How Many Speedlites are Enough?: Studio and Lighting Technique Forum: Digital Photography Review (2024)

Background: I'm relatively new to Speedlites and am pouring over "Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Lighting" where he uses only Speedlites.

That said, the author often uses several Speedlites to light different parts of the background. He often lights the subject with one light but in other videos I've seen as many as four lights on the subject. In outdoor HSS shots I've seen several with 4 lights ganged together.

Speedlights are themselves very convenient, at least compared to strobes. They are smaller and lighter. They don't have exposed bulbs. They don't have AC cords or cords to remote batteries. I've seen pictures of them used in the rain with a 1 gallon kitchen storage bag on top. With the right radio remote they can be configured from the camera. And many support TTL and HSS.

And they are much less expensive...or at least the Yongnuo, Godox, etc. Chinese Speedlites are less expensive.

I'm wondering if an all Speedlite setup might be the way to go. Isn't there a saying, 'if the equipment isn't with you it is worthless'?

How many do you have? How many do you use? Have you ever wished he had more than you have?

DavidNJ100 wrote:

Background: I'm relatively new to Speedlites and am pouring over "Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Lighting" where he uses only Speedlites.

That said, the author often uses several Speedlites to light different parts of the background. He often lights the subject with one light but in other videos I've seen as many as four lights on the subject. In outdoor HSS shots I've seen several with 4 lights ganged together.

Speedlights are themselves very convenient, at least compared to strobes. They are smaller and lighter. They don't have exposed bulbs. They don't have AC cords or cords to remote batteries. I've seen pictures of them used in the rain with a 1 gallon kitchen storage bag on top. With the right radio remote they can be configured from the camera. And many support TTL and HSS.

And they are much less expensive...or at least the Yongnuo, Godox, etc. Chinese Speedlites are less expensive.

I'm wondering if an all Speedlite setup might be the way to go. Isn't there a saying, 'if the equipment isn't with you it is worthless'?

How many do you have? How many do you use? Have you ever wished he had more than you have?

I might only use one, two or three, but I often carry six or seven.

It very much depends on the job.

DavidNJ100 wrote:

Background: I'm relatively new to Speedlites and am pouring over "Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Lighting" where he uses only Speedlites.

That said, the author often uses several Speedlites to light different parts of the background. He often lights the subject with one light but in other videos I've seen as many as four lights on the subject. In outdoor HSS shots I've seen several with 4 lights ganged together.

Speedlights are themselves very convenient, at least compared to strobes. They are smaller and lighter. They don't have exposed bulbs. They don't have AC cords or cords to remote batteries. I've seen pictures of them used in the rain with a 1 gallon kitchen storage bag on top. With the right radio remote they can be configured from the camera. And many support TTL and HSS.

And they are much less expensive...or at least the Yongnuo, Godox, etc. Chinese Speedlites are less expensive.

I'm wondering if an all Speedlite setup might be the way to go. Isn't there a saying, 'if the equipment isn't with you it is worthless'?

How many do you have? How many do you use? Have you ever wished he had more than you have?

The great thing about speedlights, whether basic (no TTL) or smart (TTL OPTION) is you can either gang them up or use them as separate lights, so you have that versatility but at a cost, power. With the introduction of the Phottix INDRA 500TTL we now have the option of a 500w-s TTL controlled flash for $1200.00

if you are planning on regularly ganging up lights in a softbox or umbrella to match that much maximum light you'll need at least 6. And setting up the INDRA is much faster. I know because I've done it both ways.

But the INDRA still can't be split into four lights when you need more than one light.

so clearly a hybrid lighting kit is optimal.

My my experience as a photographer specializing in industrial, B2B, and editorial work is : at least two 500 to 640 watt-second MONOLIGHTS and. 4 to 6 speedlights. I also need to say I rarely use all of the lights I take to job or have on set, BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU PHOTOGRAPH AND HOW YOU LIKE TO LIGHT.

You ou absolutely have to know how to light but you should learn how not to overlight and you have to avoid the temptation of thinking that more gear, just like heavy handed processing techniques, rarely if ever makes for better photographs.

What light to use, how many lights to use, and how to modify your light(s) all depends on what you are trying to do.

The modeling lights of studio strobes makes it much easier and faster to setup or change around the lighting than with hot-shoe flash. The greater power of studio strobes also means that you can shoot at the base ISO for your camera for maximum image quality, not at ISO 400-1600 as with hot-shoe flash. Those are the main reasons studio strobes are preferred over hot-shoe flash for studio work.

For location shooting hot-shoe flash units are much more portable so the longer setup and adjustment times and the requirement to use a higher ISO might be acceptable trade offs.

For run and gun photography an on-camera hot-shoe flash wins hands down.

First define your need for lighting then you can figure out what type and quality of lights you need.

Portraits...but virtually all will be on location. Some group shots. Some interiors. Some product shots. Some shots of activities for marketing collateral.

I have to two 180Ws strobes. Although they don't have the heat or overall popping circuit breakers problems of my video lights they have the same power cord issues. For portability I could use a Paul Buff VML; one (around $260 with shipping) should be able to run both.

While I always shoot manual I'm finding TTL has some merits. I'm also finding HSS has some merits (note...this is based on my 'days' of experience I'm thinking lights like the Godox AD360 my gain a modeling light and TTL in 2015. Paul Buff may also make a TTL/HSS Einstein. I'm sure people have asked for both. Yongnuo has a 300Ws TTL light for around$500.

From what I've tried to set up it seems I prefer 2-to-4 lights on the subject. With a group I may need more. In video, where I never worried about hairlights, I used three softboxes, a fresnel, practicals, and more recently smaller LEDs.

From what I've read I could need a few more to get the backgrounds right.

From the responses so far it seems that no matter what I do with studio lights, AC or DC, I will need several speedlites. The question is how many? Since I don't think Speedlite technology will make many major advances (other than integration of the radios, but that adds compatibility issues), adding a few more now shouldn't be a penalty.

Right now I have one, a Godox V860c ($158) and have a second on the way ($145). Note, the Godox includes a 11.1v 2000mAh lithium ion battery and charger which makes the effective price closer to a Yongnuo YN-568EX-II. I using Yongnuo YN-622c triggers.

DavidNJ100 wrote:

Background: I'm relatively new to Speedlites and am pouring over "Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Lighting" where he uses only Speedlites.

That said, the author often uses several Speedlites to light different parts of the background. He often lights the subject with one light but in other videos I've seen as many as four lights on the subject. In outdoor HSS shots I've seen several with 4 lights ganged together.

Speedlights are themselves very convenient, at least compared to strobes. They are smaller and lighter. They don't have exposed bulbs. They don't have AC cords or cords to remote batteries. I've seen pictures of them used in the rain with a 1 gallon kitchen storage bag on top. With the right radio remote they can be configured from the camera. And many support TTL and HSS.

And they are much less expensive...or at least the Yongnuo, Godox, etc. Chinese Speedlites are less expensive.

I'm wondering if an all Speedlite setup might be the way to go. Isn't there a saying, 'if the equipment isn't with you it is worthless'?

How many do you have? How many do you use? Have you ever wished he had more than you have?

I carry 3, have 5 and will always shoot 450w Bowens on location unless there is a great reason not to. Speedlites are nice, but they aren't strobes when it comes to light quality.

2

DavidNJ100 wrote:

Background: I'm relatively new to Speedlites and am pouring over "Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Lighting" where he uses only Speedlites.

That said, the author often uses several Speedlites to light different parts of the background. He often lights the subject with one light but in other videos I've seen as many as four lights on the subject. In outdoor HSS shots I've seen several with 4 lights ganged together.

Speedlights are themselves very convenient, at least compared to strobes. They are smaller and lighter. They don't have exposed bulbs. They don't have AC cords or cords to remote batteries. I've seen pictures of them used in the rain with a 1 gallon kitchen storage bag on top. With the right radio remote they can be configured from the camera. And many support TTL and HSS.

And they are much less expensive...or at least the Yongnuo, Godox, etc. Chinese Speedlites are less expensive.

I'm wondering if an all Speedlite setup might be the way to go. Isn't there a saying, 'if the equipment isn't with you it is worthless'?

How many do you have? How many do you use? Have you ever wished he had more than you have?

How many are enough? As many as it takes! Honestly, its an open-ended question. There is no simple answer.

Some portraits, one is more than enough. Some portraits I've used all 20 (I have 20). MOST of my portraits are shot using 4-7.The standard "headshot" uses a key, fill, hair and background light. In studio, this is done withstrobes,on location, speed lights (usually).I like things to be lit a certain way, to give my images a certain look. I like to be in control of the light, not working around it.

Here are some examples I have right handy and can remember.

Iused 1 speed light here.

2 here

3 for this one

4 in this one

And here I used 7

Those were nice shots, in addition to being educational.

BACK TO THE QUESTION

If you want your portraits to resemble the tradition studio shots found on mantels of grandmothers all over the western world, three flash units of either style are a minimum.

I photographed indivudual shots of five law firm people the other day, plus a group shot.

I used a Dynalite 500 power pack with two heads. One had a medium softbox and the other had no modifier. But Dynalite heads have a built in dish so the light is directional and the bulb does not stick out past the edges of the head.

The softbox was pointed at the people and the head was pointed at a grey wall and white ceiling, bouncing some light into on side of the shot. It was a shallow - wide shot, to fit across the top third of a web site, side to side.

I like to take a variety of shots, and my lawyer clients are always thinking of the hourly fees they are not charging, so I do overall lighting, rather than carefully placing lights so a cheek is lit but not an ear, and so on.

If I think I'll have to walk some distance from car to subject, I may just bring two speedlights (which is all I own) and two umbrellas.

BAK

Nice set

I have several inexpensive, manual-power speedlights. I like the flexibility that owning several speedlights gives me. I don't always use speedlights but they give me options.
The largest number of speedlights I've used on a shoot was 7. I was tempted to use 9. This is a shoot that I did with a friend. His camera, my lighting setup:

Crossfit Instagram

Another similar shot, from my camera this time:

6 speed lights

Most of my shots are 2-3 light sources (which may involve more or less than 2 or 3 speedlights however). Some use only 1 speedlight, some none. Sometimes I'll setup 3 speedlights on one light stand, so technically that's one light source even though it's multiple speedlights.

3 light sources: One umbrella, one speedlight with a grid, plus window light

1 speedlight with custom modifier, no ambient light

2 light sources: window light and reflector

No speedlights -"available" light only

As much as you can.

The greatest thing about speedlight is portability and short flash duration.

The biggest drawback (next to power) is the lack of model light. You need model light for serious product photography, for focusing...

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