Strobes or Continuous Lighting
- Thread starter dragos
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i use both ... really depends on how you want to shoot and what u shooting.
Some pointers from my experience:
Strobes
-very powerful and small size
-Not hot
-availability of versatile light shapers (e.g. softbox, snoot, etc...)
-convenient to add on light shapers (just snap on)
-Can be more expensive - depending on brands and output.
-can change power output very easily - very important
-no need to filter or WB the lights
-what u see may not be what u get (can be close, but not quite)
Continuous Lights
-HOT! VERY VErY HOT! - great care when handling them!
-Heavy and big for greater than 2k
-what u see is what u get!!
-powersource is crucial cause draws very high current if using big lights
-comparatively less light shapers readily available
-more cumbersome to add light shapers - e.g. need another C-stand to hold
-more frequent down time - e.g. tubes burn more easily than strobes
-need good air-con if using in studio
-using very high output, can actually freeze action better than if using flash!
-not so distressing for non-models
-need to WB or filter depending
-fixed output - have to use ND filter or change lights altogether
Some pointers from my experience:
Strobes
-very powerful and small size
-Not hot
-availability of versatile light shapers (e.g. softbox, snoot, etc...)
-convenient to add on light shapers (just snap on)
-Can be more expensive - depending on brands and output.
-can change power output very easily - very important
-no need to filter or WB the lights
-what u see may not be what u get (can be close, but not quite)
Continuous Lights
-HOT! VERY VErY HOT! - great care when handling them!
-Heavy and big for greater than 2k
-what u see is what u get!!
-powersource is crucial cause draws very high current if using big lights
-comparatively less light shapers readily available
-more cumbersome to add light shapers - e.g. need another C-stand to hold
-more frequent down time - e.g. tubes burn more easily than strobes
-need good air-con if using in studio
-using very high output, can actually freeze action better than if using flash!
-not so distressing for non-models
-need to WB or filter depending
-fixed output - have to use ND filter or change lights altogether
student said:
If not studio then where, outdoor har :bsmilie: :bsmilie: Dunno got battered powered ones not???
i would prefer to work with continuous light if possible for still shoots. reason being you get what you see. as for people shots, as long as i got powerful aircon and i can achieve the shutter speed and apeture i need, also can use.
but strobe is definitely more versatile and easier to travel with. if i only got molah to get one system it will be a strobe system!
but strobe is definitely more versatile and easier to travel with. if i only got molah to get one system it will be a strobe system!
Continuous (the big wattage type) produces lovely light, but as others have mentioned are cumbersome to use and great care must taken in their use to avoid injury or damage to electrical circuits. Also, unless you have very powerful lights you're limited to slower shutter speeds, often requiring tripod, even for 35mm.
In some situations 'hot' lights are either not advisable or simply cannot be used in a practical way. The best example is food photography, the heat from the lights dries the food out and so on..... Must work VERY quickly in these situations. In other still life situations, you need to be careful, especially where the subject is a compund of a number of materials, e.g. glass, metal plastic, etc - these will allow expand at different rates and can cause the item to warp - in the case of plastic it can even melt if the lights are sufficiently powerful and/or too close.
Strobes are far more versatile and practical - it's that simple.
In some situations 'hot' lights are either not advisable or simply cannot be used in a practical way. The best example is food photography, the heat from the lights dries the food out and so on..... Must work VERY quickly in these situations. In other still life situations, you need to be careful, especially where the subject is a compund of a number of materials, e.g. glass, metal plastic, etc - these will allow expand at different rates and can cause the item to warp - in the case of plastic it can even melt if the lights are sufficiently powerful and/or too close.
Strobes are far more versatile and practical - it's that simple.
Clown said:
Actually, sunlight is the best source of light there is! Bar none! No human-devised lighting system can come close!
Properly harnessed, sunlight is the best form of light there is!
Granted that our tropical light is not the best around, but still, in my opinion, better than any man made light.
cyber_m0nkey said:
You are right in all you wrote.
I am not much into product photography, but I do photograph flora at times, using continuous light. There is of course a lot of heat and continuous hot light will certainly wear out the flowers. There is however a way of working to minimise that problem. I use something from 1000 watts to 2600 watts. Fortunately I work in an aircond environment, and I have yet to wither the flowers prematurely!
In photographing people, it is precisely the slow shutter speed I favor. Most of my portrait shots are taken with one 1000 watts. I also use a 35 mm in such situations but with ASA 800and f1.4. Shutter speed typically around 1/125. More than adequate. And I get the benefit of seeing the light effects immediately (of course the modelling light in strobes can also do that - but I think the effect is more pronounced with the full light)
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