larry n.

I've been reading everything I can find on this website and others regarding

shooting flat subjects (paintings and drawings). (I've also used a large north-

facing window to good effect, but I'm ready to move on to controlled lighting).

 

I've determined that most of the time, I would like soft shadows. I understand

one way to accomplish this is by using two (or four) softboxes angled at a 45

degree angle towards the painting.

 

What if I had a really large softbox? Is there a way the same thing can be

achived by placing the large softbox appropriately?

Mitch, the Alien Bees 1600s (640 ws units) seem to be what I'm looking for. After reading through through the advice on this forum, I don't see any particular drawbacks to these units (I guess I don't really know about their light color consistensy. Can anyone comment on that?).

Thanks. Which color is better for portraits, Mello Yellow or Maritan Pink.

 

But seriously, at those prices I'm ready to buy a pair. Is there anything I should be aware of before I do?

I don't see Alien Bees at the major photo stores I looked at, so I was

wondering where you find these?

W. Smith, out of curiosity, what is a 5600D flash?

After reading everything in this post, I would suggest that upgrading from the 80-400 to a 300/4 is not worth the effort and expese. If you did not already have the 80-400, the answer MIGHT have been different, or if you were upgrading to the 500/4.

 

I once "upgraded" from the 80-400 to a 400/3.5. I am very pleased with the results on film because (1) the 400/3.5 is much faster, and with the TC301 gives me a 800/7 lens, (2) the 400/3.5 with a TC301 cost me less than I got for the 80-400, and (3) I got better results manual focusing than I did autofocusing the 80-400 (but I am sure I missed some shots that I would have gotten with AF). I was not thrilled with the 400/3.5-TC301 combo on my D2H however.

When shooting with a zoom reflector into an umbrella, what setting do you

normally have the zoom reflector on--wide angle or telephoto? How does this

affect the quantity and quality of light falling on the subject, which is 5

feet away?

I'm looking for an economical way to put together a light set-up. I came

across a decent used dyna-light pack. Can I pair that with dyna-light heads

that have a lower power rating than the pack, or will that just destroy the

lights if the packs are run at full power?

I did not know about that. It looks very informative. Thank you!

What is a source of good information on studio lighting?

 

I've read the B&H catalogue, and browsed this forum. But I'm looking for more

info on specific gear and lighting techniques.

Are the Profoto monolights (ComPactPlus 600 Special) pretty good or

overpriced? Are there alternatives that do the trick for less?

I was thinking of getting a dyna-light power pack, but I may not go forward with that if that means I must use their (more expensive) flash heads.

 

Why are the cheapest dyna-light flash heads more expensive than the novatrons and speedotrons?

What would work better, umbrella or diffuser?

If you buy a power pack of a certain brand, do all of the flash heads need to

be from the same brand?

 

How do I find out what's compatible with out?

Is there a way to "trick" an Epson 4000 into printing on 4x6 paper?

Oh, and the art work can withstand studio lightling.

The main purpose of the project is to produce 35mm slides of an artist's portfolio (which in turn will be scanned and printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper). A secondary purpose would be archiving for future use.

 

Currently, I do not have any lighting equipment.

 

I have an option to rent any equipment that I may not be using frequently.

 

Thanks for your help!

What is the best light source for photographing flat art (paintings, drawings,

small rugs and fabrics) that range from around 10 inches to 30 inches in

diameter? How many lights are best, and what is the power needed?

 

I will be using a 35mm camera with 100 ASA film and a 50mm lens.

I bought a new Coolscan 5000. I've only scanned one slide so far. The

preview made grinding noise; it was noisier than the actual scan. Is this

normal, or a defect?

Thank you both! I see now that I had misread the original posting.

I've seen both rave reviews of the Coolscan 5000 scanner, as well as warnings

of flare, especially with Kodachrome.

 

I'd like to get a scanner in the next few days for my 35mm collection (which

includes all kinds of film, but only a few Kodachromes), and for my work going

forward.

 

Would anyone suggest that there's something out there better than the Coolscan

5000?

I read on this forum tha Microtek has announced a new flatbed scanner called

the Microtek i900, but a scanner by that name has been around for years.

What's going on?

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How substantion is the speed difference.

 

How does the older 4000 compare to the V? I've heard that they very similar.

What do you get for spending the extra money on the 5000?

 

If it's just speed, I can live with the slowness of V. Thanks.