Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: walkerblackwell on February 09, 2010, 10:42:15 am

Title: Durable monolight
Post by: walkerblackwell on February 09, 2010, 10:42:15 am
I run the digital/film/darkroom labs for a small university art department up in Vermont. I've been looking to get a few strobe monolight kits for our lighting studio and I'm looking for a brand that will not be killed instantly by student abuse when they check the kits out. Anyone have suggestions for a type of monolight that is more durable than most?

All the best,
Walker Blackwell
Title: Durable monolight
Post by: hsmeets on February 09, 2010, 11:28:00 am
Quote from: walkerblackwell
I run the digital/film/darkroom labs for a small university art department up in Vermont. I've been looking to get a few strobe monolight kits for our lighting studio and I'm looking for a brand that will not be killed instantly by student abuse when they check the kits out. Anyone have suggestions for a type of monolight that is more durable than most?

All the best,
Walker Blackwell


Just a practical side note given you specific setting: don't go cheap on the stands, get some decent sturdy stands and if you are buying a kit: get a look at the stands included and ask if you can upgrade the stands if they are to light for this student purpose. Envisioning students running around the gear like crazy and knocking the heads over with just barely touching them.

Stands I got with my kit are nice lightweigthed to haul aroud but obviously also not rocksolid.

Title: Durable monolight
Post by: Harold Clark on February 09, 2010, 11:43:16 am
Quote from: walkerblackwell
I run the digital/film/darkroom labs for a small university art department up in Vermont. I've been looking to get a few strobe monolight kits for our lighting studio and I'm looking for a brand that will not be killed instantly by student abuse when they check the kits out. Anyone have suggestions for a type of monolight that is more durable than most?

All the best,
Walker Blackwell

White Lightning are very durable, cheap to buy and repair, and come with a 5 year factory warranty. I use mine more than the big power packs now, they are very compact and portable.
Title: Durable monolight
Post by: Jonathan Wienke on February 10, 2010, 09:16:08 am
Alien Bees would fit your criteria; mine have never given me problems and have survived a stand tipping over.
Title: Durable monolight
Post by: NashvilleMike on February 10, 2010, 09:26:13 am
Quote from: walkerblackwell
I run the digital/film/darkroom labs for a small university art department up in Vermont. I've been looking to get a few strobe monolight kits for our lighting studio and I'm looking for a brand that will not be killed instantly by student abuse when they check the kits out. Anyone have suggestions for a type of monolight that is more durable than most?

All the best,
Walker Blackwell

I'm going to suggest a different route than most; call a strobe repairman and ask him. My thought on the matter that most of the responses you'll get here are just going to be what peoples personal preference for lights are, which may not really relate to what you want to know.

So call up a few strobe repair guys. I use Power Strobe Repair in Atlanta, ask for a guy named Carl - he'll probably have some input.
Hit the phone book and call a few others too, see if you can get a consensus view.

-m