Alphabravo2020

I wondering if anyone here has thought about designing or building a custom remote flash. I've been thinking about a particular configuration for awhile but I'm not sure how many of the parts would be off the shelf. You'd need to source components or adapt them from existing flash systems. Everything from the com link to the flash bulbs. I'm thinking LED would be preferable for compactness since Zenons would require larger and more complicated battery, charging and triggering electronics.

Just thinking out loud.

TIA

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I not only thought about that but I had a side-business involvement in a company that designed, manufactured modified and prepared electronic flas units and systems. Sadly one-on-one principlesof the company passed away and eventually it was sold off and then closed down.

So- first le's get the terminology down pat. "Flashbulbs" are disposable one-shot flas lamps. They contain various gases, usually a quantity of finely shredded magnesium, zirconium, or aluminum foil or wire. There is a filament that ignites the fol where electricity is applied. Some are still manufactured in vari sizes, shapes, bases and colour temperatures but they are no longer in wide use- kinda a niche market. Some false holder or "guns" worth on batteries for 3 Volt to 22.5 Volts. a "BC Pack" had a small capacitor for more reliable firing.

The business end of an electric flash unit is a FLASH TUBE. It is filled with Xenon gas. The gas is ionized by a pulse of high voltage energy stored in electrolytic capacitors. Flash tubes will provide many thousands of flashes before they need to be replaced. A trigger circuit consisting of coil and capacitor and other solid-state components provided the pulse upon synchronization. Electronic flash units and systems operate on significantly higher voltage anywhere from about 300 to 1500 DC Volts. Units that operate on battery power will incorporate a transformer or voltage-multiplier circuitry to step up the voltage. Units that operat on AC power (household current) will have step-up and rectification circuitry to supply DC high voltage to the cpapcitors. Some units such as "Speedlights" are self-contained. Monolights are also one-piece units and there are portable strobes, usually more powerful than Speedlights, that have shoulder or belt-carried power packs. Some "studio flash units" are connected to a single central powerpack and some studio systems will have several lamp heads connected to a larger power pack with multiple high voltage outlets.

Buildig a custom-made flash system may be a good idea if you are familiar with electronics and are used to dealing with high voltages. High voltage under high capacitance can, in some accidental cases causes a series injury, and electric shock which can be lethal.

Aside from that, even if you know exactly what you are doing, there's the practicality and cost factor to consider. Unless you want to create a configuration of something that is not available from one of ther manufacturers, it probably is more cost-effect to simply buy a new or used unt that will do the job.

The units that I have experience with were pretty straightforward- the planet of power and simple setup for manual exposure management. If you want to get into TTL, High-Speed Sync, extremely rapid recycling times, stroboscopic effects, etc. you are gettg into very complex circuit designs.

If you tell me what special features or design elements you want to create or customize on an existing unt, I can better advise on the viability of a DIY project.

mikenolan Loc: Lincoln Nebraska

Aren't LED's rather slow, not sure they'd work for a flash.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

LEDs are fast, and can probably work down to microsecond turn-on/off times. But although they can be fairly bright when on constantly, they probably don't rival discharge tubes, which can also work on microsecond time scales, but can put out more energy during their on time. Power = Energy / Time. The exposure depends on total energy, not power.

Alphabravo2020

It is sounding like LEDs are the best direction for compactness and to avoid the high voltage issues. Aren't they used in cell phone flashes?

I'd like to have LED lamps mounted along a vertical rod or monopod that can be set up on location and near the model to keep the intensity requirements low. I usually shoot natural light and find myself needing a bit of fill for focusing, say for blue hour and for backlit subjects. The intensity requirement would be low to prevent the natural light from being overpowered.

They make monopod bases that have a tripod foot and the upright base can be modified with a spike for use in soft ground. If I could add a rod with LEDs and then control them with off the shelf remote triggering that would be the most compact I think.

Thanks ELS and all for any thoughts. I can pretty much achieve this idea with my legacy Nikon flashes and off the shelf battery packs and remote triggers. But I have been thinking of this other lighting configuration for some time now.