4-5 speedlights or 2 monobloc lights - help!!

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hulk2012

Senior Member
What do you prefer for indoor/outdoor portraits/weeding photography - speedlights or studio lights with battery pack and why? Any recommendation of what system is the best in your opinion and why? I'm using nikon d800 and my budget for lights set up is $3000.

Thanks
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
What do you prefer for indoor/outdoor portraits/weeding photography - speedlights or studio lights with battery pack and why? Any recommendation of what system is the best in your opinion and why? I'm using nikon d800 and my budget for lights set up is $3000.

Thanks

It's difficult to suggest something that is broad. Most wedding photographers do not use strobes in the church but for studio, yes. You'll need both if you want to try both studio and event type photography. The Einsteins are very good. I also use them as well as Nikon speed lights.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
When I was shooting wedding with film, I would shlep around 2 monolights in a suitcase (1200w/s each) but today, with high iso FF cameras, they are definitely not needed. I carry my 5 flashes and slaves in a small shoulder bag. a lowepro nova 4 bag. I sold my monolights and I dont miss them for a second. even for studio shots at home speedlights are better.

Love using speedlights. fast to recharge, more than enough power, versatile, light, and useful in a lot more situations than any monolight, and it can also do TTL.

monolights are heavy, bulky and take extra time to set them up vs speedlights because you have to find a electric port. if youre using a battery pack, its even worse as you have to carry the gear around. if you have an assistant who will set it up for you great, otherwise, the extra stress from setting them can be a huge difference. time constraint, where to place them. they stand out like a sore thumb.

we use speedlights with YN622N slaves running at 1/64-1/16 power. we can instantly move the light stand/slave/flash in an instant. its happened that the manager at the venue asked us to move the light stand because it was not in a good location. I pick it up, and moved it. you dont have that portability with monolights. youre dependent on the socket and if you have a battery pack, its not an easy thing to move around. there were venues I couldnt even use the monolights because there were no electric sockets where I needed them. and dont forget people might trip over the cords and a potential suit can happen.

except more power, I dont see any plus to them. they cost more, heavier and harder to move them around/carry, not as flexible, rely on an electrical socket, dont have TTL, dont recycle as fast. I had 3 of these monolights and couldnt sell mine fast enough.

for formals I use my light stand, put a flash umbrella bracket, mount the 622n slave, then the flash, then slide the umbrella through and boom ready for family formals. so quick and so portable. its happened where I set up my area I was going to shoot the family. I was all ready to start shooting, just need them to stand and im GTG, and then either BG or parent or even the manager at the venue asked me if I can do it somewhere else. I said sure. I picked up both light stands, walked over to the location, put them down, angled them the way I want and started shooting. you cant do that so easily with monolights. and people have no patience and this will stress you. breaking it down and setting it up again takes forever. if I need more power, I can up it. but I have yet to fire any of my flashes even at more than 1/8 power for family formals. not even once. only this one time, I had a group of 40 people standing for a group family shot and I went to my bag, took out another flash on the spot, put it on the table near me, put it at 1/2 stop for added light. fired it up and that was it. many times I use a 3rd flash for formals and backlight the subject and get a nice hair glow.

save your money. get 2 good ttl flashes for the camera (SB700/SB800/SB900/SB910) and 3 off camera manual flashes like the YN560III ($74 each)or YN565($105each) and youre set.

monolights have no place in the fast paced world of weddings. its very limited, expensive, inflexible, heavy, bulky and slow. sometimes everyhting is down to the few minutes when youre running late. you need every minute.

churches, have no idea. I only shoot jewish weddings.
 
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hulk2012

Senior Member
When I was shooting wedding with film, I would shlep around 2 monolights in a suitcase (1200w/s each) but today, with high iso FF cameras, they are definitely not needed. I carry my 5 flashes and slaves in a small shoulder bag. a lowepro nova 4 bag. I sold my monolights and I dont miss them for a second. even for studio shots at home speedlights are better.

Love using speedlights. fast to recharge, more than enough power, versatile, light, and useful in a lot more situations than any monolight, and it can also do TTL.

monolights are heavy, bulky and take extra time to set them up vs speedlights because you have to find a electric port. if youre using a battery pack, its even worse as you have to carry the gear around. if you have an assistant who will set it up for you great, otherwise, the extra stress from setting them can be a huge difference. time constraint, where to place them. they stand out like a sore thumb.

we use speedlights with YN622N slaves running at 1/64-1/16 power. we can instantly move the light stand/slave/flash in an instant. its happened that the manager at the venue asked us to move the light stand because it was not in a good location. I pick it up, and moved it. you dont have that portability with monolights. youre dependent on the socket and if you have a battery pack, its not an easy thing to move around. there were venues I couldnt even use the monolights because there were no electric sockets where I needed them. and dont forget people might trip over the cords and a potential suit can happen.

except more power, I dont see any plus to them. they cost more, heavier and harder to move them around/carry, not as flexible, rely on an electrical socket, dont have TTL, dont recycle as fast. I had 3 of these monolights and couldnt sell mine fast enough.

for formals I use my light stand, put a flash umbrella bracket, mount the 622n slave, then the flash, then slide the umbrella through and boom ready for family formals. so quick and so portable. its happened where I set up my area I was going to shoot the family. I was all ready to start shooting, just need them to stand and im GTG, and then either BG or parent or even the manager at the venue asked me if I can do it somewhere else. I said sure. I picked up both light stands, walked over to the location, put them down, angled them the way I want and started shooting. you cant do that so easily with monolights. and people have no patience and this will stress you. breaking it down and setting it up again takes forever. if I need more power, I can up it. but I have yet to fire any of my flashes even at more than 1/8 power for family formals. not even once. only this one time, I had a group of 40 people standing for a group family shot and I went to my bag, took out another flash on the spot, put it on the table near me, put it at 1/2 stop for added light. fired it up and that was it. many times I use a 3rd flash for formals and backlight the subject and get a nice hair glow.

save your money. get 2 good ttl flashes for the camera (SB700/SB800/SB900/SB910) and 3 off camera manual flashes like the YN560III ($74 each)or YN565($105each) and youre set.

monolights have no place in the fast paced world of weddings. its very limited, expensive, inflexible, heavy, bulky and slow. sometimes everyhting is down to the few minutes when youre running late. you need every minute.

churches, have no idea. I only shoot jewish weddings.

How about elinchrome quadra?
 

ShootRaw

Senior Member
For run and gun shooting for weddings, speed lights make sense...But to say speed lights are better over mono lights for studio is just false..
 

hulk2012

Senior Member
What I'm looking for is to get either few sb910's or some portable monobloc lights like elinchrom quadra, profoto b1, priolite mbx500 or even profoto acute b2. Quadra and acute - both small and portable with 400ws and b1 & mbx are 500ws with battery built in though. I'm not looking into heavy old studio lamps which u can't carry yourself. True I do shoot myself and only sometimes might need an assistant so those 4 mentioned won't be a problem. I guess after few weeks I could buy more gear spending another $2-3k. Photography is my passion which I'm turning into profitable business. I don't rely on its income ATM being new in the game and the same time limited with funds. I can stretch a bit just because I want to compete with the best charging the same premium rates and only run of photography. Attended many high paid seminars, webinars etc and to tell the truth those who making it profitable (The best in the game) are those who aim for the best. That include the gear. I couldn't be shooting comfortable with unprofessional Paul Buff (design and quality plus too complicated) stuff or other cheap gear trying to meet clients highest quality expectation same time charging top price. It's like using Symbian phone or Linux system nowadays for the business... They will be always somebody cheaper with affordable gear but they won't be many with the best gear, premium prices and enough skills to get there. I'm speaking from business point of view not pocket. Somehow using just speedlights making me feel like less of a pro cos I hate having compromises (power). What if I need to battle the sun? What if I need big BD? I can't be mounting few speedlights into one stand. That's hectic, unprofessional and defo not up to my standard of running a business. I know everybody has one but my is set high therefore to figure out the best path to meet it is a bit difficult though..
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
For run and gun shooting for weddings, speed lights make sense...But to say speed lights are better over mono lights for studio is just false..

we can agree to disagree. I dont see any benefit to buying monolights today. I had it all, had the whole setup. sold them and im happy. features list is way larger with speedlights.
 

ShootRaw

Senior Member
What I'm looking for is to get either few sb910's. I couldn't be shooting comfortable with unprofessional Paul Buff (design and quality plus too complicated) stuff or other cheap gear trying to meet clients highest quality expectation same time charging top price. Somehow using just speedlights making me feel like less of a pro cos I hate having compromises (power).

Wow...Paul C Buff gear is unprofessional? You have a lot to learn grasshopper..Using more expensive gear does not equate to being more professional..Lots of pro-shooters use einsteins, speedlights etc...You have lost my respect making comments like that...Go ahead and spend thousands of dollars on equipment if you think your clients are judging you by your gear versus your quality of work..
 
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hulk2012

Senior Member
Wow...Paul C Buff gear is unprofessional? You have a lot to learn grasshopper..Using more expensive gear does not equate to being more professional..Lots of pro-shooters use einsteins, speedlights etc...You have lost my respect making comments like that...Go ahead and spend thousands of dollars on equipment if you think your clients are judging you by your gear versus your quality of work..

Paul Buff gear is nowhere near to the standard of elinchrom or profoto though. That's what I'm trying to say..
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
What I'm looking for is to get either few sb910's or some portable monobloc lights like elinchrom quadra, profoto b1, priolite mbx500 or even profoto acute b2. Quadra and acute - both small and portable with 400ws and b1 & mbx are 500ws with battery built in though. I'm not looking into heavy old studio lamps which u can't carry yourself. True I do shoot myself and only sometimes might need an assistant so those 4 mentioned won't be a problem. I guess after few weeks I could buy more gear spending another $2-3k. Photography is my passion which I'm turning into profitable business. I don't rely on its income ATM being new in the game and the same time limited with funds. I can stretch a bit just because I want to compete with the best charging the same premium rates and only run of photography. Attended many high paid seminars, webinars etc and to tell the truth those who making it profitable (The best in the game) are those who aim for the best. That include the gear. I couldn't be shooting comfortable with unprofessional Paul Buff (design and quality plus too complicated) stuff or other cheap gear trying to meet clients highest quality expectation same time charging top price. It's like using Symbian phone or Linux system nowadays for the business... They will be always somebody cheaper with affordable gear but they won't be many with the best gear, premium prices and enough skills to get there. I'm speaking from business point of view not pocket. Somehow using just speedlights making me feel like less of a pro cos I hate having compromises (power). What if I need to battle the sun? What if I need big BD? I can't be mounting few speedlights into one stand. That's hectic, unprofessional and defo not up to my standard of running a business. I know everybody has one but my is set high therefore to figure out the best path to meet it is a bit difficult though..

whoa slow down...
a few things.

1-PCB are great flashes. professional in every way. you should not make statements like that.

2-if you feel that paying for expensive monolights, youre clients are going to look at them and say "yea, this guy is a pro" then youre wrong. no one knows or cares. I use speedlights on stands with umbrellas and their pictures look kick A** others have seen what my family formals look like. even lenses. I walk around with my 70-200VR1 and people think im a pro then I walk around my tiny 50 1.8 and think less of me?
people know youre a pro not by your gear, but your images. they see im a pro because when I do formals (most photogs hate it, but I love it) I set them standing right, guide them, help them, joke with them. you can see im in control and help them to look their best. no one gives a crap how much you spent on monolights.

3-youre mistaken if you think monolights will look better than speedlights for family formals. it makes no difference. the light is diffused and isnt discernible at all. plus all the headache of setting it up is too much stress.

4-youre lying to yourself if you think youll be able to setup monolights by yourself with cable/battery packs under stress. sometimes we have no time to setup anything. I run fast to my bag, grab a flash and a slave and use one of the close party guests (brides or grooms BFF) to help me hold the flash and they are more than happy to help. I tell them hold this like this, over here and they help. monolights are way too cumbersome to shlep to weddings. I did it for years. you will be in situations where youll have no electrical connection to plug in to. mark my words, you will see ;)

5-youre jumping ahead of yourself. build your skill as a photographer first, not the marketing and gear. get your work up to par of those wedding photographers you want to compete with.

6-what compromises with power are you thinking youll have with speedlights? I never ever shot family formals with more than 1/16 power. never. almost always its running at 1/32-1/16 the most and I shoot like a monster..I shoot in CH, 2-3 shots at a time. what can your monolight do? 1-2 frames at most. mine are hitting 3 frames no problem at 1/32 and thats enough to light the people.

7-feel less of a pro? you have this pre conceived image that people will judge you by what your gear is. that when you walk around with a small prime like a 50 1.8 or 20mm afd then people will point and laugh and thing youre incompetent. its true people are impressed when they see big gear but the clients that booked you couldnt give a rats a** because they closed with you, not because of your gear, but because they liked your work. when you sit with them to close the deal, it will not matter a single bit what your gear is. and another thing, if you pulled out your gear to impress your potential clients they will see youre trying to hard and know youre an amateur. you should be connecting with them, not talking about gear AT ALL. to be like most who are caught up with the gear. the kind who go to the room just to look how beautiful the gear is.

oish, youre making mistakes I made as a beginner years back. you seem to be more about marketing and gear instead of the main thing. being an artist. im your big brother who shoots 100 weddings a year trying to save you the hassle. if youre going to do home studio sessions then monolights are fine, personally? save your back. speedlights will do it all.

I know everybody has one but my is set high therefore to figure out the best path to meet it is a bit difficult though..

hows your portfolio?

 

hulk2012

Senior Member
whoa slow down...
a few things.

1-PCB are great flashes. professional in every way. you should not make statements like that.

2-if you feel that paying for expensive monolights, youre clients are going to look at them and say "yea, this guy is a pro" then youre wrong. no one knows or cares. I use speedlights on stands with umbrellas and their pictures look kick A** others have seen what my family formals look like. even lenses. I walk around with my 70-200VR1 and people think im a pro then I walk around my tiny 50 1.8 and think less of me?
people know youre a pro not by your gear, but your images. they see im a pro because when I do formals (most photogs hate it, but I love it) I set them standing right, guide them, help them, joke with them. you can see im in control and help them to look their best. no one gives a crap how much you spent on monolights.

3-youre mistaken if you think monolights will look better than speedlights for family formals. it makes no difference. the light is diffused and isnt discernible at all. plus all the headache of setting it up is too much stress.

4-youre lying to yourself if you think youll be able to setup monolights by yourself with cable/battery packs under stress. sometimes we have no time to setup anything. I run fast to my bag, grab a flash and a slave and use one of the close party guests (brides or grooms BFF) to help me hold the flash and they are more than happy to help. I tell them hold this like this, over here and they help. monolights are way too cumbersome to shlep to weddings. I did it for years. you will be in situations where youll have no electrical connection to plug in to. mark my words, you will see ;)

5-youre jumping ahead of yourself. build your skill as a photographer first, not the marketing and gear. get your work up to par of those wedding photographers you want to compete with.

6-what compromises with power are you thinking youll have with speedlights? I never ever shot family formals with more than 1/16 power. never. almost always its running at 1/32-1/16 the most and I shoot like a monster..I shoot in CH, 2-3 shots at a time. what can your monolight do? 1-2 frames at most. mine are hitting 3 frames no problem at 1/32 and thats enough to light the people.

7-feel less of a pro? you have this pre conceived image that people will judge you by what your gear is. that when you walk around with a small prime like a 50 1.8 or 20mm afd then people will point and laugh and thing youre incompetent. its true people are impressed when they see big gear but the clients that booked you couldnt give a rats a** because they closed with you, not because of your gear, but because they liked your work. when you sit with them to close the deal, it will not matter a single bit what your gear is. and another thing, if you pulled out your gear to impress your potential clients they will see youre trying to hard and know youre an amateur. you should be connecting with them, not talking about gear AT ALL. to be like most who are caught up with the gear. the kind who go to the room just to look how beautiful the gear is.

oish, youre making mistakes I made as a beginner years back. you seem to be more about marketing and gear instead of the main thing. being an artist. im your big brother who shoots 100 weddings a year trying to save you the hassle. if youre going to do home studio sessions then monolights are fine, personally? save your back. speedlights will do it all.

I know everybody has one but my is set high therefore to figure out the best path to meet it is a bit difficult though..

hows your portfolio?


The fact that you been shooting 100s weeding in past lets say 10 yrs don't mean much nowaydays where technology changes so fast and for guy like you (I'm presuming) it's hard to catch up in comparison to somebody new in the game who is picking up everything today. I know Jared Platt who shoots more than you but that doesn't mean the whole world. Jasmin Star only getting starter and she's already making it bigger than Jared. What newers do? They have an assistant with qFlash or quadra a head on monopod and in reception or dance hall they have set up on each corner another 4 a heads being triggered by pocket wizard plus 3. Some use b1 and bounce the light of the ceiling if it's white and tall.

In terms of home studio sessions - yeah I am doing it too. All tethered to capture one pro with 100% control of light. High key and low key. I do both. I love both..
 
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ShootRaw

Senior Member
Paul Buff gear is nowhere near to the standard of elinchrom or profoto though. That's what I'm trying to say..
Who's standard? Light is Light....Its about knowing how to use it..
The fact that you been shooting 100s weeding in past lets say 10 yrs don't mean much nowaydays where technology changes so fast and for guy like you (I'm presuming) it's hard to catch up in comparison to somebody new in the game who is picking up everything today. I know Jared Platt who shoots more than you but that doesn't mean the whole world. Jasmin Star only getting starter and she's already making it bigger than Jared. What newers do? They have an assistant with qFlash or quadra a head on monopod and in reception or dance hall they have set up on each corner another 4 a heads being triggered by pocket wizard plus 3. Some use b1 and bounce the light of the ceiling if it's white and tall.

In terms of home studio sessions - yeah I am doing it too. All tethered to capture one pro with 100% of light. High key and low key. I do both. I love both..

Huh? You are making no sense..We are trying to help you..But I guess you don't get it...:rolleyes:
 

Celticman

Senior Member
I agree with ShootRaw. I have 3 SB-910's and 2 SB700's, along with one of those Chinese Ying-Yang manual flashes. To use in any number situations, I have an assortment of light modifiers and stands. I have not found the Nikon CLS infrared system to be reliable in many situations. I purchased Phottix Odin radio triggers and these work great. To really be consistent in power supply I purchased eneloop rechargeable AA and AAA batteries to feed my speedlites and triggers. Just to be sure, I bought Nikon SD-9 battery packs for all the power I might need. Outdoors, you will pay for having lightweight equipment if there is the slightest breeze blowing. So... you will need to buy sandbags to anchor your stands. To be fair, you won't always have to lug around everything you own but consider the investment. I easily have over $3000 in speedlight l equipment and accessories.

This winter, I purchased Paul C. Buff Einstein/Alien Bees equipment. After pricing Elinchrome, I found this to be an incredible value. I purchased lights, vagabond power packs, 64 inch umbrellas, a 22 inch beauty dish, soft box, and a few other accessories for about $2000. These lights are simple to use and produce great results indoors and out.

Honestly, I like having both types of equipment, but I think speedlghts have more variables and can be prone to failure at inconvenient moments. (Sorry, Joe McNally!) They don't have the power to work in all situations and they do not save you money! If I was starting out, I would buy the Einstein/Alien Bees setup that best fits your unique needs and I'll bet you will save enough to buy a good aftermarket speed light such as the Phottix Mitros and modifiers such as the Wescott Rapid Box, etc. I have always purchased Nikon glass but I think the SB 910 is over priced.

Here is the Buff site: Paul C. Buff, Inc.

One more thing. I LOVE my D800 but it does show the noise in low light situations. This is where you pay for those 36 megapixels! I think it is the best portrait camera in the FX format but I wish I had a D4S to shoot events/weddings.
 

hulk2012

Senior Member
I agree with ShootRaw. I have 3 SB-910's and 2 SB700's, along with one of those Chinese Ying-Yang manual flashes. To use in any number situations, I have an assortment of light modifiers and stands. I have not found the Nikon CLS infrared system to be reliable in many situations. I purchased Phottix Odin radio triggers and these work great. To really be consistent in power supply I purchased eneloop rechargeable AA and AAA batteries to feed my speedlites and triggers. Just to be sure, I bought Nikon SD-9 battery packs for all the power I might need. Outdoors, you will pay for having lightweight equipment if there is the slightest breeze blowing. So... you will need to buy sandbags to anchor your stands. To be fair, you won't always have to lug around everything you own but consider the investment. I easily have over $3000 in speedlight l equipment and accessories.

This winter, I purchased Paul C. Buff Einstein/Alien Bees equipment. After pricing Elinchrome, I found this to be an incredible value. I purchased lights, vagabond power packs, 64 inch umbrellas, a 22 inch beauty dish, soft box, and a few other accessories for about $2000. These lights are simple to use and produce great results indoors and out.

Honestly, I like having both types of equipment, but I think speedlghts have more variables and can be prone to failure at inconvenient moments. (Sorry, Joe McNally!) They don't have the power to work in all situations and they do not save you money! If I was starting out, I would buy the Einstein/Alien Bees setup that best fits your unique needs and I'll bet you will save enough to buy a good aftermarket speed light such as the Phottix Mitros and modifiers such as the Wescott Rapid Box, etc. I have always purchased Nikon glass but I think the SB 910 is over priced.

Here is the Buff site: Paul C. Buff, Inc.

One more thing. I LOVE my D800 but it does show the noise in low light situations. This is where you pay for those 36 megapixels! I think it is the best portrait camera in the FX format but I wish I had a D4S to shoot events/weddings.

I see where you coming from. What made you go for Buffs instead of elinchrom quadra (McNally loves them btw) or profoto acute b2 for example? They both portable and lightweight..

Take a look at this guy setup for example http://youtu.be/EeiL2_buf_k

Speedlights + quadra
 

Celticman

Senior Member
I think Elinchrom makes a fine system and I'm sure I'd be happy if I went with it. As I recall, however, it seemed more expensive and I am lusting after the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 to complete my "Holy Trinity" of Nikon lenses. There is more than one way to "skin a cat" and sometimes it can come down to simply tossing a coin. To me, buying lighting equipment is a little like buying underwear. You need it, but its more fun to buy toys. I haven't visited "Nikonites" very often since I joined and I see that I need to start sharing photos and updating my profile. Happy shooting to all, regardless of the equipment you use. Celebrate Diversity!
 

hulk2012

Senior Member
I think Elinchrom makes a fine system and I'm sure I'd be happy if I went with it. As I recall, however, it seemed more expensive and I am lusting after the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 to complete my "Holy Trinity" of Nikon lenses. There is more than one way to "skin a cat" and sometimes it can come down to simply tossing a coin. To me, buying lighting equipment is a little like buying underwear. You need it, but its more fun to buy toys. I haven't visited "Nikonites" very often since I joined and I see that I need to start sharing photos and updating my profile. Happy shooting to all, regardless of the equipment you use. Celebrate Diversity!

I understand. Quadra adapter can trigger nikon speedlights cos they have built in photocell so as long as they are in su4 mode you don't need pocket wizard. And vice verse. Speedlight on top of the camera can trigger quadra system. Not many know about it though..
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
The fact that you been shooting 100s weeding in past lets say 10 yrs don't mean much nowaydays where technology changes so fast and for guy like you (I'm presuming) it's hard to catch up in comparison to somebody new in the game who is picking up everything today. I know Jared Platt who shoots more than you but that doesn't mean the whole world. Jasmin Star only getting starter and she's already making it bigger than Jared. What newers do? They have an assistant with qFlash or quadra a head on monopod and in reception or dance hall they have set up on each corner another 4 a heads being triggered by pocket wizard plus 3. Some use b1 and bounce the light of the ceiling if it's white and tall.

In terms of home studio sessions - yeah I am doing it too. All tethered to capture one pro with 100% control of light. High key and low key. I do both. I love both..

How long have you been shooting? youre talking as if that buying the elinchrom for $3k will bring you up to the pros level youve listed. I dont know who they are. I dont follow other photographers. I used to do it when I was starting out and wanted to mimick the big boys and get direction/inspiration for my photography work. when I was in the beginning I was so caught up with the gear. today I could buy an 800 5.6 and couldnt give a crap. its just a tool. I look at it, shoot with it, and put it away. im about the pictures. youre more about the idea of it and the gear then getting your skills up. youre putting to much thought into it.
I can tell a photographers level in a minute or two of watching him work. dont need more than that. I see his motions and what he does and thats enough. ive seen so many photogs who come with their expensive gear buck are horrible photographers. its all a show. even how he uses the flash.

theres a simple recipe, good work, word of mouth and more clients. more clients, better rep, upgrading gear, upping your price and so forth and so forth. youre stuck in first with getting gear. get it- hahaha

Hulk, get some PCB if youre set on monolights. get 2 flashes for your camera and youre good. what about a 2nd camera, and what lenses do you have ATM?

hows your portfolio? work on getting money shots. get a website started. work on getting a perfect wedding album. meaning an album of pictures from 1 wedding from beginning to end. when couples dont see a an album of a full wedding they are suspicious. connect with the couple. you need to build a good repoire with them. they couldnt give a crap what flashes you use. no body gives a crap what you use. the flashes are just light. invest in glass.

so youre saying, watch out, because youll be schooling me in 1-2 years time because tech is available to you ;) ? skill doesnt come so fast. some have it, some dont. a wedding photographer is only partly about shooting. there are tons of other things you need to know that you online learn from experience. you can be a photographer for years and still suck. best gear or not. the gear limits the person but skill is what the bottom line is. when a person says he shoots 100 weddings a year, thats a lot of experience. no one takes you if you suck. you can work in this field forever and hardly get work.
you are a misguided and have this image in your mind thats a bit fantasy. how many weddings have you shot till now? not comparing to me, but I can gauge your experience in the field.
I wasnt so obsessive about gear like you. I cared about shooting more than analyzing which gear to get.
 
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