trouble choosing lighting solution

Kofman13 · Aug 25, 2010

im on a tight budget so so these are my options

-Flashpoint II 320 monolight, stand, and umbrella - $140
-the same monolight, with battery pack, no stand no umbrella ( i would need an assistant - $200

OR even more budget

http://cgi.ebay.com/YONGNUO-Speedli...=Digital_Camera_Flashes#ht_3275wt_1139Yongnuo speedlight YN460 - $40 its super cheap, it has no ttl or zoom but its been getting good reviews by strobist for off camera flash for the price, and i would get wireless transmitters for another $20.

what do you guys think?

Derrel · Aug 25, 2010

I would buy the monolight, stand, and umbrella for $140. That's a good deal for $140.

What battery pack is there for $100 or so???

Kofman13 · Aug 25, 2010

The flashpoint battery pack is $140 alone. Adorama sells the moonlight and battery pack only , for $200. But if I didn't want to use an assistant I'd have to spend like 60 more for a stand and umbrella. I shoot all my clients on my campus outdoors where it's beautiful and then move indoors where there is alot of natural light due to the roof of the atrium being glass, and that's where I need light,,, so being shackled to a poser outlet wouldn't be the end of the world.

With the yongnuo speed lights I can be mobile.. But I have to deal with poorly made products and having to buy batteries..

Geaux · Aug 25, 2010

Depends on what you want. Would you like a flash that you can use on camera? If so, then go with the yn460II or the newer version YN560. The regular 460 is cheap and supposedly getting good reviews, but I hear the 2nd ver. is even better.

If you are going for more studio lighting, go with that larger contraption lol

Edit: the Yongnuo isn't necessarily poorly built, it's from Hong Kong ... so you take your chances, but majority of owners love it.

786soul · Aug 26, 2010

I haven't worked with monolights but I love the flexibility of the speedlites. I've got a set of the YN wireless triggers/receivers and their great. No complaints at ALL. I use everything in manual and have never touched TTL so it's of no harm to me.

Derrel · Aug 26, 2010

Flash units that have modeling lamps in them allow you to visually "see" what the light is doing....you can actually "see" where the shadows fall,and where the catchlights are in the eyes, where reflections in eyeglasses will be....and so on....that is not the case when shooting with speedlights.

Shooting with speedlights is fine for people with reasonable levels of experience. But setting up a multi-light setup with speedlights is really mostly a matter of experience,and for many people, a matter of shoot-chimp-re-position-shoot-chimp-re-position-shoot-chimp-re-position-shoot chimp--FINALLY! A workable lighting set up!

There is a reason professional studio photography is done with real,dedicated studio lights and real,purpose-built light modifiers and grip equipment. If you want to shoot like a "Strobist", then portable flashes are an easy way to go, but they have a lot of limitations: flexibility,power,and modifiers are all quite limited on speedlights compared with monolight or pack-and-head studio flash systems.