shiver_me_timbrrrre

The continuous lighting demands (Tungsten-Halogen and HMI magnetic and electronic ballasts) of the professional movie working world is not anything like the flash power packs used in the professional still photography world.

 

You don't need to have a EE background to understand basic things like stepped square waveforms and smooth pure sine waves.

 

I wonder how your talk about vibrated loose cordsets has anything to do whatsoever with pure sine waves vs. modified sine waves aka modified square waves. That is operational snafu and has absolutely zero bearing on the kind of waveforms that generators put out.

 

Don't listen to me. Talk to the manufacturers of your flash equipment and go with what they recommend.

How about this one:

 

http://www.energymatters.com.au/faqs/DC-to-AC-inverters.php ?

 

Sure looks like a square waveform to me. But it is the careless nature of some folks that put the blame on most-AC-generators-put-out-sine-waves putt putt, perhaps? Or perhaps this is one of those which is not covered under your Most-AC-generators?

Sorry for the double-post.

 

Check out this FAQ by Xantrex Inc., an inverter MANUFACTURER. Guess they know what they are talking about but in Flanigan's world, perhaps they are lying to you:

 

http://www.xantrex.com/support/readfaq.asp?did=268&p=1348

 

Careless nature of some folks. What about careless callous statements from you, Flanigan? Take your own advice and remove the cotton swab from your ears and blinkers from your eyes.

Modified sine waves are stepped square waves approximating a sine wave. Easy to verify with a meter. Not the same as a pure sine wave. Simple as that and have jackshit to do with jacklegs.

Modified sine waves are stepped square waves approximating a sine wave. Easy to verify with a meter. Not the same as a pure sine wave. Simple as that and have jackshit to do with jacklegs.

Kelly, buy your own D4 and stick it into your most-AC-generators-put-out-sine-waves putt putt. Then come to tell us all about it. Why did you stop at most-AC? Why not have the courage to say all? Is it possible that some generators don't put out sine waves at all?

 

In other words, put your money where your mouth is.

You can listen to Kelly Flanigan; know that if anything happens to your D4, Flanigan won't be there to pick up the tab. Or you can do a simple Googling and read up on modified sine waves and pure sine waves for yourself. You can also do the smart thing and talk to the manufacturers of both the gas generators and flash equipment.

 

And then you can decide for yourself who is demented and who is not.

Well, if you're looking for an 'homage' to the Lightsphere, check out Lambency on ebay or just Google it.

Page 31 of the 1200WS/2400WS D4 manual recommends a 3000W generator for one D4 and a 6000W one for two D4s. It does not specify which D4, 1200WS or 2400WS. The 4800WS was new when the manual was written and is not specifically mentioned in the manual.

 

The only recommended generators are those inverter types which output pure sine waves. Of course, someone will weigh in and tell you otherwise and that he or she plugged her flash and power drill into a standard putt-putt and lived to tell the tale. But it is your equipment so feel free to take the advice as you see fit.

 

I recommend the Honda EU3000i or two EU2000i strapped together for one D4.

 

So, it looks as if you are looking at a lot of weight if you plan to power three D4s. Each EU3000i weighs 115lbs, dry.

Yes!

Labour and time to set it up? Hmmm. Never an issue with me. Perhaps my budget is bigger than yours, Emre. I do have assistants and I make them work.

 

I go for the picture, not for what works quickly and with the least amount of sweat.

 

Different strokes for different folks, that's all.

Andy, the switch in the middle with - o = on it. Did you try setting it to - ? I suspect that set to =, the knob adjusts only the output of the modelling lamp. Set to - , it should adjust only the output of the flash but not the modelling lamp which would either remain full on or be completely off when it flashes.

 

You have a monolight where the modelling lamp and flash cannot be set proportionately to each other at the same time.

Thanks to Martin Prihoda for sharing his gig with us. I like what he said in the end about the best way of getting ahead was by helping others get ahead and that there enough work to go around. That's the spirit.

 

That said and hindsight being 20/20, I would have rigged a silk overhead to cut down on the hard sunlight and scrimmed the background between the band and the building. This allows for larger apertures and less flash power to be used but it calls for more grip work.

 

In the end, it is the photographer's call. Just thought that there may be more than one way of doing it.

 

Oh, I think the red tape was put on by the rental house that Martin rented his gear from.

 

The red tape on the aerial/antennae comes from the rental house. Notice the same red tape around the handle of the Profoto 7b.

It is mainly the flash duration and recycling time, for all practical intents. Colour temperature may not be as tightly regulated as the 7a from pop to pop. If you shoot fast and furious, an Acute may not be able to take the heat as well.

 

The Acute uses the same light modifiers and reflectors as the Pro 7. The flash-head has the same geometry. Light quality-wise, I don't think there is a difference.

The short answer:

 

1) Lumedyne Action series packs, 200ws or 400ws;

 

2) elinchrom Ranger RX Speed AS with Freelite A flash-head, 1100ws;

 

3) Profoto 7B2, 1200ws; for even shorter flash duration, use a Twin head.

 

These are the ones I know. There may be others out there that I am not aware of.

 

These are all battery powered packs.

Britney, you are aware that as a photo student, you are eligible to buy Profoto from MAC under its PEPP scheme at pretty good discounts? Do it BEFORE you graduate.

I never said you were an idiot. But perhaps you know less than you think you do. All you had to do was to look up the information before you cast doubts on what I had written. It is really irrelevant and not german to this discussion how many film lights you own. After all, this is not a pissing contest.

 

However, it does appear that in this instance, you know nothng about the ARRI or Desisti broads with the optional black reflectors. So go look them up.

 

Removing the lens from a Fresnel? Have you really DONE that? Do you know what it looks like or are you making a guess? It won't be a point source now, would it?

And yeah, they are not painted WHITE inside either.

No, Sing Lo, it does make perfect sense if you wish to cast hard shadows with the ARRI or Desisti broads. The black 'reflector' is an accessory which slips in place of the usual shiny reflector for just such a purpose. I have two of them so I guess I should damn well know! Anyway, look them up on the manufacturers' websites before 'correcting' me.

You could try lining the inside of a reflector with Cinefoil for quite the same effect. It helps to use a clear protective glass dome instead of a frosted glass dome over the flashtube for enhanced effect. The clear dome is several hundred Kelvins bluer in colour temperature.

 

What you want to do is approximate a point light source. The Profoto hardbox has a slot or slit in the front of it behind which the flashtube is placed. All the internal surfaces are blackened.

 

It is derived from Arri and Desisti hot broads (lights). What happens is that the interior of these broads are blackened. The clear glass envelope of the bulb looks like a point light source. Hard shadows are the result. Note that you cannot focus the light in one of these, unlike a Fresnel.

 

So, I would knock myself out with a roll of Cinefoil before I spring for a Hardbox.

Griffolyn. 4'x8' white foamcore is cheap and industry standard though.

Bugger all, Trevor, bugger all.

Sinar, Hasselblad CF/Imacon Ixpress, Megavision.

Try Briese.

I solved the problem by standing on my head. Yeah, it is not called a Hassle Blad for nothing.