Indoor sports flash revisited

I'm looking to get some strobes for indoor sports. I've done a lot of post searching and looked at many great photo examples. AB800's seem to be a favorite. AB1600's, Einsteins, Genesis and others have their followers too.

To those who are using strobes regularly, if you had to start from scratch, what would you buy and why?

Thanks for helping!

I use AB 400s and have been very happy with them. I use Pocket Wizards to fire them and use the seven-inch reflector and super clamps and that's pretty much all you need. For some shoots I even use my Canon 550EX flashes and fire them instead.

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I now use the Einstiens triggered by the PCB Cybercommander on one camera and the trigger (CST) on the other. Formerly, I had used two 580's triggered by Pocket Wizards. With the PW's, I had some mis-fires in one particular gym when shooting along a particular concrete wall. I do not have that problem now. Also, the E640 is much more flexible because of the addtional available power and remote control from the CC. I am able to pair them with whichever reflector I need to get the job done. One gym requires the 11 inch, another needs the 8 1/2 for best coverage. Great flash duration at any power, and it gets shorter as you dial down. Great price. No looking back now!

John

Some variables that need to be considered.

The strobes need to be powerful enough to overcome the ambient light by at least two stops.

AB400's may be fine in a dark gym and firing direct. They may also be okay in a little better lit gym if bouncing off of a reflective white ceiling. They may also be fine for shooting near court but remember you will have some light fall off in the far court.

Short answer, I use AB1600's because I never know where I am going to go and I want to feel confident that I will have enough light. I also want to keep the ISO down low.

DC Fan wrote in post #11920554
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From a recent basketball game where two photographers used strobes. The one of interest in this image is an Alien Bee B1600, one of a pair used at one end of this gym, pointed upward to bounce off the gym's white ceiling.

Another photographer at this gym has been seen to other Paul Buff products, a pair of White Lightning X1600. That photographer set the X1600's at half power and was pleased with the results.

Both strobes were triggered with Pocket Wizards.

JohnR84740 wrote in post #11920817
I now use the Einstiens triggered by the PCB Cybercommander on one camera and the trigger (CST) on the other. Formerly, I had used two 580's triggered by Pocket Wizards. With the PW's, I had some mis-fires in one particular gym when shooting along a particular concrete wall. I do not have that problem now. Also, the E640 is much more flexible because of the addtional available power and remote control from the CC. I am able to pair them with whichever reflector I need to get the job done. One gym requires the 11 inch, another needs the 8 1/2 for best coverage. Great flash duration at any power, and it gets shorter as you dial down. Great price. No looking back now!

John

Thanks! This is the type of info I was looking for. I have been shooting ambient, mostly ISO 3200, 1/500, f/2.8 I shot an away game in a poorly lit gym (ISO 6400, 1/320, f/2.8) and used my 580 on a bracket. The only good thing about this gym is that it had nice white end walls to bounce off. I ended up ISO 1250, 1/250, f/3.5, FEC +1/3, head zoomed to 105. It wasn't bad for first attempt but range is limited with a single 580. From research, I know if I go with Alien Bees I am getting the 11" LTR. I was leaning toward AB800's but.....

B800's recycle faster than the B1600's.

Gatorboy wrote in post #11922348
B800's recycle faster than the B1600's.

That is why I was leaning towards them. I just hate not buying the right thing the first time. Einsteins have a lot more power but at a bigger price. The AB800 w/11"LTR is listed as having a GN of 320. Beats the heck out of my 580....

I got the 1600's for one reason, I can turn them down but can't turn the 800's up! Recycle speed is not really a big deal, everyone puts up the numbers and still have yet to have any problems with it not being up to par or fast enough. They are more "budget" strobes than others, but they're great and customer service is amazing. I've used one, two, and four shooting - any problems have all been user error.

DC Fan wrote in post #11920554
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From a recent basketball game where two photographers used strobes. The one of interest in this image is an Alien Bee B1600, one of a pair used at one end of this gym, pointed upward to bounce off the gym's white ceiling.

Another photographer at this gym has been seen to other Paul Buff products, a pair of White Lightning X1600. That photographer set the X1600's at half power and was pleased with the results.

Both strobes were triggered with Pocket Wizards.

...maybe I just don't see it, but not one safety cable??

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11924296
I got the 1600's for one reason, I can turn them down but can't turn the 800's up! Recycle speed is not really a big deal, everyone puts up the numbers and still have yet to have any problems with it not being up to par or fast enough. They are more "budget" strobes than others, but they're great and customer service is amazing. I've used one, two, and four shooting - any problems have all been user error.

How were the results with one? A guy for a larger paper (when he shows)sets up a single strobe, I didn't get a chance to talk with him but I did see the photo that the paper published it was pretty evenly lit. And yes, safety cables are a must in my opinion also. Our home gym is fairly bright but I'm still at ISO 3200, 1/500, f/2.8 for ambient. The paper I'm working with has been using my stuff alot and some of the other gyms are pretty dark. My budget will only allow a single light to start with.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11924299
...maybe I just don't see it, but not one safety cable??

I saw and was thinking the exact same thing. Sure, insurance is great, but when you have a $500 deductible, wouldn't $10 worth of heavy duty zip ties be a better bet?

Tim S wrote in post #11924423
How were the results with one? A guy for a larger paper (when he shows)sets up a single strobe, I didn't get a chance to talk with him but I did see the photo that the paper published it was pretty evenly lit. And yes, safety cables are a must in my opinion also. Our home gym is fairly bright but I'm still at ISO 3200, 1/500, f/2.8 for ambient. The paper I'm working with has been using my stuff alot and some of the other gyms are pretty dark. My budget will only allow a single light to start with.

It was wrestling so was kind of easy as it was a spotlight look, which is kinda what I was going for in the first place. With that there's not much coverage area so it worked. Also did it for basketball for a game I was coaching, which was a whole new adventure. All I needed was 4 shots - instead of traditional trophies I shot my 4 award getters and made graphic posters - ah 8th grade b-ball you can do that. It worked but obviously the coverage was not what it could/should of been with more strobes, you limit yourself.

With AB's remember the more you buy the bigger discount. I started with two, now at four and rarely use the four strobe setup anymore, rarely use them for more than portraits actually - winter is my off-season so I like my gear sitting in the corner getting a break, unlike right now which is on game 18 of a 56 games (minimum) in 31 days mission.

asysin2leads wrote in post #11925838
I saw and was thinking the exact same thing. Sure, insurance is great, but when you have a $500 deductible, wouldn't $10 worth of heavy duty zip ties be a better bet?

Yup, even on stands if I can I still have a safety cable to something...of course can't always do that on stands, but man clamped up you'd think they would - even if all it does is slow it down from falling on someones head.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11926630
Yup, even on stands if I can I still have a safety cable to something...of course can't always do that on stands, but man clamped up you'd think they would - even if all it does is slow it down from falling on someones head.

It's the thought that counts...