Strobes, Lighting, Metering, and Digital 'Polaroids'

[jurgenestanislao]

Hello,

I recently shifted to using Broncolor strobes for my indoor work.

I wanted to ask two things:

1. Using a flash meter and measuring light, how do you go about dictating the aperture of your images given that meter readings usually dictate aperture values?

2. Has anybody used DSLRs or modern digital cameras as their polaroids for LF work? Can this work? If so, how do you go about in-camera readings (digital) and translating them into LF cameras (of course including filter factors, bellows, etc).



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[ic-racer]

1. Using a flash meter and measuring light, how do you go about dictating the aperture of your images given that meter readings usually dictate aperture values?

Move the lights forward or back or adjust intensity of the lights as needed by adjusting their duration, wattage or adding neutral density to the light path.


2. Has anybody used DSLRs or modern digital cameras as their polaroids for LF work? Can this work? If so, how do you go about in-camera readings (digital) and translating them into LF cameras (of course including filter factors, bellows, etc).

If one can shoot digital and output a print to check, I'd wonder why then bother with the time-consuming complexity and uncertainty of film? Isn't digital better in the first place?

[John Olsen]

I think this has been discussed here before. Take a search through the older threads for more info.
In short, the digital camera can replace the Polaroid step in setting up lights, especially if you set the ISO on the camera to match your LF film. You can definitely get the lights set with respect to each other and the ambient.
More caution is needed in testing for the total exposure. Your digital camera display may exaggerate the brightness of the scene, leading you to underexpose your LF film. I set the display on my digi-cam at "-1" and that helps moderate the test image. On your camera it may be different and require learning by trying and taking enough notes so you can figure out the correction.
As for the flash meter, you can use it to make the first guess for the digital camera, but then just use the camera to fine tune the lighting.

[jurgenestanislao]

Thanks will do a search for old threads.

What digital camera do you use if you don't mind me asking?

Also, do you find a big difference in exposure values when plugging in digital camera values into the LF camera? of course adding necessary factors etc.

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[Tin Can]

Yes they can correlate

But in practice I no longer try to shoot both Digi and film especially in studio with sitters

Ideal ASA for my Digi and films can vary, as can aperture, shutter speed and format

I have a plastic mannequin aka Plastica; for setting lighting before a human arrives on set and the pressure rises

Lighting ratios will be the same, maybe...but light output often has to go up for film

I like to shoot people as they move, requiring quick reset strobes, I usually beat the reset and end up with a few dark frames, but can shoot 100 Digi quicker than 4 sheets of LF film

Film portraits I try to limit to 4 sheets

Now for 8 months my studio is forlorn, maybe in 12 more months...

Wear your mask

[John Olsen]

Thanks will do a search for old threads.

What digital camera do you use if you don't mind me asking?

Also, do you find a big difference in exposure values when plugging in digital camera values into the LF camera? of course adding necessary factors etc.

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I'm using my venerable Nikon D90 for setting the lights. I have found an additional half stop of light is usually needed to get my best TriX exposure (after making whatever ISO and filter corrections are necessary). Film is cheap, so don't be ashamed to bracket in order to be sure of a good result. The big errors come from viewing the digital camera display in low light versus daylight, because in the dark the digital display looks more brilliant than it really is.

[robphoto]

I use a digital camera to check my exposure, especially good with complex situations like mixed ambient, continuous, and strobe lighting.

-- Be sure not to judge the brightness by its appearance on the screen, but use the histogram, and make sure you're using the space to the right in the histogram, but without a lot of highlight clipping.

-- Use the same ISO settings, time and aperture as you will on the view camera.

-- Then on the view camera, correct your exposure for filters, bellows extension, and reciprocity.

-- If in doubt, 1 more stop brighter of exposure probably won't be harmful.

[Pieter]

I use a digital camera to check the lighting, a flash meter for the exposure.

[Exploring Large Format]

I use a digital camera to check the lighting, a flash meter for the exposure.This is where I'm hoping the Lomo Graflok Instax 4x5 Back will come in exactly as you say: to check lighting expresdion generally. Then meter for exposure. Hoping.

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[Tin Can]

I use any trick I can think of

I shoot primarily in my studio with lamps and/or strobes

I match my DSLR lens focal length to my LF FL for same field of view

Then shoot a DSLR test as close as possible to the LF taking lens ........very close

but never forget to add a LF bellows factor to your DSLR numbers

and most DSLR don't have f64

and no DSLR will exactly match LF depth of view aka focus aka field except sometimes

as my Darkroom is next to studio, sometimes I have ready to use trays with chems for very fast tests full size

X-Ray is good for that

Too

[joelio]

I use any trick I can think of

I shoot primarily in my studio with lamps and/or strobes

I match my DSLR lens focal length to my LF FL for same field of view

Then shoot a DSLR test as close as possible to the LF taking lens ........very close

but never forget to add a LF bellows factor to your DSLR numbers

and most DSLR don't have f64

and no DSLR will exactly match LF depth of view aka focus aka field except sometimes

as my Darkroom is next to studio, sometimes I have ready to use trays with chems for very fast tests full size

X-Ray is good for that

Too

I have found a new use for a neglected DSLR macro lens - digital proofing in the fashion that you described. And while it won't get down to f64, it gets to f32 - more than handy enough after adding a filter and factoring in bellows extension for any close up work.

[maltfalc]

If one can shoot digital and output a print to check, I'd wonder why then bother with the time-consuming complexity and uncertainty of film? Isn't digital better in the first place? why are you even on this site then?

[Tin Can]

Seeking Macro Strobe advice, which hopefully can be used with both Tiny Format and AND Large Format AND outside and/or studio

I used the Nikon SB200 in pairs long ago for industrial film macro

I have 1 and 4 SB800, I will try them on LF macro soon

However I may prefer a Ring Strobe for Large format

Many here (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=macro%20ring%20light&sort=PRICE_HIGH_TO_LOW), some are expensive, also am looking at this monster (https://www.paulcbuff.com/Flash-Units/AlienBees-Ringflash.html)

[robphoto]

You could look at the subject through a hole in white fabric, and bring in lights close on either side, similar to jewelry work. Gives you the chance to light brighter on one side than the other for modeling.

I guess you could also do that with a ring light, if you put translucent fabric over part of the circular tube so the light had some directionality.

[John Olsen]

Seeking Macro Strobe advice, which hopefully can be used with both Tiny Format and AND Large Format AND outside and/or studio

I used the Nikon SB200 in pairs long ago for industrial film macro

I have 1 and 4 SB800, I will try them on LF macro soon

However I may prefer a Ring Strobe for Large format

Many here (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=macro%20ring%20light&sort=PRICE_HIGH_TO_LOW), some are expensive, also am looking at this monster (https://www.paulcbuff.com/Flash-Units/AlienBees-Ringflash.html)

The ringflash is attractive but I think the 6" depth would make it hard to get the camera lens close enough. What might be more flexible would be a fiber optic bundled light source. AmScope makes one with two bendable, gooseneck bundles that you could bend around your camera and adjust with whatever lighting ratio you wished. Literally much more flexible than a fixed position ring light. These are made for the microscope market. Try Googling it.