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11/04/2004 12:44:45 PM · #1 |
| yes, here i am with used 550ex & 480ex but i am wondering what would be the studio lighting wattage equivalentness of these two flashes? i am interested in making purchase of maybe actual studio flashes but not want redundancy with same wattage so i can have more different style lighting, yes? can anyone help with their knowledge por favor? is maybe 550ex equivalency to maybe studio flash of 550wattages, yes thank you much ok! |
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11/04/2004 04:07:35 PM · #2 |
A decent flash like the 550EX can generate the equivalent of about 30-35 watt-seconds of light. (For reference, a 1000W "continuous light" is equivalent to about 8 watt-seconds.)
See my post in this thread for more information. |
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11/04/2004 04:43:02 PM · #3 |
I have exactly the same question as this but with a 580 and 420 *laugh*
Eddy .... what's the difference then between the watt/s and watts (I know the difference, I mean comparrison maybe).
I am mid doing a course on lighting (so might ask this next week) ... we were told that a 500 - 600 watt light is a decent, and affordable, sort of size for a small studio. We were talking, I thought, about strobes at the time but maybe I misunderstood.
Off I go to look on the interweb and find all these lights at w/s values, which do not match at all.
Is there an easy way to convert one to the other? Initially I thought a 1000 watt light might also be shown as a 100 w/s light, but then changed my mind.
Message edited by author 2004-11-04 17:16:29.
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11/04/2004 04:55:11 PM · #4 |
| i tips my many hats off to you eddyg! your explanations and source of previous forum listing is most edifiying and nutritious in learning, i thank you again for your generous help! |
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11/04/2004 05:05:28 PM · #5 |
| If you were to use a flash unit as a portrait light, would that work well? I realize it's not the same as 3 or 4 strobes, but can you get good results? |
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11/04/2004 05:09:21 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by EddyG:
A decent flash like the 550EX can generate the equivalent of about 30-35 watt-seconds of light. (For reference, a 1000W "continuous light" is equivalent to about 8 watt-seconds.)
See my post in this thread for more information. |
are you sure it's only 35ws? I was under the impression it was 75-95ws....but I can't remember where I got that from. |
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11/04/2004 05:35:57 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Gil P:
are you sure it's only 35ws? I was under the impression it was 75-95ws....but I can't remember where I got that from. |
My reference when I posted that was this page (search for "battery" on that page to find the reference). I don't have any direct experience, and the 550EX may indeed be more than 30-35, but given that the Sunpak referenced in the link above has a GN (Guide Number) of 120, I don't think the 550EX would be that much more powerful.
But the ultimate reference on EOS flash photography does say "the guide number does not describe the amount of light output as such. Flash unit capacity is also described in terms of light output units such as beam candlepower seconds (BCPS) or effective candlepower seconds (ECPS) or in terms of energy capacity units such as joules or watt-seconds. None of these measuring systems are commonly used with portable electronic flash units, so I̢۪m not going to cover them here. They also measure different things and are, therefore, not convertible or interchangeable units." (Emphasis mine.) *shrug* =]
Natator: the link above, titled "Why use strobes?", probably does a better job of explaining watt-seconds than I could. The end of this link (same site/author) has a section called "Comparison to Battery Operated Flash Units" that may also be helpful.
Message edited by author 2004-11-04 17:40:10. |
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11/05/2004 06:38:42 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by kyebosh:
If you were to use a flash unit as a portrait light, would that work well? I realize it's not the same as 3 or 4 strobes, but can you get good results? |
Being a fan of budget, I'd have to say yes.
These are taken with my cheap-o setup using second hand flashes and spray painted golf brollys.
I'm not suggesting they are what I want to be using, but while I've been teaching myself the dark art of using strobes I've got what I consider to be good results, and had a bit of fun along the way without breaking the bank.
Now I can look at 'real' studio strobes and gear with a much better idea of what I want to do, and what I need to do it...
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11/05/2004 08:33:09 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by EddyG:
Natator: the link above, titled "Why use strobes?", probably does a better job of explaining watt-seconds than I could. The end of this link (same site/author) has a section called "Comparison to Battery Operated Flash Units" that may also be helpful. |
Absolutely sensational find there Eddy, thanks. That has answered things very nicely indeed for me :)
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