best to buy?

[greeneggsnsam]

I amloking at a studio lighting kit but have found that there is A LOT of choices with watts...
Does the wattage from 540w to 900w make a huge difference (other than price?) or is there a major reason for the differences?
I have mostly done my photos outdoors and am looking to expand. I have had some people ask for boudiour photos so a softer light (the lower wattage) I think would be best...??

[SusanH1970]

Here's a thread that was posted not too long ago from someone looking for recommendations on what to start out with. Hope this helps.

What Studio Lighting to Buy?

[Murtasma]

The bulb wattage will determine your shutter speed. In order to get proper exposure from a 500 watt bulb compared to a 1000 watt bulb with all things being equal between the shots your shutter speed will be longer when using a 500 watt bulb.

The wattage of the bulb really has no effect on the softness of the light. The softness is controlled by distance to the subject and size of the light source (can be changed by using soft boxes, umberallas, barn doors, grids etc.)