TTL or not on monolight (Flashpoint 600)

[TonyUSA]

Hello,

I want to get monolite with HSS but not sure if I need TTL or not. Any of you guys own one or similar one, do you recommend without TTL or with TTL?

http://www.adorama.com/fplfx600tbc.html
http://www.adorama.com/fplfx600bc.html

Thank you,

 

[Derrel]

Monolights that offer HSS ae fairly new. Monolights that offer TTL are fairly new, as lighting goes. The vast,vast,vast,vaaaaaaaast majority of monolights offer NO HSS capability, onmly single-pop flash/ The vaaaaaast majority have absolutely NO TTL or AUTO-thyristor flash control. So, you are asking about relatively new equipm,ent that 99.9% of monolight users have never had available to them, so the question is going to be answered probably, fairly poorly here.

The majority of us who have used studio flash units have never had studio flash type units that offer either HSS, nor TTL. So....

I learned to shoot studio flash by setting the power needed, by hand. TTL ws only for on-camera speedlights. I own a ton of flash gear....24 flash heads, six power packs, two lines....I have never once even thought of having TTL flash exposure setting in a studio flash. So, to me, the HSS battery-powered monolight with NO TTL, seems to be the better value.

But HONESTLY....I think the idea of a battery-powered monolight is way too expensive...I think it would be better to buy AC-powered monolights, and use portable sine wave inverter power when needed. But...this is, again, NEW equipment, stuff that has only recently been introduced to the market--it might be really great to have HSS in monolight power-levels. it might be great for some people to have TTL exposure calculation in a monolight-power type of flash unit. But my question: how will two, or more, TTL units determine what the right exposure actually is?

 

[Braineack]

I haven't really seen anything using them with a key/fill, but this video shows a 2-light setup using TTL:




here's a fun watch to show how well it can work in various situations, where the camera settings are all the same:

 

[tirediron]

What are you shooting? Do you actually need to spend the extra for HSS/TTL?

 

[ronlane]

What are you shooting? Do you actually need to spend the extra for HSS/TTL?

Need??? Yeah, it's much easier to get clients out at noon than it is at 6 am or 6 pm for portraits. Use that HSS for mid-day sun, heck it will pay for itself in a week

 

[tirediron]

What are you shooting? Do you actually need to spend the extra for HSS/TTL?

Need??? Yeah, it's much easier to get clients out at noon than it is at 6 am or 6 pm for portraits. Use that HSS for mid-day sun, heck it will pay for itself in a week

Fair point!

 

[KmH]

Yeah, it's much easier to get clients out at noon than it is at 6 am or 6 pm for portraits.

And better yet is to have a studio so you have total control of the light quality and direction.

 

[Braineack]

Use that HSS for mid-day sun, heck it will pay for itself in a week

My $85 622NTX receiver/transmitter combo allows me to shoot my monolights at 1/4000

 

[ronlane]

I have radio triggers that will fire all of my flashes (Monolights and speedlights) up to 1/8000. My monolights are cheap streaklight 360 (360 w/s) lights but they still work when using my radio triggers.

 

[davisphotos]

My understanding is HSS via TTL and standard HSS work differently. With TTL, the flash pulses a number of lower powered flashes to cover the entire Shutter. with trigger based HSS, it times the flash so that it appears like a continuous light source. I have had betterluck with the latter, as it works with a full power flash.

 

[TonyUSA]

Thank you everyone for your reply.

What are you shooting? Do you actually need to spend the extra for HSS/TTL?

I never interest in any portrait, only want to get a good photos of my sons in sports but after watched this two video I really like the photos they did and want to try it. Then I did some search on the monolight that they uses. One of the video from Adorama doesn't have TTL and he was using the lightmeter and not using HSS neither. The second video was using HSS but not sure if he was using TTL or not. That video doesn't show me much info about how to setup and what he used.

 

[Derrel]

I have radio triggers that will fire all of my flashes (Monolights and speedlights) up to 1/8000. My monolights are cheap streaklight 360 (360 w/s) lights but they still work when using my radio triggers.

SPEAKING of which...I looked at your above links, Tony, and I found under Adorama's "similar to" option, the Streaklight 360 kit, (flash, battery, and triggering system) was on-sale for $349 ($100 off regular price). To me, those looked good in terms of size, and value, weight, etc.. I researched the Streaklight system when it came out...I personally thought they looked pretty good.

 

[ronlane]

I have radio triggers that will fire all of my flashes (Monolights and speedlights) up to 1/8000. My monolights are cheap streaklight 360 (360 w/s) lights but they still work when using my radio triggers.

SPEAKING of which...I looked at your above links, Tony, and I found under Adorama's "similar to" option, the Streaklight 360 kit, (flash, battery, and triggering system) was on-sale for $349 ($100 off regular price). To me, those looked good in terms of size, and value, weight, etc.. I researched the Streaklight system when it came out...I personally thought they looked pretty good.

I bought a streaklight 360 earlier this year and love it with the battery pack. I got a beauty dish to go with it and use that a lot. It is a solid system for the money in my opinion and I have recommended it to others. I don't do a lot of portrait sessions at this time but I don't have to recharge the battery pack for it very often.

 

[unpopular]

What are you shooting? Do you actually need to spend the extra for HSS/TTL?

Need??? Yeah, it's much easier to get clients out at noon than it is at 6 am or 6 pm for portraits. Use that HSS for mid-day sun, heck it will pay for itself in a week

Fair point!

This is assuming OP is photographing people on location. If you're in a studio, it's close to being worthless.

 

[TonyUSA]

Thank you everyone for your advice.