Lighblaster tests: Studio head vs Speedlight

Thanks for this Light blaster test. Good read and informative. The studio head adaptor really does look like a badly executed after thought.
 
I remember seeing something about this a while ago but don't know how it works.
I assume that it's a sort of cheap focussing spotlight, with the light hitting what is in effect a condensor lens, and against the flat side of that lens goes either a gobo or some sort of transparency?

If so, I still have (somewhere) a full size version sold by Elinchrom (don't know who actually made it) and this came with a few gobos, and of course hundreds more were available from 3rd parties. These gobos were made from stainless steel, very thin, and projected a very sharp image (if required, but could also be de-focussed) and there were also some gobos stamped out of mild steel, these were just a series of different sized holes, a bit like Waterhouse Stops, again these focussed.
And there were sliding shuts, which allowed control of the shape of the light, for example if I needed to light the label on a wine bottle I could adjust the shuts to fit the exact shape.

You mention light loss. It's just a drawback of the design, very little light actually passes through to the gobo or whatever and reaches the subject, the vast majority just gets absorbed by the black interior. In fact, to get a usable amount of light at 100 ISO I normally fitted the head from my Chic 2 generator unit, 2400Ws....

As I no longer have any Elinchrom flashes I don't use it anymore, but it was a good bit of kit in its day, and essential pre-digital, when everything had to be absolutely right in camera.
 
Yep that's pretty much it Garry - it's a cheap version of those focused spotlights. Bron also make one (with all the features you describe - inc the sliding blades etc) and it was their demo picture shot by Urs Recher that I set out to recreate with it last week. The Lightblaster Gobos are made of stainless steel, and do give very sharp edges if you focus the image it projects. The lens in this case is an actual camera lens. The Lightblaster has a Canon EOS lens mount on the front. I have a Nikon-->Canon adapter that they sell, but it's a shonky piece of gear tbh, so I use a 50mm f/1.8 EOS mount lens from Yongnuo. They're only £35 so I'm not too bothered if it falls off (and yes it has AF for £35!! - not that I ever mount it on a camera - I don't have any EOS bodies).

You can also put 35mm slides in the light blaster as well and I have a few odd ones, but the metal gobos are better by far. Shame there are only a dozen or so. However, I ordered a couple of Rosco size E metal gobos last week - of which there are hundreds as you know, and glued them in between 2 pieces of black card - cut to the size of a 35mm slide and they work just fine in the Lightblaster. So now I can stop carrying an actual venetian blind on a mini boom around :p

Good to know the more expensive ones are no more efficient with the light. I had high hopes for the studio adapter and I did shoot the picture with an SF600 - with the modelling lamp on so I could see where the circle was! I use a torch to focus it when using speedlights. The plastic seems pretty heat resistant. Had a bit of a moment on that last shoot with it when I thought it was smouldering as smoke appeared in the light beam. Turned out it was my assistant, John, puffing on his personal fog machine :p

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I have one of these and use it on occasion, it does produce some interesting effects for head shots, I have also used my own 35mm slides with good effect although it seems to work better on dark backgrounds.

I use mine with both a 50mm 1.8 and an old Nikon zoom but be warned the Canon to Nikon adapters are rubbish and do not lock the lens on so I tape mine on..
 
Toxic said:
I have one of these and use it on occasion, it does produce some interesting effects for head shots, I have also used my own 35mm slides with good effect although it seems to work better on dark backgrounds.

I use mine with both a 50mm 1.8 and an old Nikon zoom but be warned the Canon to Nikon adapters are rubbish and do not lock the lens on so I tape mine on..
Click to expand...


The Nikon adapter is next to useless isn't it? The lack of locking is down to the mount on the Lightblaster though - none of the lenses lock on mine. That adapter - there's also no release lever so you need to poke around with a flat blade screwdriver to remove it from your lens... I shoot Nikon so bought a Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 Canon fit lens new for £35 to avoid the adapter..

Incidentally, someone sent me a STL file for a Rosco gobo holder to fit the Lightblaster. I've had one quote of £14 to print it - anyone know somewhere that could do it for sensible money?
 
I've got a mate with a 3D printer and I am sure he could beat that price, I guess he would need to see what needs doing, I'll ask him when I see him as he comes into my workplace most days.
 
Ok cool I'll give him the file and see what he can do.

Also does the file contain all the information he will need to print it? I am not familiar with how it works.

What size gobos does it take? I use "M" size with my Bowens spot thingy.

Edit: Forget that, seen your post above!
 
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I'm not familiar with it either :) I think the only other thing he would need to know is what sort of material and commercial printers seem to offer two resolutions. It doesn't need a fancy finish on it, so a low rs will be fine, and the material should be a matt(ish) black plastic.
 
He's been in today and the file is all he needs, I downloaded a cad program and it came up with all dimensions etc ready for printing, not sure on the colour but it will be a freebie so I guess it could be a bit of plastic primer and some matt black paint!

I'll pm you when I have them so you can give me your preferred postal address.
 
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