Strobe or Monolight?

<p>What is the difference between a strobe and a monolight? Is one more preferable in an umbrella or softbox?<br>

Thanks for your help<br>

Andrew</p>

<p>What do you mean by "strobe"?</p>

<p>All monolight are strobes, only self contained strobes which contain all parts to make them function are monolights.<br>

A strobe is powered by a capacitor that stores electricity so as to provide a very high voltage current to the flash tube. </p>

 

<p>Just to make it simple: a "strobe" is a "flash." That's all there is to it.<br /><br />But... there are many types of flash. A hot-shoe mounted flash, as you'd normally attach directly to your camera, is sometimes called a speed light, or a flash gun, or a hot-shoe flash, or an on-camera flash. These might also be used on brackets, or on stands or hand-held or otherwise positioned... sometimes with cables controlling then, sometimes with infrared signals controlling them, and sometimes with radio transcievers doing so. These hot-shoe style strobes are small, battery powered, and these days can be very sophisticated. For some photographers, it's all the flash they'll ever need.<br /><br />Then you have your studio strobes. Loosely, these are broken into two categories: the pack and head systems, and the monolights. With the pack and head systems, you've got your power supply and capacitors and whatnot in one chasis, and the then a heavy cable runs from it to the strobe/flash head (where the flashtube actually lives). This way the heavy electronics can sit on the floor, while the light-emitting part sits up on the stand. One pack can power more than one head.<br /><br />With a monolight, all of that stuff is in <em>one</em> chasis, and each light-emitting unit has its own on-board electronics. These are usually powered by line voltage out of the wall, but some will also run off of special battery systems. <br /><br />So, the larger point is that you'll often hear the words "flash" and "strobe" used interchangeably. What really matters is the adjective/modifier that you see in front of those words... "<em>studio</em> strobe" or "<em>on camera</em> flash" etc. That gives you a better sense of whether you're dealing with smaller battery powered units, or beefier studio type stuff.<br /><br />As to your other question: anything's good in any light modifier as long as it generates enough light to do what you want. In practical terms, that's changed a lot lately, since some cameras can be used cleanly at much higher ISOs, requiring less power from the strobes. <br /><br />But when you're doing things like filling in facial shadows at a distance in hard, bright sunlight... well, sometimes the laws of physics force you to consider the much more powerful studio style lights, in place of the more portable speedlights. It just depends on how much light you need to throw around.<br /><br />So to <em>really</em> answer your question, it would help to know more about what you're shooting, and under what circumstances.</p>

<p>Although the term "strobe" is sometimes used to describe electronic flashes of all types the word "strobe" is an abreviation of stroboscopic. A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp is a light which flashes at regular intervals. It is used in science to study motion. An example of a stroboscopic lamp, commonly found outside of a science lab, would be a timing light used to check or set the ignition timing of an engine.</p>

<p>Strobe lights were also used in the 1960s for entertainment and to simulate acid trips by altering the perception of motion and time ie: Ken Kesey's Acid Tests which combined the use of strobe lamps and the music of the Grateful Dead.</p>

<p>Monolights and studio flashes are not "strobes". Strobes are not the electronic flashes that we use in photgraphy.</p>

<p>Technically a strobe is repeating flash true. Common use flash=strobe. Language evolves.</p>

<p>Yes, I agree with Brooks' correct definition of a strobe. My explanation was based on the now common usage, since people encounter the word "strobe" (a la "strobist") these days with that word being used as a simple alternative to "flash."</p>

<p>Choice depends on what you're doing with it. Monolights have considerably more power, but are less portable.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>There are at least three types of electronic flash (generically, a "strobe" in that they stop action) - camera mounted (e.g., shoe), central power pack and monolights. The latter two are heavier and more powerful, but used in a relatively fixed location.</p>

<p>Monolights combine the power pack (high-voltage supply and capacitors) and flash head. The key advantage is that they are individually adjustable. The main disadvantage is that they tend to be heavy, require a separate trigger (or photocell), and you might need a ladder to adjust the power.</p>

<p>Pack lights comprise the conventional "studio" flash unit. The power supply and capacitors are in a single box, often large and heavy, and the flash heads connect to this box with special cables, but are relatively light. The advantage is that all adjustments are centrally located and easy to reach, and all lights are triggered from a single point. The downside is that the range and fineness of adjustments are often limited, and may apply to all lights at the same time. More expensive units (e.g., ProFoto) have individual adjustments and a consistent color temperature at all settings.</p>

<p>You can have as many monolights in play as you wish, as far apart as needed, whereas a pack light is generally limited to 4 heads or less and 15' or so of cable. Monolights usually have a built-in photocell trigger, which is fine in a studio but easily hijacked by any camera with a flash. If you set up an on-location portrait site, use a pack light with a sync cable, or cables (or radio receivers) for each monolight ($$).</p>

<p>Cables are not an issue. Pack lights need a special cable to each head, but monolights need AC power. Either way, there are wires to trip over.</p>