heat buildup when using honeycomb grids

[kevin_flossner]

<p>I did a test shoot yesterday with a studio's Elinchrom 500 and honeycomb grids (in particular, the 10-degree one). The lighting was low-key so I had to use the modeling lamp.</p>

<p>Even on low-intensity, the grid got very hot (I nearly burnt my fingers) because it's mounted in the reflector which doesn't allow much air flow.</p>

<p>What do you do in such cases? Some strobes have a fan, but the El 500 does not. I was concerned the strobe will overheat and get damaged.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Kevin</p>

[b_christopher]

<p>A flash head certainly can overheat and get damaged with prolonged use of the modeling lamp. Especially on a model without a cooling fan. The higher intensity hot lights, which use continuous tungsten bulbs, get very hot and will burn anything that is very close to it even for a short period of time. Leather gloves and pliers are essential tools to have when working with hot lights, which a modeling light on flash head is, basically.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>The grids get hot because, on a 10 degree grid, they're absorbing 97% of the light (including IR) produced by the strobe. If you've got a 150W modeling light, 145W is going into heating the grid. And the grid isn't oriented for airflow.</p>

<p>Make yourself a "grid hood", take a hood, cut a 35mm hole on the side. Mount a 35mm computer fan over the hole. Mount a 60mm black metal disc over the fan, spaced 8mm away from it, to cut the light spill through the fan.</p>

<p>Do you need proportional modeling lights, and do your particular Elinchroms take screw based or bi-pin modeling lights. If you are OK with the modeling light at full power, and you can use a screw based bulb, pop in a 23W compact fluorescent light.</p>

[kevin_flossner]

<p>Thanks, good suggestions. </p>