 Toni Vincent |
How to add a model lamp in studio w/SB800 flashes? A friend invested in portrait studio equipment purchasing several SB 800 flash units he's synched to his D200. He doesn't have any previous studio experience and decided to go with the TTL vs strobe lights & hand meter as he likes to shoot outdoors on location and likes the portability. He has had better success with his outdoor shots than the studio. I was recently the subject in his studio and I've been shooting B&W portraits for 30 years using strobes. I too have a D200 but use strobes. I did not like that there was no directional model lamps in his studio, especially the key light. It became dark in the studio as the ambient daylight through the windows was dimming and the accent lights overhead in the celing were not enough to light the room. I especially found this disconcerting when I tried looking in a hand held mirror for my own make up touch up, it was so dark w/o a model lamp. I wondered if it is dark for me then how would it be looking through the lens checking the detail of my subject? Has anyone here recommendations (other than using strobes as that is not an option he will consider) on how to supplement lights that would simulate model lamps? I've looked through this message board and a couple of others and this seems to be a mutual complaint with the SB 800. Thanks for your time and input. Toni
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Toni, I have used strobes for about 20 years and have never relyed ojn the modeling lights for much. But they do provide focus light and that is essential. Your friend could get a work light from Home depot and use that as a model light, harsh but effective. The key with any additional light in the studio is to keep the shutter speed as high as the sync will allow in order to reduce light from the work light, or what ever, from affecting the final shot. Modeling light are supposed to predict what the final shot will look like, and in some circumstances they do. That won’t work well with the Speedlights. It is unfortunate that you friend doesn’t want to work with strobes. For me the biggest problem with all these strobes designed for on camera is that they take so long to recycle. An Nikon SB800 or a Canon 580 with a high voltage battery pack costs a lot, a monolight is less and is ready in a second. Oh, it also has a modeling light. Thanks, John Siskin
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