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monolight vs powerpack strobes
I'm looking to purchase strobes but unsure of which are realiable, flexible and could suit the my range of photography( fashion, portrait, outdoor) Any feedback would be great May 23 06 01:14 pm Link Berman Fenelus wrote: With this type of photography in mind, I would tend to stay with the monolights as they are slightly more versitle for your planns. May 23 06 01:18 pm Link budget? May 23 06 01:18 pm Link Here's what I did, I researched the various systems and picked one that I wanted to build out and grow with that was comfortable for my budget and could deliver what I wanted (I went with Hensel). Once I selected the brand, I then bought a set of three monolights. I like packs and am planning my next purchases which will be packs (one portable). My thinking was that no matter what you (I) are going to do, you (I) should have a least a few monolights - they're just handy to have. So I purchased those first as I could build up that bit of kit over time for less $$$. Having these three lights allows me to then save and get the pack system I want to complement them. I don't know if that was the best way to do it, but that's what I did. May 23 06 01:25 pm Link Pack with 3 heads Or Three moonlights Pack dies = no shoot One moonlight dies = keep shooting Note: you can shoot with one monolight May 23 06 01:28 pm Link go to calumet or alkit or wherever and rent one of each. May 23 06 01:31 pm Link Bigger fan of 'pack systems' here over monolights. If the monolight stand falls over, your monolight is history. Power packs are almost always on the floor, and they cant 'fall from the floor'... if ya know what I mean. Dependability wise... I use Speedotrons... have two of their packs... they pretty much NEVER die... one pack is 10 years old... other one is 15... freakin battle tanks of the studio lighting business... millions of flashes... not a single prob. Will be using one of these systems this Saturday at the May 27th 'Lakehouse Glamourshoot'. Photographers attending are welcome to 'plug in'...  May 23 06 01:41 pm Link Christopher Bush wrote: Thanks everyone May 23 06 01:42 pm Link Berman Fenelus wrote: that's pretty much my budget as well, and i'm looking hard at the profoto acute 1200 kit (renting one as soon as i get my insurance straightened out). in ny, you can rent profoto gear as needed anywhere. it's almost *all* you can rent in ny. that means if you need additional heads, a ring light, a funky overpriced reflector, etc, it's all right there. May 23 06 01:47 pm Link I have monolights. The only time they're a problem is when I have a softbox on them, on a boom, and out horizontally. The problem is that since they're heavy, it's quite a feat of counterbalancing them and preventing them from twisting on the end of the boom. The Photogenics I went with have been very reliable. I've knocked over a stand twice. Both times destroying both the flash tube and the modelling light. Colorful language ensued. About a $150.00 mistake each time. Luckily I did not damage the monolight itself either time. The other thing I like about my monolights is the infinite adjustability (power) and the optical slave. Edit: If you're planning on using this gear outdoors, invest in MANY sandbags! May 23 06 01:49 pm Link Both! I use Balcar packs, heads, and monolights. The really nice thing about this system is that the monolights have an extension head outlet so you can power an addition head off of it (two with a splitter!). They're sort of like mini packs. It really helps to unify the entire system. -James May 23 06 01:53 pm Link Select Models wrote: I agree 99% here, but "what if" is all I'm saying on the power pack. May 23 06 01:54 pm Link Craig Thomson wrote: your "what if" is definitely a valid point. May 23 06 02:00 pm Link Christopher Bush wrote: I use 15' stands with 1.6" main tubes and add 10#-12# weights to the legs after thier setup. I also use 3', 5' or 7' octibanks which add to the topple factor greatly. May 23 06 02:09 pm Link Craig Thomson wrote: that supports my point, though. granted, it's a matter of shooting style, but often i'll need to grab a light quickly and move it. much harder to do with weights, etc. it's not a matter of toppling so much - it's one of being stuck to one position. May 23 06 02:15 pm Link I used Photogenic for years and loved them. I blended in 2 monos with them and that was nice also. I had problems with my Photogenic and ened up with just the mono lights and suffered not one bit. In fact I found the mono lights more versatile. I prefer the mono lights now and trigger them with the built in strobe. Each mono can be set up for the different ratios with great ease. I have Britek and have had great results when I shoot in the customer's home. May 23 06 02:17 pm Link I'm a fan of Packs for two reasons: Primarily because they are always even (unless you specifically change the levels to one bank or another). If you light a backdrop off one bank and have your main and keylights off another bank, you are guaranteed that there won't be any differences exposure to exposure between the levels of the different lights...whatever you set originally will always be that way, the recharge is happening for all the heads at the same time. Secondly because it's what I "grew up" using. I learned the business by assisting, and learned on Profoto packs... I have used monolights for my own work, but I was never as satisfied as with the work I've done with packs. May 23 06 02:30 pm Link I've got a set of 4 Alien Bees monolights, a set of three Photogenic Studiomasters (they're for sale cheap if anyone wants them, and a Photogenic PM08 with 4 headsEach has its advantage. The monolights are more adjustablethan the pack, but the heads are much smaller and lighter (they will not over-balance boom systems and will fit into Wescott Mini Apollo softboxes). I love this set up for weddings. On the minus side, they have heavy cords running to each head. asy to trip on. May 23 06 02:44 pm Link I have 6 elinchrom monolights , 3-600s , 2-500 and 1-250 head i had them for 2 years already i had a bad experience with one i had it on a boom while i was trying to change the power i drop it but now i have the remote with 6 feet cords. besides that i love them all. you dont need all the wires running on the floors like the pack and i also shoot with a pocket wizard so thats the best way to go. if one of the light goes out i have 5 left if the pack goes down teh shoot is over see u next time. May 23 06 02:51 pm Link JOSE GUERRA wrote: well, the pack going out for good equipment is so rare as to be negligible, and another point is that Calumet and WebbCam are a 15 minute delivery ride from my studio...so replacements are quick and easy...heck I don't even have to change the position of any of the lights... May 23 06 02:58 pm Link JOSE GUERRA wrote: If you go on any professional shoot without backup, you deserve what you get. May 23 06 05:48 pm Link I use packs, Speedo and Elinchrom, but the more I shoot away from the studio, the more I want monos. No difference in anything but convenience. Less to carry from the car. It's the difference between owning (and moving,) a hard set or a backdrop. May 23 06 08:34 pm Link I use pac systems, specifically Novatron. Hve a 1500WS,two 500ws kits plus misc heads and other power packs. In 20 years have never had a pack fail and only two head plus one when the stand fell. Kits come with powerpack and two or three heads in a hard carrying case with stands and umbrellas. US made too. With monolites you need heavier stands, heavier and more cases etc. For a meter I would recommend any of the Sekonics that fit your budget after you get your flashes. bob May 23 06 09:42 pm Link thanks for all the feedback it's overwhelming I went to some stores today to check them all out still stuck in the middle i want to add a high key look to my fashion and vividness to my portraits I know the more power you have the more high end the look but whats a good wps for ( david lachapelle or vogue magazine) look May 23 06 09:58 pm Link Also can anyone show samples of their work with the type of light they used. Apicture is worth a thousand words. For my port I mostly used natuarl lighting w/ reflectors. For indoors I used flood lights and bounced them on a light wall May 23 06 10:03 pm Link Is this the type of lighting you are looking for?  It was perfected by Mike Brochu. Mike holds Lighting Workshops a couple of times a year. This is a four light set up. The main light is strait on with a medium reflector and diffusion sock. There is a general fill light, and two hair lights with grids from 45º from the rear. Mike uses White Lightning and Alien Bee monolights. I have 4 Photogenic PL1500 monolights. Bought them 10+ years ago. The only problem I had with them is when Mike Brochu pulled the power cord and toppled the light. The standard reflector had bent, the flash tube popped out and rolled on the floor, and whomever picked it up, pushed the halogen modeling light back in with thier bare hands. Hence the modeling light blew just after turning the light back on. I also use the cheap ebay radio slaves with about 99% reliability. They are the 4 channel AC powered model. (YS-B) Malodave http://www.kr2s.com/photo May 24 06 02:04 am Link Kevin Connery wrote: Great points. I have (4) Calumet Travelites and (2) Photogenics Photomaster power packs/w heads. I sold my backup Canon and am looking for another 20D now. May 24 06 02:15 am Link I use Elinchrom monoblocks. My kit consists of two 1000 watt and four 500 watt units. I've never needed anywhere near that much power and can run two setups at once with them. I travel and they are very durable. They were reccomended to me by a strobe repairman in Hollywood, I bought them because he told me they needed fewer repairs but I soon fell in love with the quality of light they put out. I now swear by them with Octabank softboxes and grid spots. I share a studio and have full access to Calumet and Dynalite but always lug my kit from home for the quality of light and recycling speed. Next I'm looking to purchase one of the Elinchrom Ranger kits, I've rented them in the past and they are truly amazing. The only drawback to the Elinchrom system is that it is not as readily available as, say, Profoto. May 24 06 06:50 am Link If you look at the images in my profile: All of the top row were shot with 1 500 watt monoblock and a softbox, the 3 in the house had the head outside the window. The two images of the girl in white were shot with 1 500 and a grid spot on the girl and 2 500s with hard dishes on the background. The two of Paris Hilton where both with 1 500 and a medium Octabank softbox. And the three of the girl in the last row were all shot with 1 500 and gridspots on the girl and 1 500 with grid at very low power on the background. The way I shoot I absolutely love monoblocks. Although I do own 2 1000 watt units I don't remember ever using them at full power. I have shot hotels in the past and if I did more of that work I would probably have to go with powerpacks for the added power. When you're trying to shoot a large area and you're shooting for maximum depth of field while trying to balance for ambient light and freezing multiple models you need a powerpack. But for ease of use and portability I love the monoblocks. I believe you should define your ideal market and shooting style and base your decision on that, and always rent before you commit and buy. May 24 06 07:09 am Link Berman Fenelus wrote: berman, i think you should do some more research. more power does not equate to "high end" looking photography. nor does more power = high key. you also have to understand that the images you see in magazines are all retouched. that's not how they look out of the camera. shadows and highlights are added and removed. May 25 06 03:49 am Link great info from sean. i was planning to buy a 2400ws pack, but now am leaning towards a 1200 instead, due to the 2400's excessive power at the low end. remember also that the "look" of someone's lighting is largely determined by their choice of modifiers. you'll get different looks from softboxes, beauty dishes, umbrellas, ringlights, etc. May 25 06 06:10 am Link Sean gave some good points. Yeah, it depends on application and shooting style. Sometimes you need a lot of juice, and sometimes you don't. May 25 06 06:49 pm Link If you want to put a hair light above the model, and a main and a fill, you can be limited by the cord length on a pack system. If you want to shoot a model in a long hall way with a backlight, a pack system will require the cord to be in the photo. I have both a profoto pack system and 6 monolights. I don't buy my lights based upon what happens if one breaks, but how convenient they are to position, use, etc. For fairly standard studio use, pack sytems are great, reliable, built like a tank and will last forever if used right. The placement of the pack is not such a big deal if you have 2 packs, (one for main and fill and one for backlight/hairlight). If you shoot a lot of high volume stuff, where you are shooting the same set up over and over, pack lights are nice as you can set them and forget them and control all your ratios from one position. Monolights have advantages, from placement, to cost, to portability, but except for a situation where the issue is light placement, I could get by with either type and be perfectly happy. I happen to prefer monolights, but mainly because I can grab just one, or two, if I want and travel fairly easily. Not that you cant travel with a pack sytem, but being self contained, you can kind of divide and conquer your setup. Mark May 25 06 07:07 pm Link Thanks I've gotten some great great feedback I'm leaning towards the monolights beacause of price, flexibility and I think they'll make a great return on my investment;hopefully to buy a powerpack. Which brands are regarded as the best? May 25 06 10:49 pm Link Anyone? May 26 06 09:08 am Link Berman Fenelus wrote: I will tell you this much. I am rapidally falling in love with my Paul C Buff Alien Bees! Yes Alien Bees monolights! The are light weight, has a batter pack available and most of all they work and has a 4 shop light setting! I bought 3 to work with my White Lightning Ultra 1800 I have, and ZERO problems,,,ZERO and for 2500 you can get on hell of a set up! Here is the link: http://www.alienbees.com/about.html May 26 06 09:13 am Link brands are tricky. there are lots of them with many strengths and weaknesses. off the top of my head - profoto, elinchrom, hensel, speedotron. since you're in ny, consider whether or not you're going to be renting alot of accessories. if yes, look at profoto. they're everywhere. their modifiers are interchangeable between monolights and pack systems. May 26 06 09:17 am Link This is a great post folks, It is great to get these informed (and practical) opinions and advice. Thanks! May 26 06 09:21 am Link Scott Evans wrote: I would agree with Scott. I owned a White lighting unit years ago and it went May 26 06 09:24 am Link I use monolights (several Bowens 250, 500, 750 and a Multiblitz Travel pack with 3X200w/s minis). The only inconvenient thing about them is that when you have them up on a boom or a tall stand, you got to bring them down in order to adjust the light output(or climb the ladder). The newer digital heads fix this problem by giving you a wireless (or wired) remote. The power pack does not put out more light , because if you look at joules/dollar, monoheads do better. And it already has been said when your powerpack overheats or dies the shoot stops, not so with monolights. And for the price compared to a 3 head powerpack, I bought an extra mono. Sturdy stands are a must, as are proper weights. PS: May interest you to know that Bowens/Calumet Mono heads can accept Paterson Interfit accessories, they have the same bayonet mount for reflectors etc.. Good luck. C. May 26 06 09:25 am Link |
