Pack & Head vs. Monolights

[terry_evans3]

Hello,

 

I am about to purchase my first studio light kit. All along, I have assumed

that monolights were the best option. Should I be giving serious

consideration to pack and heads? How would something like a Novotron 1500

watt 3 or 4 head set be for portraits? I shoot with a Canon 5D and fast

primes. I do need very good performance at low power levels and good amounts

of adjustment.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Terry

[garry edwards]

Apart from cost, the only advantage I see to mono heads is redundancy - it doesn't cause such major problems if one stops working as it can cause if a generator pack stops working, simply because generator packs may be powering several heads.

 

Packs can be less flexible than mono heads because, depending on the make and model, they may have symetrical output or, if asymetrical, the adjustment may be limited. But, if your budget will allow you to use one generator pack per head, then they are far more convenient to use, easier to adjust, the heads are lighter and therefore safer, and they're made for constant use.

 

This article may help. http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Futx&tag=

[ronald_moravec1]

Monos are fine but a bit heavy as all the works is on top the stand making it less stable.

 

They are nice in that if one fails, you can still work.

 

Novotron are not the best quality lights.

 

Black line Spedotrons-Normans-Balcar-and other make good lights. How about white Lightning or Alien Bee if you want monos.?

[terry_evans3]

Thanks Guys,

 

Gary, I read the link, thanks. I have been reading specs on lights a lot lately, and have a good understanding now. Considering pack and heads was just one of those last minute thoughts before I ordered monos. As far as a pack per head, I did thing about buying one pack and two heads for now, then buying the second set later. I have read comments on the benefits of having more than one head. How does two per head sound?

 

Ronald, I am aware of the brands you mention, just wasn't sure about Novotron. As far as monos, I have seriously considered WL 1600s, but now sure how dependable or accurate they are a low power. They definately have the ability to adjust down to 1/128th, but don't know how they perform at that level. I have also considered Hensel 500s, which adjust down to 1/32 and supposed to have consistent performance throughout the power range. Can you share anything regarding low power usage. I have a couple of very fast primes I like to shoot at 1.2-1.8, so I need accurate control.

 

Regards,

 

Terry

[jrjacobs]

Terry -

 

I used to have a set of White Lightning 800's, and they were inconsistent in the settings range - in other words, dialing down one stop did not give a true one stop between each setting - so alot of time was wasted adjusting and then taking readings again. Other than that, they worked fine, but it the end I replaced them as the inconsistency became annoying after awhile.

[terry_evans3]

JR,

Thanks, that is very good to know. When it comes to being accurate accross the power range, do you know how Hensel Integras rates? What did you switch to?

Thank you,

Terry

[jrjacobs]

Hi Terry -

 

I've never used Hensels, so I'm not one to ask. I switched to Broncolor Impact S80 monolights (got them used), and a set of JTL Mobilights for location work (they are battery powered). I've been happy with both the JTL and the Broncolor, but the tubes for the Broncolors cost a fortune!

[seanduckett]

i use the profoto compact 600 plus (x4). and am extremely happy with them. soon i'll be picking up a couple of packs and heads to expand my light kit. before commiting to the profotos i considered the elinchrome digital series mono lights.

[edsel_adams]

Have you ever tried to boom a mono? P&H kit heads weigh a fraction of the average mono, and are much easier to work with.

[brooks short]

Packs and heads for me.

[terry_evans3]

Brooks and Edsel,

 

Thanks for your reply. My main concern is the power control. For instance, I could power down a Hensel 500 to 1/32, for shooting fast primes at 1.2-1.8. How much control can I get out of a pack & head. There is a speedotron 800 watt, two head Black Line kit within my budget, but not sure about the control and accuracy.

 

Terry

[garry edwards]

Terry,

 

1/32 is 5 stops, and you can certainly get that (or more) with some generator packs - but it won't be enough if you want to shoot at very wide apertures. The standard answer, with any kind of flash, is to fit a 0.9 ND (or 2) gel over the light to reduce the output by 3 or 6 stops (or more if necessary).

 

As for accuracy, I would expect at least as high a standard of consistency from generator packs as from monos.

[brooks short]

Terry,

 

I happen to have an Speedotron Black Line 805 pack which is 800ws. In fact, I have three which I use for small digital location shoots.

 

I set up a test using one 102 head in a medium, silver lined Chimera Pro softbox. The medium Chimera is 3'x4'. Photoflex sells their softbox in the same size as a "Large".

 

I chose the isolated head socket on the 805 which is rated at 200ws and then dialed it down all the way,eight seperate 1/3 of a stop clicks or 2.6 fstops which would be approximately 30ws. At 30ws and 100 ISO, with the front screen of the softbox (not the flash tube since it's the front screen which is the light source when using a softbox) exactly 10 ft. from my Sekonic 358 flash meter, the reading was f 1.4 for a guide number of 14. BTW at full power of 800ws the same ISO, distance and softbox gave a reading of f8.3.

 

For soft light you'd want that 3'x4' softbox closer to your subject so moving it 2 stops closer to say 5.6 ft. from the subject, your fstop at 100 ISO would be f2.8

 

At that low a power setting the recycle time on the 805 Black Line pack is instantaneous.

 

Nothing beats a real world test. Calumet used to publish guide numbers for all the flash systems and flash heads that they sold using a medium Chimera at 10 ft and 100 ISO. I wish they still did.

[terry_evans3]

Gary, for some reason, I thought people prefered not to do that. I have assumed there was a reason such as lowering the quality of light. If this is something I can count on doing with excellent results, it takes away the concern of being overpowered when I want to shoot at 1.2-1.8. Does the quality of light stay the same?

 

Brooks, thank you. That's exactly the information I needed and can work with. Ideally, I would want to place the softbox closer than 10 feet for head shots, so maybe a minimum of 15 w/s would work, or even the neutral density filter. Does that sound right? Hensel Integra 500s power down to 1/32, which is 15 w/s. They claim that the power is consistent throughout the power range.

 

Thank you,

 

Terry

[brooks short]

Terry,

 

Placing ND filters over a softbox wouldn't change the quality of the light from the softbox though over time some ND filters do fade and/or change color slightly. Placing a ND filter over an optical spot might degrade the sharpness of the beam if the filter was scratched or scuffed.

 

I'm not familiar with the Hensel monlights but the Blackline Speedotrons hve consistent color across the power range and are at 100% recycle when the ready light is lit.

 

If I were you I'd be sure to get more light rather than less. You can always dial down the power or use ND filters on the lights when you want to shoot wide open.

 

In over 20 years of shooting commercially I've never needed to shoot wider than f 2.8 for a shallow depth of field but I do use longer focal lengths most times. I have been required to shoot at f16, 22 or 32 many times so I also have 3-4800wspacks with 4800ws heads and 2-2400ws Speedotron packs along with those smaller 800ws packs.

 

Buy more power than you think you need.

[jonathon]

Quick vote for the Integras. Mine have been great from day 1, consistent & easy to work with. I'd say two things about them though. First if you've ever used a profoto speed ring, anything else is flimsy. The Hensel attachment system isn't as good. Second if you're gonna use the lights a fair way out of reach, I'd buy the Pro Plus series with the on camera adjuster. It sits on your hotshoe, fires the strobes and allows you to adjust the power output right from the camera. Slick.

[terry_evans3]

Thanks Jonathon,

 

This will be my first system, and really want to get it right. I have considered Profoto, but it seems like the features are pretty basic for what you pay. I have read complaints about the accessories being so expensive. What exactly is so nice about them?

 

Terry

[jonathon]

The thing with the accessories is you only buy them once. Profoto has a great range of lights and has each area covered that I like (monos, packs, battery systems). The speedring has a clamp system unlike any other where the accessory locks right around the body of the light itself. This allows the accessory to be moved back and forward on the light to help focus.<p>

Why are Profoto nice? I'll have to say I think that their Compacts aren't really all that consistent in colour output, but as a whole there are lots of reasons<br>

i) every rental place uses them so they are easy to rent bits to supplement your own gear<br>

ii) the fact that every place rents them says a huge amount about their reliability (although I have heard the odd Acute go pop)<br>

iii) the recycle times are lightning quick<br>

iv) power output from each pop is very consistent<br>

v) big power modelling lights (not some 100w excuse)<br>

vi) easy to use controls - and amazingly precise control on the D4 packs<br>

vii) fast turnaround on repairs even for the sometimes problematic Acute with built in pocket wizard<br>

viii) everyone makes light modifiers for profoto so you don't have to buy their own. Even the companies who usually only make stuff for their own lights like Elinchrom will often make them for Profoto as well.<br>

ix) you can use the Pro heads on the D4, Pro 6&7 and 7B & B2 packs.<br>

x) they are black and look cool - you might think this is a joke, but if an art director shows up and you're shooting with Alien Bees, he's gonna be a lot harder to deal with. Bron and Profoto gives them confidence you know what you're doing!