Speedlights and spread

[robertwright]

doubling up is putting two 450 dollar flashes together to get maybe 200ws?

900$? plus batteries and charger plus cables plus adapters....for 200ws is pretty expensive ws.

You can get a used profoto compact plus 600ws for 700$.

This is where the strobist logic breaks down rapidly.

I have two of the cp-e2's and they are great, but only for what they are, which to me is fill at high iso or a portrait lighting for one or two people at moderate ISO. But if you want to shoot sharp or rapidly, or be able to actually see your modeling light as you are working so you don't have to chimp as much and can stay better connected to the subject, AC is really all there is.

But what do I know:ROTFL:I'm bidding on sb-26's on ebay:ROTFL:

 

[fotografz]

doubling up is putting two 450 dollar flashes together to get maybe 200ws?

900$? plus batteries and charger plus cables plus adapters....for 200ws is pretty expensive ws.

You can get a used profoto compact plus 600ws for 700$.

This is where the strobist logic breaks down rapidly.

I have two of the cp-e2's and they are great, but only for what they are, which to me is fill at high iso or a portrait lighting for one or two people at moderate ISO. But if you want to shoot sharp or rapidly, or be able to actually see your modeling light as you are working so you don't have to chimp as much and can stay better connected to the subject, AC is really all there is.

But what do I know:ROTFL:I'm bidding on sb-26's on ebay:ROTFL:

You are preaching to the converted Robert. I have a studio full of Profoto and Hensel lighting ... including 600 w/s Monos with built-in PWs I sometimes take to a wedding. But you are talking about a lot of stuff: 2 Monos, bigger stands, extension cords.

The point is how much to schlep to a wedding. Ben is already taking at least two Canon flashes, maybe three. So, adding one or two more and a few Y cords for a two dual-light set-up is pretty minimal extra stuff to pack and lug around.

Wedding shooters are under terrific pressure these days because business sucks and everyone with a Canon Rebel and kit lens is getting into shooting them for next to nothing. So hiring help to carry gear etc. is getting more difficult if you want to make any profit.

Marc

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Hi,

I use three strobes at each wedding, that would be six 580's plus the two I use as kicker lights plus the one on camera, total of 9 plus the necessary battery packs. That and the efficiency plus the ability to fire fast at full power, etc is what made me stick with strobes to be honest. The weddings I shoot expect rather more intricate lighting, especially for the formals and these weddings are pretty formal. The 40-60 family formals after the chupa usually take an hour and I'm expected to provide a backdrop and studio type lighting. I do of course use an assistant already, I cannot get my 20 foot backdrop up myself without rather a lot of swearing

It's a shame the Innovatronix packs didn't work out. It seems that for the amount of hours and speed of shooting I need at a wedding - I'd have to pay big big money, money that is in no way justified by what I make at weddings, or just string the extension cables and tape them down with gaffer tape as I've done for the past 7 years or so. Oh well it was a nice dream.

One thing that is more important than anything is being able to rely on your gear to give consistent results. Misfires, lack of power, lack of fast enough recycle, etc - it all costs just too much time at the processing end of things and no photographer enjoys sitting down and processing however crucial it may be to transmit the intention you had when shooting the photo.

What I am enjoying is shooting with wireless ETTL, one flash off at 45 degrees and high (with brolly or without depending) and on camera as fill, looks great indoors and out and is fast to use with an assistant to hold the off camera light. Couldn't do it without the radiopoppers. Here is an example below:

Marc's point about the business though is well made. My assistant at present is the best I've ever had, he knows the basics of photography so he has an instinct that my usual drones never had. He's pretty terrible at present photographically but he's improving fast and his dad is a millionaire, I knew from the start that he was apprenticing and he is buying expensive gear that I couldn't begin to afford. He will be serious competition in 5 years time. The competition in my town among Orthodox Jews (my market) has gone from just 3 photographers 7 years back to eight now at present, all of them competent eventhough us 3 are still at the top of the pile for the moment. Complaicency however in this business at this time would be more that utterly stupid.