{"id":912,"date":"2016-02-06T15:16:04","date_gmt":"2016-02-06T15:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markdavidscott.com\/?p=912"},"modified":"2016-02-06T15:16:04","modified_gmt":"2016-02-06T15:16:04","slug":"lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markdavidscott.com\/?p=912","title":{"rendered":"Lighting!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four and a half years ago I wrote a post, Umbrellas are for rain!<\/a>, and shared a few photos that Wen and I took outside using regular Nikon flashes with a shoot-through umbrella to diffuse the light. \u00a0It did certainly cross the line of not taking photography too seriously, but only by a little; after all, it’s just an umbrella!<\/p>\n

My use of flash has decreased since then, from 33.5% at the time (with the D7000) to just 21% in 2015 (with the D800), in part because the full frame D800 can produce decent results even in fairly low light (even though it doesn’t hold a candle to something like the much newer D5). \u00a0At the same time, the lighting equipment I have available jumped into the truly ridiculous category (given that I still don’t think of myself as a photographer). \u00a0 \u00a0This was all thanks to gifts from my mom and Sugawara San, not due to my own going crazy!<\/p>\n

elinchrom D-Lite 2<\/h2>\n

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The elinchrom D-Lite 2 is an AC-powered studio flash unit. \u00a0It’s 100% manual; you’ve got to set exactly the power level you want, connect it to your camera with a cable, and it will fire every time you press the shutter button on your camera. \u00a0It works just as well with old film cameras as it does with modern DSLRs, but if you’re used to your flash automatically figuring out what the right power level is, then a unit like this will take some getting used to!<\/p>\n

A pair of these came in a kit together with a softbox and a stands. \u00a0The softbox reflects and diffuses the light from the flash head itself, and creates a much bigger effective light source if you’re close to the object you’re taking a picture of. \u00a0Once assembled, the setup looks like this:<\/p>\n

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I now use these almost anytime I’m taking a picture of the types of things I post here – since I almost do those things at night when there’s no light available. \u00a0The manual operation seems a little daunting at first, but once you’ve used them once or twice it’s actually pretty easy since you’ll use the same settings basically every time. \u00a0These are often used for portraits and the like, but since everyone here is asleep I took a picture of a really old dusty toy instead:<\/p>\n

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Zoids! \u00a0I doubt anyone remembers those, but it was great to build them up out of smaller parts back in the 80s:<\/p>\n

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At first glance, it must seem ridiculous and expensive to get studio equipment – but it is surprisingly affordable. \u00a0For instance, if you just want to experiment, B&H sells a brand new, reasonably reviewed kit for $127<\/a>, which includes the flash unit, softbox, and stand, and cable. \u00a0That kit has a 100W\/s flash, as compared to the 200W\/s D-Lite 2 – but I almost never use the D-Lite 2 above half power – and 100W\/s is a good bit more than almost any camera-mounted flash. \u00a0It’s also much cheaper than a TTL flash of similar power from your camera vendor, despite having a stand and softbox. \u00a0It’s not for everyone, but if you take lots of indoor pictures I’d definitely recommend giving it a try!<\/p>\n

Bowens esprit 2<\/h2>\n

If the shopping trip to Glazers that picked up the elinchrom kit had ended with the above, that would already have been well beyond my needs. \u00a0But, there was an apparently “great deal” on something that goes so far beyond what I need (especially given the low noise levels on current digital cameras) that I have basically never used it. \u00a0That deal was on a Bowens espirit 2, which is a 1000W\/s light cannon that allows you to engage the sun in direct combat:<\/p>\n

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I’m not kidding about the sun thing; 1\/10th that power is already enough to take pictures at ISO 100 f\/8, but if you want to get rid of those pesky shadows for a subject that’s actually standing out in the sun, then this thing is your ticket. \u00a0It’s also theoretically useful if you’re taking group photos, and need to cover a wider area in light. \u00a0Just don’t point this thing directly at people or you’ll blind them! \u00a0You really have to use a reflecting or shoot-through umbrella.<\/p>\n

Firing this thing at full power really makes you feel like you’re already part of a Type II civilization<\/a>. \u00a0 Or a Star Wars villain, cranking the power to 100%, waiting for the green light to indicate that it is fully charged, and then pulling the trigger to blow away some unsuspecting victim.<\/p>\n

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Yongnuo RF-603N<\/h2>\n

Manual flash cables are kind of a pain, so it was great to discover the Yongnuo RF-603 radio transmitters! \u00a0Whereas fancy RF units that support Nikon or Canon (or other’s) TTL systems (where the camera and flash figure out the right exposure for you) cost around $200, a pair of these go for just $27!<\/p>\n

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These small battery powered devices are actually\u00a0really versatile and useful, and I highly recommend them. \u00a0You can do any of the following with two or more\u00a0units:<\/p>\n