Well since theres no "large flash and arena lighting" forums...

[AdamLewis]

Ive got some questions. Ive tried searching but didnt come up with much on here or google...

1. Is there any difference between a "studio" flash and one that you would use for sports?

2. Is a strobe a flash and a flash a strobe? There seems to be some ambiguity associated with this...

3. Seems theres two types of "strobes"...Flashtube (I think?) and then the Pack/Head type? What are the differences and advantages/disadvantages? All I can tell is that the Pack/Head type require some little powerpack...Is that a bad thing?

4. From what I can gather, most all strobe's recycle time and duration is directly related to output? Power goes up, recycle time goes up...Power goes up, flash duration goes up..

5. T5 is the time it takes for a capacitor to reach 50%?

I think thats it for now..

[Curtis N]

Yes, there is some ambiguity in the terminology. Nowadays, the word "strobe" is most often used to refer to studio flash lights and systems, and "flash unit" is most often used to refer to small, battery-powered units designed to mount on the camera. It's always good to write with clarity. I generally use the terms "studio strobe" and "battery-powered flash unit".

For a given unit, power and recycle time are more-or-less directly related. With flash units, the limitation is how fast the current can flow from batteries to charge the capacitor. Studio units are limited by the load capacity of the wiring circuit they're plugged into. It's certainly possible to design powerful strobes that recycle fast, but the current required would trip the circuit breaker of a standard 20 amp circuit.

For info on T5, T1, etc. read this:
http://alienbees.com/glossary.html
Scroll down to flash duration.

[AdamLewis]

Alright. First, lemme say thanks for the response. So the shorter the duration of the T5, the better?

It seems like if you have a longer T5, then the flash is operating slowly...But maybe theres more to it than just this...

Why do people care about T1 or T3? Why not just worry about T5? When are the T1 values important?

And also, what about the whole pack/head thing? Ive come to understand that the other option is called a monolight but is there any real difference? To my ignorant self, it seems like the monolight is just a flash head with a "pack" all cased in together?...

[PacAce]

Ive got some questions. Ive tried searching but didnt come up with much on here or google...

1. Is there any difference between a "studio" flash and one that you would use for sports?

2. Is a strobe a flash and a flash a strobe? There seems to be some ambiguity associated with this...

3. Seems theres two types of "strobes"...Flashtube (I think?) and then the Pack/Head type? What are the differences and advantages/disadvantages? All I can tell is that the Pack/Head type require some little powerpack...Is that a bad thing?

4. From what I can gather, most all strobe's recycle time and duration is directly related to output? Power goes up, recycle time goes up...Power goes up, flash duration goes up..

5. T5 is the time it takes for a capacitor to reach 50%?

I think thats it for now..
Re the flash duration, with studio strobes, the shortest flash duration is when the strobe is fired at full power. With portable flash units, it's the opposite. The flash has the longest flash duration when it is fired at full power, .

Re T5, that is the flash duration measured from the time the output reaches 50% of peak power on the up-swing when the output is going towards full power, until the time the output reach 50% on the down-swing when the power is going from full power down to 0.

[PacAce]

Alright. First, lemme say thanks for the response. So the shorter the duration of the T5, the better?

It seems like if you have a longer T5, then the flash is operating slowly...But maybe theres more to it than just this...

Why do people care about T1 or T3? Why not just worry about T5? When are the T1 values important?

And also, what about the whole pack/head thing? Ive come to understand that the other option is called a monolight but is there any real difference? To my ignorant self, it seems like the monolight is just a flash head with a "pack" all cased in together?...
Have a look at this thread discussion about monolights and pack+heads.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=448755&highlight=power+pack

[AdamLewis]

Haha damnit...as soon as I posted that question, I saw that the alienbees pages explains it also. Sorry guys but thanks for the help!

[AdamLewis]

Re the flash duration, with studio strobes, the shortest flash duration is when the strobe is fired at full power. With portable flash units, it's the opposite. The flash has the longest flash duration when it is fired at full power, .

Re T5, that is the flash duration measured from the time the output reaches 50% of peak power on the up-swing when the output is going towards full power, until the time the output reach 50% on the down-swing when the power is going from full power down to 0.

What do you mean by portable? Do you mean battery operated?

[Curtis N]

More info about flash duration:
http://www.paulcbuff.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59

Generally, a shorter flash duration is desired because it allows use of slightly faster shutter speeds for ambient light control and is more effective at freezing motion.

As for pack & head vs. monolight systems - the pros and cons are in the logistics and ease of use. One of the videos in the top sticky thread in this section discusses them. It mostly comes down to personal preference, budget and individual needs.

[AdamLewis]

More info about flash duration:
http://www.paulcbuff.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59

Generally, a shorter flash duration is desired because it allows use of slightly faster shutter speeds for ambient light control and is more effective at freezing motion.

As for pack & head vs. monolight systems - the pros and cons are in the logistics and ease of use. One of the videos in the top sticky thread in this section discusses them. It mostly comes down to personal preference, budget and individual needs.

Thanks Ill check that out. I was going to watch the video but I cant here at work.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=448755&highlight=power+pack
Was very helpful

[PacAce]

What do you mean by portable? Do you mean battery operated?
What I really meant where those smaller flash units that you can mount directly on the camera. Sorry for the confusion.

[PhotosGuy]

Using remote bounce flash for basketball... (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=454711)