studio lighting: experience and advice
Aug 20, 2017 17:02:16 #
Aug 20, 2017 17:25:56 #
4OX wrote:
so which lights/remotes do you own?
The "quote reply" option will let us know which post you are responding to.
Me, I use Phottix remotes with my Bowens monolights and with my Nikon speedlights.
Aug 20, 2017 19:47:43 #
Just some "FYI" for those who are interested.
For portraiture and many kinds of clinical photography, this issue of consistent and matching color temperature can be a critical factor in the final photographic results.
Most electronic flash units will yield a color temperature, approximating daylight, in the 5600 Kelvin range. the original kelvin temperature evaluation is based on heating metallic (usually tungsten) filaments (black body radiators) to the point where the glow to levels where they become red hot, then white hot and eventually blue hot. In electronic flash operation, the generation of light and the resulting color temperature is dependent on the ionization of gasses within the flash tube when a pulse of high voltage is applied to the tube's electrodes upon synchronization with the camera's shutter. As the input power to the tube is varied, to raise and lower the flash's output, the color temperature usually varies or fluctuates as the power settings change. This is not necessarily problematic if you are using one single flash unit as you main and only light source and/or do not vary the power, in that you can establish a workable preset or custom white balance to accommodate such a fixed unit. Once however, you introduce multiple lighting setups and need to vary the power to control not only exposure but lighting ratios, mismatched color temperatures a can cause significant quality control problems in color balance.
In most electronic flash equipment the power variation is accomplished by lowering and raising the voltages in the unit's power supply or switching the electrolytic capacitors in and out of the circuit. This causes the variation in color temperature and also can effect the flash duration. Theses circuits are an economical ways of building flash units with adjustable power settings.
The Pual C. Buff equipment that was recommended by Floyd and others, incorporate a specialized circuitry that enables power adjustment while, maintaining a constant color temperature. Theses units are very well engineered and constructed and are very good value for the investment. There are other high powered/high end units, made by other manufacturers, that feature color temperature stabilization but the are sold at price points many times higher than the Einsteins.
In a multiple lighting setup, if there are significant differentials in color temperature, a gremlin called color-crossover occurs. It manifests itself in a number of ways like having opposing color values in the highlight and shadows. You may have blue or cyan in the shadows and red or yellow in the highlights. When you correct for one color shift in editing, the other one worsens. It can also be a magenta/green crossover. This does not bode well ff you need natural and vibrant skin tones, white teeth (in the smile) and accurate hair color. Speedlights with thyristor automatic or TTL exposure dedication are all over the place as to flash duration and color temperature.
Mono-lights with modeling lamps are rather indispensable when it comes to the aesthetics of portraiture or clinical imaging. A misplaced shadow or highlight washing down a subject's face can distort likenesses and obscure important details. It is important for the photographer to be able to carefully observe the lighting on the mask of the subject's face.
More tips- to maintain color temperature accuracy, the fabric used in light modifiers such as umbrellas and soft boxes should be matched, of the same make and model and well maintained as to cleanliness. They can become dirty and yellowed with age. The 250 watt quartz modeling laps in many units are quite bright. If a too slow shutter speed is used, some of the incandescent light can mix in with the flash. Some portrait photographers like a bit of additional warmth but in critical work, our old friend crossover may occur- set your shutter speed accordingly and within your camera's sync limitations.
I hop this helps.
For portraiture and many kinds of clinical photography, this issue of consistent and matching color temperature can be a critical factor in the final photographic results.
Most electronic flash units will yield a color temperature, approximating daylight, in the 5600 Kelvin range. the original kelvin temperature evaluation is based on heating metallic (usually tungsten) filaments (black body radiators) to the point where the glow to levels where they become red hot, then white hot and eventually blue hot. In electronic flash operation, the generation of light and the resulting color temperature is dependent on the ionization of gasses within the flash tube when a pulse of high voltage is applied to the tube's electrodes upon synchronization with the camera's shutter. As the input power to the tube is varied, to raise and lower the flash's output, the color temperature usually varies or fluctuates as the power settings change. This is not necessarily problematic if you are using one single flash unit as you main and only light source and/or do not vary the power, in that you can establish a workable preset or custom white balance to accommodate such a fixed unit. Once however, you introduce multiple lighting setups and need to vary the power to control not only exposure but lighting ratios, mismatched color temperatures a can cause significant quality control problems in color balance.
In most electronic flash equipment the power variation is accomplished by lowering and raising the voltages in the unit's power supply or switching the electrolytic capacitors in and out of the circuit. This causes the variation in color temperature and also can effect the flash duration. Theses circuits are an economical ways of building flash units with adjustable power settings.
The Pual C. Buff equipment that was recommended by Floyd and others, incorporate a specialized circuitry that enables power adjustment while, maintaining a constant color temperature. Theses units are very well engineered and constructed and are very good value for the investment. There are other high powered/high end units, made by other manufacturers, that feature color temperature stabilization but the are sold at price points many times higher than the Einsteins.
In a multiple lighting setup, if there are significant differentials in color temperature, a gremlin called color-crossover occurs. It manifests itself in a number of ways like having opposing color values in the highlight and shadows. You may have blue or cyan in the shadows and red or yellow in the highlights. When you correct for one color shift in editing, the other one worsens. It can also be a magenta/green crossover. This does not bode well ff you need natural and vibrant skin tones, white teeth (in the smile) and accurate hair color. Speedlights with thyristor automatic or TTL exposure dedication are all over the place as to flash duration and color temperature.
Mono-lights with modeling lamps are rather indispensable when it comes to the aesthetics of portraiture or clinical imaging. A misplaced shadow or highlight washing down a subject's face can distort likenesses and obscure important details. It is important for the photographer to be able to carefully observe the lighting on the mask of the subject's face.
More tips- to maintain color temperature accuracy, the fabric used in light modifiers such as umbrellas and soft boxes should be matched, of the same make and model and well maintained as to cleanliness. They can become dirty and yellowed with age. The 250 watt quartz modeling laps in many units are quite bright. If a too slow shutter speed is used, some of the incandescent light can mix in with the flash. Some portrait photographers like a bit of additional warmth but in critical work, our old friend crossover may occur- set your shutter speed accordingly and within your camera's sync limitations.
I hop this helps.
Aug 20, 2017 20:01:23 #
4OX wrote:
I do intend to use the strobes outdoors. I don't know which lights art "strong enough"?
Norman makes a very powerful and small "speedlight" that puts out 400ws - but it ain't cheap, and it is not designed for mounting in a Flash shoe.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/38131-REG/Norman_810809_400_W_S_Portable_Battery.html
And for a less costly but still pretty powerful solution you may want to check out the Quantum Instruments Qflash Model T5D-R, at 150ws.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/398528-REG/Quantum_Instruments_QFT5D_R_Qflash_Model_T5D_R.html
Here are a few more, but I can't recommend them as I have no first hand experience with them.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081644-REG/bolt_vb_22_bare_bulb_flash_with.html - 360ws
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1026670-REG/interfit_str200_proflash_180_w_s_flash.html - 180ws
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1341889-REG/godox_adk360iin_ttl_witstro_flash_kit.html - 360ws
http://www.cheetahstand.com/product-p/cl-360xn.htm - 360ws
Don't believe the nonsense that speedlights max out at 80ws. They don't.
This is a great video tutorial that offers some guidance on what kind of light you may want. My guess is that you may end up with a few different types.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpbiUvXDB5U
Aug 20, 2017 20:02:14 #
How does flash lighting power variation bring about color temperature variation?
You write: "In electronic flash operation, the generation of light and the resulting color temperature is dependent on the ionization of gasses within the flash tube."
And you also write: "As the input power to the tube is varied, to raise and lower the flash's output, the color temperature usually varies or fluctuates as the power settings change."
Are you saying that the ionization produces a lower Kelvin output when the input power drops? If so, I've never heard of this effect before.
Please clarify.
You write: "In electronic flash operation, the generation of light and the resulting color temperature is dependent on the ionization of gasses within the flash tube."
And you also write: "As the input power to the tube is varied, to raise and lower the flash's output, the color temperature usually varies or fluctuates as the power settings change."
Are you saying that the ionization produces a lower Kelvin output when the input power drops? If so, I've never heard of this effect before.
Please clarify.
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
Just some "FYI" for those who are intere... (show quote)
Aug 20, 2017 22:18:17 #
Wow! I've watched DAYS of YouTube videos and haven't come across your information...I totally get it. Thank you.
Aug 20, 2017 22:20:20 #
Aug 20, 2017 23:17:48 #
FYI
A typical camera flash tube, removed from its housing, looks like a miniature neon light.
A typical camera flash tube, removed from its housing, looks like a miniature neon light.
A basic camera flash system, like you would find in a point-and-shoot camera, has three major parts.
A small battery, which serves as the power supply
A gas discharge tube, which actually produces the flash
A circuit (made up of a number of electrical components), which connects the power supply to the discharge tube
The two components on the ends of the system are very simple. When you hook up a battery's two terminals to a circuit, the battery forces electrons to flow through the circuit from one terminal to the other. The moving electrons, or current, provides energy to the various things connected to the circuit (see How Batteries Work for more information.
The discharge tube is a lot like a neon light or fluorescent lamp. It consists of a tube filled with xenon gas, with electrodes on either end and a metal trigger plate at the middle of the tube.
The tube sits in front of the trigger plate.
The tube sits in front of the trigger plate.
The trigger plate is hidden by reflective material, which directs the flash light forward.
The trigger plate is hidden by reflective material, which directs the flash light forward.
The basic idea is to conduct electrical current -- to move free electrons -- through the gas in the tube, from one electrode to the other. As the free electrons move, they energize xenon atoms, causing the atoms to emit visible light photons (see How Light Works for details on how atoms generate photons).
You can't do this with the gas in its normal state, because it has very few free electrons -- that is, nearly all the electrons are bonded to atoms, so there are almost no charged particles in the gas. To make the gas conductive, you have to introduce free electrons into the mix.
Another camera flash tube design: In this curved tube, the trigger plate is attached directly to the glass on the tube.
Another camera flash tube design: In this curved tube, the trigger plate is attached directly to the glass on the tube. This is the metal trigger plate's job. If you briefly apply a high positive voltage (electromotive force) to this plate, it will exert a strong attraction on the negatively charged electrons in the atoms. If this attraction is strong enough, it will pull the electrons free from the atoms. The process of removing an atom's electrons is called ionization.
The free electrons have a negative charge, so once they are free, they will move toward the positively charged terminal and away from the negatively charged terminal. As the electrons move, they collide with other atoms, causing these atoms to lose electrons as well, further ionizing the gas. The speeding electrons collide with xenon atoms, which become energized and generate light (see How Fluorescent Lamps Work for more information).
To accomplish this, you need relatively high voltage (electrical "pressure"). It takes a couple hundred volts to move electrons between the two electrodes, and you need a few thousand volts to introduce enough free electrons to make the gas conductive.
I hope this explains IONIZATION.
A typical camera flash tube, removed from its housing, looks like a miniature neon light.
A typical camera flash tube, removed from its housing, looks like a miniature neon light.
A basic camera flash system, like you would find in a point-and-shoot camera, has three major parts.
A small battery, which serves as the power supply
A gas discharge tube, which actually produces the flash
A circuit (made up of a number of electrical components), which connects the power supply to the discharge tube
The two components on the ends of the system are very simple. When you hook up a battery's two terminals to a circuit, the battery forces electrons to flow through the circuit from one terminal to the other. The moving electrons, or current, provides energy to the various things connected to the circuit (see How Batteries Work for more information.
The discharge tube is a lot like a neon light or fluorescent lamp. It consists of a tube filled with xenon gas, with electrodes on either end and a metal trigger plate at the middle of the tube.
The tube sits in front of the trigger plate.
The tube sits in front of the trigger plate.
The trigger plate is hidden by reflective material, which directs the flash light forward.
The trigger plate is hidden by reflective material, which directs the flash light forward.
The basic idea is to conduct electrical current -- to move free electrons -- through the gas in the tube, from one electrode to the other. As the free electrons move, they energize xenon atoms, causing the atoms to emit visible light photons (see How Light Works for details on how atoms generate photons).
You can't do this with the gas in its normal state, because it has very few free electrons -- that is, nearly all the electrons are bonded to atoms, so there are almost no charged particles in the gas. To make the gas conductive, you have to introduce free electrons into the mix.
Another camera flash tube design: In this curved tube, the trigger plate is attached directly to the glass on the tube.
Another camera flash tube design: In this curved tube, the trigger plate is attached directly to the glass on the tube. This is the metal trigger plate's job. If you briefly apply a high positive voltage (electromotive force) to this plate, it will exert a strong attraction on the negatively charged electrons in the atoms. If this attraction is strong enough, it will pull the electrons free from the atoms. The process of removing an atom's electrons is called ionization.
The free electrons have a negative charge, so once they are free, they will move toward the positively charged terminal and away from the negatively charged terminal. As the electrons move, they collide with other atoms, causing these atoms to lose electrons as well, further ionizing the gas. The speeding electrons collide with xenon atoms, which become energized and generate light (see How Fluorescent Lamps Work for more information).
To accomplish this, you need relatively high voltage (electrical "pressure"). It takes a couple hundred volts to move electrons between the two electrodes, and you need a few thousand volts to introduce enough free electrons to make the gas conductive.
I hope this explains IONIZATION.
Aug 20, 2017 23:36:59 #
OK, anybody familiar with the Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS TTL Battery-Powered Monolight? Looks amazing!
Aug 21, 2017 05:59:27 #
4OX wrote:
OK, anybody familiar with the Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS TTL Battery-Powered Monolight? Looks amazing!
My experience with Adorama house brand products is that the are quite cheap and cheaply made, usually from China. I don't have firsthand experience with this specific item, but I did find a review:
HSS https://www.slrlounge.com/flashpoint-godox-xplor-600-hss-ttl-full-review/
If you are going down the road of a monolight, as others have suggested, you will get the best bang for your buck with a Paul C Buff Einstein E640 for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is tight color control at all power settings. They have a Vagabond Mini for individual lights, and they have a Vagabond Lithium Extreme which can power multiple lights.
If you think you need HSS and prefer a fully cordless system, and don't mind spending a lot of time in post processing correcting white balance and tint issues, the Flashpoint/Godox will be what you want. If you don't need HSS, and don't mind an external battery and it's cord, then the E640 is the better light. The Flashpoint has great features, but may fall short in the color accuracy department. I think if you use a ColorChecker Passport and use no more than two lights, you should be able to provide neutral color using it's dual illuminant profile capability.
Aug 21, 2017 06:36:17 #
anotherview wrote:
How does flash lighting power variation bring abou... (show quote)
The color of light produced by a flash tube changes with the voltage applied. Tubes are fired by discharging a capacitor across the tube and for a full power flash the voltage goes from maximum down to.zero. Very blue light during the first half, and brigjhtest part, of the flash and becoming more red as the voltage and brightness are reduced. A full power shot gets the whole range of color.
Speedlights reduce flash power by disconnecting the capacitor before it is totally discharged, which cuts off some of the more reddish light at lower voltages. That also makes a very short flash duration at low power,.
Strobe lights control power output by initially charging the capacitor to a lowet voltage, and letting it discharge to zero on every shot. So the low voltage red light is always there but the bluest ligjt is only there for full power shots.
Aug 21, 2017 11:46:35 #
Good morning. Thank you for the technical description of how flash lighting works by ionization. I'd read something like it before but you provided more information on process.
Earlier, I posed this question: "Are you saying that the ionization produces a lower Kelvin output when the input power drops?"
This variation of Kelvin would of course affect the subject by shifting its color when lit at a lower output from the speedlight.
Let me please say that when I had a portrait studio in my home, I typically used three speedlights (for key, fill, and hair), and I sometimes lowered the flash lighting output for best overall lighting of the subject. I never noticed a color shift.
I will appreciate your opinion on this facet of flash lighting using speedlights, where Kelvin varies with power output.
Earlier, I posed this question: "Are you saying that the ionization produces a lower Kelvin output when the input power drops?"
This variation of Kelvin would of course affect the subject by shifting its color when lit at a lower output from the speedlight.
Let me please say that when I had a portrait studio in my home, I typically used three speedlights (for key, fill, and hair), and I sometimes lowered the flash lighting output for best overall lighting of the subject. I never noticed a color shift.
I will appreciate your opinion on this facet of flash lighting using speedlights, where Kelvin varies with power output.
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
FYI br br br A typical camera flash tube, remo... (show quote)
Aug 21, 2017 16:14:40 #
Paul C Buff has excellent articles about studio flash on their website. One of the sections is about flash duration. They describe the constant color mode of the Einstein strobe and have charts that illustrate the characteristics of strobes that have IGBT circuitry and strobes that don't have the circuitry. Here is a link:
https://www.paulcbuff.com/sfe-flashduration.php
https://www.paulcbuff.com/sfe-flashduration.php
Aug 23, 2017 18:03:24 #
Apaflo's explanation of flash power's relationship to color temperature is right on! It is much more concise and understandable than what I excerpted in my post on ionization of gasses on the flash tube.
My experience with electronic flash is not as scientifically based although I have very long history as a user and part time repair guy- going back to the late 1950s. When I was working my way through photography school, apprenticing in a studio, I also took on a prat-time job at Speedlight Centre- a company that manufactured and serviced electronic flash equipment. My dad was a U.S. Navy trained radar technician and in civilian life operated a radio and television service business. Helping him in his in shop, I learned some basic test procedures, soldering techniques and enough savvy not to electrocute myself when dealing with high voltages. The folks at Speedlight Centre were short handed so they gave me a shot at working in their repair department doing relatively simple tests and repairs. I was and still am NOT a real TECHNICIAN nor would I ever qualify as anyone on an engineering level, however, my stint at the shop was a great learning experience in the areas of basic flash unit maintenance and applications and gave me some insights that certainly helped me as a photographer. There are many "bugs" that occur flash gear, some due to lack of maintenance and ageing of flash tubes that many photographers are not aware of until the arise as a problematic issue in there photographic results or some failure or malfunction in their flash equipment.
There is also many long standing mix-ups in nomenclature or terminology in the area of electronic flash that may cause confusion and oftentimes theses misconceptions lead to arguments and a bit of consternation in discussing flash issues especially in the areas of features and specifications that arise when folks are contemplating purchase of new or used flash gear. Simple ratings of output power are often misunderstood and even the names that have been assigned to various types of electronic flash gear can become a confusing issue. We all know that photographers have a never-ending repertoire of JARGON, acronyms, slang, buzzwords and colloquialisms and new additions to the list are added all the time. Let's start with a few common terms:
SPEEDLIGHT: there was a time when all electronic flash equipment, especially when compared to expendable FLASH LAMPS (flashbulbs) were called SPEEDLIGHTS. This moniker was based on their comparatively short flash duration especially when compared to expendable FLASH LAMPS (flash bulbs), many of which had very long durations to accommodate synchronization with focal plane shutters. Flash bulbs required an "M" (delayed) synchronization shutter mode where the shutter speed setting influenced the flash exposure settings as well as the aperture. There were graphs that illustrated the flash duration (in milliseconds) of each lamp type from the time of ignition- to the peak of output- through the decline of output and finally to the extinguishing and final burnout of the lamp. Electronic flash requires the "X" or (0) (zero delay) shutter sync mode- graphs showed an instantaneous peak of light. And...of course, the action-stopping capabilities of electronic flash, especially when it is the main light source all added to the use of the term SPEEDLIGHT.
A little more history. Very early electronic flash units incorporated the use of old fashioned oil filled capacitors, the predecessors of today's electrolytic models. Theses were of much less capacity than the modern versions. Capacity of theses "condensers are measured in micro farads (uF). The older models averaged around 30uF each where as the electrolytic ones, used in most of today's units, average about 225mF each. Theses are usually used in banks of more that one capacitor. So...the old oil filled capacitors required extremely high voltages in order to ionize the gasses in the flash tube and the energy emptied out at a faster rate. This resulted in extremely short flash durations like 1/100,000 sec. Theses kinds of durations could "freeze" a bullet leaving the muzzle of a firearm. Yet another good reason for the term SPEEDLIGHT. Oftentimes theses short durations were somewhat problematic in that they cause reciprocity law failure in many black and white films and color shifts in certain color films. There were special compensating (increased activity) developers for black and white films.
The NAME "SPEEDLIGHT has been adopted by at least one manufacturer to designate its flash unit models. Perhaps it is now a generic term.
Nowadays, the therm SPEEDLIGHT tends to apply to smaller one-piece self contained flash units that are usually mounted on the accessory (or hot) shoe atop the camera. Earlier models were manual or simple auto-flash types whereas today's better units are more sophisticated in that they are dedicated to many of the camera's TTL and other programmed and automated features. Most of the currently available units have enclosed non-interchangeable flash tubes and reflector configurations. There are a few more versatile models with user-changeable flash tubes and removable reflectors which enable bare bulb operation and more flexibility in modifier usage.
As Apaflo noted, most of theses so-called SPEEDLIGHTS are in the 80 watt-second range. Because of their compact size, there is a limitation in the physical space necessary to accommodate more than one major capacitor. Modern capacitors are somewhat miniaturized and more efficient than older configurations however there is just so much voltage and capacitance that can be packed into a smaller light weight unit. Another misconception is that the addition of an external battery pack can boost the output of some of theses units. Mostly, the external battery packs will increase the amount of flashes per charge and may slightly decrease the recycling time, however, they only enhance the LOW VOLTAGE side of the flash unit's circuitry by increasing the ampere/hour rating and may supply a bit more current to the existing battery configuration. There are a few modes that will accept an accessory battery pack that will actually increase the light output. Theses booster packs integrate with ht e HIGH VOLTAGE part of the circuitry and add additional capacitance. In theses cases, the unit must have a user replaceable and interchangeable flash tube and reflector setup. The small enclosed linear flash tubes in most "SPEEDLIGHTS" could not withstand the additional energy of a boosted power supply and the accompanying increase in heat. Conventional plug-in flash tubes are usually of a helical (spiral) or "U" shaped types which are enclosed enclosed in a ventilated non sealed envelope. Theses tubes are designed for more powerful inputs and better heat convention.
I am, in this last paragraph, making reference to accessory battery and booster packs NOT portable hand held units that are designed with external power supplies whereby all the power comes form the pack and only the flash head and perhaps the trigger circuit are in the flash head which also may be mounted on the camera's accessory shoe or otherwise by means of a bracket. Many of theses types of units are called STROBES, by many photographers. Well- I use that term too but is it technically a misnomer as well.
STROBE: Real STROBES are rapidly repeating flashes. They are used in scientific instrumentation, we see them used by auto mechanics to adjust engine timing, in rock-show stage lighting and atop emergency vehicles. Photographically speaking, stroboscopic light can be used to make motion studies and very interesting special effects. Strobes that are designed for photographic use can be adjusted at various frequencies of repetition. I think there are a few SPEEDLIGHTS with stroboscopic capabilities but the brand names escape me at the time of this writing. Constant use of this feature can shorten flash tube life significantly unless the unit is equipped with a heavy duty tube and is properly ventilated.
PORTABLES: Well- that's what I call my "SPEEDLIGHTS OR STROBES" that I use on location and event assignments such as weddings. YES! Some of theses pack quite a punch. Many photographer consider them "old school" but I still love and use them because they have so many advantages. These are the units with separate power supplies and lamp heads. When additional power is needed for bounced and modified lighting techniques or illuminating large areas- the oomph is there. Many of them go up to 400 watt-seconds and there are booster packs which go up to 1200 watt-seconds. I use the Lumadyne line of equipment which have interchangeable flash tubes and reflectors. I prefer spun aluminum or stippled parabolic reflectors to the rather small more highly polished metallic or "Mirror MYLAR" enclosed rectangular reflectors in most speedlights. I fine the parabolic reflectors will yield softer more even lighting without modifiers and I have the option of using wide angle or special telephoto reflectors when required. I like the ennoblement of bare bulb techniques. Some of my lamp heads have built in modeling lamps which can really come in handy when simulating portrait lighting on the fly or when working on darkened dance floors. I can many many full power, well into long receptions, without changing or recharging batteries. I use radio slaves for multiple lighting but if there is any kind of failure, my packs will power 2 lamp heads by hard wire.
Yes- there is the additional weight and bulk but today's power packs are much smaller and lighter that the ones of the olden days. My first units, made by Graphlex and Ascor were in the 10 to 15 pound range- what with giant dry or lead-acid batteries to lug around. I still have one shoulder lower that the other and the occasion ache and pain! Back in the day there were 15 or 20 manufacturers offering theses kinds of units in many models and price points. Nowadays, perhaps there are 3 or 4- Metz, Q-Flash, Lumadyne come to mind and I was pleased to see that Norman is still producing its 200 series- real workhorses.
STUDIO FLASH "Portables" are offshoots of the big studio power pack units. There are the big guns and are great for studio and location work where big power and versatility are reacquired. They are not cheap and not all that light weight. Speedotron and other make units powered up to the 4,200 watt-second range. There are a few studios that still have their old ASCOR banks, theses incorporated steamer trunk-like banks of capacitor booster units that powered multiple lamp heads up to 10,000 watt-seconds. One studio I visited specialized in automotive advertising and had one of theses systems with 10 lamp heads bounced off the ceiling and further diffused with yards of sailcloth sewn together. 24/ 7 diffused skylight on a cyclorama large enough to accommodate a transport truck! Awesome! "ASCOR", funny enough, stood for American SPEEDLIGHT Corporation- Just imagine a 10,000 watt-second speedlight!
Mono-Lights. Theses have many studio and location usages. There is a wide variety of brand names, price, points and features. Each unit is self contained and there is no need for high-voltage cables or centralized power packs. Most of theses types require AC power although some of the makers offer battery packs or automotive-power converters. These work well with a wide variety of reflectors, modifiers and grids. Many are equipped with ventilation fans for safe use with soft-boxes and other enclosed modifiers.
STUDIO LIGHTS. Theses were made and marketed by manufacturers like Photogenic, Ascor and a few others. The were kind of a hybrid of power pack and mono lights in that the power supply was mounted at the bottom of a heavy-duty light stand and the lamp head was atop the telescopic shaft.Theses units and systems were usually of very high quality and were favored by many experienced portrait photographers. The original photogenic Machine Company was a time honored producer of incandescent (tungsten) professional lighting gear and created electronic flash products that made it easier for the traditional portraitist to make the transition into studio flash. The classic 16" parabolic reflector, their early version of the "beauty light" and specialized background and hair lights were part of the line.
I still have a few of the Flash Master and Studio Master systems in use. Photogenic still makes a nice line of mono-light that are comparable with many of their old classic reflectors, snoots and barn-doors.
Speaking of WATT-SECONDS, some of y'all may find this interesting. Watt-seconds is not a light value, it is only an electrical value. It has to do with a mathematical formula involving voltage and capacitance. It certainly has something to do with the power output of a flash unit but it is not a real evaluation of lighting efficiency. The real rating to look at is B.C.P.S. which stands for Beam Candle Power Seconds, takes into consideration the volume of light as well as the unit's basic unmodified reflector's efficiency and evenness of the spread of light. This value may be published by the manufacturer. To arrive at a starting point guide number use this formula: See the next post.
My experience with electronic flash is not as scientifically based although I have very long history as a user and part time repair guy- going back to the late 1950s. When I was working my way through photography school, apprenticing in a studio, I also took on a prat-time job at Speedlight Centre- a company that manufactured and serviced electronic flash equipment. My dad was a U.S. Navy trained radar technician and in civilian life operated a radio and television service business. Helping him in his in shop, I learned some basic test procedures, soldering techniques and enough savvy not to electrocute myself when dealing with high voltages. The folks at Speedlight Centre were short handed so they gave me a shot at working in their repair department doing relatively simple tests and repairs. I was and still am NOT a real TECHNICIAN nor would I ever qualify as anyone on an engineering level, however, my stint at the shop was a great learning experience in the areas of basic flash unit maintenance and applications and gave me some insights that certainly helped me as a photographer. There are many "bugs" that occur flash gear, some due to lack of maintenance and ageing of flash tubes that many photographers are not aware of until the arise as a problematic issue in there photographic results or some failure or malfunction in their flash equipment.
There is also many long standing mix-ups in nomenclature or terminology in the area of electronic flash that may cause confusion and oftentimes theses misconceptions lead to arguments and a bit of consternation in discussing flash issues especially in the areas of features and specifications that arise when folks are contemplating purchase of new or used flash gear. Simple ratings of output power are often misunderstood and even the names that have been assigned to various types of electronic flash gear can become a confusing issue. We all know that photographers have a never-ending repertoire of JARGON, acronyms, slang, buzzwords and colloquialisms and new additions to the list are added all the time. Let's start with a few common terms:
SPEEDLIGHT: there was a time when all electronic flash equipment, especially when compared to expendable FLASH LAMPS (flashbulbs) were called SPEEDLIGHTS. This moniker was based on their comparatively short flash duration especially when compared to expendable FLASH LAMPS (flash bulbs), many of which had very long durations to accommodate synchronization with focal plane shutters. Flash bulbs required an "M" (delayed) synchronization shutter mode where the shutter speed setting influenced the flash exposure settings as well as the aperture. There were graphs that illustrated the flash duration (in milliseconds) of each lamp type from the time of ignition- to the peak of output- through the decline of output and finally to the extinguishing and final burnout of the lamp. Electronic flash requires the "X" or (0) (zero delay) shutter sync mode- graphs showed an instantaneous peak of light. And...of course, the action-stopping capabilities of electronic flash, especially when it is the main light source all added to the use of the term SPEEDLIGHT.
A little more history. Very early electronic flash units incorporated the use of old fashioned oil filled capacitors, the predecessors of today's electrolytic models. Theses were of much less capacity than the modern versions. Capacity of theses "condensers are measured in micro farads (uF). The older models averaged around 30uF each where as the electrolytic ones, used in most of today's units, average about 225mF each. Theses are usually used in banks of more that one capacitor. So...the old oil filled capacitors required extremely high voltages in order to ionize the gasses in the flash tube and the energy emptied out at a faster rate. This resulted in extremely short flash durations like 1/100,000 sec. Theses kinds of durations could "freeze" a bullet leaving the muzzle of a firearm. Yet another good reason for the term SPEEDLIGHT. Oftentimes theses short durations were somewhat problematic in that they cause reciprocity law failure in many black and white films and color shifts in certain color films. There were special compensating (increased activity) developers for black and white films.
The NAME "SPEEDLIGHT has been adopted by at least one manufacturer to designate its flash unit models. Perhaps it is now a generic term.
Nowadays, the therm SPEEDLIGHT tends to apply to smaller one-piece self contained flash units that are usually mounted on the accessory (or hot) shoe atop the camera. Earlier models were manual or simple auto-flash types whereas today's better units are more sophisticated in that they are dedicated to many of the camera's TTL and other programmed and automated features. Most of the currently available units have enclosed non-interchangeable flash tubes and reflector configurations. There are a few more versatile models with user-changeable flash tubes and removable reflectors which enable bare bulb operation and more flexibility in modifier usage.
As Apaflo noted, most of theses so-called SPEEDLIGHTS are in the 80 watt-second range. Because of their compact size, there is a limitation in the physical space necessary to accommodate more than one major capacitor. Modern capacitors are somewhat miniaturized and more efficient than older configurations however there is just so much voltage and capacitance that can be packed into a smaller light weight unit. Another misconception is that the addition of an external battery pack can boost the output of some of theses units. Mostly, the external battery packs will increase the amount of flashes per charge and may slightly decrease the recycling time, however, they only enhance the LOW VOLTAGE side of the flash unit's circuitry by increasing the ampere/hour rating and may supply a bit more current to the existing battery configuration. There are a few modes that will accept an accessory battery pack that will actually increase the light output. Theses booster packs integrate with ht e HIGH VOLTAGE part of the circuitry and add additional capacitance. In theses cases, the unit must have a user replaceable and interchangeable flash tube and reflector setup. The small enclosed linear flash tubes in most "SPEEDLIGHTS" could not withstand the additional energy of a boosted power supply and the accompanying increase in heat. Conventional plug-in flash tubes are usually of a helical (spiral) or "U" shaped types which are enclosed enclosed in a ventilated non sealed envelope. Theses tubes are designed for more powerful inputs and better heat convention.
I am, in this last paragraph, making reference to accessory battery and booster packs NOT portable hand held units that are designed with external power supplies whereby all the power comes form the pack and only the flash head and perhaps the trigger circuit are in the flash head which also may be mounted on the camera's accessory shoe or otherwise by means of a bracket. Many of theses types of units are called STROBES, by many photographers. Well- I use that term too but is it technically a misnomer as well.
STROBE: Real STROBES are rapidly repeating flashes. They are used in scientific instrumentation, we see them used by auto mechanics to adjust engine timing, in rock-show stage lighting and atop emergency vehicles. Photographically speaking, stroboscopic light can be used to make motion studies and very interesting special effects. Strobes that are designed for photographic use can be adjusted at various frequencies of repetition. I think there are a few SPEEDLIGHTS with stroboscopic capabilities but the brand names escape me at the time of this writing. Constant use of this feature can shorten flash tube life significantly unless the unit is equipped with a heavy duty tube and is properly ventilated.
PORTABLES: Well- that's what I call my "SPEEDLIGHTS OR STROBES" that I use on location and event assignments such as weddings. YES! Some of theses pack quite a punch. Many photographer consider them "old school" but I still love and use them because they have so many advantages. These are the units with separate power supplies and lamp heads. When additional power is needed for bounced and modified lighting techniques or illuminating large areas- the oomph is there. Many of them go up to 400 watt-seconds and there are booster packs which go up to 1200 watt-seconds. I use the Lumadyne line of equipment which have interchangeable flash tubes and reflectors. I prefer spun aluminum or stippled parabolic reflectors to the rather small more highly polished metallic or "Mirror MYLAR" enclosed rectangular reflectors in most speedlights. I fine the parabolic reflectors will yield softer more even lighting without modifiers and I have the option of using wide angle or special telephoto reflectors when required. I like the ennoblement of bare bulb techniques. Some of my lamp heads have built in modeling lamps which can really come in handy when simulating portrait lighting on the fly or when working on darkened dance floors. I can many many full power, well into long receptions, without changing or recharging batteries. I use radio slaves for multiple lighting but if there is any kind of failure, my packs will power 2 lamp heads by hard wire.
Yes- there is the additional weight and bulk but today's power packs are much smaller and lighter that the ones of the olden days. My first units, made by Graphlex and Ascor were in the 10 to 15 pound range- what with giant dry or lead-acid batteries to lug around. I still have one shoulder lower that the other and the occasion ache and pain! Back in the day there were 15 or 20 manufacturers offering theses kinds of units in many models and price points. Nowadays, perhaps there are 3 or 4- Metz, Q-Flash, Lumadyne come to mind and I was pleased to see that Norman is still producing its 200 series- real workhorses.
STUDIO FLASH "Portables" are offshoots of the big studio power pack units. There are the big guns and are great for studio and location work where big power and versatility are reacquired. They are not cheap and not all that light weight. Speedotron and other make units powered up to the 4,200 watt-second range. There are a few studios that still have their old ASCOR banks, theses incorporated steamer trunk-like banks of capacitor booster units that powered multiple lamp heads up to 10,000 watt-seconds. One studio I visited specialized in automotive advertising and had one of theses systems with 10 lamp heads bounced off the ceiling and further diffused with yards of sailcloth sewn together. 24/ 7 diffused skylight on a cyclorama large enough to accommodate a transport truck! Awesome! "ASCOR", funny enough, stood for American SPEEDLIGHT Corporation- Just imagine a 10,000 watt-second speedlight!
Mono-Lights. Theses have many studio and location usages. There is a wide variety of brand names, price, points and features. Each unit is self contained and there is no need for high-voltage cables or centralized power packs. Most of theses types require AC power although some of the makers offer battery packs or automotive-power converters. These work well with a wide variety of reflectors, modifiers and grids. Many are equipped with ventilation fans for safe use with soft-boxes and other enclosed modifiers.
STUDIO LIGHTS. Theses were made and marketed by manufacturers like Photogenic, Ascor and a few others. The were kind of a hybrid of power pack and mono lights in that the power supply was mounted at the bottom of a heavy-duty light stand and the lamp head was atop the telescopic shaft.Theses units and systems were usually of very high quality and were favored by many experienced portrait photographers. The original photogenic Machine Company was a time honored producer of incandescent (tungsten) professional lighting gear and created electronic flash products that made it easier for the traditional portraitist to make the transition into studio flash. The classic 16" parabolic reflector, their early version of the "beauty light" and specialized background and hair lights were part of the line.
I still have a few of the Flash Master and Studio Master systems in use. Photogenic still makes a nice line of mono-light that are comparable with many of their old classic reflectors, snoots and barn-doors.
Speaking of WATT-SECONDS, some of y'all may find this interesting. Watt-seconds is not a light value, it is only an electrical value. It has to do with a mathematical formula involving voltage and capacitance. It certainly has something to do with the power output of a flash unit but it is not a real evaluation of lighting efficiency. The real rating to look at is B.C.P.S. which stands for Beam Candle Power Seconds, takes into consideration the volume of light as well as the unit's basic unmodified reflector's efficiency and evenness of the spread of light. This value may be published by the manufacturer. To arrive at a starting point guide number use this formula: See the next post.
Aug 23, 2017 18:51:46 #
Sorry- rat out of space!
OK
Guide number" BCPS X .063 X YOUR ISO SETTING. When you get the total fine the square root of that number. Sorry folks- I have no maths symbols on this machine. To start you exposure tests you divide the guide number by the distance from the subject in feet. Some manufacturers publish a guide number as well. The important thing to remember is that theses values are for direct flash calculations only, as soon as you bounce, modify or even change the stock reflector, all bets are off. All published numbers are good starting points. You test will hone in on you particular working conditions and methods.
FLASH TUBES: Some flash tube and TXflash unit manufactures used to publish the life expectancy of their flash tubes as to the amount of flashes. Some tubes were listed at many thousands of flashes. Sometimes, however, tubes will begin to show signs of malfunction earlier than expected. It's a good routine to examine the tube s from time to time and watch out for discoloration or gray or black checking or deposits where the electrodes enter the tube. Theses are signs that the tube may be loosing some of its output potential. Sometimes, those black deposits are indicative of CARBONATION of the electrodes. This causes them to glow, kinda like a filament in a tungsten lamp. You wont see this because this occurs during its flash output but it shows up as a red bias or crossover in the results. The tubes also can be damaged by excessive heat form the modeling lams in some units due to poor ventilation or excess heat build up for constant repaid sequence flashing in units that don't have heavy duty flash tubes that are designed for that purpose. Overpowering a flash tube can also significantly cut down on its useful life expectancy. When adding booster packs or power up a big studio unit, make sure the appropriate heads are connected. Some high powered units are designed to distribute the power to 2 or more heads when the units is at full power.
Another tip- Some very powerful units have unexpectedly low flash durations and will not always freeze action as much. Sometimes I would run into a bit of blur when shooting sports evens with my big guns. even a fashion model dashing across the set horizontally and parallel to the camera may show some signs of subject movement. At 2400 watt-seconds, one of my big guns slows down to 1/320 sec. Most of my smaller portables average about 1/1000 sec.
Sorry for the long post folks! I know many old hands at flash photography know most of this stuff but there are lots of newcomers out there that may not know some of the little-known bugs and things to watch out for. Also- somehow, flash photography has seem to have garnered a bad rap over the years. Some folks say it is artificial in it aesthetic look. Thing is, when it is use properly, one can achieve some awesome results in many fields of photography. In our WEDDING section I have written quite a bit about multiple lighting techniques. The artistic and aesthetic aspect are important but it start off with learning about the tools and how to manage them. There is so much hype out there about flash gear that I though it would be a good idea to clear up a few myths and clarify a few facts. I apologize in advance if there are any scientific errors but as I stated at the star of my post, all of this is from practical experience in using flash and looking after and solving other's flash bugs. The repair shop is a treasure troth of information.
With kindest regards, Ed
BELOW..MY STUDIO STUFF.
OK
Guide number" BCPS X .063 X YOUR ISO SETTING. When you get the total fine the square root of that number. Sorry folks- I have no maths symbols on this machine. To start you exposure tests you divide the guide number by the distance from the subject in feet. Some manufacturers publish a guide number as well. The important thing to remember is that theses values are for direct flash calculations only, as soon as you bounce, modify or even change the stock reflector, all bets are off. All published numbers are good starting points. You test will hone in on you particular working conditions and methods.
FLASH TUBES: Some flash tube and TXflash unit manufactures used to publish the life expectancy of their flash tubes as to the amount of flashes. Some tubes were listed at many thousands of flashes. Sometimes, however, tubes will begin to show signs of malfunction earlier than expected. It's a good routine to examine the tube s from time to time and watch out for discoloration or gray or black checking or deposits where the electrodes enter the tube. Theses are signs that the tube may be loosing some of its output potential. Sometimes, those black deposits are indicative of CARBONATION of the electrodes. This causes them to glow, kinda like a filament in a tungsten lamp. You wont see this because this occurs during its flash output but it shows up as a red bias or crossover in the results. The tubes also can be damaged by excessive heat form the modeling lams in some units due to poor ventilation or excess heat build up for constant repaid sequence flashing in units that don't have heavy duty flash tubes that are designed for that purpose. Overpowering a flash tube can also significantly cut down on its useful life expectancy. When adding booster packs or power up a big studio unit, make sure the appropriate heads are connected. Some high powered units are designed to distribute the power to 2 or more heads when the units is at full power.
Another tip- Some very powerful units have unexpectedly low flash durations and will not always freeze action as much. Sometimes I would run into a bit of blur when shooting sports evens with my big guns. even a fashion model dashing across the set horizontally and parallel to the camera may show some signs of subject movement. At 2400 watt-seconds, one of my big guns slows down to 1/320 sec. Most of my smaller portables average about 1/1000 sec.
Sorry for the long post folks! I know many old hands at flash photography know most of this stuff but there are lots of newcomers out there that may not know some of the little-known bugs and things to watch out for. Also- somehow, flash photography has seem to have garnered a bad rap over the years. Some folks say it is artificial in it aesthetic look. Thing is, when it is use properly, one can achieve some awesome results in many fields of photography. In our WEDDING section I have written quite a bit about multiple lighting techniques. The artistic and aesthetic aspect are important but it start off with learning about the tools and how to manage them. There is so much hype out there about flash gear that I though it would be a good idea to clear up a few myths and clarify a few facts. I apologize in advance if there are any scientific errors but as I stated at the star of my post, all of this is from practical experience in using flash and looking after and solving other's flash bugs. The repair shop is a treasure troth of information.
With kindest regards, Ed
BELOW..MY STUDIO STUFF.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.