Powering on-location, off camera flash isn’t that new of a pursuit. People have been plugging into generators and batteries for many, many years.

However, Paul C. Buff has gone and done it again, creating a drool-worthy version of the old standby battery pack. No, it’s not the most powerful, and it might not be the sexiest piece of hardware, but the new Vagabond Mini is getting a whole lot of wedding photographers up in a lather.

It’s something that has been done before, by DIYers looking for something a little less weighty than the 18.6 lb Vagabond II,a little more powerful than a SB-800, and a little less expensive than a Ranger Quadra RX.

The new Vagabond Mini comes in at a price point that makes DIYing less appealing, especially to those of us who have no electronics skills. Just plug in, power up, and you’re off.

If Each of the Vagabond Minis has enough juice to power two AB1600s for about 250 shots. That’s not quite the 250-287 that a Vagabond II will net you, but it is in the ballpark. And the Mini’s recycle slightly slower than the VIIs, too, anywhere from a tenth of a second to twice as long, depending on how many watt seconds you’re pulling down.

If it is raw power you’re looking for, and you have a tribe of well-muscled Austrians to carry around your gear, then there are beefier options, like the Vagabond II, or many, many other battery systems. If portability is the end all, be all of your existence, there are SB-800s and 58exes out there that can be carried much farther.

But for people looking for something in the middle—more power than a speedlight, but not going to break the bank or the back—this is a very interesting option.

As with most PCB announcements, the units aren’t shipping yet, and estimations of two months may well be wildly off the mark (Einstein, anyone?)

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