Help me with a new setup

I'm looking to put together a new versatile lighting set up.

Let me mention what I have:

PW TT5/TT1/AC3
Sekonic l358 w/PW trigger
Canon 600 EX RT
ST-E3-RT

I love the 600 EX and I was going to sell the PW setup and just purchase 2 more 600s. I don't think that will be enough power for me.

I used to have 3 580exs w/ ebay triggers and got rid of it for a couple AB800s/cybersyncs/vaga​bond ii. I want to shoot portraits inside and also outside, over powering the sun. The same applies for automotive photography.

I was considering 3 Einsteins and MC2s, that will give me what I hope is enough power and sync speeds beyond 200/sec. However I understand that hyper sync will lower my max output by 3 stops? Can anyone give me advice? I don't want to get rid of the 600/st-e3 I love them too much so a PCB setup would just compliment it.

Rather than depending on speeds above 1/200 have you considered using ND filters to bring the ambient down and still stay within max sync?

gonzogolf wrote in post #15552908
Rather than depending on speeds above 1/200 have you considered using ND filters to bring the ambient down and still stay within max sync?

I guess I was avoiding purchasing more stuff, but it's inevitable. Is there anything I'd miss by going the ND filter route? I guess I wanted a set of NDs anyways to use the 50 wide open outside as well.

ne3ek wrote in post #15552972
I guess I was avoiding purchasing more stuff, but it's inevitable. Is there anything I'd miss by going the ND filter route? I guess I wanted a set of NDs anyways to use the 50 wide open outside as well.

The only thing you would miss is if you do anything where you are trying to freeze motion in bright light and still use fill flash. Otherwise its a lower cost solution that has some advantages. You cant really meter hypersync so setting ratios is a problem, but not with the ND filter as you are using the full measure of the flash. Keep in mind that overpowering the sun still takes lots of power, especially if you are trying it mid day, you probably need two Einsteins for that.

First; Einsteins will work with PW ControlTL in Hyper sync only at full power. Anything below that and they don't work. (IGBT is great but not for Hyper Sync.)

Second: what is over power the sun?
I have probably hundreds of shots taking during the day with hard sun and single speedlite fill from the camera using HSS.
Do you mean using the sun for fill and the strobe for main? Why would you want to do that?
Its all about controlling light. If the sun is involved then the rest of the light is added to complement the sun.

I haven't owned or used an ND filter in probably 30 years. They are useful tools. Just not a tool I've found necessary for controlling DoF.

David, when I say over power the sun I mean under expose the ambient light and use the flash as my key light. Though the 600(s) may be able to do that with people I think I need the spread and power of a studio strobe.

I kinda like the idea of using the Cyber Commander as my meter as well as control the power of my lights. Although I don't remember ever being annoyed because I had to take a stroll over and adjust my lights.

I will keep an eye on this thread as I am having the same thoughts, the difference being, I don't own anything yet. I want to use flash on location, just a single one for now, but can't decide to get a single 600ex-rt which will go in the Ezybox I already have from when I had Nikon, or spend a little extra on a portable studio strobe with battery pack and large octa. I guess it's not a 'little' more, but the price of the 600 + ST-E3-RT is so high anyway, maybe I should just get something which won't leave me wanting more? Sorry for the slight hijack, hope you don't mind.

I can tell you that I used to have 2 ab800s with the vagabond and I really missed the portability of the 580s. If I wanted to add flash outside it was just a matter of throwing a couple speedlites in the bag and head out, I would either use gorilla pods or friends to hold them. I think I'm talking myself into doing both. Keep the 600/st-e3-rt and go with the Einsteins. I just need to decide if I should sell the Sekonic/PWs and go cybersync of just pick up some MC2s and keep the PW setup.

Thanks for that. I know a LOT can be achieved with a speedlight, but then I see photos where a studio head and large octa have been used and they are awesome!