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Thread: Studio lighting--strobe??

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Mar 1998
    Posts
    1,972

    Studio lighting--strobe??

    "The previous postings name some excellent strobes. There are a couple of things you should consider that I don't think have been mentioned. I don't know where you plan on using the strobe you plan to buy but consider this. Strobes unless you're talking about the portable ones have a certain amount of amp draw from a wall electrical socket. The rating for electrical wall sockets in the average home here in california is 15 amps nominal and actually just over 16 amps. Use anything over 16 amps for an extended period of time and these wall sockets and the adjacent wiring will start to get incredibly hot and eventually you're talking FIRE! You should check out the amp draw of a particular strobe you plan to use and the amp draw rating of where you plan to use it or you might be asking for a lot of trouble. "

    What Jonathan doesn't understand is that while studio type pack and monobloc units may draw a peak of 15 to 20 Amps when starting to recharge the capacitor banks this peak lasts only an incredibly brief (usually much less than 1 second) time and once that peak has passed they idle along at closer to 3 to 5 amps.

    "Also there is another consideration which was a bigger problem a few years ago but isn't so prevalent now. A strobe can send voltage back through the sync connector to your camera sync and fry your sync and or your shutter. Many manufactures have a filter incorporated in their units but I wouldn't automatically assume this to be the case. It's something you should check on before deciding on. I have White Lightning and Profoto and have no problems with either strobe but I use the Profoto system a lot more now.

    Once again, a misunderstanding here. The problem with high sync voltages was with little flashes battery powered flashes like the Vivitar 283 (but ones that are now ten years old or more) and cameras with computers in them like Canons (threshold for sync voltage is 6 volts) and Nikons (25 volt threshold). Mechanical Copal and Compur and Prontor shutters are immune to these problems. Jonathan

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Redondo Beach
    Posts
    547

    Studio lighting--strobe??

    In response to the previous poster, a few thoughts. I have several

    strobes. I have a momobloc type strobe which if used briefly stays

    relatively cool, but if used repeatedly and for prolonged periods will

    get very hot. This build up of heat from repeated use happens not

    only in the strobe but in the wiring of the electrical outlet as well.

    I don't have a misunderstanding of how a strobe cycle works, but

    maybe I wasn't specific enough in what I said.

    Too use a strobe with an amp rating higher that the amp rating of the

    electrical outlet may be of an in itself may not be a problem for a

    brief period of time. When I'm in my studio shooting a portrait

    session, they've lasted in some extreme instances as long as 6 to 8

    hours for a complicated group session. Notwithstanding breaks for my

    clients, I fired off my strobes a LOT. Repeated use of a strobe with

    a heavy amp draw is going to build up heat in your wiring no ifs,

    ands, or butts.

    Higher rated units in terms of amp draw will pop your circuit

    breakers.

    You are right about the cycling aspect of a strobe but I was trying to

    emphasize what could happen at the extremes of repeated use and for

    long periods.

    You are right about the small Vivitar units which incidently shot as

    much as 330 volts back through a sync cord and this I should have been

    more specific about this. BUT at one point in the time some of the

    White Lightning monoblocs were suspect in terms of this problem and so

    were the units of a few other brands.

    I understand all this so chalk it off it to me maybe not being

    specific enough. I still think it is a good idea to go over the specs

    and sync safegaurds of a strobe with a "fine toothed comb" when

    considering a purchase so it can get along with your wiring when

    used to the max over the long term.
    Jonathan Brewer

    www.imageandartifact.bz

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