What's wrong with my lights?

[chris_raney]

<p>Or better, yet, what is it I don't know? I purchased a dandy, bargain-priced Smith-Victor FL-290 studio set from Ebay, but now I'm suffering odd problems with it. I'm a virgin when it comes to studio lights, so I'm learning on the fly. When I first set up out in the bright sun (employing a clunky optical trigger that was included in the package deal) the result was a constant bang-bang-bang-bang from the monolight firing off because it's optical input was obviously overwhelmed by bright sunlight. That problem was solved when I purchased an inexpensive wireless trigger.</p>

<p>But today for some reason my (what are they called?) slaves-peripheral-modeling lights would not flash. They were fully functional whenever I pushed their test-fire buttons, and they fired perfectly when I tested them in my apartment later when triggered by the monolight, but out in the sun today they refused to function. I turned the system off and on several times; unplugged and replugged in the the wireless receiver, removed and reseated the wireless transmitter in the camera shoe, but still, the secondary lights would NOT fire. </p>

<p>The problem with the monolight's difficulties with bright sunlight were easily fixed. But as to those slave-peripheral-modeling-whatever-lights (what the hell are they called?)...what gives? </p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>First off they are studio type lights, designed to be used indoors not out in the bright sun. Odds are the sun is confusing the optical receivers on the two smaller units. Add radio receivers to them , or trigger with cables. You have three mono lights, one larger/more powerful than the other two.</p>

[micah_robinson]

<p>Agreed 100% with Bob.<br /> It's because the sun is so bright it overpowered any light your "mono" light put out so your other two (running of of optical slaves) couldn't see when to fire.<br /> Optical slaves suck anytime but won't work outdoors very well at all.</p>

<p>You can do tricks like shade the slaves so the sun doesn't hit them etc.<br /> But you just really need to get radio triggers on them.</p>

[chris_raney]

<p>Yeah, I figured that any shading on the smaller lights would negate their triggering by the larger light. I'll buy receivers for them, too. And thanks, guys.</p>

[marc_batters]

<p>You can try an aluminum foil reflector around the optical slave of your units, (think mini chicken pot pie pans).<br>

Like Micah says, this will shade the slave sensors from the sun, and help capture more light coming from your master light. Ensure that your slaves are in direct line-of-sight with your master light, and not hidden behind/inside any light modifiers, flags, etc...<br>

This won't always work, (as in often/sometimes never), but it's a cheap trick and worth a try.</p>

<p> </p>

[andix]

To add to Marc's observation: indoors, an optical slave would "see" the triggering light reflected from studio walls,

furniture, background and anything else in between. Outside most likely there is no reflection, and if your slave cell is out

of the light cone projected by the master light, you're out of luck (more so in sunlight). Let us know if radio triggering did

the trick. Plus, if you are attempting to "overpower the sun" as a lot of outside shooters do, your flash duration / hi speed

sync may simply not be enough for your setup.

[chris_raney]

<p>I've already ordered the two extra radio receivers. But since I have a captive audience, here, let me ask a question about synchronization: I'm using my beloved old Leica film cameras, so am I limited to my standard flash speed of--what is it?--50th of a second? (And yes, I have purchased neutral density filters).</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>Yes, you are almost always limited to the x-sync shutter speed when using electronic flashes.</p>

<p> </p>

[russ_britt3]

<p>Unless these lights are very very powerful I can not see you needing neutral density filters. In all my years of shooting with electronic flash (over 40 years) I have never needed one, but you will need a flash meter. Or you will be doing a lot of guessing for the proper exposure.</p>

 

[fotograf_fotograf]

<p>For all those who can speak German: I found some tips about how to use lighting and sunlight best. Here goes to all of you understand some German (for the rest there's always an online-translator somewhere) :-)<br>

<a href="<em>http:/blog.smartphoto.ch/de/so-nutzen-sie-das-sonnenlicht-f-r-ihre-fotos-am-besten</em>"><em>Lighting in photography by smartphoto</em></a></p>