i am also in awe of your neatness and i must say they over all piece looks great!!!
this is getting me to think about building one of my own....
one question, did you consider adding a dimmer switch in lew of the on/off swtich in order to adjust level of light output? this way if u had more powerful bulbs you could always lessen the output to your liking in certain situations.
a dimmer could still be add to your rig easily so its just a thought...
I would like to add to logo29a's question about finding full spectrum bulbs for this ring light unit. Are they a special order type item or easily found. I have looked in some hardware stores but they are not stocked. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Jim
ilsitren wrote:
I am so very envious of you folks that can take the time and have the talent to build things like this.
You should try it! It's really not that difficult. Total time invested for me was probably more than it should have been, considering I was sort of figuring it out as I went and took a few too many trips to the hardware stores
I'd say that if you had all the tools and parts you needed, it wouldn't take longer than an afternoon to complete.
AbelNX wrote:
one question, did you consider adding a dimmer switch in lew of the on/off swtich in order to adjust level of light output? this way if u had more powerful bulbs you could always lessen the output to your liking in certain situations.
a dimmer could still be add to your rig easily so its just a thought...
Thanks abel! I take pride in my work so thanks
I had considered a dimmer switch/knob and you're right, it wouldn't be hard to add. The problem lies in the fact that, as is, I don't have enough light coming out of it. I don't think I could reasonably put out too much light without blowing something up or burning something down. See the link in my post about incandescent vs. strobe for a more in-depth explanation.
Even with two more bulbs and all of them at 120W, I think Dasch said he usually works in the 4.5-5.6 range to get a decent exposure (1/125 or so).
Top that off with shifts in color temp when reducing brightness of these bulbs and the ease of simply stopping down the aperture or moving the subject further from the rig... I think a dimmer is extraneous, at least for me.
Jim_Escalante wrote:
I would like to add to logo29a's question about finding full spectrum bulbs for this ring light unit. Are they a special order type item or easily found. I have looked in some hardware stores but they are not stocked. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Jim
Jim and logo29a,
Definitely not something I'd expect to find at most (if any) hardware stores. At least not the type or wattage needed for this. If you do a search on google for "full spectrum bulbs" you'll get a ton of hits. It's just a matter of finding the best price and a reliable source.
From that article: So, when color identification is part of the visual task, such as for graphic arts, museums and color printing applications, full-spectrum light sources will ensure good color discrimination.
...
...full-spectrum light sources typically have a high correlated color temperature (CCT) of 5000K - 7500K. Lamps with higher CCT values produce greater brightness perception than lamps with lower CCT of the same luminance. Second, most full-spectrum light sources have high color rendering properties, meaning that surface colors will appear more saturated.
Also of great importance is this page - it has a chart of 52 different bulbs they tested, along with their CRI and efficacy (lumens/watt) - it seems fluorescents claiming to be "full spectrum" are less efficient and provide nearly identical specs for more than twice the cost of standard fluorescent bulbs: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/fullSpectrum/disadvantages.asp
Here's a few examples I found... Though I'm not sure if 150W is going to stress your circuits, the next step down is about 75W, which I don't think will be enough light:
boy oh boy, a wealth of info. Thanks a ton. In the words of Homer Simpson, dhot!. I should have thought of google! But thank you very much! and Thanks for sharing this exciting thread.
Jim
built a ringlight myself and used GE Reveal bulbs (r40) from home depot. 120 watts and cost $7.39 each. supposed to reduce then yellowish tinge that comes from normal bulbs (which really shows up in digital cameras before white balancing)
EnCapture wrote:
built a ringlight myself and used GE Reveal bulbs (r40) from home depot. 120 watts and cost $7.39 each. supposed to reduce then yellowish tinge that comes from normal bulbs (which really shows up in digital cameras before white balancing)
Did you notice a particularly whiter image with good color rendition?
I think that's one of the biggest problems - not so much color temp (which can be corrected for) but color separation - a function of the CRI of a particular bulb. Even if I were to completely adjust the temp of the photo on the first page of this thread, the color rendition is relatively low - i.e. colors sort of bleed together and you get a relatively monochromatic image.
If you've got some samples, I'd love to see them.
The GE Reveal bulb on the list (in the second link to the report in my previous post) is rated with a CRI of 78 (it IS only a 60W bulb) - considerably higher than typical incandescent bulbs, but nowhere near a good fluorescent or strobe in the 90+ range. I would imagine a strobe is near or at 100.
To add fuel to this debate (the one in my head) I found this tidbit on GE's site:
"CRI ratings of various lamps may be compared, but a numerical comparison is only valid if the lamps are close in color temperature."
Of course, this information isn't easy to come by because so few people care for it in residential use... I just want the BEST bulbs for this application, is all
sorry about the delay. cant post a pic since i dont have that permission adn i cant find the site iused to use to post pics. pm your email address if you want me to send you a sample shot. i built he same ring light like i said with 10 120w bulbs, but i tried something different. i split the circuit. 5 bulbs on each switch adn instead of using a standard switch i used dimmers. this allowed me to use partial illumination. the effect is.....interesting. i did learn however not to make the ring too large since that extends the void in the centre further out. if i find the site where i can upload my pics i'll post them or send me your email addy.
I think this is a great concept...the ring gives a beautiful light, and the incandescent lights give a nice temperature to the light. To go the next step, I'd put a defuser (frosted plexiglas or similar) as a circle ring in front of the lights to get rid of the multiple dot catchlight in the eyes. I would also make a rear bracket out of conduit that would allow adjustments in the light's angle. Nice work.
thanks dorkn but i think i got it. here are 2 i took.
and the ring was large enough for her to sit in the middle so i used it flat on the floor for a different effect.
just some test shots, nothing fancy.
p.s.: ignore the too shallow DOF. i was just excited to see how it would come out so i wasn't very careful. And for those up north, the ringlight doubles are a great heater.
