I've been using Calumet "Elite" line. 1200 WS pack, with very lightweight heads. Excellent safety features. Tremendously adjustable. I can go from 7.5 WS to 1200 WS with a single head. Cycles full power in 1 second. Good variety of modifiers, reflectors available. The only thing I don't like is that the mounting and swivel are real Mickey Mouse, probably because the heads are made in Great Britain, and Mickey Mouse mounts seem to be as big a tradition there as lousy cooking. (See SV, for example). The price of the system is fair, though nowhere as cheap as the "stinging insect" products. The Elite line also has self-contained strobes, which are compatible with the pack and head system.
I have also used and am very impressed with the Profoto system.
I used to think that one strobe system was as good as another. Then I saw comparison photos by a colleague who switched from a cheapo to a high-end Swiss system (Broncolor). With the same lighting setup, there was a clear but not quantifiable difference ... the shots w/ the high end system had a certain clarity and 'creaminess.' The photog, who did a lot of extremely precise product and food shots, also told me that the high-end systems are far more consistent from shot to shot, whereas the cheaper stuff might wander from weaker or stronger by a 1/10 stop or so.
I should mention in fairness that I bought and still own the original Paul Buff "coffee can" strobes. They kept bustin' on me, and I was so disappointed by that, and their generally flimsy construction, that I never bought another Buff product again. Including the Alien Bees.
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