AC-powered electronic flash units fall into two distinct categories: systems with a power pack to which individual heads are connected, and self-contained units where the power unit is a part of the head itself.
Studio lighting comes in all shapes and sizes, and the lights that are new to photokina certainly support that contention. Our primary focus here is on strobe lighting, but that includes a mix of monolights and power packs (generators), and select flash heads that attach to these generators. If we can see any trend in studio strobes it is the increasing reliance on electronic components and...
“Something you threw together in crafts class, Princess?”—Buck Rogers in the 25th century
As a kid during the 1950s, I had one of the last Buck Rogers ray guns produced. These were actually flashlights made by Norton Honer but were designed to look like Buck’s ray gun. It’s only fitting that ExpoImaging’s Ray Flash ringlight converter projects light as...
A monolight makes entering the world of studio flash photography as painless as possible. Before long you’ll find that this studio strobe will be as easy to use as your shoe-mount flash (perhaps easier) and provide undreamt of creative possibilities. Some monolights make the transition much easier. Enter the digital Interfit Stellar XD.
I have been using Westcott's light banks and umbrellas for glamour, fashion, and portraiture almost since the company entered the photographic business and have always been impressed by their quality and value. Previously I used their rugged and flexible Spiderlite family of hot and cold continuous lighting products and now they've introduced a line of monolights built...
I've had many opportunities to work with battery-operated studio strobe systems. My problem with them was that they were heavy and bulky, not powerful enough, or simply too costly. Then I came upon the Opus Pro OPL-L300 location kit. I immediately noted that the 300 ws monolights were compact. Then I hefted the battery pack. Hmm, not bad, I thought. I could actually carry...
A monolight (or monobloc, in some circles) is a self-contained strobe--and possibly the best way to get started in studio lighting. Self-contained means it does not require an external power pack to control its various functions with all the controls housed in the body. Most monolights plug into an AC outlet, although a few are driven by a separate, external battery pack. You...
Tamrac's Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack
The newest addition to the popular Expedition Series, the 6x is a medium-size pack for a generous amount of photo equipment. It will hold two D-SLRs (both with lenses attached), 5-6 additional lenses, a flash, accessories, and up to a 14.1" screen laptop. Lightweight (at 5 lbs) yet rugged, the main...