Lighting speed: HDRi or Iray points and spots?

RenderPretender

In terms of lighting speed/efficiency, what to most feel is the best: HDRi lighting, or Iray point and spot lights? I'm trying to base my light set purchases on practical considerations due to harware limitations.

Thank you!

3Diva

Personally, I've always found HDRIs much faster - both as far as render times go as well as scene set-up. :)

For scenes inside buildings, it's easy to either hide the roof and/or off camera walls, or use Iray Section Plane Nodes, or use HeroineAdventure's Iray Interior Camera: https://www.deviantart.com/heroineadventures/art/Iray-Interior-Camera-V1-4-758604718

Those options will let the HDRI light into the scene. :)