tetrode wrote:
I had posted about this earlier on PCB's tech forum but thought I'd mention it here as well: Bowens mount shooters need not feel left out of the PLM V2 party. The V2 "cage" is *very* easily adapted to a Bowens mount:
Dave,
Given the small flash tube size and its approximation to the disk that supports the PLM, what impact does that have on light spread and evenness?
dmward wrote:
Dave,
Given the small flash tube size and its approximation to the disk that supports the PLM, what impact does that have on light spread and evenness?
I'm sorry, Dave, but I really don't have an answer for you just yet. The flash seen in my photo (a Nikon SB-26 I believe) is not the type of flash I would typically be using with the PLM. Even with the flash head at its 24mm setting, I doubt it would be able to fully illuminated the umbrella at such a short throw distance. That said, I'm thinking the central hub of the "cage" might actually help dispersion as the disk presents a convex surface to the flash but this is just conjecture.
One thing to consider is that the PLM is supposed to be a true parabola. That being the case, positioning the light source at the parabola's focus should ensure good coverage. Truthfully, I haven't been motivated to use the PLM. Without the still backordered outer cover, far too much light passes though the material to make it useful to me. When I get my also still backordered silver PLMs, I will be testing to see if a conventional shoe mount flash can be used successfully with them.
I use a Sunpak 120J bare bulb flash pretty much exclusively with that Speed-Pro bracket. I can say the Sunpak fills the PLM beautifully:
E-Vener wrote:
with that bracket design looks like it would work nicely with a Quantum Trio nicely as well. I have to see what I can rig up.
It would probably work very well with the Trio, Ellis. It did not work with a Quantum T2 that I had. The head of that flash was too large to to fit into the opening of the Bowens mount.
oh, UPS called me about something in customs, thought it was my inner ring from B&H but that still says backordered, could it be that ill have a pleasant suprise ? hm.
My PLM has arrived but i've had one major issue with the umbrella: the screw that attaches to the rod that is inserted into the umbrella. I've managed to secure the other umbrella 86" silver but the rod still spins even though there are teeth on the umbrella to help prevent that.
The screw has an 1/4 of in inch left till it hits the mounting bracket and won't turn any further. I'm tempted to use plyers on one end and a screw driver in the other end and torque it through.
why is the screw so long? i'm happy with the umbrella (haven't run tests yet) and the 7mm rod that comes with it however the screw is really a struggle to get into the umbrella.
taking a break. i'm thinking of adding some grease to get the rod through the choke.
Please call customer service or tech help if you get a chance and they will replace if need be. 1-800-443-5542. We caught a few of these where the vendor didn't tap the hole far enough. I assume you are referring to the large 5/16" screw that secures the speed ring to the center shaft?
A suggestion earier in this thread was made to secure the bolt to the cage by sourcing a nut to keep the bolt in place. Adding this nut might be enough to take up the space of the extra threads as well as making it easier to take the cage on and off the shaft in the future. Let us know how things work out.
" We caught a few of these where the vendor didn't tap the hole far enough. I assume you are referring to the large 5/16" screw that secures the speed ring to the center shaft? "
bingo. I'm trying to find a work around for it as we speak. Edit
I solved the problem. I added two lock washers which I had lieing around and it solved the problem. http://www.rcspeedzone.com/search/asc89231.html
Hey paul, it might be a small thing but lock washers prevent the umbrella stem from rolling around. the current washers you are using with teeth don't have anything to grip onto. Rough + smooth = umbrella can still roll around.
i will call you guys tomorrow not about this issue (As i solved it) but to order another 86" plm \ on my d-lite 4's (yes plastic threads on the d-lite which I am taking a risk on) i'm going to order one more 86 inch and 2 diffusion panels for when I do group wedding shots.
There are two recommendations that i'd offer
1) maybe have a velcro panel for the diffusion panel that comes with the 86 inch plm so that you don't have to unmount the umbrella from the strobe to attach it. (Small thing, not a deal breaker at all. actually now that I think about it, it's probably not worth changing production for that as it would defeat the tension ring on the diffusion fabric. The reason why I state this as this would save a few minutes when put under the gun by allowing the photographer to just throw up the diffusion panel that is already on the light stand so you don't have to take it off. Scratch the idea. the photographer would put the diffusion panel on the plm before mounting it to the strobe.
2) can you offer a quick release mount for the plm where the screw goes? This would save time on assembly by HUGE amounts. Something like putting a button on the shaft or putting a metal rod that goes through both the shaft and the bracket so that you can just pop it off without even thinking about it. this would be a HUGE improvement in setup time. But then again, you included the 7mm umbrella shaft so a smart photographer would plan ahead and use the 7mm for the final group shot.
so i suppose my points are sorta moot.
thanks anyway paul, i'll see if i can write up a review but it will be in no ways up to Rob G's calibre. (plus he did a really good review of the plm's as an independent guy).
SILVER PLM FTW!
The build quality is very sturdy and I tried pushing the umbrella back and forth to mimic wind pressures. the plm didn't budge.
FM forums won't allow me to post images directly in posts, unlike potn
Thanks, All good suggestions. The velcro could get messy, but I certainly understand. A quick latch mechanism sounds really logical but I wracked my brain trying to do this when I designed it. It's a real exercise in mechanical design to implement this in practice and still be able to do all the adaptations of the PLM.
I will try to implement some improvements in the future, but it's like pulling teeth to get the Chinese to translate designs to hardware and to cut an sew accurately. Most new mechanical designs are like this . . . a top product designer once told me "First you make it work, then you make it elegant."
I see you got the pictures posted . . . it looks like it's doing exactly what it should. If you compare to V1 and the knock offs I think you will see the improvements patterns, output, and front diffuser evenness. Notice particularly the evenness from center to edges of the fabric . . . this has a lot of importance for shadow structure and output.
"this has a lot of importance for shadow structure and output.
That was the FIRST thing I noticed when I turned on just the modeling light of my d-lite 4 at full power.... wow, look at the shadows!! I've never had quality light before and you can see the softlighter in the background which is too small for what I want to do. It has now been demoted to fill flash rather than main.
I pointed my finger towards where a velcro attachment would have been awesome, but yeah i'm a little tired today. moved some stuff for my friend for school. I have a slow internet connection. upload faster! (40kb/sec)
Once my friends see this umbrella, they are going to get one. I just know it.
The first few shots in this set were done with JUST the modeling light. When I fired the strobe, I had to shoot at 1/200, f/8.0, iso 100 to get the proper exposure at minimum flash output. the subject was only about 4 feet away.
but yeah, i'm not a pro yet. My home studio is all I can play around with at the moment.
