Selens Triple Flash Bracket Review

I got a Selens triple flash bracket, a bracket with three hotshoes to allow you to use three speedlights at the same time.

$100 Monolight: Godox e300 Preliminary Review

Chinese lighting products have been steadily improving while offering incredible prices, and studio strobes are no exception.  Godox's e300 is a monolight that has pretty good specifications on paper, including 300 watt seconds of power.  The kicker is that it's available at under $100 - comparable to the cost of an inexpensive speedlight, making it attractive to hobbyists and casual shooters, especially first-time strobe buyers.

I just got a Godox e300 and in this post, I provide my first impressions.

Unboxing the Godox e300 ($100 Monolight)

Is it possible to get a decent monolight for the price of a speedlight?  The Godox e300 is a monolight that seems to promise just that.  Check out the specs:

• 300 watt-seconds of power
• 150 watt modeling lamp
• compact size (20.3 cm long) and light weight (1.45 kg)
• radio-based wireless remote adjustment capability with separate FT16 accessory (~$30)
• available for less than $100 on eBay

For comparison, the Alien Bee B800, already one of the most affordable monolights, has 320ws of power and costs $280.

I ordered one last week and just got it yesterday.  Here is the unboxing:

I conducted preliminary tests last night and will post my first impressions soon.

Spectacular Strobe Sale: Flashpoint Rovelight (Profoto D1 clone)

The Flashpoint Rovelight is a clone of the well-regarded Profoto D1 monolight, a self-contained monolight that includes a built-in battery in its body.  While the Profoto D1 costs around $1000 for the 500ws model, the Flashpoint Rovelight RL-600 offers similar functionality at just $600.

One Speedring to Rule Them All: One Set of Modifiers for Speedlights and Strobes

[OK, if you're a longtime reader of this blog you know I've used that headline before.  It was just too tempting... :) ]

Are you new to studio strobes or are thinking of getting strobes in the future?  One of the issues with moving up to studio strobes is the modifiers.  You may already have modifiers for speedlights.  Do you really need to buy a whole new set of modifiers for a studio strobe?  Not if you plan ahead.  Details after the jump.

BTW, this post is part of a series called Toys for Big Kids, where we discuss modifiers for setup shots, when considerations of time, convenience, and/or cost take a backseat to emphasis on control and getting the best result possible.

Are You Ready for AlienBees?

In the last several years, speedlights have been roped into tasks that have traditionally been filled by studio strobes.  The underlying premise is that speedlights are much more compact, and easier to bring to and set up for a location shot.  Combined with their TTL and high-speed sync capabilities, plus their lower upfront cost, speedlights do offer practical advantages over studio strobes.

At some point though, we run into barriers that remind us of the natural limits of speedlights.  The most significant limit is of course power.  Another is the speedlight's reflector design, which sends light only forward.

It is possible to engineer solutions around those obstacles.  For example, if we need more power, we can combine two or more speedlights.  However, sometimes those solutions create problems of their own.  If we gang four speedlights, we indeed get more power but then we limit our options for light modifiers (there are only a few softbox designs that can accommodate 4 flashes).

Instead of going to extreme lengths to stretch our speedlights, however, perhaps we could reconsider using a studio strobe instead.  One particular studio strobe stands out for its dependability and very high power-to-cost ratio: AlienBees.   Hit the jump to learn more about AlienBees and whether they are right for you.

The Light Brigade: Multiple Speedlights vs. Studio Strobe

UPDATE: New test shots posted!


Into the valley of death rode the SB-600s...

I was almost ready to take the leap to get a studio strobe.  However, I kept thinking about the limited use I would have for it, given its bulk.  I tried to figure out whether it would be practical to use multiple speedlights instead of a single studio strobe.