berchman Loc: South Central PA

Digital noise can be dealt with in post, but motion blur cannot. The newest cameras can get acceptable shots at 12,800 ISO.

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

I agree completely.

pendennis

Lighting power is the number one asset with electronic flash (strobes is/are actually a misnomer). You can always dial down a light pack or a monolight, but you can't dial up what you don't have.

Ideally power packs which allow for multiple heads and adjustable power settings is the ideal, especially for studio work. AC power recharging is almost instantaneous especially if you don't need to shoot at full output. However, monolights work well when you don't want to be bound by power and lamp head cords, etc. I used two 1600 w/s Speedotron Brown Line units and several flash heads.

When you add soft boxes, and other diffusing objects, you also need the higher power to maintain the use of smaller f/stops.

You should also consider keeping to the same brand of lights. The output light is different from brand to brand; some whiter, cooler, warmer, etc., than others.

Mortsid

Before you buy lights (Mono or Speedlites) first read some books (plural)on lighting. Only then will know what will suit your use. Speedlites are mobile, Mono's aren't

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The cheaper and older LEDs and CFLs made for photography are most often underpowered. However, Alzo Digital, Cowboy Studio, and FJ Westcott co. have 84W CFLs.

MANY manufacturers have commercial grade LED panel units made for professional video, filmmaking, and photography. They are not yet inexpensive, but they do the job! Most TV stations, network news crews, and filmmakers use them, sometimes in concert with other sources.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Not mobile????
Hogwash!
What’s your definition of mobile?
Did a lot of location work with Speedotron, Comet and ProPhoto units back in my film days.
They are bigger than any monolights I’ve used.
I still use monolights on location for larger jobs, but I use speedlights off camera more frequently.
Maybe you mean speedlights are more mobile than monolights. That I would agree with.
There are battery-powered monolights made by Dynalite, ProPhoto, Godox among others, perfect for taking on location...ie: mobile.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

You’re getting a lot of good information from the people here. But I think you will get better advice if you can give a idea about how much you want to spend to start and later on. Also what you want to shoot...in studio or remote. There are lots of answers and price points.Robert Harrington and Mark Wallace YouTube videos can give you an idea of what can be done too...

toxdoc42

I thought speedlights and strobes were the same thing.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

"Speedlight is the brand name used by Nikon Corporation for their photographic flash units, used since the company's introduction of strobe flashes in the 1960s. Nikon's standalone Speedlights (those not built into the company's cameras) have the SB- prefix as part of their model designation. Current Speedlights and other Nikon accessories make up part of Nikon's Creative Lighting System (CLS), which includes the Advanced Wireless Lighting, that enables various Nikon cameras to control multiple Nikon flash units in up to three separate controlled groups by sending encoded pre-flash signals to slave units.

Nikon's competitors like Canon and Ricoh use the similar name Speedlite for their flashes. Both names indicate that strobe flashes produce much shorter and more intense bursts of light than earlier photographic lighting systems, such as flashbulbs, or continuous lamps used in some studio situations."

Source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_Speedlight

jcboy3

Proving that noise is better than motion blur.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

👍 Yep!

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

If I have the time, I prefer Studio Strobes, if not, Speedlights work well indeed. In the "OLD" days, it wasn't unusual to set strobes up in a gym that you worked in regularly. Today, with the higher ISOs, that's not done near as much. I have begun using Nikon's newest Wireless system, with good results, when added light is absolutely necessary. Happy New Year.

pendennis

To be purely technical, a strobe light (stroboscope) operates differently, and was pioneered by Dr. Harold Edgerton, of M.I.T. It enabled scientists at first, then photographers in general, to "stop" moving objects in laboratory conditions. A stroboscope cycles very quickly, and usually have variable pulse rates, far faster than any electronic flash. Stoboscopes have been used to provide visual effects, including those used in discos.

Heiland Research one of the pioneers in electronic flash, was purchased by Honeywell in the 1950's, and from then on started marketing the "Strobonar" models of electronic flashes. Heiland also made the "light saber" flash units for Graflex, and were later used in the "Star Wars" franchise. Strobonars were made well into the 1980's, before Rollei stopped production.

The electronic flash (Speedlights, Strobonars, Vivitar, Sun, etc.) can't cycle at the speed that stroboscopes work. While capacitors have improved, and thyristor circuitry led to the modern electronic flash recycling times, they still don't operate as quickly.

PS - Just as a matter of trivia, the diameter of the Graflex flash guns, and the Strobonar handles are exactly the same. Strobonar capacitors were the same diameter as "D" cell batteries.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I also own a set of five Pocket Wizards and have found them very useful over the years as they can be used for many triggering jobs, flash included. I would add a word of caution about battery powered units and that is, unless you're going to be using them on an ongoing basis, you will, most likely, have issues with the batteries as these types of batteries don't fair well if not used. Best of luck.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

👍 very good history lesson on the subject.