Analogue or digital flash set?

[pete_w.]

Hi,

 

At the moment I am deciding what flash system I will buy. It will be a Elinchrom system. But I need to

decide between an older set (Style Analogue 600s) or the newer (Style 600RX). I much more prefer the

mechanical slide and buttons on the Style analogue 600s, than the small modern buttons and the digital

readout on the 600RX. The flash characteristics and power ratings are for both flashes the same.

 

Now, probably everyone will tell me to go for the new set (600RX), because its newer. Even the seller sais I

should, because I need a digital flash for digital photography! I don't understand his statement. I just don't

see why a digital camera needs digital regulated flash light. I have been using an old analogue set with the

newest DSLR's. No problem!

 

Do I miss something here? Does the limited sensor contrast need carefull lighting regulation (it is possible

to regulate the digital heads at 1/10 stop)? But positive film, which I still use a lot, also needs carefull light

adjusment.

 

Could someone explain me a bit more about the advantages of the new digital flash heads? I have the

impression that its only about going with the modern flow of wanting the newest equipment. And okay,

1/10 precision is nice, but I have always been able to regulate flash power on mechanical flashes to my

wishes!

 

Cheers, P. Weber

[marcus g]

The use of a stepless mechanical slider or a digital readout adjustable in 1/10 steps is more of a design choice. Using the latter, it is easy to adjust the flash energy according to the reading from a digital light meter. Of course, both technologies will give good pictures with a digital camera.

 

As I understand it, the term 'digital precision' - when used by flash manufacturers - is more about the precision in light intensity from shot to shot. To give an example, the old flash unit Elinchrom 500 allows flashing when the charge cycle has reached 90% of the set voltage. This roughly translates to a worst-case light variation of 0.3 f-stops. A newer unit, like the Profoto D4, has an energy stability better than 1/100 f-stop from shot to shot. (These are just examples that I happen to know about. I do not know the corresponding characteristics for the Elinchrom units you mention.)

 

The need for energy precision depends on usage - if you are commissioned to take 500 similar product shots for a catalog, it will be valuable, but not so much for a portrait session resulting in a few pictures that are to be individually photoshopped.

 

I am not a professional photographer, and you may very well get better answers in this thread.

[brooks short]

Piet,

 

There are a couple of things to consider when deciding between those two Elinchrome flashes, aside from the fact that one is newer.

 

First is repeatability of exposure settings. A mechanical slide for controling exposure is not as accurate or repeatable as even a knob with click-stops let alone a digital control panel.

 

Secondly, though I shoot digitally now with a medium format digital back and a DSLR, for over 20 years I used large and medium format E6 transparency film.

 

My studio strobes have a power adjustment knob which allows adjustment in 1/3 f-stop and that was always a fine enough adjustment for transparency film. 1/3 of a stop was just noticable when viewing the transparencies on a light box.

 

Now that I'm shooting digitally 1/3 f-stop is a large exposure change, often more than I'd like. 1/10 of a stop is easily noticable on a digital capture and allows much more control of exposure and light ratios.

 

If both of these flash units are comparable in every other way then the only thing else to look for is consistent exposure and color temperature at ALL power setting. Some flashes get bluer with shorter flash durations.

 

One last thing, whichever one you choose be sure to get UV coated flash tubes.

 

If it were me, for the reasons stated above, I'd get the newer "digital" flashes.

[mrstubbs]

Marcus: "A newer unit, like the Profoto D4, has an energy stability better than 1/100 f-stop from shot to shot."

 

That alone would push me to choose the newer lights Piet.

[pete_w.]

Thanks you all. I know now that it's more about precise repeatabillity. And I will make some

tests to see if 1/10 increments of the flash output are better visible in digital photography

then on Provia. Anyway, I will probably go for the digital flashes.

 

Cheers, Piet