flash vs monolights - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/07/2004 05:51:05 AM · #1

I am wondering what the differences are.. or why choose one over the other.

The setup example is this

two flashes shooting into umbrellas
two monolights shooting into umbrellas.

Flashes are obviuosly more portable, and lighter, however don't have as much power.. is that basically the other difference, flashes have less power, and thus can't flash as 'far' or cover as much area as a monolight,... and perhaps have a slower recycle time??

Jacko

Canon EOS-20D

11/07/2004 06:41:12 AM · #2

I shoot a 550Ex and a 420EX into or through umbrellas wirelessly (with a Canon ST-E2).

Ponder on this:

I shot my indecision shot at F16 1/125 sec and ISO 100. Handheld. Monolights would require a tiprod, or really thick sunblock if the lights would be powerful enough to get fast shutter speeds.

11/07/2004 07:05:27 AM · #3

why would monolights need a tripod... or are monolights on all the time. are strobes a monolight???... if not.. strobes is what i meant.

11/07/2004 07:06:18 AM · #4

however, i would be interested in how you find the two flash system setup jacko???.. cause you use two flahses into umbrellas right?

however... on the other hand two 550ex's isn't any cheapt than an alien bee setup.

Message edited by author 2004-11-07 07:06:26.

KevinRiggs

Canon EOS-1Ds

11/07/2004 07:33:54 AM · #5

I'm still playing around with my lights. I have 3 AlienBees B800's and a 550EX and 480EX with an ST-E2 remote trigger and I have shot all of them indoors and outdoors. I like using modifiers with any of the lights and haven't used the monolights without any modifier yet.

I like the small flash units for portability when I'm going to be photographing children outdoors and don't have the time to setup the lights. I shoot the 480EX through a StoFen OmniBounce filter and the 550EX I normally shoot aimed straight up into a LumiQuest ProMax 80/20 Pocket Bounce with a silver or white insert if I mount it to the flash bracket (silver gives the best catchlights). If I mount the 550EX to a tripod and trigger it via the ST-E2, I use a StoFen OmniBounce on it as well and point it at the subject. Then I'll set the flashes off to the side to create depth to the lighting on the subject.

With 550EX mounted to flash bracket and modified with LumiQuest ProMax 80/20 Pocket Bounce and silver insert. No other lights or reflectors.

Shot with ST-E2 mounted to flash bracket. 550EX mounted on tripod was out of frame to photo right. The goal here was to compensate for the shadows caused by the direct sunlight coming from the upper left of the photo. 550EX modified with LumiQuest ProMax 80/20 PocketBounce.

I modify the monolights with PhotoFlex LiteDome Large softboxes. This gives a much more even light. I can't show examples right now as they might tend to incriminate me for some of the challenges in effect.

The long and short of it are that with any type of flash you will get the best results after you've played with it and figured out how it fits your style.

Portable flash units that mount to hot-shoe connections can provide great fill flash and according to some of the shots on DPC even give great mood lighting. I think I'm a slow-learning idiot when it comes to lighting so I find it difficult but I'm sure that in time I will learn to utilize them to create tonal compositions where the power of the photo is created or strongly enhanced by the depth of the shadows and interplay of lights from the flash units. These are good units to carry with you when you (A) want to go lightweight, (B) have to be mobile just to capture the subject, (C) don't need too many light modifiers and (D) don't plan on using the flash as your primary light source (cause in my opinion these tend to produce flatter light than a highly modified flash unit such as a monolight).

Monolights excel at recycle time, power and modification. These babies take a little while to setup (or take down; especially the darned softboxes). Trying to use these with kids on location would be . . . demanding. Once you get them setup, though, if you can position your subject at a location, you have a little latitude for the subject to actually move and still be covered by most of the lights. Modifications range from light dispersing softboxes/octoboxes to umbrellas to light directing barn doors, snoots or combs. They are designed to be modified. These units normally come with a modeling light so that you can at least get an idea where or how your light is going to fall on your subject before you fire the first burst. If you (A) have time to setup, manage and take down these lights, or (B) plan on creating much of the impact of the photo with the lighting from the flash units then monolights may be the right tool for the job.

Hope this helps and I look forward to seeing what others have to say regarding their usage of these two types of lighting.

I'll post some photos to demonstrate how I use the monolights after the challenges close that contain some of the images.

Kev

11/07/2004 09:24:41 AM · #6

thanks for the thoughts kevin...

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

11/07/2004 10:03:33 AM · #7

This is sort of a rephrasing of a question leaf asked, that I don't think I see answered:

Are monolights and strobes synonymous or two different thing?

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

11/07/2004 10:11:31 AM · #8

I can see why there is some confusion on this issue.

Monolights and strobes achieve the same effect (a short pulse of light). A monolight is not the same as "continuous lighting".

I provided some links in this thread which might be useful reading.

Message edited by author 2004-11-07 10:12:13.

KevinRiggs

Canon EOS-1Ds

11/07/2004 10:28:26 AM · #9

A strobe is a flash. A monolight is a flash. They are one and the same. Some flashes have more exacting requirements for how hot the light burns and how long it'll last but its the same thing. The housing, modification and power are what make the difference between whether the strobe is considered a hot-shoe, a monolight or a flash head with powerpack.

Monolights are flash units that tend to contain power converters and fans inside their housing, a la Paul C Buff units (such as AlienBees or White Lightnings). These units simply need to be plugged into the appropriate AC source (such as a wall outlet). They tend to contain controls on the back of the housing for things like modeling lights or output strength (1/32 all the way up to full 100% power on the ones I have).

Contrast that (pun intended) with flash heads/power packs. These units tend to be more professional in terms of the workload they can handle over their lifespan. These units require a powerpack that plugs into an AC source and then each flash head has a power cord that connects it back to the powerpack. The output of the flash can generally be controlled to some degree from the powerpack. Sometimes you control the intensity of the lights by choosing which powerpack outlet to plug the flash heads into. Sometimes you actually have dials or sliders or something for each powerpack outlet so it doesn't matter which light is plugged in, you can make it the "key" light or simply turn it up or down to suite your lighting needs.

Both monolights and flash heads that connect to a powerpack tend to require some base; often those bases are tripods. Normally these lights cannot stand on their own, they need some kind of support under them.

Lastly small, portable flash units that mount to hot shoes are what most people I know when they use the term "flash". Those flashes come in varieties like the Canon 580EX, 550EX, 480EX, etc. Those units generally have a replaceable internal powersource (AA batteries) but some of them can accept DC power from an external source (although I don't know of any with their own internal converter so I assume most flashes with hot shoe connections wouldn't work with AC power sources). These units also tend to need some kind of support. This could be a tripod with a flash stand (these stands actually ship with Canon flashes) or a flash bracket or just the hot shoe connection that is on top of most SLR cameras (and many digicams).

As far as what they do, well, Eddy's right. They all simply emit a pulse of light to illuminate a subject. Each type has ancilliary features such as a tendancy to burn at the same temperature over many uses as in flash heads and power packs or a tradeoff between the ability to modify the light but a greater degree of color degradation over a shorter lifespan in monolights or more portability but also less power or less ease in modifying the light that is created by the flash with simple hot-shoe flashes. You choose the type of flash you want based on some of those features and just start experimenting with it. It's not like the functionality doesn't overlap. Given an AC power supply you could take your Profotos or Elinchromes out into the field and setup with them and shoot your set; thus nullifying the "portability" feature of the 550EX or 580EX. You'd be gaining all the power, color consistency and modification that comes with shooting flash heads/powerpack lights (of course it would be a PITA to move all that equipment but you COULD do it).

Kev

Message edited by author 2004-11-07 10:29:27.

11/07/2004 10:47:53 AM · #10

thanks for the descriptive post...
i think it is straight in my head now.
the mono, in monolight means everything in the light box.. probably.. which would make sense.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/07/2004 11:45:16 AM · #11

Thank you! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into explaining things!

Natator

Canon EOS-5D

11/07/2004 05:47:20 PM · #12

Hey Kevin ... I have the 580ex (my new toy) and a 420ex, along with the ST-E@, so am just starting to play with that as a setup, or will be when I finish converting the garage into a studio. It sounds like I need to seriously investigate the LumiQuest ProMax 80/20 Pocket Bounce, as it sounds great.

However ...

Do you ever find yourself using the hotshow flashes at the same time as your Alienbee's?

I intend to end up with a couple of monolights, and when I do I wonder if I can still make use of the 580/420 in the studio as well, or if the monolights then pretty much take over.

And another one for people with the 550 .... I have a diffuser for the 420, but don;t have one for the 580. However, it has the pull down whatsit which the manual says is for wide angle flash. Do people use that as a diffuser, or do you need that separately.

Message edited by author 2004-11-07 18:46:04.

KevinRiggs

Canon EOS-1Ds