Profoto 7B and compact 300 for fashion photography

[tony_black1]

For indoor and outdoor use, do you guys think this is a good lighting kit?

 

or i should go for acute 2r and profot 7b which is more expensive ?

 

any other combinations are welcome.

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[shiver_me_timbrrrre]

I'd attempt an answer and I'll limit the discussion to Profoto only.

 

The Profoto 7b has an asymmetrical output which limits it to 1:1 and 2:1 light ratios. In an outdoor situation, on location, where there isn't an AC socket in sight, the Profoto 7b affords you the advantage of a studio pack in a portable form. I'd assume that in that situation, you'd want to balance your key light (meaning your flash) with ambient background light, with perhaps a fill flash from the second Profoto socket. In one of his pictures, Gilles Bensimon had an assistant toting the Profoto 7b power pack and a ringlight while he tracked the model down a path; the Profoto 7b and an arm holding it could be clearly seen in the side of the picture. Without AC, the Compact 300 is not usable. That limits you to using only the Profoto 7b unless you wish to drag along an heavy generator; that kind of defeats the purpose of having the Profoto 7b. In an outdoor location with no AC and only ambient light, one Profoto 7b may be all you need for lighting up the model.

 

In an indoor situation where there is AC, whether in or out of the studio, you have the Profoto 7b with two sockets for two heads on the one hand and a Compact 300 or two on the other. The Profoto 7b provides two lights, one key and one fill. One Compact 300 gives you a rim or hairlight with no light for the seamless backdrop or set in a studio; in an environmental interior, there could be ambient light for your background. Or one light for the backdrop or background set with no rim or hair light. Two Compact 300 gives you two lights for lighting the backdrop for an evenly washed backdrop.

 

I'd choose two Compact 600S over two Compact 300 just so that I may have an extra stop of light (and extra stop of depth of field) to balance it with the Profoto 7b main pack.

 

In place of the two Compact 600S, you have the Acute2R 1200J pack. This gives you the convenience and control of a pack versus two monolights. If you're using the Acute2R as background lights or rim light, you have to contend with the inconvenience of dressing your flash cables so that they do not snake across your field of view as they are both tied to the same pack. It is easier to set up two Compact monolights without cables snaking across because the only cables are their power cords. In a interior location shoot, there may be situations where you want to set up two background lights far apart; it is far easier to do that with two monolights which are independent of each other. Of course, with monolights, if one light goes down, one light goes down. With the Acute2R, if the pack goes, you are down two lights. The disadvantages of monolights lie in its weight; you need extra sandbags to weigh down the stands, and to re-adjust them, you need to lower them and then raise them.

 

This begs the question: is the Profoto 7b good enough as one's main pack. Look at its specifications. I find the flash duration, power and other specifications good enough for much of my own work that I could function with the Profoto 7b alone.

 

My advice is to spring for a Profoto 7b with two heads and two Compact 600S.

 

The main gripes against the Profoto 7b are its weight and cost. You may also look at the Hensel Porty and the elinchrom Ranger.

 

The best part about buying Profoto is its light modifier system which, I feel, is made for fashion and people photography. Some do not see the difference and may pooh-pooh that. But I do and if some of you don't, all the power to you all; I am not going to try to convince you.

 

So, do consider buying into a lighting system and not a matter of packs and heads.

[tony_black1]

thanks very much for the feedback. i think profoto 7b is best unit for outdoors

and indoors work. but if you need another head, then i guess going with a

600w or 300w monolight will be the best economical and logical way. thats

what i figured and planning to buy.

 

i wanted to get some feedbacks from people if i am missing something. which

you mentioned that monolights are a little heavy and i need some sand bags..

its good to know but not a problem for me.

 

if i go with pro7b with 2 heads and acute 2r with two heads, it will be too

expensive. so as i said pro7b and one compact head will be my way to go i

guess.

[michael_hogan]

Tony,

 

I've just taken the Profoto plunge with an Acute 2 2400 pack. I have worked for years with available light (monochrome portrait work) and was sceptical about percieved differnces in studio stobes (light is light right?). After playing with the Acute 2 pack and a 5' Octa box all I can say is wow! I wanted a system that would work with my 4X5 and also power down for digital work. I was surprised that I needed a 3 stop ND filter for shallow DOF (f4) with my D100. The problem has been too much power (75ws) even with a large softbox and two diffusion pannels. I did a shoot two days ago with the 4X5 and Polariod type 55pn (http://www.photo.net/photo/3960652) and the results were superb! I would go for the compact 600 since you can trottle it back to 37.5ws or get another stop if you need it - oddly, the compact 300 only powers down to 75ws.

 

For the type of work I do I have not needed the second head. I am so used to using one light - I don't know what I would do with three - I like to keep things really simple.

 

What type of work do you plan to do? What sort of cameras do you work with? You really have to think about the *your* style and what suits you. For me that means a single, simple, reliable lightsource that does not get in the way of the image.

 

-- Mike

[shiver_me_timbrrrre]

Mike says, "You really have to think about the *your* style and what suits you. For me that means a single, simple, reliable lightsource that does not get in the way of the image."

 

Very true, Mike, and it bears repeating.

 

Sorry if I had written in a rambling tone of voice, Tony.