# Flashpoint 620M.. Anyone have personal experience?



## D-B-J (Nov 1, 2010)

I'm looking to grab a reasonably good (nothing over 500) flash setup for portraiture, stills, etc.  Is this good? Does anyone have personal experience? I plan to use this for indoor and outdoor portraiture, stills, stop-motion shots(turning on the lathe), etc.  I was thinking a hotshoe flash would be good, but there's not enough power, and i already have two of those anyway. 

Any shots taken with these? That would be greatly helpful!


http://www.adorama.com/FP620MPWK.html


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## D-B-J (Nov 1, 2010)

FPIRR Flashpoint Infra Red Remote Trigger, Triggers Monolights or any Flash with a Slave Attached or Built-in, Active Range about 30'.

and this to remotely trigger, so i dont have to worry about being wired.


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## mwcfarms (Nov 1, 2010)

I have heard not too go infra red trigger but to go radio if your going to spend money. Only input I can give. This was from a lighting seminar I just took.


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## D-B-J (Nov 1, 2010)

why not use infrared? Like is there a particular reason?  And what would you suggest to use in lieu of the infrared?


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## mwcfarms (Nov 1, 2010)

So I have NO working experience with this at all other than the infra red triggering system of my D90 and flashes off camera. But at a lighting seminar I went to a couple weeks ago this is what he told us. 

Infra red you have to have line of sight. And in bright sunlight it can fail so if all possible go with radio triggers. Yes they are more money but if you can't afford it right away save up and save yourself the headache of infra red. Someone with more experience could chime in here.


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## D-B-J (Nov 1, 2010)

please someone else chime in. I need all the info i can get.


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## D-B-J (Nov 4, 2010)

nothing...?


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## Derrel (Nov 4, 2010)

The M-series Flashpoint monolights have the option of being powered with the battery system Adorama has developed; that option makes these lights cost considerably more than the 110-volt AV models they have sold for over a decade.

I have read several reviews of the Flashpoint monolights over the last seven or eight years, including one by a Shutterbug magazine photog whose opinion I trust. Looking at the specifications and the prices of the monolights themselves, plus the price of auxillary fittings, these make a lot of sense to me as a very priced right kind of option; not too cheap, and nottoo expensive. I actually have recommended their "older" series models (which are themselves the second-generation Flashpoints), the standard II series models, for the past several years. Currently, their base-model lowest power unit is selling for $99, or $129 with a shorter stand and an umbrella...

For $99, an AC-powered 150 watt-second monolight seems to me to be a simply fantastic way to get into studio lighting, with a VERY affordable price and the ability to buy a three-light setup with three matched lights for under $400. So, to me, the question really is, "is the M-series model two-light set worth the price over a three-light setup for 3 x $129?"

The price of a Paul C. Buff Vagabond or an Innovatronix Tronix Explorer 1200 or XT sine wave inverter is one way to get future on-location power with the standard, II-series lights. The two-light M-series kit for $439 or so is an okay deal but you are paying a price for the dual power option of wall power or battery power, but the price does not reflect the cost of those location batteries, so....

I have most Speedotron lighting, but do have a JTL Chinese-made monolightm and have worked with Photogenic, Norman,White Lightning and the older Sunpak MS-series monolights over the decades; these Adorama lights strike me as a real value, but one that is marketed incredibly poorly. MOST flash makers, except for Profoto and Paul C. Buff Enterprises, market themselves very,very poorly compared to the bigger companies.


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## D-B-J (Nov 4, 2010)

It just seems to make sense to me to have the ability to eventually get a batter pack or two.  One day i'll need to shoot on location.  But then again, what about having one monolight, WITH a battery pack? So i could add fill on location.


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## D-B-J (Nov 4, 2010)

CowboyStudio Photography Lighting | Studio Equipment | Studio Accessories

With this as the backdrop setup? Trying to max it out at 600.


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## Derrel (Nov 4, 2010)

Fill lighting is best placed right near the lens axis,and aimed straight ahead at the subject, from as close to the camera-to-subject axis as is possible...meaning that FILL light can easily be provided by battery-powered flash right in the hot shoe, or on a bracket.

The main light source is almost always larger than a fill light source; the sky, a ceiling with a flash bounced off of it, or a large umbrella; the fill light can be a small, bare-tube flash, a speedlight flash, etc. Outdoors for location lighting, adding an umbrella to a fill light does almost nothing to soften the light, since the main light is often quite large--like the entire sky vs a 45 inch umbrella...the sky wins, every time...

So...no...I do not see much value in a single monolight + battery pack as being a better value than two, AC-powered monolights for studio work or location shooting either. Fill light can easily be a shoe-mount or potato-masher flash gun. The $113 background system looks okay, but keep in mind it's only 5 feet wide...that's a rather tight background to wok on. How long is the crossbar? You will appreciate havinjg wider backgrounds, like 9 footers, versus a 5 foot wide background....that is very difficult to work with in many situations....five feet is not very wide...


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## D-B-J (Nov 4, 2010)

CowboyStudio Photography Lighting | Studio Equipment | Studio Accessories


So then this would better suit me for a background?  You are right, five feet is not that wide.  And for an extra ten dollars, i can get a bigger backdrop.  I dont need the green chroma right now, so thats superfluous.  Thanks for all your comments!  They are hugely helpful. 

and i do agree that one with a battery pack is not as useful as two to use in a studio type setting.  Thaanks again!


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## Derrel (Nov 4, 2010)

Thanks for the thanks, I appreciate it, and I am always glad to help. Having a wider backdrop to work with is ALWAYS an aid to easier,more flexible shooting. And you are right--chromakey green is not essential; many top shooters are pretty good at using dark gray as a background, and selecting the gray tone,and replacing that with any other type of backdrop. It works pretty well!

One area where the cheaper, non-name brand lighting gear is pretty good is in the area of background stands and telescoping or bolt-together background support kits. THis is an area where the engineering is very 1990's-like, and every factory in China and Taiwan and Malaysia that makes these kits does about the same thing...the workmanship on these kits is pretty much adequate,and for the price, these 3rd party companies have almost killed Manfrotto/Bogen off in this two stands and a crossbar part of the grip segment.


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## D-B-J (Nov 4, 2010)

so what you are saying is that a cheaper backdrop setup, such as the cowboy studio one, is actually relatively smart?


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