Benefits of Studio Strobes over hotshoe Flash

clockwurk · Jul 22, 2011

Hi Everyone,
I'm still fairly new at this and I apologize in advance if this is a dumb question.

I have been shooting for a couple of months using 2 x SB-800 and 1 SB-600. I'm very happy with them. But recently I started to look at these:

Elinchrom BX-Ri 500/500 To Go Set - 2 Monolight EL 20751KIT B&H

The reviews are pretty outstanding... so I started to wonder if it would be worth investing in.
Unfortunately, I do not know anyone that has these or even any type of studio strobes for that matter. I'm relying mostly on tutorials online and reviews to gain knowledge.

My question is... in layman's terms, what would be the advantages of using these over the hots shoe flashes?
I am assuming more power but how much more power? I would like to know examples where using a studio strobe is more advantageous over hot shoe flashes.

Also, can anyone give me a recommendation on an affordable power source for these? I do not mind paying for quality, but I also do not want overkill.

Thank you in advance

480sparky · Jul 22, 2011

Just a hunch, but I'll get they're far more powerful (in terms of light produced) than the vast majority of OCFs.

They come with soft boxes, which will allow you to produce softer lighting.

They have stands, so you don't need to hold it in place like you would if you could use your existing flash off-camera.

They're easily variable in terms of light output. Most just use a simple dial. I'll be willing to bet the modelling light dims as well, so you can see the lighting change before taking a shot.

clockwurk · Jul 22, 2011

480sparky said:
Just a hunch, but I'll get they're far more powerful (in terms of light produced) than the vast majority of OCFs.

They come with soft boxes, which will allow you to produce softer lighting.

They have stands, so you don't need to hold it in place like you would if you could use your existing flash off-camera.

They're easily variable in terms of light output. Most just use a simple dial. I'll be willing to bet the modelling light dims as well, so you can see the lighting change before taking a shot.

Thx for the response 480. I pretty much use my hs flashes as you mentioned above. My setup are lights stands with softboxes or umbrellas with the hs flash on them. They work great.

I guess I would really like to know what real world applications/situations where a studio strobe like the BXRi kit would be necessary or better recommended over hs flash setup like the one I currently use.

joealcantar · Jul 22, 2011

You not only have to look at the lights but the modifiers that are available for them, as well as if you are already using Pocket Wizards are they compatible.
I like this set and you can get wireless card kits for them and they have a 5 year warranty.
Calumet Travelite 1500Ws 2-Head Radio Enabled Kit
Believe one is 750W and other is 350W which may be helpful later on as the kit grows.
I hear alot about Alien Bees, you may want to check on those as well and see how much the power packs are to use out in the field when no power is available.

-
Shoot well, Joe

clockwurk · Jul 24, 2011

Thx Joe

Big Mike · Jul 24, 2011

I don't know (didn't check) the power of those strobes...but yes, for the most part, strobes have a lot more overall power...but when it comes to light output to the subject, hotshoes flashes can actually hold their own against strobes. Hotshoe flashes have a Fresnel lens built into them, which gives them a lot of distance, especially if you zoom the head. But you don't get a whole lot of area coverage...especially when you zoom it.

So if we are talking about lighting up a subject's face at 10 feet, both could do the job. But if you want to put a nice large softbox or something on the light, to get a nice wide wash of soft light, then the strobe will give you more.

There will also be differences in the way the light falls off at the edges...and every modifier is going to give you something different. There is certainly a time and place for both, and it would even be advantageous to use both at once, if you have need for that many lights

Kerbouchard · Jul 24, 2011

Well, there are quite a few differences, but we'll stick with a few big ones.

Speedlights are easier to use on location, but don't do well if you need to overpower the sun. A good studio strobe can provide nice lighting even in direct sun. A speedlight cannot. The spread was already touched on, so while a speedlight is great for illuminating a single subject in the shade, it would take a lot more work to light a group.

Sticking with groups for a second, you will need some sort of modifier to spread the light, so you are going to give up a bit of power there. If you have several rows and don't want obvious fall off between the rows or at the edges, you will need to position your flash pretty far from the groups. A speedlight can't produce that kind of power.

Recycle time isn't comparable. A speedlight is slow, while a studio flash with an appropriate battery pack or A/C power can be quite fast.

On one side, you have a flash that you aren't going to demand a lot from, rarely want to shoot above 1/2 power, plan on moving around quite a bit, and comes in handy by attaching to your hot shoe for a portable, on the go, flash.

On the other, you have a flash that requires an expensive battery pack or constant A/C. It will also provide more power, recycle faster, and support a wider range of options for lighting modifiers.

In my opinion, they aren't exactly interchangable. Both have their place, but there is nothing more frustrating for me than to be in a bright, direct sun shoot with only a speedlight.

cavdvr · Jul 25, 2011

The small flashes are about 50 watts and the studio lights are 500 watts. The difference of shooting f/5.0 and f/16.

Village Idiot · Jul 26, 2011

The BXRI is Elinchrom's mid-level 500w/s offering. I believe they have software that lets you control the strobes power through a computer, which can be useful with monolights that you don't have easy access to the rear to change the settings on. Those are adjustable via a digital control in 1/10 stop increments.

You'll have a wider range of modifiers as was stated. 500w/s is a good bit of power and is just getting to the point of being able to overpower the sun with a modifiers. The downfall of the BXRI is that it's a bi-voltage strobe that automatically switches power. They don't place nice with conventional batteries like the Alien Bee Vagabond II, the Innovatronix Tronix Explorer XT, and the Vagabond Mini. Usually you can get away with plugging one into a battery and having it work right, but more than one can cause problems and incorrect operation. Tronix has the Explorer Mini which is supposed to be more compatible with multi bi-voltage strobes as well as the Exlorer XT3. There's charts on their site that have information of compatible units and the folks over at www.photography-on-the.net/forum love Elinchrom lights and Innovatronix batteries, so there are people there that probably have tested the combination of two 500w/s BXRI lights and a Tronix Mini and XT3.

If you don't want the hassle of the battery issue and want to use elinchrom, the RX series is the only monolight that they make that's not bi-voltage. They do a 300w/s and 600w/s version, but they more expensive. Elinchrom is a brand that a lot of successful pros swear by, so you can't go wrong with them.