I just don't get studio flash units, why so powerful?

[Rooster]

I bought a set of three cheap Neewer 250Ws studio lights for messing about with. they come with softboxes, umbrellas, gels etc. Good value but they're just so powerful I can't get any results with them. I've put them down to the lowest output level and even so they seem really over-powered. Am I doing something fundamentally wrong, like setting my manual exposure for too long? I get much better results using three really cheap flash guns. Think I really need some pro training in a studio. I know a lot of the theory but just can't get the results.

 

[HopefulM]

what camera settings are you using?

 

[AD_Capturs]

With my lights im usually at about 1/125th and f5.6 iso 200!

 

[HopefulM]

for some studio shots, I've been at iso 100, f22 & 1/200th...

you can always move the lights further away from the subject, creates much more drama!

 

[Garry Edwards]

You're right, very little power is needed by most people, most of the time, and they often buy much more powerful flash heads than they actually need. Please see this tutorial on the subject. It seems to have lost it's photos in the recent server upgrade, sorry.

But you have a bit of a problem with those lights. Looking online, all that I can find out about the power adjustment is that it's stepless (which it isn't), there's nothing about how low the power will adjust too, my suspicion is that there won't be much power adjustment so you will have to find ways around that. The best method by far, after making sure that you have your camera ISO set as low as it will go, is to fit a neutral density filter over your camera lens. They are readily available in 1,2,3 & 4 stop (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 & 1.2) flavours, I suggest that you forget about the 4 stop one for this.

Am I doing something fundamentally wrong, like setting my manual exposure for too long?

Set your shutter speed to 1/125th.

 

[Rooster]

what camera settings are you using?

I've just fiddled about generally. Are you meant to use manual settings then? I freely admit I don't really know what I'm doing. But they do seem amazingly bright. I took one to a wedding and even on the lowest power setting it flooded a huge hotel atrium with light. That seems like overkill? You really don't need a lot of light.

 

[Garry Edwards]

I've just fiddled about generally. Are you meant to use manual settings then? I freely admit I don't really know what I'm doing. But they do seem amazingly bright. I took one to a wedding and even on the lowest power setting it flooded a huge hotel atrium with light. That seems like overkill? You really don't need a lot of light.

Please see my earlier post, it explains both the problem and the solution.
Yes, you must set the camera to manual. It can't be used in any automatic mode.
Set the ISO as low as it will go
Set the shutter to 1/125th
Set the aperture to whatever appears to you to give the correct result.

 

[HopefulM]

Hi John
normally if people use studio lighting, you would set the camera to manual ("M" if it's a Nikon, not sure about canon)

this means you take control of the aperture (hole that lets the light in), shutter speed (how long that hole is open) and ISO (how sensitve the 'film' (sensor) is to the light that's allowed in.

try setting to the ones that grumpy Gary mentions above, and if it's still too bright, just check the settings on the camera that control the exposure compensation (someone I know had accidentally theirs set to "+5" and everything was ultra over exposed) make sure this says "0".

take some shots, and if still too bright, start closing down the aperture (a bigger "f" number = smaller aperture = less light allowed into the camera = less bright images)

please tell us how you get on, or even better, post up some pics

hope this helps, and apologies if this is something you already know.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Hi John
normally if people use studio lighting, you would set the camera to manual ("M" if it's a Nikon, not sure about canon)

this means you take control of the aperture (hole that lets the light in), shutter speed (how long that hole is open) and ISO (how sensitve the 'film' (sensor) is to the light that's allowed in.

try setting to the ones that grumpy Gary mentions above, and if it's still too bright, just check the settings on the camera that control the exposure compensation (someone I know had accidentally theirs set to "+5" and everything was ultra over exposed) make sure this says "0".

take some shots, and if still too bright, start closing down the aperture (a bigger "f" number = smaller aperture = less light allowed into the camera = less bright images)

please tell us how you get on, or even better, post up some pics

hope this helps, and apologies if this is something you already know.

I only get grumpy when people are too rude to bother spelling my name correctly

 

[Rooster]

I'll give it a go on the manual settings suggested then, cheers everyone.

 

[501cards]

My Daughter uses 4 of the Neewer 250s in a small studio, (2 in a background fill) and 2 main, and they can be adjusted a fair amount (For the price they are very flexible bits of kit (apart from being unable to replace the flash bulb unit).

They should sync OK with the 5DII up to 1/160s, as others have said once you have the camera in manual, just set ISO100 start at f8 1/160 and adjust aperture up or down til you get what you want,

She tends to have the lights on about 25% setting most of the time YMMV its all down to experimentation, I would advise using the cable sync if you can rather than the cheap and nasty wireless trigger that comes in the kit (Jsut watch for the trip hazzard!)

 

[Simon photo]

I bought a set of three cheap Neewer 250Ws studio lights for messing about with. they come with softboxes, umbrellas, gels etc. Good value but they're just so powerful I can't get any results with them. I've put them down to the lowest output level and even so they seem really over-powered. Am I doing something fundamentally wrong, like setting my manual exposure for too long? I get much better results using three really cheap flash guns. Think I really need some pro training in a studio. I know a lot of the theory but just can't get the results.

I bought the same set of lights a while back and as an amateur i can say they are great. Sure they ain't profoto or broncolor but were just shooting some **** at home right!?
I get good results with mine and find them reliable, consistent (don't worry about people on here slating them, I've even done test shots for consistency) and simple to use. They are a tad powerful, and close quarters shooting with wide aperture is a struggle sometimes (nd filters are a work around) but i have used them outside in the garden and they give plenty of pop.
Just practice practice practice, and if you can, try and get a flash/light meter, corded helps as you can just pop the flash with the meter in your hand.
The wireless triggers are a waste of time though. I've had three different versions of the same rubbish and they just fail fail fail lol. Save up for something a bit better if your not used to sync cables.
I got some hanhel combi tf triggers, never fail, batteries last an age and are good for over 100 metres

 

[animal17]

Hiya John As Garry said set camera to manual
ISO to 100 or 200 if it wont go that low
Shutter Speed to 1/125
and I would start with an app at f11 and see what you get

Or alternatively come down and see me for studio training

 

[Rooster]

Or alternatively come down and see me for studio training

Definitely need that, damned expensive trianing tho.

Anyways, I tried some of the settings suggested and the pics are improving, though it's still too bright, think I'll have to dig out my ND filters and keep plugging away.

 

[Simon photo]

Definitely need that, damned expensive trianing tho.

Anyways, I tried some of the settings suggested and the pics are improving, though it's still too bright, think I'll have to dig out my ND filters and keep plugging away.

Try setting your lights at the lowest setting then syncing at 1/200th sec and work your way through all your available aperture values taking shot for each one. Don't make any alterations during this test to the lights, position, camera. Just the aperture. Start with one light only, take note of the best exposure and what f value it was at.
You really do have to be in m mode though. Ooh and make sure your iso is set to 100 and not auto

 

[Richard King]

for some studio shots, I've been at iso 100, f22 & 1/200th...

you are just trading one issue (too much light) with another - diffraction

I aim to set my aperture "where I want it creatively for the shot". If I find I'm heading in the f22 direction, and I "Want" to shoot at f4, I use a ND filter

Indoors, for a studio type shot, that you have the time to set up slowly and deliberatally, you can be 100% in control of everything. Choice of aperture is just as important as choice of ISO, or choice of modifier, as it intrinsically makes a difference to the cosmesis and quality of the shot

you can always move the lights further away from the subject, creates much more drama!

Yes this will reduce the light, but with brollies and softboxes, you are just
- splashing more light round the room
- making the lighting harder (which defeats the point)

Moving a light back, only really works well if it is
- focused
- gridded