Lightweight Portable Lighting System

You could try what Antti did...

https://www.facebook.com/anttikarppinenphotography?fref=ts

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Carried it all in a backpack :p


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I used my Godox RS600p at a wedding yesterday. Very impressed with the build quality. Its the new version with battery clasps and even I would struggle to break it. That said....I still fancy ordering a Profoto B1 and B2 kit....just because I can :D
 
Would be interested to hear your opinions on the Quadra system when it arrives @dancook . I'm wanting something lighter and more portable than my B1's (something my girlfriend can hold on the end of a pole), and the quadras is one system I'm considering.
 
dancook said:
@matty D

Tried it on my Sony A7S, min aperture is f16. It seems to sync ok at 1/200th.

Not a decent test, but just trying it out.

Was considering ND filters,

I understand I might need something else to achieve HSS on my canon
http://tombolphoto.com/blog/elinchrom-quadra-high-speed-sync-at-12500/
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You can't use it with HSS, the Quadra isn't an IGBT light so can't recycle (anywhere near) fast enough for HSS.
If you meant Tail End Sync then you can't do that either if, as I believe, you have the faster flash heads with your kit.

ND filters are very worthwhile in bright sunlight, but as the Quadra (and especially when fitted with the 'A' heads isn't exactly overpowered, it isn't something that you'll need to use all that often. Personally I use a much more powerful system and frequently use 3 or 4 stop ND filters to cut down the effect of the ambient and to allow wider apertures to be used.

Edit: I used a ND filter on this shoot
 
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Garry Edwards said:
You can't use it with HSS, the Quadra isn't an IGBT light so can't recycle (anywhere near) fast enough for HSS.
If you meant Tail End Sync then you can't do that either if, as I believe, you have the faster flash heads with your kit.

ND filters are very worthwhile in bright sunlight, but as the Quadra (and especially when fitted with the 'A' heads isn't exactly overpowered, it isn't something that you'll need to use all that often. Personally I use a much more powerful system and frequently use 3 or 4 stop ND filters to cut down the effect of the ambient and to allow wider apertures to be used.

Edit: I used a ND filter on this shoot
Click to expand...

I will order some ND filters :)

I'm having trouble searching for a flash ND filter - I wonder if they can be found?
The elinchrom pack can power two heads at 66/33 with global power settings. If I want to reduce the 33 flash even lower, then I will need something to cut down the light.
 
Luck would have it, my filters from the canon system are 72mm - so i've got a couple of B+W ND 0.9 and a CPL
 
mike weeks said:
the one on the camera cuts down ambient and flash, no need for extra on the flash

Mike
Click to expand...

It's a little unique to the system I believe, two flashes from one pack at a fixed power ratio. If I want to change that ratio, I will need to filter one of the flashes.
 
matty D said:
Would be interested to hear your opinions on the Quadra system when it arrives @dancook . I'm wanting something lighter and more portable than my B1's (something my girlfriend can hold on the end of a pole), and the quadras is one system I'm considering.
Click to expand...

A few more tests just to see what what my extremes look like (excuse the garden we're in the middle of working on it)

Using 0.9 ND filter, 1/200, ISO 100

f1.4 - min power and 2 x flashes

View attachment 38589


f8 - max power 2 x flashes

View attachment 38590

f8 max power 1 x flash

View attachment 38591
 
dancook said:
It's a little unique to the system I believe, two flashes from one pack at a fixed power ratio. If I want to change that ratio, I will need to filter one of the flashes.
Click to expand...
It's far from unique, although our own system is very different, the Elinchrom approach is a common one.

Frankly you're over-thinking this. I very much doubt whether the 60/40 ratio will cause you any real problems as such, because any set ratio only actually works at that ratio if both heads are fitted with identical modifiers and are set at identical distances, which in the real world doesn't happen. But if you really do feel that you need ND gels for the lights, there are plenty available on Ebay. I'll leave you to do the research but here is an example.

As Mike pointed out, a ND filter on the camera lens (as opposed to a ND gel over the light) cuts the contribution of the flash and the ambient equally, so this is what is normally needed if you want to use a larger aperture than the limitations of your flash sync will allow. There are of course all sorts of other tricks and bodges, which you will learn with experience, for example if there's a lot of sky in your shot you can either use a grad camera filter or you can simply set a higher shutter speed and turn the camera upside down - which means that the camera shutter blocks the flash in the part where it doesn't matter - the sky.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Frankly you're over-thinking this. I very much doubt whether the 60/40 ratio will cause you any real problems as such, because any set ratio only actually works at that ratio if both heads are fitted with identical modifiers and are set at identical distances, which in the real world doesn't happen. But if you really do feel that you need ND gels for the lights, there are plenty available on Ebay. I'll leave you to do the research but here is an example.
Click to expand...

Cheers, my light setup for Comic con was 1/128 bare and 1/2 in a beauty dish - I was happy with the ratio. I think with the elinchrom the fill light will be much brighter - although I could opt to not use it at all. It's really only this scenario which I was looking for a workaround.
 
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matty D said:
Thanks for that Dan. What's the build quality/perceived durability of the plastic head like?
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Can't say i have any concerns yet :) there's a bit of wiggle in the part that 'screws' on - you have to push a plastic clip down for that to go on and off, but i couldn't say if that will ever develop a problem. This gear is used and seems fine. The basic modifier head is metal.
 
matty D said:
Thanks for that Dan. What's the build quality/perceived durability of the plastic head like?
Click to expand...

I got a silver umbrella today, just hand hold it in left, whilst using right hand for camera - I took some test shots at f1.4 and f8 (using nd 0.9)

a 7mm shaft umbrella fits right into the head.

I had to use port B for the first shot and port A for the second

View attachment 38637 View attachment 38638
 
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