How Much Strobe Power Do You Need for Studio Lighting
Most studio work requires between 200 and 600 watt-seconds. Your specific needs depend on the light modifiers used and your preferred working aperture.
StingPhotography · free photography reference
Photography, by the numbers.
Calculators and a searchable database of 1,850 cameras, 1,000 lenses, 800 film stocks, golden-hour times for 650 cities and field guides for 608 species — every figure computed from published specs and physics.
Calculators
All tools
Depth of fieldNear/far sharpness & hyperfocal for any lens.Golden hourGolden & blue hour for your GPS position.ExposureEquivalent exposures & EV.ND filterLong exposures with a countdown timer.NPF / 500 ruleSharp stars, every time.Crop factorFull-frame equivalents.Print sizePixels to inches & cm.All 12 toolsField of view, time-lapse, flash…
Explore the database
1,850CamerasSensor sizes, crop factors, lens equivalents and DoF for every model.1,000LensesEquivalents on every format, bokeh index and compatible bodies.87Lens mounts & adaptersFlange distances and 300 adapter combinations.800Film stocksISO, process, formats, exposure and push/pull.650Golden hour cities12-month light tables for cities worldwide.608Wildlife guidesLens, settings and season for birds & mammals.369DoF tablesEvery focal length × aperture × format.323EXIF tagsMetadata reference with ExifTool & Python.
Camera settings cheat sheets
All 55- Milky Way photographyf/1.4–f/2.8 · 10–25 s
- Fireworksf/8–f/11 · 2–8 s
- Outdoor portraitsf/1.8–f/2.8 · 1/250 s+
- Sunset photographyf/8–f/11 · As metered
- Silky waterfallsf/8–f/16 · 1/4–2 s
- Birds in flight1/2500–1/4000 s · f/6.3–f/8
- Northern lights (aurora)f/1.4–f/2.8 · 1–8 s
- Outdoor sports1/1000–1/2000 s · f/2.8–f/5.6
Wildlife field guides
608 species
MallardDucks, Geese, and Swans
Great Blue HeronHerons, Egrets, and Bitterns
American RobinThrushes
Canada GooseDucks, Geese, and Swans
White-tailed DeerDeer
Northern CardinalCardinals and Allies
Eastern Gray SquirrelSquirrels
Red-tailed HawkHawks, Eagles, and Kites
House FinchFinches, Euphonias, and Allies
House SparrowOld World Sparrows Popular references
Latest articles
Best Portable Battery Strobes for Location Shoots
The Profoto B10X Plus stands out as the best portable strobe for its 500Ws output and reliable TTL performance, balancing power with a compact build.
Are Monolights Worth Buying Over Pack-and-Head Kits
Monolights offer superior flexibility for most photographers, while pack-and-head systems excel in high-volume studios. Choose based on your workflow.
Studio Strobes vs Speedlights for Portraits
Choosing between a studio strobe and a speedlight depends on your power needs. Strobes offer 500+ watt-seconds, while speedlights prioritize portability.
Do You Need a Flash Bracket for a Speedlight
You don't need a flash bracket for every shoot, but it's essential for consistent, professional light placement during high-volume event photography.
Best Flash for Outdoor Fill Light and Power Requirements
The best flash for outdoor fill light depends on your power needs, but 200Ws to 600Ws units are standard for overcoming harsh, direct midday sunlight.
Open data, transparent math
Specifications are merged from 14 public sources — Wikipedia, Wikidata, Lensfun, openMVG, GeoNames, iNaturalist, ExifTool and more — then every derived number (crop factor, depth of field, NPF rule, print size, sun position) is calculated with documented formulas. How we calculate · All sources
7,051pages
1,850cameras
1,000lenses
650cities
14open sources