Can't decide...2 Genesis 400 strobes or 1 WL1600?

I already have The ABR800 with 30inch & 56 inch moon unit with a Vegabond II. I really need two lights to blast the back ground for high key. Or I could use the ABR800 as a main, 2nd light for hair, 3rd light for shooting a gel on the backdrop. I would like to stick with all PCB products but it seems that buying two Genesis's is the only route?

BTW, I only have about one or two photoshoots a month in the warm months and less in the colder months.

I like the quality of the WL but I would be restricted with buying only one light compared to two Genesis.

Why the 400s? Indoors I can blow out my backgrounds perfectly with the 200s. If they are just for the backgrounds then pick up 2 200s for pretty darn cheap.

I would go with two 200s.........

newnan3 wrote in post #10921659
I would go with two 200s.........

another vote for this

2 > 1

Would the 200's be on full if I were to blow out the background for high key?

It doesn't take much to blow out a BG. Some even use speedlights.

speeds don't give you even enough coverage if you have a full body shot. 2 400s would be my vote.

Seanzky wrote in post #10922050
It doesn't take much to blow out a BG.

No, it doesn't, but the amount of power you need to do that is relative to the shooting aperture.

If you're metering your background as 4 stops reflective over the incident subject exposure and shooting at f/4 then you only need to have enough power to produce f/16 reflective on the background. If you're shooting a portrait or full length work at f/11 then you now have to have the firepower to kick out f/45.

In most cases the 200 Watt second strobes will give you what you need but it will also depend on the size of the background and the distance of the background lights from the background.

hawk911 wrote in post #10922065
speeds don't give you even enough coverage if you have a full body shot. 2 400s would be my vote.

I would go for the 400's as well even though the 200'w would probably cut it.

TMR Design wrote in post #10922141
I would go for the 400's as well even though the 200'w would probably cut it.

I'm thinking ahead when he dumps the AB lights and goes with Elinchrom lights, at least the modifiers will cross over

hawk911 wrote in post #10922290
I'm thinking ahead when he dumps the AB lights and goes with Elinchrom lights, at least the modifiers will cross over

LMAO. I love this stuff. You can't make it up Geoff.

I also thought about the 400's. Because with the Vegabond 2 I could use one of the 400's with an 86 inch Alien Bee PLM for outdoors photoshoots (when its not windy).