Portable flash solution

[jjparson]

I am looking to purchase a portable flash (not a speedlight), but a studio type strobe. We had some pictures done professionally recently and they turned out really great. I should have asked the photographer what she was using, but failed to. I think she was using some sort of strobe with a reflector dish on a boom and then obviously packing a battery with her. I would like to purchase a similar set up, but do not really know where to start. I am looking for suggestions on a setup including triggers for my D300. Thanks in advance for the help. I appreciate the time.

Jake

 

[MLeeK]

Budget would help?
It's definitely easier to lug around a speedlight with an off camera setup than a strobe and a battery pack.
It's lighter, more portable and can be put ANYWHERE. Strobes are a little more complicated. Depending on the WPS of the strobe you may actually get more light out of a speedlight.
WPS will be directly related to your budget as well.

I am a speedlight as a strobe kind of gal, but there are definitely great options in battery packs and strobes too. Before any recommendations I really need to know what you are budgeting though!

 

[Overread]

Two suggestions as to what the pro could have been using

1) Elinchrom Ranger Quadra - a range of very small studio flash heads which come with a battery - ideal for a boom kind of setup that you describe; though this is an expensive option

2) Regular speedlite flash combined with a powerpack - could be a Quantum brand powerpack, but there are also smaller and cheaper ones such as the PIXEL brand powerpacks.

 

[KmH]

Alien Bee's and a Vagabond power pack is another option.

Uh, why not just contact the photographer that turned out the really great photos, and ask what they used?

 

[Derrel]

Could have been a Quantum Q-flash. Could have been a Norman flash unit. Could have been any number of different flash units. The number of battery-powered AND Dual, AC-powered AND Battery-powered options, has never been greater than it is today. There are portable flash units ranging in price from $140 to $5,000...so, asking which one the photog used seems like a good idea.

 

[MissCream]

The reflector dish was probably a beauty dish. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_a2DXd3J5w...AAM68/Cawv8tbpnQ0/s1600/beauty_dish_Med_1.jpg

 

[BlairWright]

Check out the Paul C Bl;uff site (Mentioned above) - Paul C. Buff - AlienBees B400

You can get a AB400 with triggers, a vagabond power pack, stand, and umbrella for around 730.00

Not a bad price considering a Nikon SB-900 runs 500 and only have 40% of the power. On the down side you need to lug around a pretty large rig if you buy the AB

 

[jjparson]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I actually tried to contact the photographer a couple of weeks ago and never heard anything back, so this was the next course of action. One question that looks like it kept coming up was budget. I am looking to spend somewhere in the range of $750 to $1k.

Thanks again for the responses. I will do some digging and report back soon.

 

[Derrel]

Norman 200 or 400, Lumedyne, Quantum Q-flash....smallish flash heads or units, batteries small, but powerful and expensive. Norman and Lumedyne OLD-school and PROVEN over decades. Q-flash....ehh...unreliable features have plagued this company's products at times.

Adorama's Flashpoint monolights--rather larger, bulkier due to built-in electronics AND reflector head/flashtube in one unit, BUT very low-cost, almost throwaway, AND with the option of AC curent AND cheap, 15-ounce batteries, OR Tronix or paul C. Buff sine wave inverter/battery setups.

Other monolights that use Quantum or Jackrabbit type sealed lead acid batteries. Who made those "blue" mono's that used AC power or Quantum TUrbo batteries, and used household modeling lamp bulbs???

 

[Trever1t]

Check out the Paul C Bl;uff site (Mentioned above) - Paul C. Buff - AlienBees B400

You can get a AB400 with triggers, a vagabond power pack, stand, and umbrella for around 730.00

Not a bad price considering a Nikon SB-900 runs 500 and only have 40% of the power. On the down side you need to lug around a pretty large rig if you buy the AB

but for a small studio on a tight budget that looks sweet!

 

[cnutco]

Check out the Paul C Bl;uff site (Mentioned above) - Paul C. Buff - AlienBees B400

You can get a AB400 with triggers, a vagabond power pack, stand, and umbrella for around 730.00

Not a bad price considering a Nikon SB-900 runs 500 and only have 40% of the power. On the down side you need to lug around a pretty large rig if you buy the AB

This is very interesting.

Does anyone have any pros and cons for use on location other than the pain to lug around?

 

[CCericola]

I have some old Photogenic strobes and a Vagabond portable power unit. Here is a link to a blog written by a TPF member about an easy way to transport strobe lighting on location:

You Should Be Shot - by clark barron: DIY - On-Location Lighting Anywhere!

 

[KmH]

Check out the Paul C Bl;uff site (Mentioned above) - Paul C. Buff - AlienBees B400

You can get a AB400 with triggers, a vagabond power pack, stand, and umbrella for around 730.00

Not a bad price considering a Nikon SB-900 runs 500 and only have 40% of the power. On the down side you need to lug around a pretty large rig if you buy the AB

This is very interesting.

Does anyone have any pros and cons for use on location other than the pain to lug around?

Yes. The Alien Bee's are not really designed with the durability needed to be moved around a lot.

 

[cnutco]

This is very interesting.

Does anyone have any pros and cons for use on location other than the pain to lug around?

Yes. The Alien Bee's are not really designed with the durability needed to be moved around a lot.

I guess one built durable enough would cost a bit more, uh?

 

[Derrel]

In terms of durability and sheer ruggedness in the face of heavy use and lots of travel and packing and unpacking, Speedotron Black Line flash heads and packs might be the overall winners. I bought some 103 light heads from eBay,and they are absolutely FILLED with really bad, serious dents, all over the flash heads...the cords were covered with whitewash, from repeated cyclorama paintings...really rough,rough,rough shape. And by dents, I do not mean little dents and scratches--I mean beat to frickin he((. I payed $40 per light unit,with no tubes or modeling lights...these things have been abused TERRIBLY by somebody in Hollywood,California who had a huge mess of them....I bought six out of 20 they had for sale...

My own personal "good light units" have fared better....I have had three full-extension tip-overs of 102 light units, and suffered two dented 11.5 inch reflectors, and one 10 foot to concrete flash tube Pyrex shroud cracking. I am *positive* that Alien Bees would not withstand the kind of horrible abuse the 103's I bought have withstood....just no way in he((. Simply, no way. The thing is, when you bust up an Alien Bee, which is fairly often, Paul C. Buff company will replace the broken parts for you, or send you out another offshore made, but partially-assembled-in-the-USA light, so people can talk about how good the customer service is on a low-cost, light-duty product. With Black Line, you think, "Well, I need to push that dent back out of the reflector, and stand the light stand back up."