Studio flashes - Things to consider before buying

The short answer is that you should choose a flash brand that has a wide range of models and accessories so that you can develop as a photographer without having to switch brands to get the features and accessories your photography requires. The studio flashes should be easy to use so that you can quickly get started with the photography, even if some time passes between each photo opportunity. The flash should deliver stable, accurate brightness and color temperature so that every image you shoot, even in long bursts, has correct exposure and color reproduction.

Another very important aspect is that you can quickly and easily get support and service when you need this.

Aifo sells studio flashes from two of the market's most skilled and best manufacturers, Elinchrom and broncolor. Both manufacturers are based in Switzerland and have been manufacturing studio flashes for over 60 years, giving them superior product knowledge and insight into the needs of professional and hobbyist photographers.

By buying Elinchrom and broncolor, you are making an environmentally conscious choice through the high quality of the products, which will give you problem-free use for many years, and if necessary, there is both service and support close to you.

Regardless of what your budget looks like, we have studio flash equipment that will suit you.
Elinchrom offers high-quality studio flashes at all price levels that you can gradually build on.

To get started with portrait photography, one or two studio flashes are enough to get a great result. If you use part of your home as a photo studio, it is probably important that the equipment is easy to set up and take away. Choose studio flash equipment with light weight and small to medium-sized softboxes that are easy to place in the home environment.

Things to consider when investing in a home studio with studio flashes.

• The equipment must be easy to pick up/take down so that you can easily get started
• The studio flashes should have a simple interface so that you can quickly start shooting
• The studio flashes should give professional results so that you can grow as a photographer
• There should be a wide range of accessories so that your equipment can evolve with you

Elinchrom has a wide range of studio flashes adapted for hobby photographers as well as professional photographers. Regardless of the price level you choose to start with, you can trust that an Elinchrom flash will always give you the opportunity for professional end results thanks to stable exposure and color temperature image to image and access to a large range of light shapers. If your primary interest is portrait photography, a studio flash with a softbox or photo umbrella will give you great variety. If you choose to invest in a studio kit with two or more studio flashes, you get extended opportunities to give your photos a personal style. Consider which type of studio flash best suits your home environment. If it is easy to connect the flash to a wall outlet, a studio flash for mains connection works well. If you often move the flash around both indoors and outdoors, a battery-powered studio flash will suit you best.

When you shoot portraits, a large part of the contract and trust is between photographer and model. You should be able to fully focus on your model because your photo equipment is easy to control and each image should be reproduced correctly exposed without color deviations even when you shoot long series of images. By having access to a large range of accessories, you should be able to vary and develop your photography style without limits. Both Elinchrom and broncolor fulfill these requirements gallantly. Your choice of studio flashes depends on whether you will mainly work in the studio or if you also photograph portraits on-location outdoors and with your clients. Elinchrom and broncolor have studio flashes for mains connection or with built-in battery. If you invest in a combination of both powered studio flashes and battery flashes, you get very flexible light sources.

Adequate power for the studio flash is 100Ws to 300Ws for portraits up to full body. Transparent umbrella 105cm, Octa-shaped softbox 60-130cm, Straight softboxes 60x80cm to 90x110 cm are some excellent examples of light shapers for portrait photography.

For photographing larger groups such as floorball teams or the like require studio flashes with high brightness so you can choose a small aperture on the camera to get a depth of field that covers the depth and width of the group. Shoot with two studio flashes with power 400Ws to 1000Ws. Transparent or white umbrellas 105cm usually work well as light shapers. If there are large groups, you can change the camera's ISO sensitivity to reach the aperture required to focus on all individuals.

Battery-powered studio flashes are always preferable if you often shoot in different locations outdoors or indoors. It will be easy to place the flashes without you having to worry about where the nearest wall outlet is. Sports and Action photography often require the light sources to be placed far away so that they do not disturb the practitioners, which means that the flash needs a high output power, 300Ws to 500Ws.

If you photograph in sports halls, you will appreciate that the flash has a short burning time, so you can choose a slightly longer shutter speed on the camera to get some general light from the venue, while the flash's short burning time will freeze the rapid movement of the subject.

If you photograph sports and action outdoors, you would prefer that your flashes have HSS function, which means that you can freely choose the shutter speed on the camera down to 1/8000 sec. This allows you to balance the flash light even against strong sunlight to create the lighting of the subject that you desire. Elinchrom HP reflector (High Performance) is a favorite light shaper for action sports photographers.

If you are photographing smaller products such as shoes, pans, food packaging, studio flashes with an output of 100Ws to 500Ws are usually sufficient. If you want a completely white background so that the product looks completely exposed straight out of the camera, 3-4 studio flashes are needed after which one or two light sources need to be aimed at the background to make it completely white. A combination of different light shapers, wide-angle reflectors for the background lighting, softbox 70x70cm as the main light and perhaps a light source with a reflector with grids to highlight part of the product is usually used here.

Do you photograph larger products such as a sofa or large office machines, stronger flashes with power 400Ws to 1000Ws are needed so you can choose small aperture on the camera for large depth of field. At least two studio flashes are required, the background must be completely white, at least 4 studio flashes are required. Deep transparent umbrellas with size 105cm -125cm are a good choice for head light. For the background lighting, white umbrellas to bounce the light can be good to get an even light over a large surface.

This type of photography often takes place outside at the customer's place, in the kitchen or in the restaurant. Battery powered studio flashes are preferred so they can be easily placed in the environment. The flashes should ideally have the HSS function so that you as a photographer can balance the general light against the flash light.
One to four light sources are usually used in food photography, it all depends on the type of lighting and environment you want to create in the image. Feel free to use a larger softbox, such as 90x110cm, to create the feeling of a window light. With breaks on the softbox, you get increased control over the light flow. The choice of light shaper on other light sources depends entirely on your goal with the lighting. An umbrella is excellent if you want to enhance the general light in the room, a reflector with grids is perfect if you want to highlight part of the dish or table setting.

Iworking as a wedding photographer is often about being flexible. Changing environment, weather and customer requests means that no assignment is the same and it is important to have photographic equipment that is quick to set up and easy to get started with. Depending on the nature of the photo assignment, anywhere from one to four studio flashes may be required. With a battery-powered studio flash with 200Ws to 500Ws, you will be able to handle even advanced photo challenges. The flash must have both HSS function and TTL automatic. The HSS function makes it possible to take control of both general light and flash light in all environments. The TTL automatic gives you the right exposure from the first image when the work situation is particularly stressful and you can quickly change to manual flash control for personal adjustment of the lighting. Transparent umbrella 105cm, standard model or deep shape, is an excellent all-round light shaper for on-location wedding photos. For studio pictures, the Octa-shaped softbox 135cm is an excellent choice as a main light, and if you want a nice edge light, use the strip-shaped softbox 50x130cm for this.

In order to succeed as a museum photographer, a solid knowledge of photography and technology is required. The work involves capturing and immortalizing works of art, objects and exhibits in a way that reproduces accurate colours, form and proportions. The spot flashes must deliver very stable light in terms of color temperature and exposure frame to frame, especially important when focus stacking photography of small objects such as coins etc. As the objects can vary greatly in both size and shape, the photographer needs very bright studio flashes as well as a wide range of light shaper.
broncolor generator is available in several models that offer, among other things, adjustable burning time and adjustable color temperature. The ability to set the flash's burning time is very useful when e.g. art that contains fast-moving elements such as water should be rendered in the desired manner. With adjustable color temperature, different types of light formers can be color balanced against each other so that each color on each part of the subject is correctly emphasized.
broncolor's lamp heads have a UV additive that is used to analyze objects and bring out details that are not visible under normal lighting. A special light source is the broncolor surface visualizer Scope D50. This authentically reproduces the shape, color and texture of an object. The broncolor Scope D50 gives you unlimited possibilities to analyze, animate and digitally explore surfaces.

Aifo sells products from suppliers who have one thing in common, they manufacture quality products that have a very high reliability thanks to first-class material selection and high, consistent production quality. Elinchrom and broncolor manufacture studio flashes that have a very long life, are compatible both forward and backward and have easily accessible service/support. This makes them a good choice both in terms of economy and the environment.

Aifo has a website where you can access 24/7 information about the products we sell, tips on how to use the products, lighting guides and lots of inspiring articles where skilled photographers show how they work.
If you need personal support, it is easy to get in touch with our experienced staff via e-mail and phone. We have our own service for Elinchrom and broncolor, which means that you can quickly get help if you are unlucky.

Aifo is located in Stockholm and has both service and support for Elinchrom and broncolor, which means that you can easily get answers to support questions and, if necessary, get quick service/repair.

A bit simplified, a studio flash is a powerful photo flash that has an accessory bayonet that makes it easy to mount different types of light shapers. The studio flash has a tripod mount for mounting on a lighting stand and, in addition to flash tubes, there is also a setting light that helps you create the lighting you desire.
If you compare a studio flash from manufacturers like Elinchrom and broncolor to studio flashes designed by manufacturers that originated in making speedlights, both Elinchrom and broncolor are much easier to control manually which most studio photographers do 95% of the time.

All studio flashes have a flash tube that quickly lights up during the exposure of the image and then goes out, this is called the dlash duration. Different flash models differ in terms of how long the flash tube shines, which gives the flash a slightly different character. A short shutter speed is preferable for action photography because it is the shutter speed that freezes a fast movement when using the shutter speeds the camera can sync against the flash. A longer flash duration is often appreciated by photographers who want to render a part of the subject sharp while other parts of the subject that move quickly are rendered with motion blur. An example for this type of image is motorsport photographers who want the car or motorcycle to be sharp while blurring the wheels to give a sense of movement.
When it comes to portrait photography, product photography, etc., most studio flashes have a flash duration that will produce sharp images.

All system cameras with curtain shutters have a minimum sync time for flash which is often marked among the shutter speed choices. This flash sync time indicates the shutter speed that the camera is able to reproduce an image where the flash light is evenly exposed over the entire image surface. There is no problem choosing a shutter speed longer than the flash sync time, the only thing that happens with a longer shutter speed is that the existing light that is there becomes more and more prominent in the image. However, you cannot choose a shorter shutter speed than the camera's specified flash sync time because then the camera will not be able to synchronize the entire image area with the flash's burning time, which results in a part of the image being underexposed, usually completely black. So what do you do when you want to photograph with a super-short shutter speed?
HSS - High Speed Sync. Several of the Elinchrom studio flashes have a function called HSS, which means that you can choose shutter speeds down to 1/8000 sec on the camera without the shutter curtain being visible in the image. Perfect for any photographer who wants to balance bright sunlight with flash light. By using a fast shutter speed, the photographer will be able to determine the exposure on the ambient light and balance it against the flash light hitting the subject. HSS is a feature that is specified on the flash model and requires the use of a flash trigger that is dedicated to the brand of camera you are using because the camera and flash must communicate with each other to function properly.

TTL automatic is a function that allows you to get correctly exposed images with flash without having to manually adjust the flash output or camera settings. It saves time and can be especially beneficial in situations where the lighting conditions are variable or when you don't have time to fine-tune the settings for each shot. TTL is available on several Elinchrom flash models and requires you to use a flash trigger dedicated to the camera model you are using.

A studio flash must be very accurate in brightness and color temperature. Every shot should have the correct exposure and color temperature even if you shoot long bursts and use multiple studio flashes in one set-up. Both Elinchrom and broncolor are very stable, which means that you will never have to correct deviant exposures or colors afterwards. These two characteristics are far from obvious for many studio flash brands on the market.

In addition to flashing when triggered from a flash trigger, a studio flash also has a light source that can shine steadily, the setting light. The setting light comes from a halogen lamp or, as more and more Elinchrom studio flashes have an LED lamp. With this fixed light, you can easily set the light in your set-up and if you work in a dark environment, the setting light works great as support light for your camera's autofocus.
Several of Elinchrom's studio flashes have an LED setting light that has the same color temperature as that of the flash tube. This allows you to quickly and easily switch between shooting stills to shoot a movie sequence with the same lighting. In addition, you can set the color temperature of the LED light on the latest Elinchrom models. Perfect if you match the setting light to the room's existing light when filming video.

If you shoot at a fast pace, be extra careful to find out how fast the studio flash charges flash to flash. The difference between waiting 0.8 seconds and 3 seconds can feel like an eternity in these contexts. If the flash has a fast charging time, you can choose a shooting pace that suits both you and your subject.

If you have a fast photography pace and work long days in the photo studio, you should invest in studio flashes adapted for this. All Elinchrom and broncolor studio flashes have a built-in fan that automatically cools the flash after it has been running for a while, but some of the models are specially built to handle very high loads for a long time. If you are looking for studio equipment for e-commerce and other high-volume photography, we advise you to consult our knowledgeable staff so that you invest in the right equipment right away.

All Elinchrom studio flashes have a built-in Skyport radio that receives trigger pulses and control from a transmitter that you mount in the camera's hot shoe. The trigger pulse is sent when you press the camera's shutter button, causing the camera's exposure and the flash's firing time to synchronize with each other. The control of the flash output is also controlled directly from the camera and its transmitter. Elinchrom's flashes have two-way radio communication, which means that the more advanced Skyport transmitters with built-in LCD display show each flash's set brightness. A unique feature for Elinchrom is that if you change the flash strength directly on the flash, the value will automatically change on the transmitter's display.
If the flash has HSS and TTL functions, choose the more advanced Skyport transmitter that is dedicated to different camera brands that are needed for these functions.

When you choose Elinchrom or broncolor, you get access to a very large range of light-shaping accessories, which means you can easily adapt the light to your own wishes or your client's requirements.

Reflectors: There are several reflectors for Elinchrom and broncolor studio flashes, all with different characteristics. The reflectors have in common that they provide a relatively hard light compared to a softbox or umbrella. If you want to spread the light widely, choose a wide-angle reflector. If you want to create a hard light to imitate the sun's rays, choose a reflector that gives a collective light image. If you want to highlight a small part of the subject, create a spot light by using a standard reflector with grids or a snoot.

Softboxes: Softboxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. All models provide a more or less soft light and by mounting a grid on the softbox, the soft light can be controlled with good control. A square-shaped soft box is completely square and its straight edges make it possible to control the light, and the square shape gives, like a window light, a square reflection in the subject. Recta softbox is the name indicates rectangular in shape. Very popular with portrait photographers and like all Rotalux softboxes it can be rotated in its mount. Strip softbox has a more elongated design than rectabox. Perfect for creating an edge light or providing a long narrow reflection for e.g. product photo. The Octa softbox has a round shape, which means that it spreads the light evenly in all directions. Octabox creates a round reflection eyes, which many portrait and fashion photographers appreciate.

Photo umbrellas: An all-round light shaper that is exceptionally easy to transport and mount on the studio flash. Mainly available in two variants, paraly with white transparent fabric that you let the flash light pass through or umbrellas that you bounce the light against. Choose between a standard umbrella that spreads the light widely and evenly or an umbrella with a deep shape that provides a slightly more directed light.

Via a bluetooth bridge, all Elinchrom studio flashes can be controlled via smartphone or computer using the Elinchrom Studio Software, a software and app that can be downloaded for free. This bluetooth function is built into the latest battery-powered studio flashes from Elinchrom and for flashes without built-in bluetooth there is a module, Elinchrom Bridge, which can be purchased at a low cost.