Studio strobes

I was just wondering if 120 watt studio strobes would be sufficient in a small home studio. I have a 220ex and a few old flashes with GN-70 or so. But I found strobes a guy is trying to sell and don't really know how powerful those are. Would it be worth the 65 bucks to buy the two strobes (worth it as in enough power, not price so much)? Thank ya.

If they are 120WS strobes they aren't very powerful, if they are really 120watts they are probably continuous light not strobes at all. If strobe, then maybe on key with what you are using now in terms of power and probably have little variable power settings if any. I'd stay away personally. You would be far better off, way ahead to buy one good, if economy store brand strobe and stand in a kit. Adoramas Flashpoints, B+Hs own brand , Calumets Genesis for a dependable working system with slower recycle times or the intro lighting from a major brand like Bowens Gemini or Elinchrome Dlite-2 o Dlite-4. if faster recycle times are a must. Buy just one to start and learn lighting before adding more lights. IMO best to start with one light and a reflector to get your patterns down.

In a home studio you might get away with a 200WS ( depends on the unit itself as WS is a power usage term not an absolute in terms of output) unit but it will be limited to about F11.5 in a modifier at any kind of nominal shooting distance, unless it's an exceptional unit. 300 or 400 WS is better, with IMO if you stay in your home studio 300WS is just about right. If you go in the feild later on you will be looking for more power. However, in terms of guide number the Elinchrome Dlite-2 which is a 200WS unit, gives out almost as much top end light as a 300 Ws unit from some other manufacturers. So worth keeping in mind and with the fastest recycle times I might add.

Once you start down the path with one light stay with the brand or the parent mount system. Each has their own mount for modifiers, if to buy for instance Calumet Genesis, then you are into Elinchrome mount, so buy more Genesis or buy Elinchrome lights so you can interchange speed rings..

Just my short take on the subject. Others can add more as desired.
David

Picturegrab said:

I was just wondering if 120 watt studio strobes would be sufficient in a small home studio. I have a 220ex and a few old flashes with GN-70 or so. But I found strobes a guy is trying to sell and don't really know how powerful those are. Would it be worth the 65 bucks to buy the two strobes (worth it as in enough power, not price so much)? Thank ya.

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2 strobes for $65 and money really isn't a limiting factor?

If you have some control over their power level, you can probably find use for them as kicker/rim/hair/background lights. Probably marginal at best for main or fill with any kind of modifiers. shrug get them and experiment. They will probably be plenty powerful for something (see above ideas), and you can certainly learn what they can and cannot do...and what to look for when ready to spend more money.

Most any strobe can be used with umbrellas or brolly boxes.

snoots, barn doors, softboxes, grids are generally more strobe or brand-specific

There are strengths and weaknesses and personal preferences with any brand or vendor. My main lights happen to be Flashpoints, however, I also have Novatrons and some obsolete/noname antique strobes. I also use AlienBees occasionally.

FWIW - I picked up two "antique" strobes + umbrella bracket adapter + stand from an estate closeout (guy did product photog in his basement)...for $10 per. They still work, and are used a background or kicker lights.

Picturegrab said:

I was just wondering if 120 watt studio strobes would be sufficient in a small home studio. I have a 220ex and a few old flashes with GN-70 or so.

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Brand and quality and other specs like recycle time and how much power can be adjusted, is likely more important than the maximum power.

An average larger speedlight (SB-600, SB-800, 420EX, 580EX) with GN around 90 or 100 at 24mm (ISO 100) is about 60 to 75 watt seconds. These work well in umbrellas for portraits, but their recycle time is slow, and sure, we would like a little more power.

Remember also, ISO affects apparent flash power. 120 watt seconds at ISO 200 is exactly the same aperture/distance situation as 240 watt seconds at ISO 100. And remember, portrait lighting is typically "close as possible" - power is no big deal. Excessive power is worse than not enough (aperture and ISO always helps if not enough).

I use Alienbees B400 with 160 watt seconds. I use them at ISO 200 (Nikon), and main light in a close large 40 inch softbox for f/8 and f/10 is typically around 1/8 power (20 watt seconds). Fill light umbrella has to be back farther, and it may reach 1/4 power, or 1/2 power at extremes.

At full power, one 160 watt second light in 45 inch white umbrella at ten feet,

will do f/8 for groups (ISO 200). This would be f/5.6 at ISO 100. How much more power is necessary?

I also have two B800 320 watt second units, which should be OK for ISO 100, but at ISO 200, to keep from turning them down so far, I much prefer to use the 160 watt seconds for portraits.

Can't believe I put the e on every reference to the brand in my last post !

David

Very variable output according to the modifier used for an AB 400 in terms of Guide # ( and others), just goes to support that you really can't depend on WS as a measure of output. http://www.paulcbuff.com/output.php

As to if the OP should buy the $65 lights or not, you give valid reasons. I too bought a used Novatron set some years ago, a central pack system. Did the job, one light popped never had it fixed, then the pack blew and i replaced that. I still have two lights of three and it works for several purposes if I need them. BVut we have no idea what the poster is looking at. Novatron all in all isn't so bad, don't think I'd go specifiaclly looking for them.

David

David Grabowski said:

Very variable output according to the modifier used for an AB 400 in terms of Guide # ( and others), just goes to support that you really can't depend on WS as a measure of output. http://www.paulcbuff.com/output.php

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Yes, I am aware that light output varies with which modifier is used, no surprise. Watt seconds is electrical input energy to charge the capacitors. Efficiency and modifier cause differences in light output.

I just failed to understand the point. If you refer to my comments, I specified modifier and ISO in every case.

As slowhands stated, these lights are powerful enough for accent lights and possibly for background lights, but not for main and fill lights unless you are willing to work at ISO values of about 400. With a white shoot through umbrella or 40" square softbox this would get you up to around f/8 for standing portraits.

The two critical questions are

1) Is the power output of these lights variable, and if so by how much?

If it is even to 1/2 and 1/4 power then that is enough for accent/background lights IF you are willing to fine tune the power output by moving the stands in and out (which you should do in any case).

2) What is the recycle time?

If it is no more than 2 seconds they are probably fine.

As slowhands also said, what will be critical for accent/hair lights is modifiers. Fortunately if they aren't available you can DIY a lot of them with cardboard, black tape, black paint, and Velcro. You can also DIY a lot of modifiers with black Coroplast and Velcro.

One word of caution. If these are older SP studio strobes with a large head holding four flash tubes in the face of the strobe then save your money. They make reasonably good boat anchors but not studio strobes.

Guess I took Guide in your examples of the AB400 as an absolute. In other words, Guide number of the unit bare. But hey, that was yesterday and I have not re-read the messages.

Not a big deal at any rate.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to light a shiny globe without too much light reflection from the modifiers.
David

WFulton said:

I just failed to understand the point. If you refer to my comments, I specified modifier and ISO in every case.

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Take a look at Paul C Buff alien bees. Nice inexpensive portable units. I use them on location with portable batteries. I use my Dynalite set when I have access to a studio. Great service and great price from Alien Bees.

David Grabowski said:

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to light a shiny globe without too much light reflection from the modifiers.
David

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I would try a light tent plus one or more direct lights for accents. Light it like jewelery.

http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/jewelry_photography.htm

The globe won't fit in a jewelry tent. I'm doing this just for the fun of it but it's proven to be a challenge as it reflects everything from anywhere ! I'll dig my scrim out next, so far backlighting is working for part of the light setup.

We are going off topic here in this thread. I may post a thread on the topic later, don't want to rob the OP's thread..
David

Sailor Blue said:

David Grabowski said:

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to light a shiny globe without too much light reflection from the modifiers.
David

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I would try a light tent plus one or more direct lights for accents. Light it like jewelery.

http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/jewelry_photography.htm

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