A question I get often on workshops is why not use continuous lights instead of flash like a SB-5000 speed light? Continuous lights versus flash, what are the pros and cons?
I use both lights in my photography, and they each have things they do well. Continuous lights provide constant illumination so you can see what you are getting for light and shadows, easy exposure and no flash sync, just blaze away. Flash is a pop of light that can freeze action by its duration (think hummingbird wings), and also allows you to easily overpower midday light because the burst is so strong. If I want to overpower bright sun with a large soft box, I am using flash, probably a 500-1000watt strobe. Strobes have to be synced to your camera and shutter speed.
But continuous lights are great for many things, and the Rotolight Neo 3 is both a continuous light and a flash. This unit is small, and puts out a decent amount of light. This version has a touch LCD screen on the back, and the ability to switch colors to almost anything you can imagine, or set it to a specific kelvin. This light comes with a small diffusion dome that can soften the light and the shadows it produces. What’s more, this light can function as a flash as well and works seamlessly with the Elinchrom Skyport system. High speed flash is available using this setup. Full disclosure, I have not used this light for flash yet, I have plenty of speedlights and strobes when I want to use flash. But it might be handy if you don’t want to bring an extra speed light with you. And this light has built in wifi connectivity to an app so you can control the light right from your phone. For power the Neo 3 has a rechargeable battery. Lots of features packed into this light.
How do I use this light? It’s great to add some light in dark interiors, illuminate macro subjects and add sparkle to flowers. Last year in Costa Rica we used the Rotolight to add light to our macro subjects including frogs and reptiles. Our guides said flash would scare the animals (not easy chasing a tiny dart frog), while a constant light would work just fine…and it did. Adding a little catchlight to the eyes and specular highlights to the body helped with color and contrast in the deep shadows. This light is great for small still life scenes where you want to add a little light…say a food scene or maybe a small interior by bouncing the light off the ceiling.
Is this light for you? Right now this light is on sale for $200, a pretty good deal. You get a very powerful combo continuous/strobe lighting unit loaded with features and a nice touch screen interface. Don’t expect to create super soft light on a model (remember light softness is directly tied to how large the source is and how far from subject…ie that’s why we use large soft boxes with powerful strobes). But this light is very handy for small scenes and macro photography. I’m planning on bringing mine again this year to Costa Rica for macro photography.