Fast recycling simple first studio strobe

J

Jellybean

Messages
15
Name
Mark
Edit My Images
No
I have finally got a tiny studio and can move on from using off-camera speedlights.

I'd light to buy my first studio strobe. I don't need much power, but do need to freeze movement and recycle fast enough for a 5-6fps camera.

My tiny space has white walls, plus my reflectors and I'll be shooting movement from 4-5 feet away.

Any ideas? Elinchrom D-lite RX2 recycles in 0.2sec apparently. Is there a Godox (cheaper) strobe that can reasonably do 0.1-0.2 sec recycling?

I used to use my Nikon SB800 with a battery unit. This was very fast for short bursts, but got burned out!

I'd be really grateful for any tips.....


Using Nikon D800E. Considering upgrade to D850.
 
Last edited:
An IGBT-controlled flash like your SB800 is probably the best bet for 5-6fps shooting, rather than a voltage-regulated head like the Elinchrom D-Lites. If your SB800 can do the job in terms of power and flash duration, then the Godox AD200 is an obvious choice with double the power so would be less stressed in theory but, without fan-cooling, could also be prone to overheating and it lacks a modelling LED which would be very useful for general studio duties.

There are a few other options, including from Elinchrom. How many shots per burst? At what power settings on the SB800? Battery or mains? Budget?

And welcome to TP :)
 
Thanks Hoppy - I'll look up your kind suggestions.

Meanwhile, there are generally about a 100 shots per shoot plus sometimes an occasional burst which fills the buffer on the D800E. With RAW bursts are at most 5fps and for perhaps 4 seconds or so. I am thinking of upgrading to a D850 or its successor however.

SB800 at burst on iTTL with subject 4-5 feet away, f5.6 or a couple of stops higher.

It's really helpful you said that the SB800 might recycle faster than a studio light. That's initially counter-intuitive and very valuable help given my lack of experience.
 
HoppyUK said:
An IGBT-controlled flash like your SB800 is probably the best bet for 5-6fps shooting, rather than a voltage-regulated head like the Elinchrom D-Lites. If your SB800 can do the job in terms of power and flash duration, then the Godox AD200 is an obvious choice with double the power so would be less stressed in theory but, without fan-cooling, could also be prone to overheating and it lacks a modelling LED which would be very useful for general studio duties.

There are a few other options, including from Elinchrom. How many shots per burst? At what power settings on the SB800? Battery or mains? Budget?

And welcome to TP :)
Click to expand...

Thanks BTW! The forum is the bees-knees!!

Budget ideally £300-£500, but to be determined by value (performance to price ratio) with a max of £800 if a sweetspot of value is higher.
 
They sell compatible triggers on their site, and the flash has a built in receiver. I have never had any problems with mine, tough I don't really use it at 5-6 fps. Might be worth giving them a call if you want more info, they are a great company.
 
Will a Godox AD200 work with iTTL from my D800E?

What's the best transmitter and receiver set-up for it to work with Nikon iTTL?

I think it might sound lazy or newbie to rely on iTTL, but it would be a reassuring safety-net whilst I learn to master manual flash.
 
I'm liking the Godox AD200 with X1T transmitter for Nikon.

Looks like:

-it can recharge very fast
-it's battery - fewer wires to trip over
-it will coordinate with the camera (X1T) for Nikon iTTL
-it's good value!

I'd like to experiment with different light modifiers (light box, honeycombe etc). Is it a standard fit?

If the battery runs out on a shoot, can you plug in mains and continue?
 
Jellybean said:
Will a Godox AD200 work with iTTL from my D800E?

What's the best transmitter and receiver set-up for it to work with Nikon iTTL?

I think it might sound lazy or newbie to rely on iTTL, but it would be a reassuring safety-net whilst I learn to master manual flash.
Click to expand...
I don't have a Nikon, but TTL works fine with Fuji, I use a Godox X Pro F, you would need one of these.

 
Jellybean said:
Is the Godox X Pro F better than the X1T?
Click to expand...
I prefer it, but they both do pretty much the same, I just prefer the user interface.
 
Jellybean said:
It's really helpful you said that the SB800 might recycle faster than a studio light. That's initially counter-intuitive and very valuable help given my lack of experience.
Click to expand...
If you're trying for bursts at 5fps what you want is the most powerful IGBT strobe you can get that can be turned down to a low enough power setting. Basically, what you are doing is running the strobe in a kind of synchronized HSS where it flashes many times off of a single capacitor charge at a reduced power... This completely eliminates recycle time until the capacitor is drained, but incurs max recycle time if it is drained completely. A strobe with a larger capacitor (higher max power rating) will be able to provide many more flash pulses at the same light output.

Since freezing motion is also a concern, getting one that also supports true HSS might be beneficial as well (but not for the FPS).
 
Jellybean said:
Is the Godox X Pro F better than the X1T?
Click to expand...

Very similar in terms of functionality, but the X1T has been superceded by the X2T which is much nicer to use. XPro is better still, but lacks a pass-through hot-shoe.

Note that Godox units are also available branded Pixapro in UK, or Flashpoint (among other names) in the US. Identical gear.
 
rick448 said:
They sell compatible triggers on their site, and the flash has a built in receiver. I have never had any problems with mine, tough I don't really use it at 5-6 fps. Might be worth giving them a call if you want more info, they are a great company.
Click to expand...

This would be my choice too (oh wait it was my choice :) well the older version anyway). I'd prefer the 600J version, however it's only half a stop at a given flash duration. It can easily keep up with my D850 at 7fps at 1/4 power (150J - about the same as 2 SB900's at full power). As with all IGBT flashes, the capacitors are always charging, so as long as you pause between bursts, it'll be ready. If you do empty the capacitors completely, it'll fire again as soon as the minimum amount of charge is available for the output you have dialed in. I can't remember the last time I overshot the 3 SuperFast 600's I have. I've had them (previous version of yours) for 6 years and they're still going strong. I've replaced 2 glass domes, one flash tube and 2 modelling bulbs in that time, but all of those failures were accidental damage - and Lenacrta are very quick at sending out spares).

Here's what I thought in 2014 when I used them for the first time on a shoot:-
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1554

..and later shooting some promo videos for Lencarta
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1685
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1699

and this last one, which also has a picture of Garry hoovering up flour in the warehouse...
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1732
 
Last edited:
sk66 said:
If you're trying for bursts at 5fps what you want is the most powerful IGBT strobe you can get that can be turned down to a low enough power setting. Basically, what you are doing is running the strobe in a kind of synchronized HSS where it flashes many times off of a single capacitor charge at a reduced power... This completely eliminates recycle time until the capacitor is drained, but incurs max recycle time if it is drained completely. A strobe with a larger capacitor (higher max power rating) will be able to provide many more flash pulses at the same light output.

Since freezing motion is also a concern, getting one that also supports true HSS might be beneficial as well (but not for the FPS).
Click to expand...


Thank you. This is really helpful!

How do I know whether a strobe is IGBT? I think that studio flash units are not IGBT and typical on-camera flashes are?
 
HoppyUK said:
Very similar in terms of functionality, but the X1T has been superceded by the X2T which is much nicer to use. XPro is better still, but lacks a pass-through hot-shoe.

Note that Godox units are also available branded Pixapro in UK, or Flashpoint (among other names) in the US. Identical gear.
Click to expand...

It looks like the X2T has bluetooth, but I'm not sure I would use this. I think I just need the two-way 2.4 GHz wireless connection. Is there a non-bluetooth reason to go for the X2T over the X1T?
 
Jellybean said:
I'm liking the Godox AD200 with X1T transmitter for Nikon.

Looks like:

-it can recharge very fast
-it's battery - fewer wires to trip over
-it will coordinate with the camera (X1T) for Nikon iTTL
-it's good value!

I'd like to experiment with different light modifiers (light box, honeycombe etc). Is it a standard fit?

If the battery runs out on a shoot, can you plug in mains and continue?
Click to expand...

The AD200 and AD200Pro fit into the Godox S2 mounting bracket which allows regular Bowens S-fit modifiers to be mounted. No mains power option though.

If you're setting up a small studio for a variety of work, I'd go for the AD400Pro without hesitation, if it's in budget.
 
Last edited:
HoppyUK said:
The AD200 and AD200Pro fit into the Godox S2 mounting bracket which allows regular Bowens S-fit modifiers to be mounted. No mains power option though.

If you're setting up a small studio for a variety of work, I'd go for the AD400Pro without hesitation, if it's in budget.
Click to expand...

Whoop! Just checked the AD400Pro. Looks a lot more serious. What is the main benefit of spending the extra £350 or so? Is it absolute flash power - 400Ws vs 200Ws in the AD200?

Good that they take Bowens mounts!
 
ps some flash heads don't say if they're IGBT or not, though it's easy enough to tell from the specs if you know what to look for, eg TTL and HSS (not HS) and very short flash durations are a few giveaways exclusive to IGBT. Most mains-only heads are not IGBT, though some are and cheaper than battery powered equivalents.
 
Scooter said:
This would be my choice too (oh wait it was my choice :) well the older version anyway). I'd prefer the 600J version, however it's only half a stop at a given flash duration. It can easily keep up with my D850 at 7fps at 1/4 power (150J - about the same as 2 SB900's at full power). As with all IGBT flashes, the capacitors are always charging, so as long as you pause between bursts, it'll be ready. If you do empty the capacitors completely, it'll fire again as soon as the minimum amount of charge is available for the output you have dialed in. I can't remember the last time I overshot the 3 SuperFast 600's I have. I've had them (previous version of yours) for 6 years and they're still going strong. I've replaced 2 glass domes, one flash tube and 2 modelling bulbs in that time, but all of those failures were accidental damage - and Lenacrta are very quick at sending out spares).

Here's what I thought in 2014 when I used them for the first time on a shoot:-
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1554

..and later shooting some promo videos for Lencarta
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1685
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1699

and this last one, which also has a picture of Garry hoovering up flour in the warehouse...
https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1699
Click to expand...

Ahhh! Just visited your site. An inspiration! Love the work with Gabby. Pirrhouette shot (face still, leg blurred with movement) a joy. And the last shot showing the ghosting trail of her movements.

Flinging flour - lovely texture on the flour from fast flowing to the grains at the end. You had the studio dark/ very low light for this? A snoot or honeycombe light on the models face?

I'm inspired by your shots but know they represent the long road ahead for me!
 
Jellybean said:
Whoop! Just checked the AD400Pro. Looks a lot more serious. What is the main benefit of spending the extra £350 or so? Is it absolute flash power - 400Ws vs 200Ws in the AD200?

Good that they take Bowens mounts!
Click to expand...

More power with the AD400Pro of course, though you probably wouldn't need it in a small studio. I would say the main benefit is the modelling LED for WYSIWYG and faster recycle, others might point to the better colour accuracy, but it's generally a proper fan-cooled all-rounder, indoors or out. I have two, plus AD200Pro and V1 speedlight, but it's always the AD400Pro that I go to first.
 
I see the Lencarta 600J is no more but looks like it cost about £260 in 2012. Was this a rough equivalent to the newer Superfast Pro 400 Ws?
 
Wouldnt the godox QT series be better for freezing movements than the AD series?
 
Looks like there is a Godox AD200 and a Godox AD200 Pro?

Wonder what the 'Pro' part adds?
 
soeren said:
Wouldnt the godox QT series be better for freezing movements than the AD series?
Click to expand...

Isn't that the same as the Lencarta SuperFasts? It's hard to keep track of all these different names for the same thing. In which case flash durations etc are broadly similar
 
Jellybean said:
Looks like there is a Godox AD200 and a Godox AD200 Pro?

Wonder what the 'Pro' part adds?
Click to expand...
Plenty of reviews and advice on YouTube.
 
Any idea how many low-power flashes the Godox AD200 can do from its capacitor (ie. high speed successive flashes)?

Could this reasonably be expected to match the speed of a Nikon D850 on max fps until its buffer is full?

The Godox AD400 has a bigger capacitor that is more likely to allow a fast succession of flashes? But it costs quite a bit more, I wonder whether the AD200 could keep up with the Nikon until it slows down at full buffer?
 
Jellybean said:
Any idea how many low-power flashes the Godox AD200 can do from its capacitor (ie. high speed successive flashes)?
Click to expand...

Broadly speaking, an IGBT flash will fire once at full power, twice at half power before it needs to recharge, 4x at 1/4 power and so on. If you can turn it down sufficiently it'll just keep going. In theory at least.

Could this reasonably be expected to match the speed of a Nikon D850 on max fps until its buffer is full?
Click to expand...

Yes, but it all really depends on the power setting and from the info you've given that's not easy to estimate.

The Godox AD400 has a bigger capacitor that is more likely to allow a fast succession of flashes? But it costs quite a bit more, I wonder whether the AD200 could keep up with the Nikon until it slows down at full buffer?
Click to expand...

Again, the question is power setting,
 
HoppyUK said:
Isn't that the same as the Lencarta SuperFasts? It's hard to keep track of all these different names for the same thing. In which case flash durations etc are broadly similar
Click to expand...
Yes - the Lencarta SuperFasts were based on the original Godox QT lights.
 
Jellybean said:
Ahhh! Just visited your site. An inspiration! Love the work with Gabby. Pirrhouette shot (face still, leg blurred with movement) a joy. And the last shot showing the ghosting trail of her movements.

Flinging flour - lovely texture on the flour from fast flowing to the grains at the end. You had the studio dark/ very low light for this? A snoot or honeycombe light on the models face?

I'm inspired by your shots but know they represent the long road ahead for me!
Click to expand...


Hey Mark - somehow I managed to paste in the same URL twice on that last post - I've corrected it now and you can see the lighting diagram and video for the flour here https://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1732

It was an all-flash setup so no worries about the ambient light - it was a sunny afternoon outside if I recall correctly and plenty of this made it into the warehouse. We did turn the lights off, but only because the tubes were in the frame for some of the shots.

Cherer,

Owen
 
Last edited:
HoppyUK said:
Isn't that the same as the Lencarta SuperFasts? It's hard to keep track of all these different names for the same thing. In which case flash durations etc are broadly similar
Click to expand...
Perhaps. I know as much as you in that regard.......aparantly :LOL:
 
Jellybean said:
I see the Lencarta 600J is no more but looks like it cost about £260 in 2012. Was this a rough equivalent to the newer Superfast Pro 400 Ws?
Click to expand...
No, that was a very different model, not an IGBT one
 
OK, I've been doing overtime on all this great information and help.

So, I've just ordered!

Godox AD200Pro plus AD-S7 softbox kit, X1T-Nikon transmitter.

I like the fact it's battery - no leads to trips over and the price is good at c. £360 for the lot. I plan to experiment with it, and at the very worst it'll be a great second strobe.

I'm prone to upgraditis, but need to be disciplined and do more hands-on work first.

If I keep looking at Owen's work, I might have to get the Lencarta Superfast 400 Ws. But first - self-discipline, it's about hard work and gaining more experience, then moving up if I'm up to it.

Great forum! Great help! Thank you.
 
Jellybean said:
OK, I've been doing overtime on all this great information and help.

So, I've just ordered!

Godox AD200Pro plus AD-S7 softbox kit, X1T-Nikon transmitter.

I like the fact it's battery - no leads to trips over and the price is good at c. £360 for the lot. I plan to experiment with it, and at the very worst it'll be a great second strobe.

.
Click to expand...

They are great little lights - I use mine for all kinds of things. There's a custom function on the AD200 to display the flash duration (t.1) time. Hold down the red button access the custom functions !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top