Strobe with 8x10

[Noah B]

Hey all, I recently borrowed an alien bee 400w strobe and am going to be using it for indoors shots. I'm shooting with a 210mm lens and I checked distances today, and at full power around 10ft away, I'm at 1/60 at f16-22. Will this be adequate for my film size? I've read in other sites that some people use 1000w+ strobes. Does anyone have experience using strobes with 8x10?

[domaz]

I don't think film size matters. What matters is if you are getting the f number you want. If you're not getting a high enough number you can do multiple flash pops (assuming static subjects), or use a higher ISO film, OR get more strobes of higher power.

[Ron Marshall]

If your reading is f16, and you set your aperture to f16 then you will be fine, assuming that f16 will give you the DOF you require.

More power is needed to compensate for losses in diffusers such as a softbox or for greater distances.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Be sure to check your bellows extension. It is very easy for 8x10 to slip into the macro.

[Mark Woods]

I'll second the bellows factor. I shoot 1:1 and larger all of the time with a 210 Repro Claron. I try to shoot at least at a F/32. On my last shot I used a Quad head with 9600 WS (3 Speedotrons) to get the stop.

[Mark Woods]

The last shoot was with my 11x14.

[George Stewart]

I made do with one Speedotron 4800 WS Power supply with two heads, which was, IMHO, bare-bones for my 8x10 camera. Typically, I had to use multiple pops for still life shots. It was not usable for portrait work.

I had heard that, in the day, Playboy magazine used between 20 and 30 - 4800 WS Speedotrons for their 8x10 centerfold shots.

[Frank Petronio]

Power to burn is nice but if f/16 with a 210mm on 8x10 works for you -- and why shouldn't it? -- then you're all set. You'll probably get a nice focus isolation and out of focus rendering at moderate distances.

If you do some sort of close work you'll lose some light due to bellows factor.

For traditional still life and sharpness over a longer range, then most 8x10 shooters aim for f/32 or even smaller but you don't have to shoot like that. It's not 1983 and you don't have to shoot wine bottles on black Plexiglass either.

[Steve M Hostetter]

shot this with an 8x10 and 210mm @ f32 ,,,, 8 pops of 3200 ws Broncolor 1 head

broncolor meter and probe told me the number of pops I needed

[cowanw]

Hey all, I recently borrowed an alien bee 400w strobe and am going to be using it for indoors shots. I'm shooting with a 210mm lens and I checked distances today, and at full power around 10ft away, I'm at 1/60 at f16-22. Will this be adequate for my film size? I've read in other sites that some people use 1000w+ strobes. Does anyone have experience using strobes with 8x10?

Just to remind you your shutter speed has no effect on exposure. and if you want more power, move your light closer to the subject (inverse square law). I wonder if your 10 feet is the camera to subject distance which also has no relationship to exposure.
Regards
bill

[mandoman7]

Hey all, I recently borrowed an alien bee 400w strobe and am going to be using it for indoors shots. I'm shooting with a 210mm lens and I checked distances today, and at full power around 10ft away, I'm at 1/60 at f16-22. Will this be adequate for my film size? I've read in other sites that some people use 1000w+ strobes. Does anyone have experience using strobes with 8x10?

Bear in mind, too, that any use of diffusion will reduce your strobe's strength significantly. The typical softbox takes away about a stop and half from the raw bulb, typically.

Interestingly, the vintage portrait lenses that have become so popular in 8x10 often involve use of F:5.6 or less, and are quite forgiving with respect to light quantity.

[Mark Woods]

"and are quite forgiving with respect to light quantity."

Hey John, not sure what you mean by this? Could you explain?

[Daniel Unkefer]

I have two Broncolor 606's and those put out 6400 WS in one pop through one head.
I have sometimes found this to be quite useful for my uses, especially with 8x10.

[mandoman7]

"and are quite forgiving with respect to light quantity."

Hey John, not sure what you mean by this? Could you explain?

When I did some shooting with an 8x10 and my Dynalites, I used the weakest settings to get the f:4 needed for my Dallmeyer 2A. In this post I used the word "quantity" to distinguish from "quality", referring to the relative strength of the flash.

You can get F:4 or 5.6 at 5-8 ft. with many starter level flash systems. To get the F:32 you need for the typical commercial table top work, you'll need to get several thousand dollars worth of strobe system.

If I were starting out, by the way, I'd take a good look at the White lightnings being listed in classifieds presently by Henry Ambrose. Very nice units that can be easily re-sold if it doesn't work out.

[SteveKarr]

I made do with one Speedotron 4800 WS Power supply with two heads, which was, IMHO, bare-bones for my 8x10 camera. Typically, I had to use multiple pops for still life shots. It was not usable for portrait work.

I had heard that, in the day, Playboy magazine used between 20 and 30 - 4800 WS Speedotrons for their 8x10 centerfold shots.

WOW! That's like some guy eating 32 pies at the State Fair. I grew up in car studios in Detroit where we had 810's stopped down & EPP.

We only had 10 or so 48's and that was fine. So 20 on a naked girl would burn the fuzz off her ... 'er. Bum.

They may of had 20 snooted heads & grids, but 20 48 full power packs.... naw. Maybe 48oo packs, using 400 from one, 800 from another, 1200 ... maybe that.
Actually there's a guy here in PHX that shot Playboy for his whole life I should ask.

I use 1 4800 pack in my wet plate stuff. Bam!

[Armin Seeholzer]

If I do not get enough light power with my 2500 WS on 8x10 I just switch to 400 ASA film and then it works normally with one pop!

Cheers Armin

[Michael Steinberg]

There are a lot of mega power used strobes available. Brands that would offer 3000-5000 watt seconds and modeling light would include Broncolor, Speedotron, Comet, Norman, and I'm sure a lot others. With large format, you really need a ton of power.

[Two23]

Just to remind you your shutter speed has no effect on exposure. .


Well, kinda sorta. Shutter speed controls ambient light; f-stop controls flash exposure. That part is true. HOWEVER, if there is a significant amount of ambient in the scene, it will affect the overall exposure. Thus, shutter speed can have an effect. My rule of thumb is if I can generate enough strobe power to overpower ambient light by 3-5 stops, I can crush ambient light. In a fairly dark setting it is true that only f-stop and ISO affect the exposure. I am an outdoor night photographer who photos moving railroad trains. I do night lighting on the big scale with x5 White Lightning X3200 and x2 Alien Bees B1600. Even at midnight shutter speed is still something I must pay attention to. The headlights on the moving train will streak if sync is less than ~1/125s.


Kent in SD

[Mark Woods]

I have 3 2400 ws and one 4800 ws Speed O Tron power packs & 12 heads, one a quad head. I'm going to sell a couple of heads, and possibly one power pack. But I use the 4800 with 2 2400 packs quite often. I'm still only shooting at a f/35 on the subject matter than I shoot. I've used the sun as fill many times. ;-)