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Archive 2008 · Handle mount flash for strobist use
  
 
Beowulfenator
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p.1 #1 · Handle mount flash for strobist use


Has anybody tried using handle mount flashes for off-camera use? There's stuff like Sunpak 455 and 544 and 511 and 611 and 622... And it's pretty cheap on Ebay.

The lack of PC jack doesn't scare me, nor does the fact that most of these don't use AA batteries. I plan to use an external 6V SLA to power them and hardwire an ebay remote wireless trigger.

Also, they are pretty powerful, so hopefully they'll be OK to fire very often at 1/4 power or so.


Anyway, has anyone tried any of those? Do you feel they're better for off-camera applications than Vivitar 285HV, or 283 for that matter?

Dec 28, 2008 at 03:47 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #2 · Handle mount flash for strobist use


It all depends on how much power you need and how you are using it. For most applications, I use some combination of 580EX II, 580EX, 2x 420EX and ST-E2, with simple reflectors and diffusers, and full E-TTL II functionality. For some applications, I use Elinchrom monolights and a variety of light modifiers. The Sunpak Auto-622 Pro System fits right in the middle - it's about 20% brighter than a 580EX. I sometimes use the 622 with either lighting setup, using optical slaves, in which case, any EOS flash are used in manual mode with their own optical triggers.

The Auto 622 Pro-System is a beast (I have one), and the 622 Super is even brighter. The Auto-622 has a PC cord connector that goes in a custom 3-prong connection in the side of the main body (and the others will have it somewhere, as well). I use a 622 with NiMH C-cells in the CH-10 4x C-cell battery pack, and it recycles from full pop in about 6 seconds. It takes about 15 seconds to recycle with the AC adapter. The 622 has a variety of different heads that you can use: the ZH-1 zoom head gives a whopping GN 72m (ISO 100) at 135mm focal length zoom setting, GN 50m at 35 to 50mm zoom, and GN 40m at 28mm zoom; the bare bulb head BH-1 and diffusion head DH-1 both offer 125 ws lighting power, and I sometimes use them with umbrellas and softboxes, along with some Elinchrom monolights (using optical slaves on PC connectors).

You should post this question on the Lighting and Studio techniques forum: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/44 to get the best "exposure".

Here's a plot of manufacturer's GN data for some of the flash I mentioned.








Dec 28, 2008 at 04:29 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #3 · Handle mount flash for strobist use


At 2m distance and full power, a 400 ws Elinchrom D-Lite 4 is three EV (or stops) brighter than the 622 with BH-1.

Dec 28, 2008 at 04:49 PM
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p.1 #4 · Handle mount flash for strobist use


Thanks for your input!

Continued here:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/722278

Dec 28, 2008 at 10:19 PM
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p.1 #5 · Handle mount flash for strobist use


Kindly asking the moderator to close this topic to avoid confusion. Thank you!

Dec 28, 2008 at 10:22 PM
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