Flash Power

[snapsnap]

Just a quick question. If a flash has a flash power range form 8ws to 1000ws does this mean it can be set to most ws eg 200 - 300ws.

Asking this as want to no if these will be any good home use or are they well to powerful.

They will be used for other stuff but mainly indoors

These Flash kit is Bowen gm1000

Found here

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-bowens-gemini-1000-pro-head/p1033838

Thanks

 

[Garry Edwards]

Yes, it can be set to literally any setting over a 7 stop range. But it's generally better not to use the very lowest settings if you can avoid it, Bowens is a good make and I haven't tested that particular model, but all the other models with a wide range that I have tested have produced very erratic results at the lower power settings

 

[JonathanRyan]

Is it true that the higher the power flash, the longer the duration will be at low power?

Or is it more complicated than that....?

 

[Garry Edwards]

Is it true that the higher the power flash, the longer the duration will be at low power?

Or is it more complicated than that....?

It's more complicated than that, but as a general statement it's true.
Generally, power is reduced by reducing the voltage to the capacitors and this both increases the flash duration and reduces the colour temperature. A few mono heads reduce power by switching out capacitors, which avoids these problems, but very few makes have enough capacitors to allow the switching out method to be used with the lowest power settings.

At the moment, there are 2 flash heads that use IGBT controllers to fire the flash at full power but quench the flash when the power setting is reduced, this actually reduces the flash duration - substantially - and once the technical issues have been overcome successfully, it will be the ideal way of doing it.

But that day hasn't arrived yet so, generally, you're right.