Need advise on my first strobe

[shinshin]

Hi,

Ive just gotten a TG7 but i have no clue which strobe to get for it.

I mainly do photography, maybe the occasional video if the subject is interesting enough.

I am deciding between the backscatter MF2 with the optical snoot and the AOI Q1 RC

I narrowed down my choice to these 2 strobes mainly because they are some of the best value in the price range and they both have support for RC. (Not sure if i should care about RC support or if RC is even useful)

Im considering the Q1 RC because its slightly cheaper than the MF2 and it might be better than the MF2 in small-medium sized wide scenes. I could also get an adaptor to get the backscatter optical snoot to work on the Q1 or just get a non optical snoot for the Q1

I'm also open to considering other strobes such as the backscatter HF1.

TLDR:

does RC matter?
backscatter MF2 vs AOI Q1 RC
optical snoot vs non optical snoot
any other strobes i should consider?

 

[Deitsch]

Are you planning on shooting more macro or wide-angle or both? The Backscatter MF2 and the AOI Q1 RC are both better suited for macro. They don't really have the power necessary to light up a large scene like a reef or a big animal like a turtle, shark, etc.

If you want to shoot wide-angle, you would be better off with the HF1. Check out this article on a review of the HF-1: Backscatter HF-1 Strobe Review

I also wrote a review of the TG7 with MF-2 which you might find useful. In that article, I specifically mention that that MF-2's restricted my ability to do much with wide angle and I also show what is possible when you attach a better strobe to a TG7. That article is here: OM System TG7 with Backscatter Mini Flash 2 Review

 

[shinshin]

I am more interested in macro but would love to ability to causally shoot wide too if something cool swims by.

 

[vkalia]

I have recently picked up the Q1 RC to pair with a compact system i am putting together for renting out to divers.

It’s useful little strobe and honestly, the GN of 22 or whatever it is is quite decent - I spent 2 decades shooting Inon Z240s with a similar guide number and rarely used them at max power, but i rarely shoot anything where the subject is more than a meter or two away. That said, the Q1 has a significantly lower angle of coverage for the same illumination (you need a diffuser to get it to 85 degrees), so it certainly is a weaker strobe than the Z240. So you will need to be a bit careful with your light positioning or look into getting a second strobe (which generally is a good idea for anything involving wide angle anyway).

The Backscatter MF2 has a slightly wider angle of coverage at 100 degrees - but at a GN of 16, is over a stop dimmer (which will be noticeable even with a diffuser). But it has a better set of accessories for shooting macro.

So if macro is the goal, I’d go with the MF2s and if you do plan to shoot wide angle, I’d get the Q1 with the expectation of adding a second one later. Fairuz @ DiveSea in Singapore stocks both - you can go have a chat with him about both (and tell him Vinnie says hi).

PS: Re RC - I have never bothered with TTL and always shot manual exposure, manual strobes. It’s surprisingly easy and you rarely have to twiddle with the settings much. Once you use it a bit, you know exactly what power to set it to to match subject distance and aperture.

Eg, shot with a constantly changing subject distance and angle, all manual:

 

[bvanant]

I have both. I think there are now a few more entries into that world, Fotocore Ikelite now has a small RC strobe. RC mode is not something I use most of the time but if you are doing black water it is enormously useful
Bill