Changing Up My Darkroom and Home Studio

OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format

Yeah, I see chandelier bulbs as cheap as 69 cents on Amazon.... BUT nothing E14 (European) thread, and I see nothing but LED type. If I can find some cheap, I will load up the truck as they say. I will be looking -everywhere- in our local stores, maybe some old incandescent stock is still around. And nothing on Ebay right now, but now I know what I'm looking for!

But Thanks anyway Matt
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,087
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
What @koraks said,
Remember that if the modeling light controls include a dimmer, make sure the bulb you choose is dimmable.
You may find that the behavior of dimmable LED bulbs takes a bit of adjustment.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Perhaps in the future I will try the dimmable LED's. I will have eight of the B&H supplied incandescent bulbs in house shortly, these have 1400 hour ratings, so I shouldn't need any more bulbs for quite a while. My immediate goal is to restore the Boxlite to original full Broncolor factory USA functionality. Thanks Guys for responding

This isn't like a Pulso or Primo head with which I am quite familiar; According to the instructions, it has additional circuitry inside, including caps!! I believe. Will open it up with great care.

Broncolor Website Boxlite 40 Bulbs by Nokton48, on Flickr

FEDEX delivered one bulb today, the same torpedo variety. Came from MAC who are the USA Broncolor Distributor. Looks like my other five will be on BACKORDER, hope they will be able to restock these....
 
Last edited:
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Boxlite 40 Bulbs are Arriving by Nokton48, on Flickr

Broncolor Boxlite 40 Modeling Light Bulbs are arriving. On the left, twelve E14 25W 120V Incandescent, I grabbed a dozen as they were $1.45 each LOL. I think these will work OK with my Boxlite 40, 25W instead of 40W, wonder what difference it will make. Also I'll be using the Boxlite extremely close to my subjects, 25W X 4 may be OK vs 160W??

On the right are three of the 40W 120 Ea14 Incandscent Bulbs, I have one on backorder from MAC, the USA Broncolor Distributor. If they have more of these available I may order additional spares.

Also have four E14 120v 40W LED bulbs coming, I will try those as well too, $4.75 each and the direct replacement for the Incandescent version.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Success Boxlite 40 Four 25W Incandescents Modeling Output Satisfactory by Nokton48, on Flickr

Four 120V E14 25W gives satisfactory amount of modeling light, I will use this for creating highlights. More bulbs still coming, but I'm able to use this now. And I like it a lot. Beautiful close-up lighting, Broncolor says you can use this for duping, it's extremely lighting. So everything I hoped it would be. Using these bulbs means that I can't see the bulbs dim down, it's constant light even when changing the toggle switch. But at 100W this unit is perfectly usuable as it is.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Boxlite 40 Test Floating Glass POL E 3.5 30 Macro 100mm C Planar by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I am "floating" my most used Hasselblad 100mm F3.5 T* Zeiss Planar. Glass Sweep Table White Seamless Paper Background. A Broncolor Balloon low 45 left, illuminates the background softly and pretty even. Broncolor Boxlite 40 8 inches 45 left, on the glass. A small Silver Mirror on a Gooseneck, provides fill camera right. Nex C3 30mm Macro Lens.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
LED Bulbs Broncolor Boxlite 40 by Nokton48, on Flickr

And here are four of the replacement equivilent, incandescent vs LED. Good Good News is that these bulbs ARE the dimmable type. Soon I will try them in my new to me Broncolor Boxlite 40, and see if it is an upgrade I can see.....
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
LED's Installed Broncolor Boxlite 40 Back Panel Ready to Test by Nokton48, on Flickr


New LED's installed in the back of my new to me Broncolor Boxlite 40. Now ready to test. I'm waiting for two more Boxlite 40's to be delivered. If this works AOK cool and bright as well as dimmable, I will order a bunch of spares. With Incandescent lights the Boxlite does get warm to the touch. Might be brighter, maybe?

This was lit from below by a FOBA F1000 Bare Bulb, on my floating glass sweep Table. Broncolor Overhead Hazylight with Diffusion Material from Dick Blick Art Supply. Nex 7 36mp Zeiss Touit F2.8/50 Micro Nikkor Polarizer. White Seamless Paper. I'm using four Machinist's Angle Irons in Larger Size to "float" the product and under light it nicely.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Hasselblad ELM 135 C Zeiss Planar S 1to1 Macro Auto Bellows Stovepipe by Nokton48, on Flickr

Reconfigured the Hasselblad Automatic Bellows to fit the 500 EL/M model, and the 500 C/M as well. With the 135mm C Zeiss S-Planar, and Bellows Hood. Stovepipe Finder and A24 Back loaded with Shanghai 220. Broncolor Boxlite 40 8 inches away 45 camera right. Mirror on gooseneck 45 left for fill. Balloon light underneath glass table to softly light background. Rubber Eyecup on Stovepipe came from a Kiev60 Meter Prism LOL.

Great everyday rig for 6x6 film and now Hasselblad CFV16 Fat Pixel Digital Files.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Three New to Me Broncolor Boxlite 40s 1600J Recovered two by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I have all three Broncolor Boxlite 40's up and popping nicely. Still have to figure which modeling bulbs where; the LED 40 Watter definitely "strobes" "flickers" so I think I'll go back to incandescent. I have a ton of 25 watt Incandescents now, so spares should not be a problems. The 40 watt incandescent get kinda warm if running for a while. I did use Pro Gaffers Tape to recover two of the Boxes, the acrylic does crack easily, now taped inside and out so good as new to me.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Fully Restored Broncolor Boxlite 40 C171 Brackets Broncolor Parts Stands by Nokton48, on Flickr


Just finished restoring these two badly roadbeaten Broncolor Boxlite 40's. Brackets extracted from Broncolor C171 Monolights (tossed out no good) allows swiveling and locking rotation on the back, and is now as it is in the original design. Two different types of modeling bulbs, I loaded up the truck, and am experimenting. All are useable so glad I grabbed some while still available. This shot lit by my Octobox 75 with Primo 1600J Head, and supplemental diffusion on the front of the Octobox. Really loving this Octobox 75, and also now 60x60 Broncolor Square Softbox.

The top unit is running 25W Incandescent bulbs. The bottom unit is running four 40W Incandescent 'spensive Broncolor Incandescents. For close work the 25W's work fine for determining highlight placements, a steal at $1.45 each.

The $15 Broncolor Stands were bought broken and missing connecting pins from Gary at WOUP. JB Weld and Black Duct 3M Tape makes them fully strong and usuable again.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
New to Me Daylight Studio by Nokton48, on Flickr

I built this with stuff from Home Depot. Years ago I took a Tim Layton course on Floral Photography. Tim used this daylight studio, and I'm impressed enough with it to make one for myself. It's outside in complete shadow in the early morning, great fun ahead. I had this in storage for years, now it's been outside for about a month. Ready for me to use it, just need to spray the dirt off with a hose. Tim supplied digital files, I printed out about a dozen colored beautiful backgrounds which exactly fit inside the daylight studio. So glad this is finally up and out of the way, ready to use. I use plastic boxes piled up to where I want them, they are filled with equipment to enhance this type of daylight photography.
 
Last edited:

cliveh

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 9, 2010
Messages
7,540
Format
35mm RF
I started scrolling through this thread and had to go and lie down in an empty dark room.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
LOL. Hope u feel better.

100mm Planar Plus 2 Zeiss Diopter CFV16 EI 50 F22 Four 1600J Strobes by Nokton48, on Flickr

Broncolor Hazylight Overhead Two Boxlite 40's camera right and left eight inches. Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back Black 100mm F3.5 C T* Zeiss Planar with +2 Zeiss Proxar 2 Diopter. EI 50 Broncolor underneath glass, four layers Architects Vellum on table. Image was shot handheld 1/125 F22. Underlighting and Boxlites help a lot with a white clean background shot.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hasselblad EL/M with CFV16 Digital Back, 135mm C T* Zeiss S-Planar (1:1 to infinity focus with Hasselblad Auto Bellows). Hasselblad Stovepipe, Hasselblad Ring Light, modified by New York City Flash Clinic, to work nice with the Norman 200B 200J Packs. Working good all, will be used for some digital floral photography coming up soon. Actually not too heavy to carry around.

If I can find the right Firewire Cord, I believe I can tether this back to a Windows Laptop.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
520mm 20 inch Apo Ronar Pair 4x5 HP5 D23 F32 one pop by Nokton48, on Flickr


Testing my new 5x7/4x5 Sinar Norma Twin Lens Reflex with my longest matching lens pair set/ 520mm 20" F9 Rodenstock Apo Ronars. These are 45 degree Dialyte process type lenses offered by Sinar Norma in the day. F32 one pop YG Sinar Norma 103mm glass yelow green filter D23 1:1 Unicolor Unidrum and Uniroller. 4X 8x10 Aristo #2 RC print developed in Multigrade dev. Omega DII with Omegalite diffusion head. BTW I picked up my stand-in "model" and the plant base at the local IKEA store. The base is "Rubbermaid Studio". Seemed appropriate to me The canvas background was hand painted by Artist James Bright
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
Recreated FOBA Broncolor Sybiosis 700J Ball Head by Nokton48, on Flickr

A New to Me FOBA Broncolor Symbiosis. I needed a light which would sit flat on the floor (under two layers of glass) and this retains the Broncolor connectors and One Pulso FOBA Adapter fits it together perfectly. Some might call this a "Pencil Lite". 700 Joules maximum, no modeling light. Incredibly useful to me, i'll leave it close by all the time. Digishot Nex-7 50mm Zeiss Touit, Broncolor Hazylight two layers diffusion, Hazylight 1600J Head. Architectural Vellum on my glass FOBA Sweep Table. Hazylight is beautiful light.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,087
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
I'm curious about the decision to call that a "Ball Head"?
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
It swivels every which way like a camera Ball Head. Mucho Adjusto. Just what I want.

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I'm configuring my wide Sinar Norma 4x5, this one has a 47mm F8 Super Angulon Custom Ultrawide lensboard. Full movements on 4x5 film. I using more my Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back, the olde original one, marketed to V camera users. Now I bought a Capture One Plate from my Friend Igor in Cleveland. A Hartblei Kiev 88 1006 Ground Glass Adapter and Hartblei Stovepipe make for sharp viewing on the ground glass. Remove the GG Adapter, and pop on the CFV16 Hasselblad Digital Back. A cable is necessary to the front camera shutter, it is necessary to activate the back. 16MP CCD Fat Pixel goodness on a Technical Camera that is outstandingly sturdy and vibration free. The necessary cable is now on it's way to from the Netherlands. Cool Stuff ahead, I also bought a Hasselblad Firewire Cable (the one that comes with it), so I can tether this beastie to a Laptop. Looking for the right Firewire to USB Adapter at Micro Center. Recently I bought the Hasselblad modern Stovepipe so I can use that if I want to.


Comments encouraged.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here's the Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back on the Main Menu Screen, on my 4x5 Sinar Norma. Capture One Sinar Adapter does the job at low cost. Battery Pack clips on to the bottom of the Digital Back. Need the connecting cord to the PC Socket on a shutter. My Norma Shutters would play nice with this and will be an upgrade. Easy to see the shutter controls from behind the camera. FAST. Image through the 47mm Super Angulon is super sharp and contrasty GG image. At F8 it is kind of amazing looking, being so wide. The precision lateral slide on the Norma Rear Standard means I can shoot multiple images and stitch 'em together. Would make quite a file.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

I bought this Broncolor Octobox 75 cheaply on EBay, turns out it was missing the inner diffusion screen. I made one from Architectural Vellum and attached it carefully inside. Next wanted a Broncolor Octobox 75 Grid, suddenly one appeared on B&H so I grabbbed it. Also I the Outer Diffusion Screen Octobox 75, they are not in stock right now. Sometimes you have to buy new to get what you want. Beautiful soft light graduating out at the edges. Super useful to me.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr


Here I've adapted my fave Broncolor C71 Monolight, to fit the modern Pulso 60x60 Softbox. I grew up with square softboxes, I wanted two of these boxes. Adorama had these for $110 each, a whopping discount. So I bought two of these 60x60. Then I went onto Broncolor.USA website, and direct ordered a 60x60 Supplemental Diffuser, and a 60x60 Grid. Actually these were much cheaper than the ones for the Octoboxes! And they had them in stock, they are out of about everything I'm looking for. So I wait. Notice the beautiful shadow background, that is due to the Octobox 150 with Supplemental Diffuser, which I leave set up all the time. Been moving overhead backgrounds around, seamless paper rolls now moved up front of set. Much better but not a fun job to move around. Another James Bright matching set of backgrounds is coming my way for a good price. Special plan for that set.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
CFV16 Hasselblad Digital Back with Tethering to Macbook Pro 2012 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I found an original (still in the original bag) Hasselblad 400/800 Firewire Cord good for my CFV16 Hasselblad Digital Back. With this I can tether to my new to me Macbook Pro 2012 3rd version, last one before they went to USB only. Then ordered new from the Netherlands, Input and Output Cables for the CFV16. The Hasselblad Output Cable syncs up to my red Broncolor Pulso Strobe Cord, provides connection to my extensive set of Broncolor Strobes. The Hasselblad Input Cable, on the lower right, connects to PC Socket on any camera shutter, like my Sinar Norma and also Sinar Handy Technical Cameras. Waiting for the Mac to come back after a slight adjustment. This surely does beat shooting Polaroid Tests, in order to fine tune lighting and such. Looking forward to see full screen Macbook readouts. Should be fun.
 
OP
OP

Nokton48

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,997
Format
Multi Format
500mm Tele-Xenar 4x5 Norma Two Bellows Auxiliary Standard by Nokton48, on Flickr


This gives same perspective as 1000mm on 8x10, but is more portable, the Telephoto Formula means less bellows extension. For close-ups requires two bellows, but rig is not too heavy to carry to set up in the field. The 360mm Tele-Xenar is a favorite of mine for 9x9cm, looking forward to using this with Graflex Grafmatic Backs loaded with HP5+.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…