Looking for a first artificial light for portraits

[Drew Wiley]

Well Randy, I do have a whole pile of Smith Victor myself, somewhere up on the loft in big boxes of inherited stuff I will probably never get around to sorting through, otherwise all in good shape and still perfectly usable. I did pull out some nice stainless darkroom trays for potential use. My favorite "studio" light is a
good ole adjustable-beam Arri fresnel unit; but these were never cheap.

[Tin Can]

Well Randy, I do have a whole pile of Smith Victor myself, somewhere up on the loft in big boxes of inherited stuff I will probably never get around to sorting through, otherwise all in good shape and still perfectly usable. I did pull out some nice stainless darkroom trays for potential use. My favorite "studio" light is a
good ole adjustable-beam Arri fresnel unit; but these were never cheap.

We also have plenty of Smith Victor, ARRI, Mole, Totas and Omni's. Hot stuff!

I made my own FL tube lights 20 years ago.

The 3 other photo and movie studios here share everything.

I am most excited about a new dedicated 1200 sq ft Portrait studio in building this Fall. I will have off hour access and am making a 11x14 Location camera just for that space.

[Pere Casals]

I think he meant HMI lighting. But that is probably not practical or affordable for this application. I sure wouldn't want to pose under those in a small studio! Even high output 2, 4 and 50W 6 tube full output, high CRI fluorescents, while cool to run and with very low current draw can be blindingly bright at full power close up.

HMI is a type of HID lamp, any common Xenon HDI lamp will work perfect as a studio illumination, imagine a 12V HID lamp from a car headlight cheap conversion kit, small and powerful. Or one of those used in street illumination, it is continuos spectrum 5500ºK, just a continous electronic drive has to be provided, if using a ballast we'll find, with 60Hz altercurrent, 120 pulses per second, as negative wave also makes a pulse.

[Drew Wiley]

High-frequency ballasts can have tantrums of their own; that is something I know all too well. Also need mild ambient air temps to work properly.
Not something for an ice cold warehouse you only occasionally use as a studio. HMI was introduced for video use and early scanning cameras where constant
output was needed for the slow exposures. Damn expensive. But these cute little roll-up LED lighting panels being sold everywhere nowadays are pretty damn
weak.

[Bob Salomon]

HMI is a type of HID lamp, any common Xenon HDI lamp will work perfect as a studio illumination, imagine a 12V HID lamp from a car headlight cheap conversion kit, small and powerful. Or one of those used in street illumination, it is continuos spectrum 5500ºK, just a continous electronic drive has to be provided, if using a ballast we'll find, with 60Hz altercurrent, 120 pulses per second, as negative wave also makes a pulse.

When we introduced the Rollei Scan Pack for the 6008 around 1988 we travelled around and demoed it with a battery operated HMI system. Those were interesting times!

[Drew Wiley]

I remember the first Broncolor units rolled out along with the Sinar Epolux system, which itself cost a distinct fortune. Now you'd have to pay someone just to haul
the leftovers to the dump. But one of those automated Epolux turrets would be nice for some big tricolor camera project.

[Bob Salomon]

I remember the first Broncolor units rolled out along with the Sinar Epolux system, which itself cost a distinct fortune. Now you'd have to pay someone just to haul
the leftovers to the dump. But one of those automated Epolux turrets would be nice for some big tricolor camera project.

Fortunately the Rollei didn't use a filter wheel. That was one of the advantages over the original Leaf system, as well as the others that did.

[Pere Casals]

When we introduced the Rollei Scan Pack for the 6008 around 1988 we travelled around and demoed it with a battery operated HMI system. Those were interesting times!

Hello Bob,

I've searched it, $19000 in 1991, 20 seconds to scan 5 MPix Interesting times... in fact ! how it was to change all...

http://www.digicammuseum.com/en/came...ital-scan-back

[John Kasaian]

For portraits, I don't think you can go wrong with two hot soft boxes (large ones for LF) and a reflector.
Mine were Photoflex, purchased on introductory sale, but I later sold the array to finance a badly needed remodel job on our master bath.
Photoflex I understand is now out of business.