 Marius Liebenberg |
Studio strobe power rating vs on camera external f Since studio strobes are rated watt/sec, how would an external flash like the Canon 430 EX speedlite compare in watt/sec? I have seen these speedlites mounted in umbrellas to be used like in a studio environment, it is obvious the size of the strobe gun has more power than speedlite but by how much?
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Marius, Everything about discussing strobe power is designed for maximum confusion, but you probably know this. Small strobes, on camera and on bracket are generally rated in guide numbers. Guide numbers are a good idea because they have an actual application to exposure; the down side is that the guide number changes based on the ISO and the distance in meters or in feet. Most often you see the guide number in feet at ISO 100, but disreputable manufacturers will change these parameters to make their strobes look more powerful. Watt-second are a measurement of the energy put into the strobe tube, not the light coming out of the tube. The problem with this is if you have a strobe system that is more efficient it will not show up in the watt-second ratings. Alien Bees and all the Paul C. Buff equipment claims this to be true in their case and offers a second set of watt-second rating for their gear. The problem is what is it that they are comparing their gear to? Having said all of this the strobe repairman I use says that strobes of this type are in the 50 to 70 watt-second range.
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