Quantum Flashes &/OR multi-flash with softboxes

MikeGunter

Hi TTJ,

I've got more money in flash than I have in camera bodies. If I were younger, and more aggressively marketing myself, I'd have the radio transmitters to for the flashes, too, to do away with the line of sight and 'two flash' business of the CLS I like it a lot, but it sometimes throw subjects off - I've always got results, but just saying.

I don't think I would go for the high wattage again for my kit, though. For my money, I would carry speedlights any day. They are lightweight, dependable, and work with wireless connections putting light in nooks and crannies. I carried six to a shoot last night and use 3, to light a shot TTL.

Never going back.

My best,

Mike

TaoTeJared

I'm glad to read your words Mike!

That is the path I have decided to pursue opting for flexibility and portability.

I'm going to start a new thread for the rest.

Msmoto

I would like some help to determine which speed light has the shortest duration. A studio unit is fine. The Elinchrom units I have are a fixed 1/800 sec duration and I am looking at something much faster to stop motion.

Any thoughts?

TaoTeJared

all of Nikon's sb800/900/910 flashes can go to 1/8000th - from what I hear the rest can hit 1/4000th. This is also why I'm going with Nikon's strobes as my studio flashes top out at 1/250th- I think, its low either way. The Yongnuo below, has the high speed sync as well - not many others do. The Odin receivers will High speed sync as well to 1/8000th.

When I looked the PCB Einstein's had the best sync/power. The alien bees lost power as the sync speed went up. They all ranged in speeds but one or two hit 1/2500th I think.

How much speed are you stopping and from how far away?



I made a new thread but this is what I'm going with just to update everyone:

-----Buying-Main things---
3 - Manfrotto 175F-1 Spring Clamps
2 - Manfrotto 5001B 74-Inch Nano Stands
1 - Phottix Odin TTL Flash Trigger for Nikon (these are really cool - look them up if you haven't)
3 - Phottix Odin TTL Flash Receivers
1 - Yongnuo YN-568EX TTL (1/8000 high speed sync flash - well reviewed, similar GN as Nikon, we will see) $200
1 - Flashpoint Quad Shoe Mount bracket
1 - 30" Octogon Softbox with grid
and a couple of other little accessories
-----Have already----
2 - SB-900
1 - SB-600
1 - 24" Soft box
Rogue 3-in-1 Honeycomb Grid System
Orbis ring flash
Gary Fong Lightsphere Collapsible PRO Kit
Assorted Umbrellas and light stands
And a few other little things.

http://forum.nikonrumors.com/discussion/478/flash-strobes-on-sitelight-travel-kit-

Msmoto

I am thinking about the three to five foot range. The Alien Bees are such a nice color I had liked the way they looked... ;;)

OK, you guys don't care about the color of the units....

I will just see how your Yongnuo YN-568EX TTL units work as the price point is very attractive and investigate the Einstein units.

I am thinking of stopping water drops, possibly objects dropped into water, a hammer blow, breaking egg, no stopping bullets, however....

TaoTeJared

Speed lights, maybe on strobe setting? That may do it. I have seen many IR sensors that fire flashes when the field plane has been broken. I looked into it a while back but never did much beyond that.

TaoTeJared

Let me guess MSMoto you want to photograph this as well

Msmoto

TTJ...funny....but I do not need one more project.....

....let's see, I will need.....

TaoTeJared

Ok MSmoto - here are some links :-O to triggers that aid in capturing high speed stuff.

They are links, but I think they are for informative purposes and not promoting: - I have never used any.

PatchMaster - Lightning+Laser+Timelapse Trigger-NIKON
http://www.pmgadgets.net/index_en.php?cPath=41_43

NERO TRIGGER
http://www.nerotrigger.com/

Lightning Trigger
http://www.lightningtrigger.com/

Msmoto

Thanks, TTJ..the first link I could not get to work, the Lightning Trigger is available from B & H.

However, I have just ordered a 105mm f/2.8 VR so, I will have to play with this for awhile......The idea of capturing a bullet..... or a ping pong ball going through a paddle....

No, just some macros for the next few days...

TaoTeJared

With the huge storms we had two years ago around here I was really tempted to pick one of those up and then found the ability to take photos of fast moving objects. Neat devices if you choose to have a use for them.

I hear you on the other toys. I just picked up a Tokina 16-28mm - been playing with that non-stop! I am simply amazed with it so far. Can't believe I considered a 14-24 for twice as much.

PB_PM

Good to hear a good report about it, I've been considering the Tokina, since it is rebated right now.

Gareth

i just found this

https://www.cheetahstand.com/Cheetah-Light-p/cl-180.htm

and i must say i am interested.

Benji2505

A little OT, just wanted to mention that the spring clamps on top of your list are one of my favorites. Saves a lot of drama with stands, sandbags, etc.. Also great for other uses like clamping backgrounds and whatever crosses your mind.

TaoTeJared

i just found this

https://www.cheetahstand.com/Cheetah-Light-p/cl-180.htm

and i must say i am interested.

Re-branded Godox products. I have heard good things from people using their batteries, haven't seen much about the flash though. Many of the reviews I have seen seemed to be positive and a better option from most non-name/large brand stuff. It seems people who live in the Pacific Rim really follow and anticipate releases from them - must be for some good reason.

The one thing I keep looking at is the 3 mount hot shoe that can be triggered with just one radio receiver. That would be a nice option!

zernicke

I have made tens of thousands of outdoor shots in bright sunlight using just one SB900 in each of two softboxes with mounts specifically for the flash mounted on a PW TT5, triggered by PW on camera. If the softboxes are close to the talent, it is no problem getting great lighting at 1/2500 or faster in iTTL mode. At X-sync and below, I find a light meter very useful to get the right blend of background/fill light. In studio I use Elincrhom studio flashes exclusively, the RX600 have a duration of about 1/2000 second (S head), they make action heads (A head) with much shorter flash durations. Another nice thing is to use hypersync outdoors and with an Elinchrom D-Lite 400 at half power, you can get plenty of light even at 1/2000 second, sometimes faster. Here, slower flashes are beneficial as they stay lit through the entire exposure. This also requires Pocket Wizards. The PW's are the common denominator for anything in flash as far as I am concerned, especially in bright light.

zernicke

I use this: http://www.idcphotovideo.com/store/bruce-dorn-select-asymmetrical-stripbank
with this: http://www.idcphotovideo.com/store/baby-slipper-kit

Also, use the AC3 zone controller on the on camera PW to adjust output of each light. In daylight, use auto mode iTTL whereas in dimmer light (slower than X-sync) use manual mode and change flash output in small steps. The new Sekonic light meter works really well for this since it will fire the flashes remotely before you have the camera in your hand (just put it where the talent will stand and adjust the light output ahead of time). No more chimping!

TaoTeJared

Good links! Great gear!

I especially like the iDC Triple Threat - get two of those (6 flashes) and that is some power!
The more I looked at the cheetahstand.com site - I can see why the pacific rim likes their products - look to be very well made and about 20-60% than the name brand stuff around the west.

Msmoto

Interesting thread....IMO...light modifiers are the core of good studio photographs. Where we "paint" the light determines what we end up with as a final image.This is of course self evident, but for reasons I am not aware of many folks just do not understand light modifiers.

The asymmetrical soft boxes noted by zernicke above are no doubt great for full length shots. I use two soft boxes stacked for a similar effect. But, the most important tools, again, IMO, are the many cardboard baffles on light stands and boom arms which control where the light goes and where the shadows are thrown. And, cardboard, painted white or black does a super job when placed properly. One can make their own soft box by bouncing off the interior of a white painted cardboard box. Gaffer's tape or duct tape are essential tools as well.

And, the Sekonic....yes, wonderful as once the primary light source is determined, it makes the exposure settings almost foolproof. And, as noted by zernicke, one really wants to have the set up complete before introducing a model. Somehow, they work much better if they sense the photog has everything set for them. And, a happy model is IMO the easiest to work with and get good results.

Ade

I think some of the above comments are confusing sync speed vs. flash speed. In a studio setting sync speed has little or no relevance to freezing motion.

Nikon Speedlights can fire at durations as short as 1/40000th of a second (no typo). That is much faster than required to capture water drops, etc.