Portable Flash for LF - small but powerful

[Ari]

Hi all,

I'm looking for suggestions on a portable battery-powered flash unit.
Hoping to find something small, light and powerful that will work with film, and give me the occasional light boost for portraits.
One light is enough for now.

I've looked at Paul Buff, Dynalite, Elinchrom, etc but I'm not quite sure if 400 w/s would be enough to get me f16 at 10 feet with a softbox in place.
Conversely some of those brands are heavier than I'd prefer.

It would have to be a brand that has readily available accessories (speedring, softbox possibility, etc).
I found this, only 320 w/s (but maybe it's enough) and comes with an array of modifiers: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...flash_and.html

Price is a concern, I think it would be used occasionally, so I don't need to go all-out on the latest Profoto set-up.
Just looking for something reliable, small and powerful enough.

Thanks in advance.

[DKirk]

Looks a bit like one of the GODOX AD-360 flashes - seem fairly good for a reasonable sum.

[Ari]

Thanks Mr Kirk, I hadn't known about the Godox brand, and a comparable Godox kit on eBay is significantly less expensive than the B&H kit I linked to.

Sadly, neither has any kind of modelling light.

If anyone would like to chime in with other suggestions, I'm all ears; thanks.

[Bob Salomon]

Ari,

First of all, WS or Jules is NOT a measure of output. It is only the storage capacity of the flash and no flash outputs 100% of its capacity. An efficient one will output about 80% at full power.
Lots of factors control how much power can come out of the flash: diameter and length of the wires between the caps and the tube, diameter of the flash tube, number and types of connectors between the caps and the tube and MOST IMPORTANT the angle of coverage of the reflector and the finish and coating of the reflector.
For instance, a 400WS flash with a bare bulb will give you 360° coverage but will have several stops less light at say 10' then the same flash with a 40° reflector.

There is no formula that converts a WS into an f stop without your knowing several things that a manufacture does not give you in its specs, like loading on the tube.

The best way to compare outputs of flash units is to know actual output of the flash over the desired area of coverage in a f stop or in BCPS or ECPS (beam candle power or effective candle power) either of these can be easily converted to an actual, useable F stop.

Then you can easily compare different flash unit's output to one another. Using WS ratings if is simply impossible to compare.

As for modeling lights, do you want ones that are proportional to the flash output that will let you see the modeling in multiple flash setups or do you just want some think that points in the same direction as the flash? There is a big difference.

[Ari]

Ari,

First of all, WS or Jules is NOT a measure of output. It is only the storage capacity of the flash and no flash outputs 100% of its capacity. An efficient one will output about 80% at full power.
Lots of factors control how much power can come out of the flash: diameter and length of the wires between the caps and the tube, diameter of the flash tube, number and types of connectors between the caps and the tube and MOST IMPORTANT the angle of coverage of the reflector and the finish and coating of the reflector.
For instance, a 400WS flash with a bare bulb will give you 360° coverage but will have several stops less light at say 10' then the same flash with a 40° reflector.

There is no formula that converts a WS into an f stop without your knowing several things that a manufacture does not give you in its specs, like loading on the tube.

Hi Bob,
Thank you for the clarification; I suppose that the guts of the flash would be the difference between a low-priced flash vs an expensive one.
Would it be fair to say that a given w/s rating is for a bare bulb at a given distance? I realize that light modifiers, such as a softbox or scrim, would reduce flash output.

I'm not too worried about manufacturer's specs, I'm more interested in someone's hands-on experience with a particular unit, and whether they can confirm that the flash will be adequate for lower-ISO (100-400 ISO) work.
Thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

Hi Bob,
Thank you for the clarification; I suppose that the guts of the flash would be the difference between a low-priced flash vs an expensive one.
Would it be fair to say that a given w/s rating is for a bare bulb at a given distance? I realize that light modifiers, such as a softbox or scrim, would reduce flash output.

I'm not too worried about manufacturer's specs, I'm more interested in someone's hands-on experience with a particular unit, and whether they can confirm that the flash will be adequate for lower-ISO (100-400 ISO) work.
Thanks!

You could compare bare bulb outputs at a given distance. But remember, when you are using a soft box, compare the same size and types of boxes, not just random ones. Some boxes have a disk in front of the tube that provides more indirect light while others don't. Those may have greater output at the same distance but the center could be hotter then the edges.

Just make sure that you compare equals as much as possible.

[RHITMrB]

Hi all,

I'm looking for suggestions on a portable battery-powered flash unit.
Hoping to find something small, light and powerful that will work with film, and give me the occasional light boost for portraits.
One light is enough for now.

I've looked at Paul Buff, Dynalite, Elinchrom, etc but I'm not quite sure if 400 w/s would be enough to get me f16 at 10 feet with a softbox in place.
Conversely some of those brands are heavier than I'd prefer.

It would have to be a brand that has readily available accessories (speedring, softbox possibility, etc).
I found this, only 320 w/s (but maybe it's enough) and comes with an array of modifiers: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...flash_and.html

Price is a concern, I think it would be used occasionally, so I don't need to go all-out on the latest Profoto set-up.
Just looking for something reliable, small and powerful enough.

Thanks in advance.

I suspect a 400 Ws light won't be enough if you want to use modifiers. I occasionally use a White Lightning X1600 (660Ws) with a small (3' square) softbox. At ISO 400, flash to subject distance of 6-8 feet, and full power, I usually get about f/8.

[Ari]

That's what I was afraid of, Isaac; thank you very much.

[ghostcount]

Let the numbers be your guide... guide numbers that is.

GN=distance*f-number

The AD360 has a GN of 80 (m, ISO100) or 262 (ft, ISO100). So, if your subject is 10 feet away your aperture will be f/26.2 at ISO 100. Powerful enough? Only you can decide.

Of course, I'm not accounting for zooming features, modifiers, and manufacturer's optimism.

[Alan Gales]

Ari, forget the flash and get yourself one of those head braces talked about in the other thread on here!