# Paul C. Buff – Founder of Alien Bees, White Lightning – Dies at 78



## Ripley (Mar 24, 2015)

http://www.paulcbuff.com/about.php


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## RLPhoto (Mar 24, 2015)

O_O NO WAY! Damn I loved his products. He really stuck it to the other big strobe dealers in the sub-1000$ market. No way i'd ever buy a budget profoto set or broncolor set when I've got my trusty Einsteins. He gave so many people the opportunity to light like the big boys without the price of the bigboys. You could imagine all the covers and photos that we're produced by his lighting equipment.

RIP Paul C. Buff.

-Ramon


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## YuengLinger (Mar 24, 2015)

Great businessman, and, I believe, a good friend to photographers with passion and/or running their own small businesses.

I still have full faith in the products and the service. In fact, just last night I was thinking about ordering a second of the newer giant strip boxes.

Rest in peace, Mr. Buff. Condolences to family, friends, and colleagues.


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## Besisika (Mar 24, 2015)

YuengLinger said:


> Great businessman, and, I believe, a good friend to photographers with passion and/or running their own small businesses.
> 
> I still have full faith in the products and the service. In fact, just last night I was thinking about ordering a second of the newer giant strip boxes.
> 
> Rest in peace, Mr. Buff. Condolences to family, friends, and colleagues.


+1 - Big fan here too.


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## ablearcher (Mar 24, 2015)

RIP Paul. 

Great products, great service.


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## agierke (Mar 24, 2015)

i hope the company doesnt lose its flair for innovation. great company with great products. hope it continues to be so.


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## sagittariansrock (Mar 24, 2015)

This man will be missed.
I think PCB single-handedly created a market that brought the oxymorons cheap and reliable together, and allowed hundreds of people to light their subjects with utmost satisfaction without breaking their banks. His innovation with the Einstein is yet to be matched.
I hope his legacy continues.
I simply cannot believe it- just bought my first Einstein. And he had responded to my posts not more than a month back.
RIP Paul Buff...


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## privatebydesign (Mar 24, 2015)

That is very sad news, a true giant in his field. 

No selfish thoughts of the future, but I hope for his sake his legacy is continued with the simple customer first ethic that has made the company what it is.

PCB Einsteins are amongst the most amazing studio strobes you can buy, for any price, that they are so comparatively cheap was never anything less than jaw dropping.

You will be missed Paul.


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## Click (Mar 24, 2015)

Sad news. 

RIP Paul C. Buff.


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## pwp (Mar 24, 2015)

PCB...a great friend of the industry who played by his own rules. 
Thank you Paul. You'll be long remembered.

-pw


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## BLFPhoto (Mar 25, 2015)

Sad news, indeed!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 25, 2015)

The company started pulling back its business in the past year, I wonder if he was still running it, or just why they stopped selling in Europe.

There are certainly a lot of photographers who love his products. He will be remembered fondly.


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## privatebydesign (Mar 25, 2015)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> The company started pulling back its business in the past year, I wonder if he was still running it, or just why they stopped selling in Europe.
> 
> There are certainly a lot of photographers who love his products. He will be remembered fondly.



Probably the wrong place to speculate but my understanding of the withdrawal of the wider network was due to a lack of direct customer contact and subsequent inability to offer the hands on and direct customer service they wanted to, and an antagonistic relationship with a specific licensed importer with whom PCB didn't end up agreeing with. I thought the withdrawal from other markets comfortably preceded the one year mark though.

Again though, awesome gear, awesome company, and his lead will be missed.


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 25, 2015)

:'(

Thanks and RIP, PCB. Love my Einstein, love the value-priced yet well-constructed modifiers.


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## PureClassA (Mar 25, 2015)

http://petapixel.com/2015/03/24/lighting-gear-pioneer-paul-c-buff-passes-away-at-the-age-of-78/#.VRIV1y0ceyY.facebook

Nice write up. I own two Einsteins and two Alien Bees 400s along with umbrellas and other accessories of his. Just amazing workhorse products. His innovation will be missed and remembered fondly.


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