Beauty dish, lencarta speedlights

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gpc1

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Greg
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I have a couple of questions as I'm gradually pulling together the lighting set up.

Is there a beauty dish that fits on speed lights / light stands for speedlights or can any beauty dish be used. I'm thinking I would need a smaller one due to the flash power. I have been looking on you tube but can't quite understand the fixings. I want to use with the elinchromes but then later on with my speedlights.

I'm toying with hiring some elinchrome quadra rangers for a weekend with a soft box and a beauty dish. Is there a lencarta equivalent set re portability and power?

I'm new to lighting and its terminology and modifiers etc and enjoying the steep learning curve.


Many thanks
Gpc
 
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You can purchase a strobist attachment that your speed light will fit that has a Bowens s type fitting. All s type modifiers will fit. This clamps on top of a standard light stand.

Look at this on eBay:

http://biSPAM/WgzMYI
Dean
 
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As above. Size doesn't make much difference in terms of efficiency/power.The flash bounces off of a deflector, and distributes the light equally well on both 40 and 70cm beauty dishes. The larger size does eat a bit more power but turning the ISO up a bit more will address that easily enough.

The main problem really is the lack of a modelling lamp - modelling lamps make it much easier with a beauty dish, which is a fairly precise tool.
I'm toying with hiring some elinchrome quadra rangers for a weekend with a soft box and a beauty dish. Is there a lencarta equivalent set re portability and power?
Click to expand...
Yes, the Safari Li-on, with far more power and far better battery performance at a much lower price. Very slightly less portable.
 
Love this forum! Great help.


I was watching your you tube vid Garry, where you use a beauty dish and get the model to hold metal grill. So simple but so effective and a great tutorial.

Do lencarta hire equipment?

The quadras have a modelling lamp think.

Rgds
 
Sorry, Lencarta doesn't do hire, but you can buy with a 30 day money back guarantee, which is better and cheaper than hire.

The Li-on has a modelling lamp too, it's an LED one, same as the Quadra but about 40% brighter.
 
Thanks Garry

Just looking at the specs it does seem the lencarta is far more VFM and packs just as much / more punch.
Plus the fittings options that can be used, plus the support........

Thats given me some more to think about........

Thanks again, im going to go and sit in a dark room to mull this over....


Gpc
 
If it's a powerful location/battery flash you're after, at the affordable end (and none of these things is cheap) it boils down to Lencarta Li-on and Elinchrom Quadra. Lencarta is cheaper and more powerful with an excellent battery, Quadra is smaller and has faster durations with the A-head option, though A-heads lose about half a stop of light, so with that combo you'd be about one stop down on total power against the Li-on.

Both have LED modelling lights (to save the battery) but they're not as good as normal studio heads - a lot less less bright, not adjustable, and will drain the battery more quickly if left on. The Li-on's modelling light is actually more than one stop less bright than the Quadra's - Garry is quoting wattage above, which is not the same thing at all ;)

The Advanced Photographer magazine review Lencarta quotes on their web page is Feb 2012, and you can buy a back number from the mag's website.

Edit: for location work, also consider regular studio heads plugged into a battery power supply like Innovatronix. As a comment, for location shooting that often involves battling with bright daylight, you really can't have too much power and short durations too for moving subjects. The best option there is Profoto, good but pricey.
 
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nnnnoooooo.....stop.....my head is about to explode!!!! lol.
Thanks hoppy.
The location (initially) is in woodland / forest. At the most it will be in a clearing but overcast as i doubt it will be a bright sunny day.

Will buy the back copy of the mag and have a read..

I think the solution for me is to hire the quadras. Have a play and see how i get on. Then, see if i can get in touch with someone local that has the lencartas who would let me have a play. Its early days for me with this so shelling out a lump sum just yet isnt an option.

Im heading to the flash centre in london to get hands on and bombard them with questions as well. Ultimately though i need to make a decision and have a go.

The battery and studio set up may be an option as well. Again, it boils down to cost vs howmuch i would use it. The reason the lencartas and quadras looked good was that they were an all in one (ideal for a noob) and look fairly idiot proof and a good starting point that would last some time.

Will look into the studio heads plus battery option as well.....

Thanks again chaps. I appreciate the help.
Rgds
 
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