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Studio lights for my HB 501 CM and some basic q. to the WB

flashmxfreak

flashmxfreak

Member
I have an question about studio lights for my HB.

I use 501 CM with 150mm T* portrait lens.

I have Nikon DSLR too, but we speak about HB here :)

I have finally decided, I will buy a studio lights (probably 2 units).

Now my question:

Which studio lights would you recommend for me?
I am going to shoot portraits mostly. Sometimes I would like to try to shoot outside some fashion shots - 2 or 3 people etc.
Maybe I would buy a studio set with a battery for carrying - makes it sense? Do I need 2 lights or can I start with one light unit too?
I have flash Nikon SB800 - maybe I can connect it together too.

So now about the issue HB lens and synchro cable. I have a basic knowledge, I have photographed two times with a studio lighst - but with DSLR.
How does it works with the HB - I mean the connection with the cable to get the flashing of studio lights? Can I use the cable, which is delivered with the studio lights?

How it works with white balance when I shoot on the color film with the studio lights? Do I need some filter for my portrait lens?


Thank you
 
Mono Blocks


Hello flashmxfreak !

May I suggest from personal experience look for something with an excellent reptuation that gives very high light quality and build quality, ease of use and absolute affordability

Broncolors Visatec range of portable / travel / location units is a good starting point (Sorry the link would not load or work, alas i tried)


I purchased the Solo 1600B kit 316 in 1997, its been flown all over the world on many different location shoots, never even blown a fuse or let me down !

These units are still even in production to day ! The range of accessories is fantastic plus there are many third party options too !
The newer LOGOS versions can be controlled from a laptop too !

I use a sync lead (my personal preference) because Broncolor/ Visatec units have a very low working voltage to protect the camera, but some photographers do use an IR Trigger sytem.

Hope this information is of use to you !

Kind Regards, Richard




 
Flash sync cords will work the same with a Hasselblad as they do with your Nikon. Just plug it in, cock & shoot. Also, with the leaf-shuttered Zeiss lenses, you can shoot at any shutter speed, unlike the Nikon which has a limit of 1/125 or 1/250, or there abouts. However, for most studio shooting, I'd recommend 1/60 sec. Note - the slower your shutter speed, the warmer your light will become, as it will allow more and more of the modeling light to register. And this "warming" will depend on how strong your modeling lights are. If you want strictly strobe light, try to shoot at 1/125 - 1/500 sec.

More important than the brand of strobes you buy are the light modifiers you choose - ie, umbrellas, soft boxes, hard shell reflectors, etc. All these will affect the quality of light, and the amount of light dispursed. Example - good silver umbrellas will lose almost no light. Softboxes may lose around 2 stops of light. Furthermore, light modifiers dictate the directional quality of light also. Some spread light like a shot gun, others are very direct. Some have a soft falloff, others very sharp and distinct. So many choices...!
Most newbies choose umbrellas as their first light modifier. They're the most reasonably priced, and it's hard to do wrong with them, since they have such a wide spread. Soft boxes have long been very desirable, but are more expensive. Hard shell reflectors may come with your strobes, but can be quite harsh, especially for people shots. Glamour lights, which is probably the newest form of light modifiers provides very controllable light, but still quite hard.
If you could only choose minimally to start with, I'd opt for a silver umbrella, 30-42", plus a snoot for your second light.
And yes, you CAN connect your SB800 unit to the Hassy. It can then be used in manual or Auto mode, but of course, no TTL modes.
 
Thank you very much for explanation.
I am thinking about portable studio set with a battery.
So I think I would like to buy one soft box - 400 W for my start.
 
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