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08/12/2010 09:47:30 PM · #1 |
Ok, seeing that I'm too poor to afford an off camera flash at the moment, can I rig up something at home? I saw some cheap lights at Home Depot that are 1000 watt. How bright is a camera flash? Or am I just SOL until my new job starts and I get a paycheck big enough to buy a flash unit?
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08/12/2010 10:12:53 PM · #2 |
I'm far from a flash expert, but I don't think it has anything to do with wattage. Instead it's intensity and color. I bet an off camera flash will be more intense (more lumens) than the 1000 W light, and the color will be much more pleasing.
Plus, an off camera flash is fully adjustable, which is much more important than you think (I didn't care about adjustability when I got my 430 EX II, but now that I hear the 580 EX II goes to 1/128, I am very jealous). Not to mention portability.
So, while I think it would be ok to start a home studio with an always on 1000 W light, I think you would in the end be much happier saving for a flash unit.
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08/12/2010 10:20:41 PM · #3 |
This was taken with a fluorescent light at home depot! It cost me 29 bucks for the light fixture and two fluorescent tubes. I shot this at 1.8 with ISO 400?
It's not very powerful and has to be close to the subject, but hey it works!
Message edited by author 2010-08-12 22:22:40.
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08/12/2010 10:27:44 PM · #4 |
For non-moving subjects, and shooting with a tripod, they work just fine. You can expose for as long as needed.
these were all shot with desk lamps or clamp lights:
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08/12/2010 10:30:03 PM · #5 |
Continuous lights are nice for the simple fact that they're continuous so you get real-time views of how you're changing the light. Those 1,000w Home Depot lights are bad cause they're hot as hell. Fluorescent lights have their own issues because they cycle. Comparing GN's to the intensity of lights like this is also very much a crapshoot. Honestly, if you're curious how much light they throw, bring your camera in and set one up. I'd be surprised if they refused to humor your request.
If you're on a tight budget for a flash, you might consider one of these or a used e-bay flash (but be careful of trigger voltage on old flashes). |
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08/12/2010 10:33:41 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by monster-zero:
Ok, seeing that I'm too poor to afford an off camera flash at the moment, can I rig up something at home? I saw some cheap lights at Home Depot that are 1000 watt. How bright is a camera flash? Or am I just SOL until my new job starts and I get a paycheck big enough to buy a flash unit? |
You can't directly compare the output of electronic flash with continuous lighting. Flash is significantly brighter than continuous, but it's very, very short duration, while continuous is dimmer, but very long duration.
1000W should be plenty to light for shooting, depending on what you are doing. You aren't going to be stopping any action unless you use very high shutter speeds.
What you have to look at, is how much electricity will the lights draw from your wall outlets, and how much heat are the lights going to generate? Will you be working in small spaces where anything nearby might catch fire if the lights are tipped over? Can you adjust the lights safely while they are on?
On the flip side, you can get full manual control flashes on eBay for $20-100 easily if you know what you are looking for if you are looking for budget options (lots of Sunpak options that are inexpensive and suitable for OCF).
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08/12/2010 10:41:38 PM · #7 |
| I got my off camera flash very cheap on ebay... and it works fairly good for a temporary flash and does what I need it to... its an Quantary (spelled wrong)... |
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08/12/2010 10:50:03 PM · #8 |
The 1000 watt work lights are VERY hot. Will heat up your model, subject, room. Will set fire to a sheet if you hang it too close attempting a cheap softbox. An abundance of caution, willing models, and a desire for pictures of sweaty, uncomfortable people need to be on your checklist before purchase :-)
The fluorescent light option is seriously worth considering. One or two strip (long tube) fixtures plus daylight balanced tubes can be hung vertically on light stands, etc, and give a nice light. Cool, inexpensive, continuous lighting. Also consider the clip on work lights with aluminum reflectors at Home Depot--just a few dollars each and some fluorescent bulbs can work well alone, or teamed up with the strip lights.
And you can continue saving for speedlights, look for used ones, check ebay and local stores. |
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