Lighting setup opinions

[651stp]

Hey TPF! TGIF!

I have been using my 430 EX II for about 2-3 months now and have been practicing with a one light setup w/ a reflector. As everyone else is, im looking to getting into multiple light setups. Im torn between speedlights and monolights. With speedlights they are very portable but dont have modeling lights which i think would be usefeull for indoor shooting. The monolights seem like they are semi portable if working with an assistant(for 2-4 monolights) but just using one should be portable enough. I plan on shooting indoors as much as outdoors. If i were to go with a setup right now in either category heres what im looking at so far.

x3 Yongnuo YN-560 speedlights w/ various Sofboxes or Umbrellas

OR

2-3 Falshpoint 620M's with bat pack.

I would love the cheaper route if it can produce the same quality.

 

[MLeeK]

I LOVE speedlites, however the number 1 drawback is the amount of power output. For you to use a huge softbox portrait setup you'll need 4 speedlite heads as opposed to 1 monolight.
I have used both on location. I LOVE speedlites because I am a woman and they're cheap and easy for me to cart around. I can stick a speedlite just about anywhere easily and create different lighting than I could if I were stuck with a monolight on a stand.

It's about you and what you need. I have bought enough old flash heads that i can't even put on my camera for so cheap it's not funny. I can create a lot of power with them. If it weren't for that I'd choose the monolights because of the light power.

 

[651stp]

what about if you have 2 softboxes to equal one big softbox and put one speedlight in each and line em up? will that work the same way?

 

[MLeeK]

what about if you have 2 softboxes to equal one big softbox and put one speedlight in each and line em up? will that work the same way?

It depends on the output of the speedlight, but no. You can't make the output of 2 equal the output of 4 even if you have them in two smaller softboxes.

 

[Village Idiot]

what about if you have 2 softboxes to equal one big softbox and put one speedlight in each and line em up? will that work the same way?

You'd gain a stop of light minus what you're losing from the diffusion on the box.

 

[Derrel]

I would buy the Flashpoint 320M models + their cool, little battery packs. Not the 620's, but the 320M models.

Speedlights win on portability: SMALL size, LIGHT weight. But they lose on other aspects. Price-wise, the Flashpoints WITH battery packs are less than half of the cost of higher-end Nikon or Canon dedicated flash units...

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I would buy the Flashpoint 320M models + their cool, little battery packs. Not the 620's, but the 320M models.

Speedlights win on portability: SMALL size, LIGHT weight. But they lose on other aspects. Price-wise, the Flashpoints WITH battery packs are less than half of the cost of higher-end Nikon or Canon dedicated flash units...

And 10 times as useful