Gear


10 Lights for Any Occasion and Photo Situation

April 16, 2015

By Josh Root

Flashpoint

Adorama Zoom Li-on Flash.

Adorama Zoom Li-on Flash
Need a speed light that won’t break the bank? Make sure to check out Adorama’s Flashpoint Zoom Li-on lineup. The flashes offer full power recycle times of less than 1.5 seconds and batteries capable of delivering up to 650 full-powered flashes before tapping out. The flash heads rotate 360 degrees and tilt over 90 degrees to work with any type of bounce or modifier. The heads also zoom from 24mm to 105mm and deliver TTL for Canon and Nikon cameras, high-speed sync, exposure bracketing and more. You can also opt for a manual flash with no TTL to save a few bucks.
Prices: $180 (TTL); $100 (Manual)

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Broncolor Siros 400 Wi-Fi
With 400 joules of power adjustable in 1/10-stop increments over a nine-stop range, the Broncolor Siros 400 Wi-Fi has enough creativity for any studio pro. A stylish and functional hi-fi-stereo-style knob and blue LCD offer easy adjustment on the unit itself, while a full-featured app allows multi-unit remote control from a Wi-Fi-connected smartphone or tablet. It uses all the current Broncolor light shapers, too.
Price: $1,359

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Interfit Strobies Pro-Flash 360
Speed lights are versatile tools, but sometimes you need a little more oomph from an on-camera unit. With more than five times the power of an average speed light, the Interfit Strobies Pro-Flash 360 certainly qualifies. It offers 360W of power with eight stops of adjustment in 1/3-stop increments. It can be triggered by its optical slave, a sync cable, or your camera’s hot shoe. The battery pack will give up to 450 full-power flashes on a 3-hour charge with a 4.5-second recycle time. With an additional cable, the pack can be used for up to 1400 full-power flashes with select Canon, Nikon, Sony or Metz speed lights.
Price: $526

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Dynalite Baja B4
With no wires or battery packs to fumble with, the Dynalite Baja B4 may just be one of the most portable studio strobes produced today. Its internal battery will give you more than 500 full-power flashes on a single charge, and its LED modeling light is far more power- efficient than standard lamps. Extra batteries are available and are easily swapped out. With one battery on the charger and one in the unit, you can have hours of continuous shooting. The Baja B4 offers 400W of power with six stops of adjustability in 1/10 stop increments. The 2.4GHz wireless triggering system has a range of over 500 feet. The transmitter is hot-shoe mounted and allows full control of up to six different flash groups. A standard Bowens S mount gives photographers access to a huge variety of light- shaping tools.
Price: $599

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Hensel Expert D 250 Speed
True to its name, the Hensel Expert D 250 Speed was designed to be fast. With extremely quick recycle times of 0.22-0.045 seconds and flash durations of 1/4000 to 1/10000 of a second, it is a fine match for fast-moving subjects. Offering a 300W modeling light and power adjustable from 1 to 250W/s across nine stops, the Expert D 250 Speed is at home in the studio. In addition, the integrated radio trigger capability and the optional Hensel Power Max L battery cuts the cord, giving it on-location flexibility.
Price: $1,225

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Lowel PRO Power LED
Looking for a continuous lighting source that is bright, compact and flexible? The Lowel PRO Power LED might fit the bill. It matches the power of a 200W halogen lamp with cool running temperatures, color-stable dimming and flicker-free output. With an 8:1 focusing range, you can shift from wide and even to tight and bright. The basic PRO Power LED unit runs on AC power, but a battery kit is available. Combined with the built-in fold-down handle, it is perfect for run-and-gun location shooting.
Price: $579

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Hive Wasp Plasma Par
Plasma bulbs are far less common than halogen for constant lighting, but with the power and features that units like the Hive Wasp Plasma Par can offer, that may change. Hive’s plasma bulbs are electrode-less, filament-free and unpressurized. The result is a vibration-, impact- and weather-resistant lamp. Plasma is also highly efficient; the Wasp offers the equivalent of a 400W halogen bulb but only draws 280W of power, and bulbs can last for 30,000 hours.
Price: $3,350

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Bowens Creo 1200 Generator and Creo Heads
The Bowens Creo 1200 Generator and Creo heads offer photographers power, control and reliability. With two head channels with individual power adjustments in 1/10-stop increments across nine stops, the 1200 watts can be assigned to a single channel for high output or split into 600 watts per channel. The Creo 1200 has a quick full-power recycle time of 0.56 seconds and offers short flash durations between 1/2400 to 1/5000 of a second; the 300W modeling light offers proportional power output. Built-in optical triggers allow the Creo to sync to another strobe and optional IR or radio transmitters allow remote triggering. Designed for heavy use, the Creo 1200 Generator has a robust cooling system that can handle up to 1,000 full-power flashes per hour.
Prices: $1,135 (head); $4,839 (generator)

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Zylight F8 LED Fresnel
For all its useful advantages, constant lighting is hot, particularly at high power levels. The Zylight F8 Fresnel uses LED technology to provide all of the power with none of the heat. Lightweight and compact at 9 pounds and with a water-resistant IP54 rating, the F8 performs just as well in the studio as it does on location. It has a high-quality 8-inch Fresnel lens offering the equivalent output of a traditional 1,000W unit, but uses just 100W. An optional battery frees you from AC power and DMX or ZyLink options allow remote control.
Price: $2,400

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Photogenic PLR1000DRC Monolight
When you need a lot of light, there is no replacing a powerful monolight. The Photogenic PLR1000DRC offers speed, power and control. With 1000W of power, adjustable in 1/10-stop increments over an eight-stop range, 3-second full-power recycling, a proportional 250W modeling light, and bracketing ability, the PLR1000DRC has the capacity to handle any professional assignment. An integrated optical trigger and PocketWizard receiver provide remote triggering options.
Price: $1,260

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