Photography Monolights & Strobes

Monolights & Strobes

Why use a monolight?

Monolights are the preferred studio lighting for many professional photographers. They’re generally brighter than continuous lights, allowing you to use narrower apertures, lower ISOs, and shoot at faster speeds for sharper images.

Because your camera’s internal meter won’t work with strobe lights, it's a good idea to shoot in manual mode and use a light meter for accurate, predictable results. There are many modifiers available for monolights as well, including a softbox, beauty dish, and snoot.

Selecting a monolight

With so many monolights on the market, it's important to consider a few key points before you choose a lighting kit: budget, features, and brand.

Budget

Monolights are available across all price ranges, but most models fall into the midrange tier. Start by determining the budget you can comfortably work with and then select the best features in that range.

Features

At its most basic, a monolight should have an optical slave sensor, let you adjust power output settings, and allow for modifier attachments. More intricate monolights will have built-in radio transmitters for wireless syncing from cameras and across multiple lights.

Recycling time is important for fast-paced studio settings. Some lights recycle faster, so they’re ready to flash over and over again without waiting. Most monolights require direct power from an outlet, but high-end models are rechargeable with internal lithium batteries. As you shop for a lighting kit, it's a good idea to know which features matter most to you.

Brands

Adorama carries all of the industry-standard top brands for studio lighting. From Godox, Flashpoint, and Hensel, to Broncolor, Profoto, and Photogenic, we’ve got your monolight needs covered.

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