- Flash units are those that either fit on the hot shoe of your camera or mount on stands for off-camera use.
- Strobes are just fancy named flash units that are larger than the flash units that mount on your camera. Strobes are usually set on stands and have wired or wireless radio units that fire, when the camera shutter is pressed.
- Continuous lighting is just that. Instead of firing a flash of light, the lights stay on continuously, lighting your subject. Continuous lights come in both old-style, hot incandescent and modern, cool fluorescent.
Regardless of the style lights that are used, their purpose is to light the subject so that the best color and detail can be shot with your camera. You have to balance your budget with your lighting needs.
- Flash units are made by a variety of manufacturers for your specific camera type. Some can be triggered by wireless units or can have master-slave set-ups are are triggered optically. Check your camera manufacturer's web sites for recommendations.
- Strobes tend to provide more light than flash units but may be only a bit more expensive than high-end hot-shoe flash units. Elinchrom lights are highly recommended. I have seen them in action and some models, like the BXRi, have built-in wireless triggers.
- Continuous lights take much of the guess-work out of lighting arrangements, since you see the subject lighted, as your camera will see it. I use Westcott Spiderlight TD6's for my studio lights.
I never said the hobby was inexpensive. Purchases can get pricey, especially if you are going pro.
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