rob_h5

March 15, 2013

Shop carefully, and mix brands for a better bang for your buck--sometimes it works!

</blockquote>

You are a wise sage Ralph! You will find that the price differences are ridiculous between "insert your favorite expensive Euro brand here___________" studio light modifier like from Profoto vs USA or generic made brands. Many professional photographers like myself mix & match brands when it comes to studio light modifiers and/or studio light accessories. This truly deserves a separate thread in the forums as there are just too many to list (and we are just talking here about basic light modifiers and lighting accessories). Not only fabric eggcrate grids or the metal round grids also light stands, radio slaves, umbrellas...ect. Not only Photoflex but other made-in-the USA brands like Speedotron or Delta1. I have used Speedotron grids with Profoto studio lighting and they work perfectly. Like I said this topic truly deserves a separate thread maybe called "Bargain Hunting for your Studio Lighting" or something like that. I put the mission in your hands if you choose to accept it. :D

Also do not rule out renting! You will be surprised what a good rental shop will carry, even egg crate grids. At a local rental shop I found a 40-degree square egg crate (not octa) grid from Light Tools for a mere $10/day. Also metal round grids of almost all degrees for the same price. Need a Rimelite Octa or Elinchrom Rotalux? Done...for as low as $20 a day! Again too many to list so check your local rental shop. My saying has always been check your rental shop first, if they do not have it find a buddy you can borrow it from and if that doesnt work then and only then buy. Basically only buy what the rental shops dont carry or gear you use all-the-time.

Here are just a few more examples: 7" Round Grids (Retail prices)

Profoto 7" grid 20 degree $122.00 Hensel 7" grid 20 degree $70.00 Speedotron 7" grid 20 degree $38.95 Delta 1 7" grid 20 degree $29.50 Calumet 7" grid 20 degree $21.99

<a href="http://www.photoflex.com/">http://www.photoflex.com/</a> <a href="http://www.speedotron.com/">http://www.speedotron.com/</a> <a href="http://www.cpmdelta1.com/">http://www.cpmdelta1.com/</a>

March 12, 2013

So I am looking into something that durable as well as portable for on location and studio.

</blockquote>

Not mentioned yet are portable studio lighting systems so I'll chime in here.

I currently shoot with the Bowens Explorer 1500 which is capable of powering 4 studio lights (3000 w/s) without any mains connection.

Remember here are some things to consider with portable pack and head systems depending on your budget and lighting style: Maximum and minimum watts needed Flash duration- this will depend on your lighting needs. Model lamp (this is often not a big deal unless you are doing photo shoots at night) even then you really do not want to use it since its a major drain on your battery) Recycle time (the minimum you need) Number of outlets needed for more studio strobe light heads Battery life and flash power per full charge - (this will depend on your usage whether you use it at max power or minimum power or somewhere inbetween.) Optical slave/radio - I recommend using radios if you are shooting in the daylight outdoors. Some pack and head sytems have a slave or radio built in or BOTH (Dynalite, Bowens, Profoto...all use both radio/optical slave) Recycle beep- often overlooked, this helps a lot because you might be far away from your pack to tell if its recycled Professional pack and head portable battery studio light generator systems Profoto Hensel Speedotron Broncolor Dynalite (has battery inverter no longer made but available used) Bowens/Calumet Elinchrom More info comparing different pack and head sytems <a href="http://www.timothyarmes.com/blog/2009/05/choosing-a-battery-pack-flash-system/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.timothyarmes.com/blog/2009/05/choosing-a-battery-pack-flash-system/</a>

March 10, 2013

Is it common for product photographers to use tilt shift lenses or cameras with movements to get enough DOF

Yes, it is common.

</blockquote>

Peter you got great answers from everyone regarding product photography. I just want add to what Marc was saying. Not only is it common, but before digital, LF view cameras with movements like 4X5 and 8X10 or other LF cameras with bellows, rise, tilt, fall, swing...ect was the norm in product photography. I have shot with 4X5 cameras (film) and the DOF is very shallow compared with 35mm cameras, so stopping down past f16 or f32 and beyond is not unusual at all in LF product photography.

Sinar makes LF cameras with digital backs.

<a href="http://www.sinar.ch/en/category/products/cameras/p3/">http://www.sinar.ch/en/category/products/cameras/p3/</a>

March 8, 2013

if you want to be taken seriously you need to show AT LEAST two photographs. It helps if they're of cats, women, flowers or landscapes...

</blockquote>

But yeah you may not appreciate these subjects you consider cliche and mention with sarcasm lol...but a lot of people do appreciate these subjects including myself. And they can be "cliche" if the art is "boring" or if badly executed...but done right its beautiful, classic and timeless. Amazing how master painters/photographers spend a lifetime mastering the simplicity and beauty of those "cliche subjects". In my book these subjects are beautiful, classic and timeless... :D

Photographer Peter Essick pays tribute to Ansel Adams Landscapes <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ansel-adams-wilderness/img/ansel-adams-wilderness-1_1600.jpg">http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ansel-adams-wilderness/img/ansel-adams-wilderness-1_1600.jpg</a>

Flowers Mexican Poppies by Photographer Peter Essick <a href="http://peteressick.com/americanwilderne.html">http://peteressick.com/americanwilderne.html</a>#

March 7, 2013

Or you can use a radio trigger

As I recall, the trigger voltage for these things was in the hundreds of volts, certainly enough to fry a modern camera.

The best, highest purpose your very old possibly dangerous (because of natural deterioration of the capacitors) is to be taken to an electronics recycling center, especially if it has just been sitting for a very long time.

</blockquote>

I agree with everyone here. If you absolutely must operate these lights, I would FIRST get a couple of Pocketwizards (or any radio trigger) and this cable below (or similar) before even operating those antique lights. DO NOT plug a sync cord straight to your DSLR... if you do I can almost guarantee you will fry your DSLR. <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/105412-REG/PocketWizard_804_403_MH1_Miniphone_to_Household.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/105412-REG/PocketWizard_804_403_MH1_Miniphone_to_Household.html</a>

Even then stand very very far away from the lights...and grab a hard hat or army helmet! :P

As mentioned the Hassy is the ultimate score. The Hasselblad 500C is a keeper (providing it is still in working condition but may need CLA because of its age) I have shot many photo shoots with that camera and its a workhorse, my favorite medium format camera. You can put digital backs on it too. Keep the cameras, recycle the lights (no pun intended). The recycle center may even give you a few bucks for the recycle for 120 medium format film.

March 6, 2013

if you want to be taken seriously you need to show AT LEAST two photographs. It helps if they're of cats, women, flowers or landscapes...

</blockquote>

LOL! I actually agree with this...with the EXCEPTION of cat photos!! Photo.net or anywhere else does not need any more cat photos... Please please no more cat photos!! :D

March 6, 2013

The only thing I was saying is that many professional photographers here including myself in the photographic community use W/s and Ws. Nobody here is giving you personal attacks. Sorry dude, I just dont see any photos in your portfoilo, which is kind of a red flag. But thats OK too, photography is both science and art, so if you are a technician or engineer that is OK. Lots of talented repair technicians out there that cant create an original artistic photograph...and they are OK with that. And lots of talented photographers that cant repair photographic equipment or design a experimental flash that can free motion at 1/1,000,000th of a second. There is room for everyone here. Peace out.

March 4, 2013

Product photography is incredibly technical.

</blockquote>

Ditto on what Ian said. Product photography deals very heavily with reflections both transparent and non-transparent material....glass, metal, plastic...ect. Lots of studio lighting used for highlighting, backlighting, spot lighting using almost every light modifier available (and even a few custom) gobos, cookies, flags, diffusers, grids,...ect. And as mentioned with the exception of food, continuous lights are fine for product photography either hot lights or as Ralph mentioned CFL lights, and the advantage is you can see exactly where the light is. The disadvantage with continuous lights is if you are shooting any product that requires high speed photography say "pouring of wine in a glass" or any beverage you will need strobe lights with a fast flash duration. When you get more advanced come back to the lighting forum and we can get more into that.

TIP: I have done product photography shoots on plexiglass and I can tell you it does look great with products! But remember plexiglass is very reflective, not only will you see the reflections of your product you will see the background, the ceiling ...ect so be careful.

Here is an example of just one of the many unusual light modifiers used in product photography.

Bowens Universal Spot Attachment for Gobos <a href="http://www.adorama.com/BZUSAS.html">http://www.adorama.com/BZUSAS.html</a>

March 1, 2013

It can be written Ws, W/s or W-s

No, it really can't.

Yes it can!

split hairs: Fig. to quibble; to try to make petty distinctions to argue about whether details that are not important are exactly correct

</blockquote>

LOL!!! Sorry Joseph, I am not buying that baloney. If professional photographers and studio lighting companies are using W/s or Ws thats good enough for me! I rarely see W-s really but even if I did I sure wouldnt make a fuss about it whether it was correct or not. You still are on this splitting hairs on the really trivial...! Last time I checked your portfoilo I got this: Unknown Account. LOL. You dont have even one photo to share with us. Thats OK if you are not really a photographer but maybe a engineer/technician but please dont make such ridiculous statements. While some of the best photographers here on Photo.net and anywhere many whom are published use W/s all the time. I will say no more on this.

But there's a lot of us (and we're not all in NASA) A sub-microsecond flash means the flash duration is less than 1/1,000,000th of a second

Do not build one! If you go against my advice and do build one, I am not responsible for any injury, death, or any other problems it causes

</blockquote>

Ok that link you did share was pretty cool I admit. I didnt even know what a sub-microsecond flash was or that it could travel 1/1,000,000th of a second flash duration , I had no idea that was even possible. And the DIY schematics and kits for building one was cool too. But based on the warning above I would never build one of these experimental strobes ...they look dangerous!! BTW I am glad you like the Hensel studio strobe link, I have shot with Hensel studio lights before ...AMAZING studio lights, very crisp!! I havent shot with Hensel Speed Max Monolight yet, but at 1/66,600 I am thinking about it and thats about the fastest flash duration I would ever need.

February 28, 2013

If you're up against the wall with your Explorer, the Creo really isn't going to feel any different.

where did you get 1/7700 sec?

</blockquote>

My cheapo Vivitar 285HV flash gun beats most studio strobes at 1/30000 sec :D

Joseph, thank you for the response, I agree with you on some points but not everything. I did want to hear from professional photographers that were actually using the Bowens Creo (that was the point of the thread) but it doesnt look like that may happen as the Bowens Creo is really new. Also I should have clarified I am looking for studio strobes that can deliver fast flash duration @ full power not min power for outdoor use. As you pointed out the highest flash durations on the Bowens Creo are @ min power and this is the norm for most studio strobes. It looks like the Bowens Explorer really is the best choice for me as you pointed out, its more the exception offering 1/5700 sec flash duration at 1000 W/s or even 1/4170 sec at 1500 W/s enough for stop motion and something I need in full sun outdoor locations, so I decided to stay with what I have.

First though a few of your statements are incorrect:

W-s (not w/s, incidentally)

</blockquote>

1)It can be written Ws, W/s or W-s. Most professional photographers including myself , Garry Edwards of Photo.net and photographic dealers have either written W/s or Ws. Below is a link right here from Photo.net ... great info on studio lighting written by Garry Edwards who writes: "Power is expressed in Joules (J), or watt seconds (usually abbreviated to W/s)..." No need to split hairs on this trivial stuff ..moving on. :D

<a href="/learn/lighting/choosing-studio-lighting/">http://www.photo.net/learn/lighting/choosing-studio-lighting/</a>

2) The Bowens Creo is indeed 1/7700 second flash duration @ min power on both the 2500 W/s and 1200 W/s studio light packs. Check out the link directly from Bowens. Technically 1/7692 sec but rounded 1/7700 sec (again not going to be splitting hairs!) Bowens Creo 1/7692 second flash duration

http://www.bowensdirect.com/index.php/generators/creo-2400.html

3) The fastest (commercially available - I am sure the good folks at NASA have stuff in the works thats in the 1/100,000 + sec flash duration range) studio strobe in the world today is not Paul Buffs Einstein E640 at 1/13,000 sec but the Hensel Speed Max Monolight is the world's fastest studio light that I know of at a whopping 1/66,600 sec. Even the t0.1 value is apx. 1/22,000 sec ... more than enough for any stop-motion photography.

Hensel Speed Max monolight 400 W/s

<a href="http://www.hensel.eu/en/products/compact-flash-devices/speed-max.html">http://www.hensel.eu/en/products/compact-flash-devices/speed-max.html</a>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755814-REG/Hensel_3050_Speed_Max_Monolight.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755814-REG/Hensel_3050_Speed_Max_Monolight.html</a>

Other contenders besides Hensel is Speedotron and Dynalite which offer "bi-tube" or "quad-tube" heads. With the Dynalite 4080sp head you can use on a M2000 power pack it will deliver 2000 true Ws at 1/2600th duration. This is more the direction I am going. Yes Broncolor and Profoto are indeed the " gold standard" for studio shoots requiring high speed flash duration such as needed product photography shots, (pouring liquid from beverages) but this is restricted to in the studio with mini power levels in the dark or low light not outdoors on location with ambient light or in large sports arenas. Still the Bowens Explorer still has one of the fastest flash durations of any portable studio strobe including Broncolor, Profoto and Elinchrom.

<a href="http://www.timothyarmes.com/blog/2009/05/choosing-a-battery-pack-flash-system/">http://www.timothyarmes.com/blog/2009/05/choosing-a-battery-pack-flash-system/</a>

February 26, 2013

EDIT: The Bowens Explorer actually has a 1/5700 sec flash duration not 1/5600.

Anyone try the new Bowens Creo? They make also a 1200 w/s pack. They dont have a new portable DC generator studio light pack like the Explorer yet that I know of.

February 26, 2013

I currently shoot with the Bowens Explorer 1500 w/s studio light generator pack with two quad heads. I have been reading about the new Creo 2400w/s which has a flash duration of 1/7700 sec and other interesting features. My Bowens Explorer shoots at 1/5600 sec flash duration which is fine for now, but even faster flash duration would be nice. Anyone shoot with the Bowens Creo studio light pack generators? Will the Bowens old quad heads work with the new Bowens Creo?

Bowens Creo 2400w/s generator

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/897983-REG/Bowens_BW_9000US_CREO_2400_GENERATOR_WITH.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/897983-REG/Bowens_BW_9000US_CREO_2400_GENERATOR_WITH.html</a>

February 21, 2013

When it comes to portrait use, I don't really like the effect where the tips of the eyeballs are sharp and the rest is out of focus. That's just a matter of taste.

A 90mm f/2.5 macro lens was sold under the names Elicar, Spiratone, Rokunar and Vivitar.

</blockquote>

Jeff, thank you for sharing with everyone your awesome arsenal of macro lenses! I especially like your mention of the history and of some of the more obscure and rare macro lenses. I wasnt aware the Elicar, Spiratone, Rokunar are all the same macro lenses... just rebranded! As for portraits I do like shallow DOF in portraiture with focus on the eyes and pretty much everything else out of focus, which is why the Zuiko 90mm f2 is the best choice for me, I mainly shoot portraits, I do like to shoot macro but not as often as portraiture. And either the macro lenses in the 100mm or 90mm would be fine but 90mm is my preferred focal length for portraiture.

Robin, I agree with you, the Leica 90mm f4 Elmar-M Macro is not Leica's "best" macro, at 1:3 reproduction ratio thats pretty weak but its Leica's only 90mm macro which is why its on the list. Still the Leica 90/4 retails at $4000.00 ! You would think you would get a better macro for that price lol. Better macros by Leica in different focal lengths would be the Leica APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100mm f/2.8 or as Nick mentioned the Leica 60mm macro Elmarit-R lens.

February 21, 2013

Robin nope none of the lenses you mentioned were left out...Canon,Pentax,Minolta, Nikon...ect. I looked at all those lens brands and that list is specifically for the 90mm macro/portrait lens class so I couldnt include the other lenses because to my knowledge they never made 90mm macro lenses. I was just trying to illustrate a point regarding speed regarding the 90mm macro ...and the Zuiko 90/2 is still the winner in terms of speed. Still there are a ton of other fantastic macro lenses out there...too many to list really... of different focal lengths. I just happen to like the 90mm focal length because it doubles nicely for portraits.

And yes, as I already mentioned the Zeiss Makro 100mm f2 and Zuiko Macro 90 f2 have the same reproduction ratio and yes its just a function of the focal length difference. :)

February 21, 2013

Jeff here is a list of the best 90mm macro lenses ever made:

Olympus OM Zuiko 90mm f2 Macro

Leica 90mm f4 Elmar-M Macro

Zoomar Kilar 90mm f2.8 Macro

Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5 Macro

Sigma 90mm f2.8 Macro

Tamron 90mm f2.5 (52B) Macro

Tokina AT-X 90mm F2.5 Macro

Voigtländer 90mm f3.5 Macro

As you can see the Olympus OM Zuiko 90/2 still holds the world record as the fastest 90mm macro ever.

That said you are right that large aperture and speed isnt really needed in macro photography as you do want DOF but ....it is definitely needed in portraiture! Especially if you like bokeh and even in the macro photography as you can see from my still life photo above I like bokeh in even the macro photos.

From what I hear the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar 100/2 is the rival of the Olympus OM Zuiko 90/2 but since the Zeiss lens is 100mm not 90mm it doesnt get the "Worlds Fastest 90mm Macro Title" but as the "Fastest 100mm macro". Still the Zeiss is an excellent lens, you cant go wrong with either the Zuiko 90/2 macro or the Zeiss Makro 100/2 for the portrait/macro lens class. They both have the same number of diaphragm blades ( 9) and both have the same maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2 without using any bellows/extension tubes (my photo above was shot with the Zuiko 90/2 at maximum reproduction 1:2 life size at f2) IMO both these lenses the Zuiko 90/2 and Zeiss Makro 100/2 beat the Canon 100mm IS f2.8 L macro lens (Canon's top macro/portrait lens) in terms of speed and focal length.

Another advantage with the Zuiko 90/2 besides the shorter telephoto focal length, is you can actually focus a bit closer at 15.7" compared to 17.3" with the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar 100/2.

February 19, 2013

Just for fun, whats your favorite Olympus OM macro? It could be Olympus OM Zuiko or 3rd party lens brand. For me its the Olympus OM Zuiko 90mm f2 macro/portrait lens. I shot some still life of chili peppers with the Zuiko 90/2 and the Olympus OM-3 camera, the bokeh is the largest I have ever seen of any lens. The colors are extremely vibrant. Some other qualities include:

1) Insane sharpness (too sharp for most portraits). Doubles as a portait lens but needs a Tiffen Soft/FX filter softner filter for portraits or nylon stocking over the lens! 2) Macro is exceptional not only 1:2 life size but 1:1 and further with bellows. If you are into flowers, bugs, food, product, …whatever anything with macro this is your lens. 3) Speed. The fastest 90mm macro in the world! At f2 this prime lens holds the world record.

Overall one of the best prime lenses I have ever shot with.

For those not familiar with the Zuiko 90mm f2 lens or Olympus OM Zuiko macros: <a href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/macro/index1.htm">http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/macro/index1.htm</a> <a href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/htmls/macrozuikoE.htm">http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/htmls/macrozuikoE.htm</a><div></div>

February 5, 2013

You control a flash exposure with aperture only.

Both Rodeo Joe and Kenneth have given you correct answers on how flash works. But you are still not getting the basic principles on how flash light vs ambient light and combinations of the two different light sources. After you have selected your ISO with ambient light you can adjust your aperture and shutter speed for proper exposure. However with flash you can only change your flash exposure with the aperture.

With flash you can choose just about any shutter speed up to your camera's max sync speed and still have correct flash exposure. In your case with your lens and avoiding camera shake, 1/60s or faster shutter speed is recommended as you know. So using the flash principles we have defined for you and go with 1/125s or 1/250. You are shooting with a Nikon FM2n which can go up to 1/250s a fast flash sync speed in its day of 35mm film focal plane shutter cameras of the 1980s!

I shoot with the Vivitar 283 and 285HV flash which I recommend.

February 2, 2013

is looking for a smaller, travel size camera for my wife.

... avoid four-thirds cameras and buy full frame only. How appropriate.

The OP is looking for a travel size camera. Since this is a general four-thirds forum it is very appropriate to mention other cameras besides Olympus four thirds. Last time I checked its a free market. There are many travel size cameras to consider that are four thirds and non four thirds. The Leica Digilux series is four thirds. And Leica has always been the perfect camera for travel photography.

That said there are a few things I like about Olympus micro four thirds. I should have clarified its just not a camera I would prefer to use for paid assignments, most pro photographers like myself use Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad, Leica...etc. Full frame or larger is the preferred choice for professional photography but there are indeed exceptions. And if I were to choose one camera right now for professional travel photography it would be the Leica M9. But Olympus m4/3rds is indeed a great travel camera and it can also accept c- mount Cinema lenses. I started a thread two years ago praising Olympus micro four thirds cameras with the ability to use cine lenses.

http://www.photo.net/olympus-camera-forum/00XN7a?start=0

January 28, 2013

Also make sure she wants to move up from a P&S. Can someone recommend a smaller, easier to carry around zoom for the OM-D?

</blockquote>

George is right. Make sure your wife even wants to move up from P&S. Most non-photographers are perfectly fine with P&S...thats why they are non-photographers. However there have been a few pro-photographers that have used P&S so it really depends on the person behind the camera.

Personally I would avoid the Olympus m4/3rds digital system. I also shoot with the full frame Canon 5DMKII and OM Olympus Zuiko legacy lenses myself ....anything smaller than full frame would be a step down for me. But since this is for your wife consider a nice P&S like the Leica D-LUX 6 Digital Camera (Black). It looks stylish and its compact. It is also LEICA!

Did I mention LEICA?? :) <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=891920&Q=&is=REG&A=details">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=891920&Q=&is=REG&A=details</a>

January 26, 2013

Ralph, for me hands down its Elinchrom's Rotalux line of lightbanks and the Rotalux indirect /inverse lightbanks with even lighting, no "hot spots" to worry about with this light modifier. I have shot with the Photoflex 5 foot Octodome for years and its a great octa but hot spots can be an issue as with any direct light modifier. Now with the new Elinchrom adapters I can adapt these to my Bowens pack and head lights.

Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Inverse 59'' Octa <a href="http://www.elinchrom.us/rotalux-deep-inverse-59-octa">http://www.elinchrom.us/rotalux-deep-inverse-59-octa</a> Elinchrom Rotalux softboxes <a href="http://www.elinchrom.us/softboxes-rotalux?n=1">http://www.elinchrom.us/softboxes-rotalux?n=1</a>

I have mentioned this before but you can rent most of these light modifiers: Elinchrom, Chimera, Profoto, Rimelite....ect. The new light modifiers that came out in 2012 like the Profoto RFi lightbanks are probably not available for rent yet but most the light modifiers including the Elinchrom Rotalux are available for rent.

January 25, 2013

I thought I saw a thread here recently about adapters to fit Elinchrom light modifiers like the indirect and deep Octas to other brands of lighting equipment like Alienbee/Einstein/Balcar; Broncolor; and Profoto among others.

</blockquote>

My question is has anyone used the Elinchom speedring adapter yet? Anyone use it with Rotalux Indirect / Inverse light modifers? How is the quality and fit? I like to also hear these Elinchom speedrings work on other lights besides Bowens...there are speedring adapter available for most studio lights now.

<a href="/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00aoGS">http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00aoGS</a>

</blockquote>

Ellis that would have been me back in Sept of 2012 who started this topic. Thanks for jumpstarting this topic again. At the time only Wally responded! lol. So I guess (at the time) there were just not many photographers interested in adapting Elinchrom Indirect light modifers on other studio lights.

Marc was actually the first photographer that I am aware of here on Photo.net that first mentioned this was even possible with adapting Rotalux indirect / deep Octa light modifiers on other studio lights with the Kacey adapters. But since Elinchrom in 2012 has come out with these new adapters thats the way to go. I plan on using Rotolux indirect light modifiers with Bowens pack and head studio lights with the new adapter.

<a href="http://www.elinchrom.com/product/Rotalux-Speedrings-Other-Brands.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.elinchrom.com/product/Rotalux-Speedrings-Other-Brands.html</a> <a href="http://www.elinchrom.us/product/EL%2B26530" rel="nofollow">http://www.elinchrom.us/product/EL%2B26530</a>

January 11, 2013

Unfortunately, the 1,100-Watt rated Dynalite XP1100 AC/inverter has been discontinued since early- or mid-2012

</blockquote>

Ralph thank you for updating everyone on Dynalite XP1100 inverter. I had no idea they discontinued this as there is no mention of this on the Dynalite website. Luckily though my local photo rental store still rents the Dynalite XP1100 inverter which is a very well made inverter.

Here is the first part of interesting tutorial about lighting...

</blockquote>

Oleg please do not troll/spam/hijack the forums here. This thread is about Speedotron lights and you are using Profoto. You are not even contributing to any of the thread discussions started here or anywhere by the OP. You have posted the same thread over 20 times in the lighting forums. We get it! Most everyone here knows lighting so really most topics here are about lighting gear anyway (although lighting techniques is perfectly acceptable here). Its great you want to start a tutorial and get more hits on your website. Thats fine but stick to one thread which you have already posted. Yes you didnt get any responses but stop jumping from one thread to other threads just to get hits on your website. Stick to one thread and post there, the one you already posted. Thanks! :) Your tutorial thread, post here only: http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00bDsa

January 10, 2013

Edit: The Dynalite isnt a battery DC generator it is a AC generator but there is Dynalite XP1100 battery that works perfectly with the AC power packs.

http://www.dynalite.com/?page_id=428

January 10, 2013

If you are looking for a portable pack and head system the Speedotron Digital Explorer 1500 is an excellent portable pack and head unit from what I hear. It is also available for rent at major photo rental shops. I recommend trying it out first to see if it suits your needs. Although I shoot with the Bowens Explorer 1500 I have used Speedotron (black line) and they are excellent and dependable studio strobe lights. Without a portable battery or battery generator to power studio strobes you are forced to use a noisy and heavy gas generator 100 miles from any AC outlet which is not fun, (in a movie production there is no choice since continuous lights are used) so if you do on location photo shoots and need a reliable pack and head battery generator system the Speedotron Explorer 1500 is the way to go.

Remember here are some things to consider with portable pack and head systems depending on your budget and lighting style:

Maximum and minimum watts needed

Flash duration- this will depend on your lighting needs

Model lamp (this is often not a big deal unless you are doing photo shoots at night) even then you really do not want to use it since its a major drain on your battery)

Recycle time (the minimum you need)

Number of outlets needed for more studio strobe light heads

Battery life and flash power per full charge - (this will depend on your usuage whether you use it at max power or minimum power or somewhere inbetween.)

Optical slave/radio - I recommend using radios if you are shooting in the daylight outdoors. Some pack and head sytems have a slave or radio built in or BOTH (Dynalite, Bowens, Profoto...all use both radio/optical slave)

Recycle beep- often overlooked, this helps a lot because you might be far away from your pack to tell if its recycled

Pack and head battery generators systems

Profoto Hensel Speedotron Broncolor Dynalite Bowens/Calumet Elinchrom

More info comparing different pack and head sytems

<a href="http://www.timothyarmes.com/blog/2009/05/choosing-a-battery-pack-flash-system/">http://www.timothyarmes.com/blog/2009/05/choosing-a-battery-pack-flash-system/</a>

Speedotron Digital Explorer 1500

<a href="http://www.speedotron.com/products/details/black_line/black_power_supplies/184/spec">http://www.speedotron.com/products/details/black_line/black_power_supplies/184/spec</a>

January 2, 2013

Recently I saw the Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP camera which reminded me of my film cameras. I was wondering (since I have been away from Olympus for so long) if this adapter will indeed allow the use of my collection of lenses on this camera ...

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David thanks for bringing up a great point here. Like everyone else here we are all in the same boat, we have these fantastic OM Zuiko lenses and we need to figure out what digital cameras work best with these OM Zuiko (legacy) lenses. The answer is you have a few choices: m4/3 , sub-frame, or Full Frame digital. And most everyone here in this Olympus forum adapts the OM Zuiko legacy lenses on m4/3rds digital but there are other options.

As mentioned if you go the Olympus m4/3rds route your focal length on all lenses will multiply X2. This is not good because if one of your lenses is a OM Zuiko 16mm f3.5 Fisheye lens (a very RARE lens BTW) it will be downgraded to apx. a 35mm f3.5 lens with the FLM on a Olympus OM-D E-M5. Olympus came out and marketed the Olympus OM-D E-M5 specifically to appeal to customers like you, they want to "sell you" something looks like the classic film Olympus OM cameras but keep in mind this is marketing and think about "other options" instead of m4/3rds digital.

The choice as to which digital camera to go with is yours alone but let me offer another option besides m4/3rds digital. My advice: I would skip m4/3rds entirely and go to Full Frame digital. Your OM Zuiko lenses will work beautifully on full frame digital and have the exact focal length as on the Olympus OM film cameras. Canon EOS DSLR Full Frame is the best choice with OM Zuiko lenses. I have shot with Canon EOS Full Frame DSLR and Zuiko OM lenses for years and it works beautifully, it is the same as with film. Are there draw backs with using OM Zuiko manual focus lenses on digital? Of course! On BOTH m4/3rds and full frame digital cameras you have to deal with manual focus obviously, stop down metering, manual control of the aperture and lack of many other "bells and whistles". Action and sports photography where AF is essential is out for the OM Zuikos on digital. Is it worth it? Yes...but ONLY if you have HOT lenses! Here is a example I shot with the OM Zuiko 100/2 ED lens (a very rare and exotic lens) on Canon Full Frame digital. I do not think its worth it if you have low end OM or OM mount lenses say a JC Penney OM mount 80-205mm lens. But if you have stellar OM Zuiko lenses it is totally worth adapting on digital!

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Posts posted by rob_h5