Is a zoom head important for off-camera flash?

[SamHH]

Is a zoom head important for off-camera flash?

Do you ever need to control the light by zooming? Or does moving the flash towards and away from the subject (or the modifier) do the same thing?

 

[Jayst84]

A zoom head gives you far more options. Moving the flash will change the quality of the light, anyway.

 

[HoppyUK]

The main advantage of a zoom head is to increase the effective power of the gun. By narrowing the beam, the light is concentrated and brightness is increased by two or three stops (4x to 8x brighter).

There are other advantages, but that's the main one.

Edit: yes, moving the gun forward basically has the same effect.

 

[SamHH]

A zoom head gives you far more options. Moving the flash will change the quality of the light, anyway.

Thanks. What are the options it gives you? Are you saying that moving the flash will do the same thing as zooming, or that it won't?

 

[SamHH]

The main advantage of a zoom head is to increase the effective power of the gun. By narrowing the beam, the light is concentrated and brightness is increased by two or three stops (4x to 8x brighter).

There are other advantages, but that's the main one.

Edit: yes, moving the gun forward basically has the same effect.

Thanks.