Model Light for Strobist lighting?

[ToddB]

Hey Guys,

Most of you know that I managed to put together a Strobist kit for remote location shoots for my film cameras. However.. in that golden hour(sunset) it's difficult to focus due to lack of light. I use a SB-24 and Sunpak 544 flash. So have you guys heard of a accessory thats out there than can be attached as a model light?

ToddB

 

[adelorenzo]

How about a small, cheap hotshoe mounted LED video light? You should be able to get something on dx.com for less than $20. If you are using your hotshoe for triggers than just stick an extra cold shoe onto your camera body somewhere.

 

[MattKing]

As a modeling light, a small flashlight velcroed on to the flash should work fine.

 

[ToddB]

As a modeling light, a small flashlight velcroed on to the flash should work fine.

Thats what I was thinking. I have a couple of LED lights I got from Costco that came three in a pack. Do you think they over power the flash? It looks like white light so it shouldn't give color film an aweful look. What do you think?​

 

[MattKing]

As a modeling light, a small flashlight velcroed on to the flash should work fine.

Thats what I was thinking. I have a couple of LED lights I got from Costco that came three in a pack. Do you think they over power the flash? It looks like white light so it shouldn't give color film an aweful look. What do you think?​

A small flashlight will give you far less light than almost any electronic flash - unless you use really long (several seconds) exposure times.

Be careful about using them as modeling lights - it will be difficult to set them up to illuminate your subject in exactly the same way as the flashes. In addition, if they have a tightly focussed beam, they should be diffused in order to ensure comfort for any people in your pictures, and to give you a better sense of how the edges of your scene will appear.

They should be fine to give you enough light to focus.

 

[ToddB]

I have shoot through umbrellas and reflective umbrellas. I think using those flashlite's for ambient use wouldn't work out to well.

Todd

 

[adelorenzo]

Do you want a light to just help you focus or do you want an actual modeling light? If the answer is the latter then it might be easiest to just get some strobes that have modeling lights.

 

[ToddB]

Just to focus..

ToddB

 

[fotch]

how about pacing it off & just set the lens focus based on this distance?

 

[adelorenzo]

If you just need it for focusing than, to me, an on-camera light makes more sense than putting something on your off-camera flashes. Something like this light from B&H would go into your hotshoe OR your tripod mount on the bottom of the camera, it is small, lightweight and dimmable. Also you aren't blasting a flash light in someone's eyes.

$20 plus shipping from B&H, just as one example:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/815999-REG/Sunpak_VL_LED_30_30_LED_VIDEO_LIGHT.html