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Mono or Power Pack?
Looking into getting a new light sytem. What would you recommend, Mono or Powerpacks? Michael James Aug 25 07 10:17 am Link Trust me..... It's probably best that you do your own research on this. They each have their Pro's and Con's..... this question, just like, "Which Camera would your recommend", will depend on your personal style and shooting agenda. You are going to hear SOOOO many varying opinions on this, it might even start an arguement..... Imagine that happening here on MM. Ford or Chevy..... Aug 25 07 10:24 am Link Monolights are easier to work when starting out and only doing people shots. Aug 25 07 10:25 am Link I've only used a pack, but sometimes wish I had a few monolights because I understand it's easier to individually control each light. I'm hesitant to lay out the money for them, though. Aug 25 07 10:32 am Link I've always used power packs and find them to be great on power and recycle times, but I say get what works for you. If your power needs aren't huge, and you find yourself shooting on location a lot and needing portability, then go with Mono. Every piece of equipment is just a tool. Some of my favorite pix I've shot were taken with a fully manual camera, fast lens, and existing lighting. Aug 25 07 10:34 am Link Mono tends to be easier safer reliable and more portable. I have used a lot of differ brands Studio Power Paks in the past. But what type of Pasta do really want ?? EL Aug 25 07 10:35 am Link TheLoftStudios wrote: Good advice, I use both depending on what I am shooting. Mono's are very convenient because they can be tweeked individually and use those in my Studio. At wedding events I use a speedotron pack system. Once I meter it I don't have to think about it again, and IF some clutz knocks over a head, damage is unlikely. Aug 25 07 10:40 am Link 
Photographer Posts: 468 Dumont d'Urville - permanent station of France, Sector claimed by France, Antarctica Ford Aug 25 07 10:52 am Link I have both and I usually use my pack system around 90% of the time. ymmv. Aug 25 07 10:54 am Link Chevy Aug 25 07 10:55 am Link Michael-James wrote: not a fan of power packs. it's a mess. Aug 25 07 10:57 am Link My preference is for power packs, mostly because I like to keep the weight and size of my heads down. Also, I like the centralized control that I get when powering a couple of lights from the same pack. Monolights are great for travel though, and also usually you get more specific control for a given light. Aug 25 07 10:59 am Link Both have pros and cons but I like mono more. Aug 25 07 11:14 am Link Consider the size of your space. Are lots of cables going to be a problem or hazard? Will you need to move the lights around a lot? If so, I'd go w monolights...I had to. In a big studio space where you can leave things be and practice good cable management, I'd go with power packs. My $0.02. Aug 25 07 11:20 am Link When you're starting out, monolights offer at least minimal redundancy. If one head quits the others still work and you can usually keep working. If a pack fails and you don't have backup you're out of business until you get it fixed or replaced. Depending on the brand and where you live that could be weeks. If you need to put serious power into a single light packs have an advantage. Monolights offer more flexibility. Want to put a light in the next room, or even outside to light a window or doorway? Just find an outlet or extension cord. With a pack, all the heads have to wire back to the pack, but OTOH all the controls are usually right there at the pack. Aug 25 07 11:38 am Link Mono lights...It's all you need. Aug 25 07 11:44 am Link Michael-James wrote: I hate monolights go with the pack Aug 25 07 11:47 am Link IMO, if you have a studio, get packs. If you set-up & tear down on location, monolights might be the way to go... Packs are generally more durable w/ less maintenance, while they can be cumbersome to wire around on-location... Monolights tend to be easier to set-up on location, using slaves, but are more prone to damage... Packs usually have a longer life... Paul Aug 25 07 02:46 pm Link I prefer a mix of packs and monolights. As noted, it's critical to understand what and how you'll be photographing. Shooting large groups on a 4x5 camera requires entirely different setups than one person with an APS sized sensor. Portability, recycle time, expansion, rentability, etc., are all important issues--and are more model-specific than pack vs monolight. See the Lighting, Flash, Ring, & Battery Strobe Reference thread for links to other articles and discussions. Aug 25 07 09:30 pm Link Each have their strengths and each have weaknesses. Research for yourself. I would suggest RENTING (or borrowing) a pack system for a couple of shoots. Then RENT (or borrow) monolights for a couple of shoots. The brands don't matter at this point.... just rent each type of system and see which one best fits the way you wish to WORK. Once you have narrowed this down, you can look for lights (pack or mono) that have the features that you want. I like monos but, I also have a hankerin' for packs on occasion. Good luck to you. Aug 25 07 09:39 pm Link |
