Continuous lighting v. Strobes...

10/15/2007 10:56:19 AM · #2

Continuous lighting really isn't all that bright. You still end up with slow shutter speeds. Plus ... they are hot and uncomfortable to work under.

Strobes are cool and quite. The duration of the flash is what freezes the iamge. You adjust your aperture to control the strobe light. And you adjust your shutter speed up or down to allow for ambient light (where as with continuous light, there's no differentiation between ambient light and your lighting).

Continuous lighting is fairly cheap. Strobes ... you'll pay more, but there are some good starter packages out there.

If you're serious about it ... go for the strobes. If you're still just experimenting, maybe try continuous.

AJSullivan

10/15/2007 11:01:57 AM · #3

Ok cool. Strobes it is then. I might order today in fact. Thanks.

10/15/2007 11:03:32 AM · #4

I've said this before and caught flack about it, but will say it again. I'm not going to debate it tgough.

Continuous lighting is for video, strobes are for photography. Period.

Yes, I know that you can use hot lights for photography, but the usefulness is limited. Heat and dimness being big drawbacks that offset any advantages.

Modest strobe lighting is relatively inexpensive and far out performs hot light setups.

Anyway, check out //www.strobist.com for more ideas.

Message edited by author 2007-10-15 11:04:13.

smurfguy

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

10/15/2007 11:04:28 AM · #5

Like David said, if you're experimenting, for $20-$30 you can't go wrong with:

But they are very hot, don't provide a ton of light (as far as the camera's concerned), and have a bad yellow cast.

I'm soon I'm moving up to this nice little beginner's set ($315):

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

10/15/2007 11:07:44 AM · #6

//leroydickson.blogspot.com/2007/08/sunpak-333-wireless-setup.html

Not an expensive setup, but gets the job done.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

10/15/2007 11:43:56 AM · #7

Hot lights suck.

10/15/2007 11:48:56 AM · #8

With all due respect to

dwterry and [user]fotoman_forever[/user], I like to offer an alternate opinion. I don't think it will change your decision to start with strobes, but it is an interesting discussion.

Personally I'm a fan a continuous, which makes me a bit odd, but I also understand that there is a resurgence in the area of fashion because it does allow for some movement to be captured and there is no recycle time between shots.

Plus ... they are hot and uncomfortable to work under.
Both fluorescents and HMI provide continuous light with dramatically less heat than incandescents or halogens.

Continuous lighting is fairly cheap
Pro level continuous lights is very expensive, more expensive than strobes. DIY workshops lights are cheap, but as pointed out hot with limited light output.

Advantages to high-end continuous light:
- What you see is what you get
- You can capture rather than freeze movement
- There is no recycle time on the lights

Disadvantages to high-end continuous light:
- Very expensive (especially HMI)
- Fluorescents are not very portable
- They are not as bright as strobes (issue with ISO 25 film, but maybe not as much of an issue with current digital cameras)

I would still recommend that you start with strobes because you can get nice strobes from much less money, it's widely accepted as the 'standard' approach, and nice continuous light is really only needed in a very narrow set of situations. My main goal is discussing here was to point out that there is more to continuous light than halogen workshop lights.

Message edited by author 2007-10-15 11:49:37.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

10/15/2007 12:04:11 PM · #9

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Hot lights suck.

Not always.... this portrait was captured from a bank of full spectrum daylight balanced fluorescents. I don't think the light sucks, it's just different.

AJSullivan

10/15/2007 12:04:47 PM · #10

Advantages to high-end continuous light:
- What you see is what you get
- You can capture rather than freeze movement
- There is no recycle time on the lights

This is why Im playing with the idea of continous, so as the model moves around you can see what you are getting, and you can "perfect" the light easier then it seems strobes. I have about $850 to spend, so im going to sit on it for a few days and think it through.

Message edited by author 2007-10-15 12:05:34.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

10/15/2007 12:10:25 PM · #11

Originally posted by Nusbaum:

Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Hot lights suck.

Not always.... this portrait was captured from a bank of full spectrum daylight balanced fluorescents. I don't think the light sucks, it's just different.

Hot lights are just that, hot. I was not referring to the results from hot lights, I was referring to working with them. Unless you have a great deal of cooling, any room you're in with hot lights will become uncomfortable in a hurry. Not to mention the fact that the lights themselves get hot enough to sizzle flesh and/or start a paper fire.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

10/15/2007 12:13:48 PM · #12

Originally posted by ajdelaware:

Don't forget that it's possible to shoot using just the modeling lamp on strobes, which effectively makes them continuous lights.

Keep in mind too that the recycle times are typically a full power discharge. If you use strobes at a lower power, they cycle much faster.

10/15/2007 12:14:53 PM · #13

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Originally posted by Nusbaum:

Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Hot lights suck.

Not always.... this portrait was captured from a bank of full spectrum daylight balanced fluorescents. I don't think the light sucks, it's just different.

Hot lights are just that, hot. I was not referring to the results from hot lights, I was referring to working with them. Unless you have a great deal of cooling, any room you're in with hot lights will become uncomfortable in a hurry. Not to mention the fact that the lights themselves get hot enough to sizzle flesh and/or start a paper fire.

You're right... I missed the jump from continuous to hot lights. The shot I posted was created with fluorescents, which were completely cool and very easy to work with.

10/15/2007 12:17:32 PM · #14

Originally posted by ajdelaware:

This is why Im playing with the idea of continous, so as the model moves around you can see what you are getting, and you can "perfect" the light easier then it seems strobes.

That's what the modeling lights on studio strobes are for. Oddly enough, it's not that hard to imagine what light is going to do though.

Remember to budget in a flash meter.

BTW, the strobe set smurfguy posted is a very good set. It provides amble power for most purposes.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

10/15/2007 12:20:24 PM · #15

Excellent information

Nusbaum. I was unaware of the high end systems.

10/15/2007 12:23:26 PM · #16

Originally posted by ajdelaware:

Strobes are absolutely the easiest way to get started. You can find plenty of expert advice here on dpc, in magazines and in books. Useful continuous light, cool, is VERY expensive or you have to build a lot yourself and then learn to use it. I like it and won't stop playing with it, but I also have a set of alien bees.

10/15/2007 12:23:57 PM · #17

HMI and florescent lighting is a viable option. If you're a DYI person, banks of florescent lighting can be had relatively cheaply and you will get nice lighting.

However, portability is thrown out the window with the banks.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

10/15/2007 01:41:09 PM · #18

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

I agree 100%. The main reason I brought out this options were to point out the continuous light isn't just about halogen workshop lights. There are viable options that may, or may not, work depending on the situation.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

10/15/2007 02:46:37 PM · #19

i think it comes down to a matter of what you want to do with the lights.

you gonna use them soley in a single enviroment?

you gonna use them outside away from home? if so you gonna want to tote around a few heavy bags & power supplies? or rather have a light weight portable set up?

i'm going with a hot shoe - wireless - set up. light weight, easy to tote around, and quick to set up. i can use them inside or out.

nothing is ever perfect, but more a solid balance of usefullness -vs convenience...

smurfguy

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

10/15/2007 03:30:52 PM · #20

Originally posted by Nusbaum:

... point out the continuous light isn't just about halogen workshop lights. There are viable options that may, or may not, work depending on the situation.

True enough. Still, the cheapest canned solution usually makes a good starting point.

Originally posted by soup:

nothing is ever perfect, but more a solid balance of usefullness -vs convenience...

and price... =)

Message edited by author 2007-10-15 15:31:26.