Just been offered some lights....

James Blonde

James Blonde

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Studio work has never been something I've done, but always been kind of curious to try it out. Someone locally is selling some studio lights for £50 - all Bowens Monlites, consisting of a 200E, a 400E and 2 x 800E. Having just tested them using just the trigger button on the back, 3 of them work as expected, but the 400E doesn't flash, has a slow charge warning and rattles a bit. I guess most likely the flash bulb has blown, but is physically intact at least. All cables appear to be present (haven't looked too closely at them - not even sure what they plug into at this stage!), and there seem to be infrared 1/4" plug in triggers for them.

I mean this kit is clearly old, I understand that Bowens are out of business(?) and it's pretty bulky, but is it of any value as a starter for someone who possibly wants to try working with lights / flashes? Can you still get parts (bulbs, fuses(?)) for this sort of stuff?

Or would I even be wasting £50?
 
The Bowens E series must be somewhere between 30 - 40 years old now.
As long as they work (and it seems that 3 of them do) you can't really go wrong for £50, in that they will get you started and you can later upgrade to something better if you find yourself enjoying studio photography.

They do have some pretty major disadvantages - slow recycling, very limited range of power adjustment (assuming that the adjustment still works), no built in slave cell, long flash durations and pretty inconsistent power and colour shot to shot. Worst of all, they have the long obsolete Bosens 'L' accessory mount, which means that you won't be able to get any light modifiers for them.

But, although some people on this forum seem to regard every latest development and tweak to be a must have, the fact remains that all that a flash really needs to do is to flash:)
 
James Blonde said:
Or would I even be wasting £50?
Click to expand...


If in good working conditions, this could be your best chance
to get access to such cheap training gear!

So old means no SMD parts and EASY to repair eventually!
 
Thanks both! :) The adjustments do seem to still work. They do come with some accessories / light modifiers - not quite sure what, but better than nothing! Some gel films in there too.... I think I can possibly live with those disadvantages at this early stage. Either I'll outgrow the system, or I just wont use it - guess no great loss either way, as long as I can learn from it!

I'm assuming the IR flash kit will mean I don't necessarily need a wired system, and they'll possibly trigger off a hotshoe trigger which I think is in there / or if not my SB800.
 
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James Blonde said:
Thanks both! :) The adjustments do seem to still work. They do come with some accessories / light modifiers - not quite sure what, but better than nothing! Some gel films in there too.... I think I can possibly live with those disadvantages at this early stage. Either I'll outgrow the system, or I just wont use it - guess no great loss either way, as long as I can learn from it!

I'm assuming the IR flash kit will mean I don't necessarily need a wired system, and they'll possibly trigger off a hotshoe trigger which I think is in there / or if not my SB800.
Click to expand...
They will trigger from your hotshoe flashgun if fitted with the optional extra plug-in slave sensors (last time I looked, admittedly years ago, they used to crop up on ebay) but not the best idea in the world, because the light from your flashgun will add light where it won't be wanted.
Your best bet is to get a cheap radio trigger set (with 6.5mm jack socket fitting) This one includes a transmitter for your camera hotshoe and 3 receivers, one for each head. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Cha...&qid=1517358469&sr=1-5&keywords=radio+trigger but has the alternative 3.5mm jack sockets, so you will need to find something similar with 6.5mm ones, or get adapters, which are as cheap as chips.
 
Can't remember the power socket fitting on these heads again but either a couple of the kenro trigger receivers will do the job... or the undernoted monocells usually come up on ebay in the uk.. both the links I have given you for the monocells are being sold abroad.. but it will give you an idea of what you are looking for to trigger the heads... probably plenty of life in them yet..these were built like tanks and to last.. only thing that usually goes wrong with them is the capacitors inside the head you can tell when they are on their way out as the head is usually quite slow to recharge after flashing.. usually repairable for about £30 a head or the flash tube packs in..was a guy in essex somewhere that used to repair these heads at one time..and the spare tubes usually you can find on the bay..enjoy..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bowens-S...370644?hash=item5d7a461094:g:PLwAAOSwc6Jaax86

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...947755?hash=item2f13efd56b:g:NxIAAOSwXf1aZQiV

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenro-Ra...430068?hash=item2ef5542cf4:g:TpAAAOSwYIxX9k7e
 
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thequietman said:
Can't remember the power socket fitting on these heads again but either a couple of the kenro trigger receivers will do the job... or the undernoted monocells usually come up on ebay in the uk.. both the links I have given you for the monocells are being sold abroad.. but it will give you an idea of what you are looking for to trigger the heads... probably plenty of life in them yet..these were built like tanks and to last.. only thing that usually goes wrong with them is the capacitors inside the head you can tell when they are on their way out as the head is usually quite slow to recharge after flashing.. usually repairable for about £30 a head or the flash tube packs in..was a guy in essex somewhere that used to repair these heads at one time..and the spare tubes usually you can find on the bay..enjoy..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bowens-S...370644?hash=item5d7a461094:g:PLwAAOSwc6Jaax86

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...947755?hash=item2f13efd56b:g:NxIAAOSwXf1aZQiV

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenro-Ra...430068?hash=item2ef5542cf4:g:TpAAAOSwYIxX9k7e
Click to expand...
Of the above, the Kenro one will work but that offer includes only 1 receiver, and the OP needs 3.
The other 2 links, for the Bowens slave cell, are fine but for some reason people pay far too much for these old technology plug in slaves, and they aren't even very good (not even remotely sensitive) so my advice, as per my second post, is to get a set of radio triggers/receivers to fire each head.
 
Thanks so much for the help guys! :D

Power socket fitting - all kettle leads, and I've got a ton of those in a box somewhere that I can replace the old leads with. I may have lucked out, as it looks like there are a few monocells in the box (the Mk3 type), and possibly a hot shoe trigger, so I can at least try them out before I decide whether I need a radio trigger! Will put it all together over the weekend, chuck some batteries in where required, and see what I've got, but it sounds like I've potentially got a viable set up, and even the dead 400E flash might be repairable if I decide I need more than a modelling light!

If I did go for a 3.5mm jack fitted radio trigger, would 3.5mm - 1/4" adapters work with them?

Now to figure out how to use the damn things! :D (and I mean studio lights as much as I mean these ones!)
 
James Blonde said:
Thanks so much for the help guys! :D

Power socket fitting - all kettle leads, and I've got a ton of those in a box somewhere that I can replace the old leads with. I may have lucked out, as it looks like there are a few monocells in the box (the Mk3 type), and possibly a hot shoe trigger, so I can at least try them out before I decide whether I need a radio trigger! Will put it all together over the weekend, chuck some batteries in where required, and see what I've got, but it sounds like I've potentially got a viable set up, and even the dead 400E flash might be repairable if I decide I need more than a modelling light!

If I did go for a 3.5mm jack fitted radio trigger, would 3.5mm - 1/4" adapters work with them?
Click to expand...
Yes
 
Actually, interesting question, but could a nikon sb800 be used as an infrared commander / trigger (rather than using the visible light flash as trigger)?

Dont know enough about speed lights to know whether they're capable of this, but could mean i don't actually need any other triggrt system...
 
James Blonde said:
Actually, interesting question, but could a nikon sb800 be used as an infrared commander / trigger (rather than using the visible light flash as trigger)?

Dont know enough about speed lights to know whether they're capable of this, but could mean i don't actually need any other triggrt system...
Click to expand...

Yes, put the SB800 in manual at low power. To make the flash (almost) invisible, cover it with a dark red wrapper (or two) from a box of Quality Street.
 
James Blonde said:
Actually, interesting question, but could a nikon sb800 be used as an infrared commander / trigger (rather than using the visible light flash as trigger)?
Click to expand...

That's how I test a lot of heads if I'm in a hurry, just use a TV remote.

I don't think the IR without flash is strong/wide enough from a SB800 though, as suggested just go with a low power flash or get a cheap IR blaster/Radio trigger etc.
 
James Blonde said:
Actually, interesting question, but could a nikon sb800 be used as an infrared commander / trigger (rather than using the visible light flash as trigger)?

Dont know enough about speed lights to know whether they're capable of this, but could mean i don't actually need any other triggrt system...
Click to expand...
In theory yes, but personally I doubt whether it will work reliably, if at all.
The problem is that the Bowens plug in slave cells are old technology and far from sensitive.
But, it will cost nothing to find out whether they work or not.
 
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