studio strobes vs speedlites
Your two main lighting choices for portraits are either studio lighting heads (aka strobes) or the more portable flashgun
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tudio strobes and Speedlites are the lighting tools most used by photographers of all
levels of expertize. Both fire a short burst of artificial light to illuminate a subject. But as similar as Speedlites and studio strobes may seem, they do have important differences that can make one type of light the most suitable choice for a specific project. Here are the key characteristics of each.
Speedlites
Price: With prices ranging from about £100 to £550 ($150 to $500), there’s a flashgun for every photographer’s budget.
Power: The average power of a Speedlite is normally more than enough for common usage, such as a portrait session in a studio or the park, but may prove a little restrictive for more ambitious projects. Usually powered by AA batteries, Speedlites are not the most powerful light sources available, as power is sacrificed for the benefit of portability. A standard Speedlite flash emits around 60 Ws (watt-seconds) of light.
Recycling time: Speedlites have a slightly longer recycling time than studio strobes. This means you could be left waiting for the flash to recharge after taking a picture, making continuous shooting challenging. In any case, it advisable to avoid lengthy spells of rapid shooting, as it could cause internal overheating and impair its functioning.
Ttl/manual mode: Speedlites can be controlled via either Manual mode or the Auto TTL metering mode.
Sync speed: Flashguns have a HighSpeed Sync mode (HSS) that allows them to work even at faster shutter speeds than the flash sync speed (usually 1/200 or 1/250 sec), albeit at reduced power.
Flash duration: Speedlites normally have a shorter flash duration than most strobes, enabling photographers to freeze movement and action. Studio strobes Price: Prices start at about £200 ($300) for basic home studio kits, while professional high-power, ultra-sturdy solutions will cost much, much more. So studio strobes require a bigger budget, especially when considering add-ons like light modifiers or travel battery packs.
Power: Studio strobes have much higher power than Speedlites – 10 or even 20 times as much, but normally need to be in reach of the mains. Higher power means more light that reaches longer distances.
Recycling time: Studio strobes benefit from a much faster refresh rate than Speedlites, allowing photographers to
rapidly shoot without having to wait long for the flash to recharge. Most lights allow shooting several frames per second!
Ttl/manual mode: While some recent models do support TTL mode, the majority of studio strobes only work in Manual mode, requiring a controlled and more time-consuming setup.
Sync speed: Most types of studio strobes are limited to the camera’s flash sync speed, setting a faster shutter speed will result in a dark band appearing in the frame. However, some recent upmarket studio lights do implement a High-speed Sync option that allows shutter speeds in the region of thousandths of a second without generating any sync issue.
Flash duration: Most studio strobes have a longer flash duration than Speedlites, making these tools slightly less able to freeze actions.