Work Lights for studio lights?? - DPChallenge Forums

Panasonic DMW-LTZ10 1.5x Teleconverter

12/21/2005 09:52:23 PM · #3

Use them all the time.

//www.polishedtool.com/archives/4-Budget-Lighting.html

Message edited by author 2005-12-21 21:53:04.

Prof_Fate

12/21/2005 09:56:10 PM · #4

They work but two issues - they get HOT! The other is the light output is rather low. Even with a couple of low end flashes you'll be shooting at 1/200 at F9 to 13 no problem at ISO 100. With 2000 watts of hot lights you might muster 1/60 at F4 at ISO 200 or even 400 and probably need a tripod. Fine for still life and small subjects on a table. For people beyond a head shot type of thing i think strobe is the only way to go.

KiwiShotz

Panasonic DMC-FZ20

12/21/2005 10:12:08 PM · #5

I have been looking at this too and am very interested in your numbers Prof - thanks. 1,000W halogen 'work lights' including tripods are about $70 at our local hardware superstore - a very attractive price.

I didn''t fully appreciate how much heat would be a major issue but when you think about it, a pair of lights is a two-bar electric heater. I'm surprised that these lights will still be 6 stops worse than a couple of flashes which gives me cause fo a major rethink. I have a number of flash guns, a couple are 150 index but I haven't found triggers and slaves at a reasonable price for them yet.

Brett

Prof_Fate

12/21/2005 10:15:08 PM · #6

have you got a Sears store there?
These lights are about $25 and have a nice tall stand, like 2 metres. may are only 1/2 that high. Onsale for $20 at times.

You can use a white bed sheet for diffusion and reflection, but watch the heat - after a while is smells like you're ironing the laundry LOL

Panasonic DMW-LTZ10 1.5x Teleconverter

12/21/2005 10:33:55 PM · #7

DON'T BUY them work lights!!!!!!! PLEASE. What you should do if you want to get some lights is go to a speacilty lighting store and pick up Some PH bulbs There so great true 3200K balanced they run for about $6 each and come in a bunch of different sizes (211 75watt, 212 150 watt, 213 250watt) These bulbs are pretty diffused as is but I would recomend picking up a couple china balls and some sockets which you can then build a 4 bank socket set that will give you tons of light with 213 in them (I find a 213 put out more light them a 500 watt mogul bass bulb) The other thing you should probaly pick up is some tracking papier for some cheap duffusion (not the craft store kind). Or pick yourself up on of these bad boys only 20k

and you need acess to 18kilowatts of power. hehe.

One more option for them PH bulbs is picking up some of those souscer clip lights from a hardware store.

KiwiShotz

Panasonic DMC-FZ20

12/21/2005 11:04:25 PM · #8

Hey Radionin, good skills, thanks for the tips. So if anyone knows about lighting its going to be you isn't it :) DOP is such a great job in the crew, how long will it take you to get the camera to yourself? You have to be ASC first or DOP to be ASC?

Brett

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

12/21/2005 11:21:22 PM · #9

Hey KiwiPix I'm not a DOP right now I'm a Best Boy ELX just working my way up the chain I'm still a little young to be calling myself as a DOP. And you need to become a BIG DOP before you get the ASC beside your name. ONE DAY I WILL HAVE IT hehe.

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

12/22/2005 08:54:03 AM · #10

Lots of people seem to use halogen worklights. The CRI is great, but the Color Temperature is low (its about the same as tungsten). If you mix these lights with daylight or flash, parts of your image will be too warm and parts will be too cool. You can use a full blue (CTB) gell to correct the light's color, but a CTB gell transmits about 36% so you will lose about an f/stop and a half if I've done the math correctly.

CEJ

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

12/22/2005 09:52:06 AM · #11

I went to Home Depot and purchased two sets of work lights - 1500 and 500 - both switchable to multiple intensities. After taking the guards off, they have worked great for me.

12/22/2005 10:04:44 AM · #12

Remember that if you're shooting in color to try to shoot in a room w/o windows. I had a situation not to long ago where all my shadows were blue/green. It was a good thing I was shooting for B+W.

12/22/2005 05:03:40 PM · #13

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Remember that if you're shooting in color to try to shoot in a room w/o windows. I had a situation not to long ago where all my shadows were blue/green. It was a good thing I was shooting for B+W.

You guys know you can pick up 24 by 21 sheets of color correction gel for 6 bucks a peice. Every photographry should have a full selcetion of duffion, CTB, CTO and hell CTS is another nice one

Try finding a dealer via
//www.leefiltersusa.com/
or
//www.rosco.com/

An if your going to gel tungsten fixtures and don't want to loss a stop try using half blue it give a nice effect and gives you some extra seperation.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

12/22/2005 05:11:54 PM · #14

Originally posted by radionin:

It's a good idea, but I find it easier to control the light, especially with the halogens, in a room that has minumal sunlight. The reason being is that:
1. Even at 1000 watts, the halogens don't put out that much light and it's hard to get the light to overpower the sunlight.
2. With that low light, loosing stops isn't a good thing, especially if I'm already diffusing it. (w/ a trash bag or umbrella none-the-less).
3. If I'm using lights, I want TOTAL control of the light.

CEJ

Canon EOS-40D

12/22/2005 05:25:42 PM · #15

So far I have used them for fairly close shots - under 10 feet. I have the window in the studio blacked out when I shoot. I have the 500 watt set on the table and the 1500 watt set about 3 feet from the table. I would love to have some real lights and stuff, but so far this is it. All my diffusers and reflectors are home made as well.

I have found since using the work lights that if I don't use custom white balance the shots are not useless, but a lot more processing to get them decent. They have proven very nice for real close macro shots though. Get them in real close and they are great. Hot though.

12/22/2005 05:26:53 PM · #16

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by radionin:

You guys know you can pick up 24 by 21 sheets of color correction gel for 6 bucks a peice. Every photographry should have a full selcetion of duffion, CTB, CTO and hell CTS is another nice one

Try finding a dealer via
//www.leefiltersusa.com/
or
//www.rosco.com/

An if your going to gel tungsten fixtures and don't want to loss a stop try using half blue it give a nice effect and gives you some extra seperation.

It's a good idea, but I find it easier to control the light, especially with the halogens, in a room that has minumal sunlight. The reason being is that:
1. Even at 1000 watts, the halogens don't put out that much light and it's hard to get the light to overpower the sunlight.
2. With that low light, loosing stops isn't a good thing, especially if I'm already diffusing it. (w/ a trash bag or umbrella none-the-less).
3. If I'm using lights, I want TOTAL control of the light.

Who said you can't control the sun? Its not hard to put some CTO over a window which would correct that little into tungsten and bring the stop down to a range you can work with your lights. OR let the sun come in in full strengeth and use some bounces inside. The sun is a great light source there is no need to hide yourself from it. Work with all the tools you have and whats the cheapest source of light (the Sun)

12/22/2005 05:29:40 PM · #17

I do the bounce thing... :-) love working with North facing windows.

But, you know, I've never thought about color correcting sunlight ... lol ... damn, learn something new every day.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

12/22/2005 05:45:36 PM · #18

Originally posted by Alienyst:

Persoanily I think you should throw them damn work lights away. The bulbs that are used in them arn't made with an exact color temp in mind so they tend to be all over the place and also tend to be under 2800k which is a little bit of a problem with most cameras which tend to bottom out around there.

PH bulbs are the best thing for making some cheap light fixtures. PH bulbs are professional photography bulbs that are made to output 3200k with minior varations which is where you realy want to be working at in the tungsten realm of things. AND They only run for about 6 bucks each!!!!

PH bulbs are what them film guys put in there enlargers. Steal a secert from the past USE THEM

Just to rant a little what do the call them work lights................... WORK LIGHTS they ain't made for photography

ONE MORE THING I find it kinda crazy how a lot of still photographers will use a bounce to light some ones face. Personly I find bounces send light everywhere and are better suited to lighting backgrounds. So I tend to point the light at the person and then duffuse it from there. I find it gives you far more control and a much more appealing light.

OH I feel a weight of my shoulders hehehe

CEJ

Canon EOS-40D

12/22/2005 06:27:00 PM · #19

Originally posted by radionin:

For the 45 bucks I spent on them, they have made my life less miserable. You are wrong on the color temp as well as the amount of light they produce. I meter every shot and brought home the calibrated meters I have at one plant to measure the color temp as well as the output and compared the readings with my own meter - both agreed.

Close in, as in when I used them for macro, they metered at @3300 to 3400k and when set for a 'normal' shot they metered at @ 2950 to 3075k. Granted not as high as you would like, but with custom white balance and setting the color temp in cam pics show a noticeable difference - improvement. If you account for all the variables as best you can, you can work with almost anything. For the money the work lights have and will serve the purpose. I don't dispute that different/better lighting would be easier/nicer/better(?) to work with. But again, it is just a matter of adjusting settings and exposure corrrectly.

wavelength

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

12/22/2005 06:35:17 PM · #20

My wife just finaly picked up my Craftsman rain-check priced lights, $19/per ain't bad for work lights. I think I might do some test shot with and without tonight on the same shutter and f/ just to see what a difference they make. I'm sure it will be considerable.

I might get a thermometer for the room, and check the temp after 30 minutes or so and chekc it out. I've read that other continuous lighting is pretty hot too, wonder if I can get someone with some of those to post results for that also.

As for the WB issues, currently with my incadescent lamps I set up when taking indoor shots, I just set it to tungsten and correct the image in PS by selecting a white point.

If you have nothing white in the pic, set a white object/card in a corner or the frame and crop/burn/clone it out later after you've adjusted it.

Sonifo

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

12/22/2005 06:36:44 PM · #21

I have 4 of them someone can borrow. :-)) Used them a lot before I got my alienb's. Good luck!