Combining Multiple Flashes For More Light Output Works ????

[Buckster]

These are what I am looking to get in the near future. The thing is so many speed lights or even regular studio strobes egt so damn top heavy. I want the weight in the battery more than the actual lamp head.

Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Head A To Go Set EL 10293.1 B&H Photo

The vagabond mini is great but the older one was big and heavy and countered the weight of my Photogenic monolights.

By the time I bought a bunch of 580's I could buy one Elinchrome and get 400watts right off the bat.

That's true, and it may be the perfect choice for you and the kind of shooting you do.

On the other hand, for that price, I might prefer to get 9 Yongnuo EX565 speedlights, which provides a LOT of ways to use them in up to 9 different locations on a shoot for some really creative results. Environmental portraits utilize this method a lot, lighting not just the subject and bouncing off a couple of reflectors to get fill and hair lights, as is necessary with a single light setup, but also creatively lighting key elements of the subject's surroundings in very specialized ways, which is entirely possible if you have a lot of individual lights to work with. McNally's books are filled with this stuff.

And on the occasion where I need one powerful light instead, they can be combined on a light tree to achieve that. That's the verstility factor: With 9 individual lights, I can have either a single powerful light source or many variable lights used in an infinite number of ways to light an entire scene using various power levels, grids, snoots, gels, flags, diffusers and all the rest.

Top heavy or not, for the same price, I would choose the verstility of the 9 lights over the limitations of a single light source, but that's just me. Sand bags are cheap, and DIY sandbags are cheaper still.

Again, for you, one light may be the perfect solution, and it's not for me to say it isn't. I think it's up to each photographer to use what they think works best for their needs, stating again that none of it is "wrong". It is instead, simply a preference. Each has its pros and its cons.

 

[plainman007]

Hi Buckster, i was refering to unpopular. And his unpopular comments. LoL

 

[plainman007]

Yes, thats also exactly why i prefered going the multiple flash route. I was planning to get about 8 of these (have 4 now). Mainly for the directions/angles/gelled look achievable. Try recreating that look with monoblocks etc and it soon becomes huge in size and on your wallet.

 

[unpopular]

Your opinion that McNally, Black, Hobby and other successful professional photographers who usually prefer and use speedlights are "wrong"

Professional herp derp. I don't care about what some professional is doing or how well it works out for them. If you haven't noticed, I don't fall for that pro-idolization. Speedlights are simply not designed for this. Yeah. You can use them, but it's going to be inefficient, limited in flexibility and more costly in the long run.

And for what it's worth, they're not 'wrong' but rather they are using the wrong tools.

(BTW - in that video, behind the soft box is an elinchrom)

 

[unpopular]

Yes, thats also exactly why i prefered going the multiple flash route. I was planning to get about 8 of these (have 4 now). Mainly for the directions/angles/gelled look achievable. Try recreating that look with monoblocks etc and it soon becomes huge in size and on your wallet.

Being that the Flashpoints/Mettle cost about the same as the Yongnuos, I don't really see what the deal is. I think in reality the best option is to use both speedlights and use monos as the main lights.

In any case, I'd start with monos and add accents where you need them.

 

[o hey tyler]

Your opinion that McNally, Black, Hobby and other successful professional photographers who usually prefer and use speedlights are "wrong"

Professional herp derp. I don't care about what some professional is doing or how well it works out for them. If you haven't noticed, I don't fall for that pro-idolization. Speedlights are simply not designed for this. Yeah. You can use them, but it's going to be inefficient, limited in flexibility and more costly in the long run.

And for what it's worth, they're not 'wrong' but rather they are using the wrong tools.

(BTW - in that video, behind the soft box is an elinchrom)

How are speedlights the wrong tool for shooting in the desert? They're capable of HSS/Auto FP sync, which studio flashes are not capable of (unless you want to spend a LOT of money). They're lighter, easier to move, and don't require an external power source or battery pack.

Personally, I can't get on board with your reasoning. How much shooting have you done with off camera speedlights?

 

[unpopular]

Well. Very little. I'm not going to lie.

However, still, that video is misleading. They have a few speedlights but clearly there is a mono behind a softbox as well. Instead of bringing out a bunch of speedlights, why not just use another mono?

HSS OTOH is a valid point, and would decrease the need for higher power when shooting in ambient light.

...

OK. Crap. Yeah. I'm wrong.

 

[o hey tyler]

Well. Very little. I'm not going to lie.

However, still, that video is misleading. They have a few speedlights but clearly there is a mono behind a softbox as well. Instead of bringing out a bunch of speedlights, why not just use another mono?

HSS OTOH is a valid point, and would decrease the need for higher power.

...

OK. Crap. Yeah. I'm wrong.

Well, thank you for being honest... I myself have done some shooting with speedlights outdoors with HSS, and they are quite useful. Especially if you want to use a wide aperture but still have fill light in direct sun. More versatile than a monolight with a battery pack IMO.

I'm not quite sure what they were using the Elinchrom for... and I haven't watched the whole video. Was there a studio flash behind it? Or did the retrofit the softbox to work with a speedlight?

 

[unpopular]

I'd have to look (can't right now) but I am pretty sure there was a mono behind it?

----

ETA: Yeah, there is. Looks like an elinchrom head.

 

[plainman007]

I still wouldnt accept that speedlights might be the wrong tool. They are perfect due to their size and weight. Also i carry nearly 40-50 nimh batteries with me. I took these on a mountain trek recently and did some strobist shots up there at 18,000 ft. I could never have pulled that off with other lighting options / monos.

 

[jedirunner]

That's impressive -- both in his set-up, and in figuring it all out, what he wanted, and what it could do for him.

Kevin