Why would a photographer choose a single-head 1200Ws flash?

Asked 7/7/2021

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I understand the idea of a 1200Ws flash pack, but I’m not clear on why someone would specifically want a high-power single-head unit like the Godox AD1200 instead of a pack that can split power across multiple heads. What kinds of shooting situations benefit from putting all that power into one head?

high-speed-sync godox location-lighting flash studio-lighting

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

2 Answers

I am not sure which direction your question aims at, but as a use-case for a single head high-power strobe, photos in bright daylight come to mind.

In certain scenarios using a flash to provide fill in shots against the sun, especially if you want to use a large softbox or reflex dish, you will need all the power you can get.

Also if you need to use HSS to balance ambient light in bright light with open aperture, the available power will get reduced greatly. A 600 W∙s strobe might then already be too low in output for outdoor shooting. So you have some extra wiggling space regarding power. You could of course circumvent this scenario by use of an ND filter.

Originally by user88965. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user88965

5y ago

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A single-head 1200Ws flash is mainly useful when you need a lot of light from one source rather than spreading it across several heads.

Common reasons include:

Bright daylight fill or overpowering the sun: especially outdoors when using a large softbox or reflector dish.
HSS use: high-speed sync reduces effective flash output, so extra watt-seconds help keep the flash practical for wide-aperture daylight shooting.
Battery-powered location work: units like the AD1200 are designed for portability, with no mains cable, making them convenient on location.
Large modifiers, greater distance, or bigger subjects/groups: more power helps when light has to cover a wider area or travel farther.
Faster recycling at lower power settings: a more powerful strobe can be run below maximum while still giving strong output.
Very low-ISO processes: some alternative film/plate workflows need unusually high light levels.

So the advantage isn’t just “more total power”; it’s having that power available from one portable head when a single strong light source is exactly what the shot requires.

Why would a photographer choose a single-head 1200Ws flash?

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