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Strobes vs Continuous Lighting
Strobes, monolights, ie. Photogenic, white lightning, OR Continuous lighting like Dynalights from Amvona, Which is better? Or are they the same? Is it a matter of preferance? Or is there a real advantag/disadvantage to one or the other? Jan 08 06 01:08 pm Link Continous lighting is considered to be more suitable for non-living subjects as they can be quite hot (especially over time) and cause squinting. Strobes are generally more expensive but do not have the same problems and use much less electricity, making them easier to use on battery power, for example. There are differences in color temperature, which may or may not be of a concern based on whatever other light is around. With strobes, it is harder to visualize what the light will do to the subject, although many have modeling lights that will give you some idea. Continuous light, well, is continuous, so what you see is what you get. One generally accepted mark of an accomplished photographer is the ability to previsualize what strobes will do. - Joe Jan 08 06 01:16 pm Link Joe Tomasone wrote: and that sums it up!!! Jan 08 06 01:18 pm Link MEMasonPhotography wrote: The primary advantage of strobes is the lack of heat associated with continuous lighting. Your models will appreciate not melting and your MUA bill may be slightly lower with strobes Jan 08 06 01:20 pm Link I have heard the DynaPhos (not dynalite) by Amvona (amvona.com) are supposed to be pretty cool. Even with that do you think that they would still be too hot to use with a live model? Jan 08 06 01:27 pm Link For a long time I was shooting alongside videographers, got used to working with hot lights. But it seems one mans bug is anothers feature. I shoot mostly nudes and the heat is usually appreciated. Especially by the boys. Boys hate doing nude work cold. Jan 08 06 01:28 pm Link Here's my spin... Strobes are better for most situations because they run off a tube that is filled w/ gas that provides a higher degree of power in a short time. Do a google on candlepower & wattseconds. A strobe will flash a certain amount of candlepower in a fraction of a second, while you might have to have 600 watts of light from a continuous light w/ an exposure of 1 second, you can use a 600 w/s flash & get the same amount of light in 1/10,000 of a second. Can you imagine having to have a 1 second exposure to properly expose ambient lighting ??? You need to learn how to use modeling lights correctly to get the desired effect & a flash meter is a must... Now, if you do use continuous lighting, you will need to up the wattage from something like 600 watts (for a 1 sec exposure) to 3600 watts to get a 1/60 sec exposure. To get faster shutter speeds, do the math & multiply... CPS has released many notes on imaging quality & 1 thing to keep in mind is that CMOS sensors respond best when lit w/ white light. The more pure the white light is, the better the image performance. Shooting w/ tungsten (incandescent) lighting, you will have to balance the color temp w/ a filter. It's always best to filter the lighting when possible, then next in line is optically, before it hits the CMOS. If the tungsten tint gets to the sensor, you can change it in RAW, but @ the expense of noise. The blue channel is notorious (in all digital imaging devices) for being the noise magnet. To rid the tint of tungsten, you will have to amplify the blue channel, which will over amplify the blue channel & add noise to the luminosity channel... If you must use continuous lighting, use a full spectrum lighting source, such as GE Reveal or daylight balanced fluorescents... Best bet, get some decent strobes... I use Alien Bees, but there are many other brands available that are good as well... Paul Jan 08 06 01:31 pm Link Also, higher ISO is the worst source of noise. So you'll want the lowest normal ISO that your camera offers, for the best image quality... Paul Jan 08 06 01:36 pm Link Jim Duvall wrote: I can concur with this statement. I did a nude shoot yesterday with a photographer who used hot lights and it worked out well since the studio did not have much heat. Seattle gets pretty cold this time of year and it is expensive to heat large studio spaces. However, I can see the advantages of strobes regarding the squinting issue. - I have no problem keeping my eyes wide open for 5 to 10 seconds, I just have to anticipate when the photographer is going to take the shot. (It would be great if someone made a device that would turn on a light on the front of the camera when the photographer's finger was on the shutter button). Jan 08 06 02:12 pm Link MEMasonPhotography wrote: I shoot live models with hot lights almost exclusively-no magic in that. Jan 08 06 02:20 pm Link i have gotten better shots with continuous, Jan 08 06 02:24 pm Link If you need/prefer the ability to stop down or to shoot at whatever the max flash synch on your camera is, then strobes have the edge. Consider the recycle time vs the pace you're accustomed to working at; some of the bargain units might not be able to keep up with you. There is indeed something to be said for hot lights in a poorly heated studio in mid-winter. It can be annoying though to stand around after the shoot waiting for them to cool down enough to pack away. A good photographer can make the best of any lighting situation; the question is what's best suited to the type of work you do. Jan 08 06 02:34 pm Link In the studio I only use hotlights now. Used strobe when shooting commercial, but found that I just don't like working with them. Don't feel pressured into going out and buying something just because everyone else does (or because of that wonderful advertising in PDN). Having to ask what you need means that you don't know what you need, which in turn means that you probably don't need anything. When you need something, you'll know it because you can't make the photograph you want, and you'll also know what it is that will let you. -Don Jan 08 06 02:36 pm Link utako omori wrote: Actually I'd say the primary advantage of strobes is the ability so shoot your sync speed at F8 iso 100. I did one shoot under continous lights and it was horrible, camera shake even at F2.8 iso 400 with a 50mm lens. Plus strobes give you nice big pupils. Jan 08 06 02:37 pm Link MEMasonPhotography wrote: Who says so? And yes, they'll be HOT. But it sounds like you're really looking for warm fuzzies instead of actual advice so I'd say if you want the DynaPhos, get 'em. Jan 08 06 03:14 pm Link MEMasonPhotography wrote: That depends on how many lights you're using, the wattage of each light, the distance from the lights to the model, the size, ventalation, and temperature of your studio, etc. studio L wrote: That's why strobes often come with modeling lights. Jan 08 06 03:56 pm Link Paul Ferrara wrote: I am not looking for warm fuzzies. I really want to know. If you hate em, say so. If you love em, say so. Jan 08 06 07:54 pm Link Star wrote: I have gotten different results from either. I worked with continuous until I just got my first strobe and softbox. To me, it's a matter of what the final image needs to look like and which do I need to use to get that result. I like both because now I am more versatile in the studio. Jan 08 06 07:58 pm Link Jim Duvall wrote: Us girls hate doing nude work cold as well. Jan 08 06 07:59 pm Link It depends on your preference. Hot lights can be wonderful since they take much of the guesswork out of lighting. It's the WYSIWYG format of lighting. Your initial expenses will be lower with hotlights - but you will be investing in bulbs quite frequently. As mentioned, heat (and lots of it) is the main drawback. They melt makeup if left on during setup. They melt gels. They also draw a lot of juice. It's not difficult to overload a circuit with a multi-light setup! Strobes are very portable, offer higher light output than most hotlights and offer more uniform color temperatures. They run cool. Of course, start-up expenses are much higher than with hot lights, but most consider the advantages worth the expense. Jan 08 06 08:17 pm Link I use both but you really need a lot of watts to have fast enough shutter speeds. I have three hot lights one 1000 watt soft box and two 500 watt umbrellas. With this combo I have to shoot at f 2.8 and 1/250 to get good results and it is easy to get blurred images if your not real steady. I can shoot with the lights in the same positions at f 8 - 10 and up to 1/500 with three strobes set at only 150 ws. So if you wanted to have hot lights that you could shoot as fast as strobes with I would say you need at least 4000 watts and it gets hot with just the 2000 watts I have. Jan 08 06 08:39 pm Link fitnessforyoutoo wrote: A tripod is almost a necessity shooting with hotlights. Jan 08 06 08:45 pm Link William Kious wrote: In the studio under one 500W hotlight I can get 1/60th -1/250th @ f5.6 with ASA400 film. That's more than I need, but it might not be enough for someone wanting finer grain, more DOF or faster shutter speed. Of course I can pull another two stops by setting up two more hotlights. Jan 08 06 08:50 pm Link D. Brian Nelson wrote: See, I don't like grain. I'll add it occasionally in post-production, but I like my originals to be as clean as possible (makes for better enlargements.) And three hotlights starts getting a little warm for my tastes. D. Brian Nelson wrote: Good point. I'm not that steady. Jan 08 06 09:03 pm Link William Kious wrote: Oh yes they do. Makes the poor models sweat. Wouldn't want that, would we? Jan 08 06 09:12 pm Link I own them and carry them to every shoot... But, I have not used them in over a year. (strobes) Jan 08 06 09:24 pm Link I have used both. I prefer strobes. You leanr to plan out shoots in your head and are able to visualize more effectively in you brain with them. With hot lights you see what you get. Strobes allow more contol of your light. Plus the light modifiers are more extensive with strobes. Not to mention you won't be blowing fuses like crazy with them. I have blown many fuses with hot lights. If you shoot in hotles then the hotlights will really blow the fuses. Explain that to the management.  Jan 08 06 09:31 pm Link House of Indulgence wrote: Me too! I have to plug 1000 watts in the studio and run another cord for the other 1000 watts from another circut to avoid blowing breakers with hot lights. Jan 08 06 09:39 pm Link House of Indulgence wrote: Yes, there is that. I generally use one 500W light in the studio. Three work as long as I don't also have a heater or any other big draw on. Or the refrigerator. Jan 08 06 09:40 pm Link fitnessforyoutoo wrote: like i said earlier, upgrade to newer generation lights which are not as power hungry. Jan 08 06 11:16 pm Link I'm using strobes and I love the flexibility it provides me. Being able to shoot with a high depth of field especially for weddings are an asset. The set I'm using isn't strong in terms of what's out there. Each of my strobes are 200 W/s. I have 4. Didn't cost me much either. Shipped to me and including duties it worked out to be $700 CDN. The strobes are from Britek (US company). In anycase, I like having dialated pupils, makes the photo more alluring. I sweat easily so the temperature factor is a bonus. Hotlights would kill me faster than an ice cube in Equador. G'luck with your decision tho! Jan 09 06 12:06 am Link D. Brian Nelson wrote: How do you keep the beer cold? Jan 09 06 12:07 am Link Iona Lynn wrote: It's not what light was used, it's who was using the lights... Jan 09 06 12:14 am Link I shoot with continous lights with soft boxes. I like the color I can get with them but you do have to be a steady shooter or you get blured subjects at low iso's. I always like to shoot at 100 as much as I can. I have 5, 1000 watt lights. It is hot but I just turn the air up or the heat down depending on the time of year. Strobes do have their advantages, all pointed out in this thread. I like both so I am buying some strobes soon. Jan 09 06 12:24 am Link do yourself a favor and keep a 10 foot radius from any continuous studio light. they cook humans like fish fryers (and im not talking about the softbox). models literally perspire right infront of you. maybe that's good for some steamy swimsuit thing but unless you like sweaty models...scream, hide, run away from the continuous light! btw, i have both continuous and strobe Jan 09 06 02:17 am Link MEMasonPhotography wrote: Are these the 1000watt dildo-looking bulbs? Jan 09 06 02:34 am Link Why do you guys use hot lights? I always wonered that. Too cold? bhphoto has some nice strobes for very cheap. Unless you are getting those hot lights for free,they ain't worht it! Jan 09 06 02:47 am Link DemiM wrote: I use only strobes. I've used strobes since I started shooting a year and 5 month ago. Jan 09 06 02:49 am Link I was talking about other photogs in here. Jan 09 06 03:06 am Link I've also never seen a REALLY good photographer who uses hot lights. One of the reasons is that there are some shots that can't be done with hot lights Jan 09 06 03:12 am Link |
