Garry Edwards
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Strobes and capacitors
- Thread starter gman
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gman
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Is that a good amount? I'm guessing the quality of the capacitors also matter.
I saw this online: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3867683212_8c2c5123bc_o.jpg
Not sure what make it is though! lol Looks like a lot of capacitors!
I saw this online: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3867683212_8c2c5123bc_o.jpg
Not sure what make it is though! lol Looks like a lot of capacitors!
Garry Edwards
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There's no simple answer to that question but as I've said before, consider this:
Back in the 'good' old days there was no adjustment to power, flash heads always fired at full power only and we used to adjust the power only by changing light shapers and by using ND gels, so 1 capacitor would do the job.
Then we had full and half power adjustment, and to maintain both colour temperature and flash duration integrity the flash heads would switch out one of the capacitors.
Then they adjusted to either half or 1/4 power - I'm sure you can see where this is going...
Now that a lot of flash heads have 5 stops (or even more) of adjustment but very few capacitors, it's impossible to fully adjust the power simply by switching out capacitors. The secondary (and sometimes only) method of power adjustment therefore becomes a potentiometer, which works almost perfectly except that the result is that colour temperature gets much warmer and flash duration becomes much longer.
There is no perfect answer. Even if a flash head had 50 capacitors it wouldn't be enough to avoid the use of an alternative control method completely, because people want infinite (or at least 1/10th stop) adjustment, and although there are more advanced controls than potentiometers available, and although a couple of the better makes have managed to create consistent light quality with a small number of capacitors, I'm told that complex solutions are inherently unstable and are likely to have a shorter life than simpler systems, and if that's true we're left with the question:
Is it best to have a large number of capacitors, with the expense and bulk that this involves?
Is it best to have a small number of capacitors with an advanced control system that may not last long?
Is it best just to accept poor light quality and have a small, cheap flash head that's simple and probably reliable?
You pays your money and you takes your choice. Makes like Profoto are very expensive but there's a reason why they cost so much, the quality of the light is superb. They are also unbelievably heavy, but for some people neither cost nor weight is as important as the quality of the light.
Right at the other end of the scale is a make not sold in this country (well, hardly any are sold) that's small, light, cheap and only has 1 capacitor. The quality of the light is appalling but some people think it's OK.
And before someone tells me that IGBT controls will be the next generation of flash control yes, that's almost certainly right - but that technology isn't mature yet.
Back in the 'good' old days there was no adjustment to power, flash heads always fired at full power only and we used to adjust the power only by changing light shapers and by using ND gels, so 1 capacitor would do the job.
Then we had full and half power adjustment, and to maintain both colour temperature and flash duration integrity the flash heads would switch out one of the capacitors.
Then they adjusted to either half or 1/4 power - I'm sure you can see where this is going...
Now that a lot of flash heads have 5 stops (or even more) of adjustment but very few capacitors, it's impossible to fully adjust the power simply by switching out capacitors. The secondary (and sometimes only) method of power adjustment therefore becomes a potentiometer, which works almost perfectly except that the result is that colour temperature gets much warmer and flash duration becomes much longer.
There is no perfect answer. Even if a flash head had 50 capacitors it wouldn't be enough to avoid the use of an alternative control method completely, because people want infinite (or at least 1/10th stop) adjustment, and although there are more advanced controls than potentiometers available, and although a couple of the better makes have managed to create consistent light quality with a small number of capacitors, I'm told that complex solutions are inherently unstable and are likely to have a shorter life than simpler systems, and if that's true we're left with the question:
Is it best to have a large number of capacitors, with the expense and bulk that this involves?
Is it best to have a small number of capacitors with an advanced control system that may not last long?
Is it best just to accept poor light quality and have a small, cheap flash head that's simple and probably reliable?
You pays your money and you takes your choice. Makes like Profoto are very expensive but there's a reason why they cost so much, the quality of the light is superb. They are also unbelievably heavy, but for some people neither cost nor weight is as important as the quality of the light.
Right at the other end of the scale is a make not sold in this country (well, hardly any are sold) that's small, light, cheap and only has 1 capacitor. The quality of the light is appalling but some people think it's OK.
And before someone tells me that IGBT controls will be the next generation of flash control yes, that's almost certainly right - but that technology isn't mature yet.
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gman
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I would have just moved the lights closer or further away!
Cheers for the response, sounds like it's far too complex an area to simply have a single definitive answer.
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And totally change the quality of the light...I would have just moved the lights closer or further away!
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Was a joke 
EDIT: Been thinking about this and how would moving a light closer or further away effect the quality of the light as surely the quality of light is dictated by the equipment? I would understand it to effect the type of light as moving it further away would produce harder light and vica versa (to a certain respect?)
Or is this a terminology thing?
I see type of light meaning hard light/soft light etc and I see quality of light being colour temperature and brightness - so equipment that can produce good quality light can maintain the same colour temperature and brightness when no other settings are changed.
If I'm wrong then your statement: "Profoto are very expensive but there's a reason why they cost so much, the quality of the light is superb" wouldn't make sense to me as how can a Profoto light give hard or soft light anymore than say a Lencarta light?
EDIT: Been thinking about this and how would moving a light closer or further away effect the quality of the light as surely the quality of light is dictated by the equipment? I would understand it to effect the type of light as moving it further away would produce harder light and vica versa (to a certain respect?)
Or is this a terminology thing?
I see type of light meaning hard light/soft light etc and I see quality of light being colour temperature and brightness - so equipment that can produce good quality light can maintain the same colour temperature and brightness when no other settings are changed.
If I'm wrong then your statement: "Profoto are very expensive but there's a reason why they cost so much, the quality of the light is superb" wouldn't make sense to me as how can a Profoto light give hard or soft light anymore than say a Lencarta light?
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