With speedlight mods and systems evolving why go strobe?

Seanzky wrote in post #11334795
Like forty-nine one-foot softboxes, each with a speedlight, configured to mimic a 7'x7' softbox?

midnight_rider wrote in post #11335406
Read the quote above you,

I think that is what he is talking about? Filling the 7 foot soft box

midnight_rider wrote in post #11335406
I can hit the DOF preview button keep the speedlights lit. AL though it is not very efficient for the batteries and not continuous like the strobes.
My flash does have a " modeling mode " on it though. I have not played with that yet. maybe i will see what that does.

It is, at best, a marketing gimmick, and not at all a practical tool that allows careful study of lighting that constant modelling lights permit.

midnight_rider wrote in post #11335406
My flash does have a " modeling mode " on it though. I have not played with that yet. maybe i will see what that does.

It's obvious that you haven't played with it. The flash cannot do a constant light so it gives a "fast strobe" effect that is very similar to the focus assist light from a popup flash. And since the flash is powered by capaciters it only lasts as long as the charge in the capaciters can deliver some power, which is only 1 or 2 seconds.

The best option I've found for modeling lights on flashes is to hold a bright flashlight ( I use a 9 volt Surefire) in the same position as the flash head, but this really only works if you can turn the ambient light down very low.

sigma pi wrote in post #11334867
agreed some of the rabid strobist wont listen to reason. The speedlight is king and they wont listen to anything against it.

You should have seen them going spastic over at DH's blog when he tested the big lights and then bought Profoto. Their world was ending.

midnight_rider wrote in post #11335314
In all honesty looking over this thread i would easily say that it is the studio stobist that are the purist and it seems as if they will not accept that a speed light can be a very useful light source.

Actually, it's usually the other way around, as people with strobes quite often started with, and still have, speedlights.

midnight_rider wrote in post #11335338
I think that in terms of power you are correct and that the amount of light generated by one speedlight can not equate that of one strobe.
How many stops difference do you think exist between the 2?

Your average speedlight has about 1/6 the power of a Quadra head in Channel A, so 400/6 = about 65WS, but in reality it's not that simple. (ie it's kinda 2 1.2 stops, but not quite, as well.)

That doesn't help if you need to overpower the sun.

The only advantage of speedlights is portability...but if you need to carry a bunch of them for adequate power or modifier fill, is that really portable? 4 580's is what, $1200+. That's pack-&-head territory. One 580 is almost the same price as an Elinchrom BX 250 Ri, which is an "entry pro-level" monobloc.

So if you're working with a few lights outdoors or on-location, and without large or light-sucking modifiers or a need to beat the sun, speedlights are a good choice. Once you have to start packing bunches of them, though, you're better off getting monoblocs with battery packs or a pack-&-head system.