Quick question on strobes vs speedlites.

Lighting has been my area of interest lately and i've been looking through this section and reading some books to better get a grasp on what to consider and such for my set up. Now the question! I already own a 430 EX II and i'm trying to determain which would be the better setup/which would be the most effective set up. Speed lites are great because they are light weight and easy to transport and strobes (while being much heavier) has some great lighting power (So do speedlites as well). SOO If weight wasn't an issue which would be better to invest in? I know a good set of speedlites and some knowledge and know how will go a long way but I would hate to invest money in a speedlite setup if it didn't fit the part. So key things to consider here:

-I'm still in the Navy and when I go back out to sea I may want to take some of that gear with me.

-Im looking for an effective setup based on lighting power and effective use.

-when I say lighting set up this includes getting light stands, transmitters / receivers, soft boxes (and things of that nature) and any other bits needed.

Thanks again and I know it's drawn out, I just want to make sure I spend my money wisely and know that where it's going to is gonna be a good long term use set up. If anything I said seems kind of off just remember i'm still learning the in's and outs of lighting and such so don't beat me too bad.

What is your budget?

Well lets say some where around 800-1200, give or take. But i'm not really looking for a get this equipment or get this. I'm looking at which would be better to invest in and why kind of thing.

I can use magnetic clamps but I won't be going back out to sea for another 2 years since I'm still on shore duty. I was making that an issue to stress the fact that some time down the road I will be BUT and this is a HUGE but, I may not be using them while on the boat much (since it's a submarine and all) but I may find use for them at port calls and things of that nature. BUT that isn't the biggest issue since, I'm guessing no matter where I go a few speedlites (meaning two) maybe enough for that. Now I know I've used the word but alot here but (there it is again) these are things i'm considering and I'll take a better look at those links you sent me.

I guess I never really though of that option since I usually just consider it work lol. But then again I wasn't into photography at the time and the through never really crossed my mine. If I did go with speedlites It would more then likely consist of 580/430EX II combos.

1000arms wrote in post #12919340
Nice thing about the 7D/ 580 EXII/430 EXII is that it is all communication through light instead of radio waves! There are some instant rebates at the moment on the two speedlites. I don't know if that will impact the best price you can get, but it might.

Pick up a good sound recorder and microphones. Then shoot a Zombie movie in a sub too.

That would be pretty funny, although something tells me it would be the quickest zombie outbreak ever. Everyone would get infected and the boat with either sink and never come back up or the reactor would just continue to go on till it went crazy or they hit something underwater and everything would die.... again?

Yeah the 430 EX II and the 580 EXII is what I was considering because of the ETTL II abilities. The only thing that makes me worried about speedlites (mainly with the 430) is the recycle time and (other then the 580) the relying on batteries. I say that about the 580 because you can get the battery pack.

well thanks for information, hopefully when i'm ready to buy I'll have what I want figured out. I'm thinking what I may end up doing is have 3-4 speed lites, all with stands + heads, and a combo of soft boxes and umbrellas and a number of batteries and a few bags to hold these together to make transporting them easy and quick.

Which may include making a head that can hold 2 speedlites if I need more flash power.

1000arms wrote in post #12919789
You are welcome for the information. Multiple speedlites and modifiers do allow a lot of flexibility and portability. Take a look at the different clamps available/fabricate-able too. There are heads for multiple speedlites, but making your own won't be too hard. There are good cold shoes you can buy and bolt to your own bracket. Keep in mind the sensor on the speedlite needs to see the light-signals. Avoid covering them or pointing them in the wring direction. You can also use cheap stick-on plastic automotive mirrors to bounce the signals.

Too much money the way this is done, but for an interesting idea, see http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …ight-with-dave-black.html You may want to fast forward through some ( a lot) of it.

I was just planning on using a transmitter/reciever to cover the signal duties. Any idea's on a good set that isn't gonna cost a crap load?