who knows monolights?

[afterthecollapse]

Up until know I have worked exclusively with tungsten lighting. But the time has come for me to invest ina monolight which I will primarily use to shoot portraits.

2 questions:

1. WHat are the good brands? I don't mind shelling out the dough if its gonna last me until I'm an old man. I hear good things about Opus and Elinchrom. Other than that I'm clueless.

2. How much W/S do I need in my monolight to light a batch 5 people If I have a large softbox at my disposal? Are there any issues attaching a 56x72" softbox to say, a 400 w/s? Is that a bad idea? I guess I should really investigate the basics of flash systems before I make a purchase.

Anyone with any advice??

 

[Big Mike]

Many people have been impressed with the Alien Bee line of strobes. I would call them an entry level studio light. They may not be as good as top end units but they offer a pretty good value. The same guy who runs Alien Bee also sells White Lighting lights...which are a bit more professional.

I'm sure someone will more experience can offer more insight.

 

[fmw]

I recommend Calumet TraveLights http://www.calumetphoto.com. I've been using them since 1992. I still have the first one I ever bought. They are made by Bowens of England, the inventors of the self contained studio strobe the the owners of the trademarked name "monolight." I just bought a new tube for one that I bought in 1996. I don't have a lot of experience with a lot of brands, but I can certainly recommend these.