Portable studio Flash - which one?

[durr3]

<p>I shoot with a Fujifilm XPro 1 and medium format film plus a bit of large format.<br>

What would be a good one unit portable studio flash set up? </p>

<p>Quantum, Paul Buff, Norman, what?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>Which ever you can afford and keep and consider which units have the most accessories.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

Because my first job is being a working photographer that specializes in working on location, and as my second job is

reviewing photographic products for TA photo nous try trade magazine Ive gotten to work with a lot of gear that fits the

description of "Portable Studio Flash".

 

There are two basic categories here: units that are designed to be exclusively battery powered and lighting instruments

that are designed to be powered by AC that work with high capacity external batteries.

 

Examples of the first type are the Profoto B1, B2, B3, and B4; Broncolor Move 1200L; Elinchrom Ranger and Quadra;

and Hensel Porty. There are also the Quantum X series, and Norman 200/400C - these aren't "studio lights per se. This is

far from an exhaustive list, and represents the ones I've used enough to be overly familiar with (with the exception of the

Profoto B2, B3 &B4).

 

The second category is far larger. Basically any moderately powered (up to 640 watt-seconds) Monolight can be used

with a high capacity battery/DC to AC converter package. In this category my favorite combination is the Paul C. Buff

Einstein 640 monolight with the new VXL Vagabond Lithium Extreme as a battery power source. I have also used with

good success, the VXL as a power source for a pair of Bowens Gemini 500 W-S monolights.

 

Each and every one of these systems have appealing attributes.

 

With that as a preface, can you refine your original question? What features are you looking for? Battery only, or AC and

battery power? Multi-voltage? Modeling lights and if so how bright? What energy (w-s ) maximum and minimum? Built in

or external wireless sync option? Etc.

[michaelmowery]

<p>Ellis my thoughts exactly but I was too lazy to write it all out and explain. LOL It is also good to know what the person wants to use the strobes for. What camera you use does not affect your choice of strobes but what its more important to help us answer your question is what are you trying to accomplish? A little bit of self educating and web exploring first goes along ways before one posts a question.</p>

[durr3]

<p>Thanks guys...I will go do my homework.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>I've been under the impression that this forum is a place one might go to get self educated, so consider this option if you don't need modeling lights or hours-of-shooting battery durability, or massive watt-secondry:<br /><br />Attach a couple of shoe mount speed lights to <a href="http://www.phottixstore.com/store/studio-accessories/phottix-multi-boom-16-flash-bracket.html">one of these</a>.<br />Sync them both via one Pocket Wizard using <a href="http://flashzebra.com/monominiphone/0075.shtml">one of these</a> and a couple of sync cords... t</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>These look interesting.<br>

<a href="http://www.lumopro.com/">Lumopro</a>... t</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Define portable and what you want to shoot. If it needs to fit in a bag over your shoulder, you want speedlights and umbrellas and small stands, ala <a href="http://www.strobist.com">www.strobist.com</a> If it can go in the back of a SUV and be carried in and out of a building on a cart, you can use any studio strobes you like. Does it need to run on batteries? All speedlights will do that, and many studio strobes if you have the right battery that converts to 120VAC sine wave.</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>Yes Tom this is a place to get educated but you have to have some basic knowledge of what you want to do or accomplish in order for others to help or give direction. You can't just ask "What lens should I buy" without giving some more information. Broad open questions leave too much for us to interpret. </p>

[bob_bill]

<p>I'm with Ellis on the Einstein but for traveling really light, pun intended, I use the smaller vagabond, 3.5 lbs instead of carrying the 18 lb original vagabond which works as a great "sandbag" strapped to the base of the light stand. I go to these when I want a larger modifier, more power 640 watt seconds instead of 80 from a speed light, a modeling light or fast recycle.(einsteins pops up to 10 times per second instead of waiting a couple of seconds for a speed light). I find 1 light a bit limiting so usually carry a few and/or a 3x6 free standing reflector/subtractor. </p>

[durr3]

<p>Sorry, but I have been out of town. I will be shooting outdoor environmental portraits with digital and analog cameras.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>Yeah if you're using "large format" (is that 4x5, 8x10 or...?), you'll need some serious juice if you want to focus close and/or use small apertures. The Einsteins are the best quality/cost for the money. <br /><br />However, they are monolights, which means you might have difficulty seeing the power settings if you use them high with softboxes. Having radio control of power settings from the camera is pretty essential and there are a couple of options for that. <br /><br />If anything gave the same quality/power as the Einsteins but came as a pack and head system for close to the same money, I'd go there in a heart beat, especially if it had a lithium battery power supply (I'm looking at you, Elinchrom)... t</p><div></div>

[twmeyer]

<p>and they (<a href="http://www.paulcbuff.com/e640.php">Einsteins</a>) are top heavy on an 8 ft stand. For mostly outdoor work, consider <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/907121-REG/elinchrom_el_10402_1_ranger_quadra_hybrid_li_ion.html">Elinchrom Ranger</a>s which have much lighter heads and are controlled from a power pack used at ground level, even though they are only 400ws and cost 3x as much. As usual, there is no good solution... t<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/945193-REG/dynalite_xp_800_pure_sine_wave_inverter.html">then there's always this</a></p>

[ian_casement]

<p>Each has his own opinion.</p>

<p>For environmental portraits (anything really) mine is that you go for a power pack system which uses one battery and can supply multiple heads. The simplest and most expandable would be Lumedyne (although the fine output control can be limited depending on your pack and definitely limiting on multiple head or additional booster head use. They have no remote control capability). The next and most comprehensive would be Quantum. Quantum will allow full radio remote control in all modes, high output, the ability to add output, the ability to add heads and the ability to individually control the output of those heads to whatever ratio you, the photographer, decides on. No other battery is required.</p>

<p>One battery powering a large Ws setup with multiple heads slows down recycle and reduces maximum pops, but you use what would be appropriate to your needs.</p>

<p>1 200ws pack +1 head.<br>

1 200ws pack +2 heads (with extension cable)...<br>

1 200ws pack +200ws + 1 head/2 heads(with extension cable)<br>

1 200ws pack +200ws + 200ws, +2 heads(with extension cable)<br>

1 200ws pack +200ws +200ws + 200ws, +2 heads(with extension cable)<br>

Choose what you need.<br>

Or, just one pack per head..</p>

<p>I don't subscribe to multiple use of under powered Speedlights - despite their portability if you decide to use AA's in them - which most don't - and then need to add a battery dependent receiver(s) to every Speedlight.. every single one of them... then at only 80Ws a time. Five sets of receivers to match a single 400Ws head and single receiver just doesn't make sense.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>I concur with that speedlight assessment, especially if you are using large format, small aperture, low iso. I find they work great for the other end of those photographic parameters. <br /><br />Having used Lumedyne for many years, I can attest to it's allure. I finally abandoned them when their long flash duration, color inconsistencies and problematic (at best) repair options pushed their reliability into a category below what I could accept. I did love the interface (especially the old Micro Manual packs), fast set up and their light weight heads.<br /><br /> Since changing to the Einsteins (with or without VMLs), I've found my images to be much more consistent in color and exposure, enabling batch processing in all global adjustments. Recycling time also improved greatly, some of which is because I don't need to push their capacity as hard. Most of my work with them is portraits on full frame dSLRs and moderate iso with relatively wide apertures. Power settings stay in the lower 50% range which means excellent recycling, even on battery power. Set up time, however, is double that compared to Lumedyne or speedlights... t</p><div></div>

[ian_casement]

<p>I have 'studio' monolights which I use if I need modelling lights on location as well as power packs but these get 'plugged-in'. My goto location lighting is Quantum kit. I have two stand/head/packs already setup, one with an Octabox fitted, one with diffused head each capable of being carried in one hand. I have a camera bag containing controllers and flash - Trios, Pilot and Copilot. Then I add-in a self contained T5d-R kit (of 3 heads) or two more kits of x2 each X5d-R's as required. If I need more I then add-in another 4 Lumedynes in a kit (normally for background use). Modifiers are shared between all and I have modifiers spread throughout the kits to suit their likely use. All controlled or just triggered by the Quantum FreeXwire system.</p>

<p>Whilst its possible to use two heads per pack at any ratio you want I would much prefer one pack per head.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>"I would much prefer one pack per head"... I concur.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>Mixing older brands of strobe has (generally) created issues of color fidelity for me, specifically old Dynalite and Lumedyne, both of which vary tremendously as their output is raised or lowered. <br /><br />yesterday, I used an SB900 unmodified with an Einstein in a new Bowens Lumiair 140 softbox to photograph ceramics on a white sweep graduated to dark gray by fall off, and the color temp was a completely acceptable match... t</p>