I currently have Dynalite Uni400Jr and it's only 400ws output. Am thinking to get speedotron force 10 series which will give me 1000ws max, I'm doing location shootings a lot, mostly fashion, architectural. Anyone has used this speedo before? would be overkill for monolights with that much power?
When I use to do a lot of studio work, I quickly learned that the minimum flash power was as important as --- if not more important than the maximum output. I very rarely pushed my lights to their limit on the high end, but I was always butting up against the low end. Check out the specs of each and see how low they both go. It's definitely something to take into consideration --- especially if you find yourself using beauty dishes or other modifiers that do little to lower the light levels of each head.
In a monolight, you have the size and weight of the condensers in the head. At some point, that can become an issue.
I find 300-400 ws to be a "sweet spot" in monolights--enough power for most uses and from that point they can usually be dialed down low enough for low power uses--without being too large and heavy.
Obviously, if you frequently need higher power, go for it, but on a practical basis, if you need more than 300-400 ws per head, you're probably in the market for a power pack system.
Points taken, I do have power pack 2403 and most of the time stays in my home studio. But the idea of having at least one monolight with bigger power output won't hurt. It's so much easier to travel with 3 monolight heads minus big old power pack like my 2403 with 3 heads.
Another option, is to get speedotron explorer 1500 battery pack and done deal. I could use my 202 heads in case I need more power.
I think the Einstein has a small footprint and might give you that extra bump in light that you need. On the odd occasions that you need a bigger light just rent one. It's a lot cheaper that way.
It really depends on your gears. For 135 DSLR, 600w is most sufficient for studio work, and the minimum power ratio is very important (even 1/32 may not enough, 1/128 preferred). However, if you shot 4x5, you may need more power to overcome small aperture value on LF lenses, e.g. f/64 or f/96. (to gain more DOF)
If you need a balance of power and portability for location shooting I'd get an Elinchrom Ranger RX/AS. With 8.5 stops of adjustment you can use it for anything.
Ben Horne wrote:
When I use to do a lot of studio work, I quickly learned that the minimum flash power was as important as --- if not more important than the maximum output. I very rarely pushed my lights to their limit on the high end, but I was always butting up against the low end. Check out the specs of each and see how low they both go. It's definitely something to take into consideration --- especially if you find yourself using beauty dishes or other modifiers that do little to lower the light levels of each head.
+1 (and underlined emphasis mine)
I keep sheets of this diffusion fabric on hand to pull monos back even further when their lowest power setting is still too much.
Yes, the Force is an outstanding mono.
I Have 2 profoto packs and a mono. Nice to have a mono, and the power when needed.
The force I owned had an 8 stop range, very reliable. An exceptional mono, IMHO.
