatible Printers – CP and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Photo Printers and PictBridge compatible printers (via USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU) Power Source – One Battery Pack NB-2LH Image storage on CompactFlash Type I or II type memory cards (Not included) Dimensions – Width 4.98 x Height 3.71 x Depth 2.56 inch, 126.5 x 94.2 x 65mm / Weight – 18 ounces

Overall details from Amazon.com:

10.1-Megapixel APS-C Size CMOS Sensor
Canon’s large-area CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor captures images with exceptional clarity and tonal range, and offers the most pixels in its class. This APS-C size sensor (22.2 x 14.8mm) has the same 3:2 ratio as film cameras, enabling an effective angle of view that is 1.6x the normal EF lens focal length. With pixel resolution of 3,904 x 2,598, the Digital Rebel XTi not only offers the most pixels in its class, but bests many professional-level cameras. Recorded on Canon’s CMOS sensor, each pixel is captured with fine detail to create images of tremendous depth, nuance, and resolution, ensuring enough information for even poster-sized prints.

DIGIC II Image Processor
The EOS Digital Rebel XTi is the product of Canon’s extensive in-house development: The DIGIC II Image Processor was designed specifically for Canon digital SLR cameras and enhances every aspect of image capture. Information captured by the CMOS sensor is processed and assembled into images of exceptional quality. With the DIGIC II Image Processor on board, photographers can expect natural color reproduction, precise white balance in any number of lighting situations, and unparalleled clarity. The DIGIC II Image Processor employs sophisticated signal processing algorithms and works at greater speeds, all while consuming less energy. The entire processing chip–not just the software that drives it–is dedicated for use in a digital still camera.

Responsive and Reliable
The EOS Digital Rebel XTi has a brilliant 2.5-inch LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 pixels. Also used in Canon’s Professional EOS SLRs, this screen displays more than images. Shooting information and playback are both displayed on the LCD, so that the photographer can see all of the shooting information simultaneously on one screen. Not only can images be viewed larger than on the Digital Rebel XT, they can be viewed at a greater angle (160 degrees) than many other conventional LCD monitors.

Display Off Sensor
When composing images, the Digital Rebel XTi’s external display turns off automatically thanks to the newly developed Display Off Sensor. This new sensor detects the photographer’s face against the back panel of the camera, and turns the screen off to prevent the LCD monitor’s brightness from disturbing the photographer’s eye while looking through the viewfinder.

Speedy Operation
With a startup time of 0.2 seconds, the EOS Digital Rebel XTi is ready to go the instant it’s brought to the eye. And the Digital Rebel XTi’s shutter can record images as fast as 1/4000 seconds and as long as 30 seconds, plus bulb at up to 3 frames per second (fps) for 27 consecutive shots. It synchronizes with Canon Speedlites at 1/200 second.

EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 USM Standard Zoom Lens
This kit includes a standard zoom exclusively for the EOS Digital Rebel and EOS 20D SLR cameras, with APS-C size image circle equivalent to an approximately 28-90mm focal length. The lens is compact and ultra-lightweight with impressive close-focusing ability of 0.9 feet (0.28 meters). It features optimized coating for digital imaging sensor to minimize ghost images and flare.

9-Point AF
The EOS Digital Rebel XTi has a high-precision 9-point AF system for speedy and accurate focusing in any situation. Conveniently located on the back of the camera for thumb-controlled action, Canon’s cross key buttons enable instant choice of the 9 focus points or allow the camera to choose them automatically. One-Shot is perfect for still photography. AI Servo AF tracks moving subjects, ensuring accurate focus. AI Focus AF switches between One-Shot and AI Servo when subjects are moving and stopping. The Digital Rebel XTi’s focusing system functions in metering ranges of EV-0.5 to 18 and displays information on the Digital Rebel XTi’s big LCD display.