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500w halogen work light?
divamum
Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
Has anybody used these for shooting? I have 2x flashes, but I'm seeing people playing wtih video lights mixed with flash (interesting intetionally mixed colour temps) and it got me thinking... I saw one of these in Lowes the other day and at under $30 it seemed like it might be kinda fun, but couldn't find out what the colour temp was.
Has anybody tried one? Further info on halogen mixed with flash? Thoughts?
Thanks!
Has anybody tried one? Further info on halogen mixed with flash? Thoughts?
Thanks!
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The reason you won't find a color temperature rating for work lights is:
2) The color temperature is dependent on the particular quartz tungsten halogen bulb used in the fixture (which can change during the assembly and manufacture of the unit, or which the "the user" can change afterwards by replacing the bulb.)
If you should purchase a quartz tungsten halogen work light, just check the numbers on the bulb to find out that particular bulb's color temperature rating. Typically you can find quartz tungsten halogen bulbs rated from 2800° K to 3400° K. (Never touch the quartz envelope with your fingers as the oil on your fingers can cause the quartz to fail catastrophically and violently.)
Quartz tungsten halogen bulbs run "very" hot and do pose a fire hazard. Most quartz tungsten halogen work lights do have a protective glass cover designed to help prevent hot shrapnel from being ejected from the housing if failure should occur.
Also, never move a quartz tungsten halogen appliance until it has cooled. The tungsten filament is at its weakest when it's hot and will easily break.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I have them and use them ( worklights) typically if I just need to light a backdrop, such as a Green-Screen. They're hot-HOT-hot of course, which is why so many folks don't like Tungsten/Halogen/continuous: lighting.
The deal is, they're cheap! They can do exactly what they're designed to do well. On a simple portrait, 3/4 length it'll take two to give you even lighting across a BG. So if you need to shoot full length or landscape orientation, then buy four of them. The other things I like is ease. Their easy to set up. And if you're handy with a drill you can easily attach or make and attach barn-doors for them. I did. I got sheet metal from LOWES and cut it in the shapes I needed and drill & screwed them into place. Bend to suit! Of Course the Barn-doors help keep the spillage of light from the talent.
Mixed lighting I like that idea and have tried to use it and the biggest issue you get into there is wattage. Lets say we're going to shoot a scene at some place within your home. And we want to control ambient to give it some 'Ambiance'. And we want it to look like it's morning light shining/filtering thru the window. You'll need about 2kw to start with IMO, and perhaps more based on all the normal things such as Aperture ISO, light on the talent, and how much ambient light you allow.
So best uses for worklights:
1. Work!
2. Next is BG only.
Best Qualities:
Lots of easily placed light.
Biggest drawback: HOT; danger-danger: Hot!
Oh, and mixing with flash? and never mind the color temp, the output of the flash compared to the Worklight may have you wanting for more Worklights!
I have not used tungsten-halogen for still photography for decades because electronic flash, either studio lights or compact speedlights/speedlites are so much better for a number of different reasons:
Much better power utilization. Powering tungsten-halogen technology can tax an already loaded mains power circuit.
Daylight color balance (generally) for flash powered technology.
Larger pupils in indoor subject(s) eyes using flash.
As Angevin points out, tungsten-halogen can have occasional use for background lighting, but I highly recommend flash powered lights for most photography applications.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
http://kristinhoebermann.com/index.php/opera
Look down the strip on the right (I'm not sure if they rotate, so can't tell you which shot it is), and you'll see what I mean. I'm guessing she's using incandescent or video lighting.
Anyway, that's what got me thinking. I suppose I really ought to check out an LED panel, but with two shoots next week and no time to practice (and already spent my budget on some other stuff), I'm not sure that's an option this time out
1. Too much heat
2. Too little light
3. Too hard to modify
4. Too big and clunky
5. Four of them on a household circuit = popped circuit breaker.
6. Did I mention too much heat?
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
http://www.amazon.com/CN-126-Video-Camera-Digital-Camcorder/dp/B004JZI78O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1326735513&sr=8-4
Do yourself a favor and gel yer flashguns, or even direct them thru a colored glass! THAT is a relatively quicky thing you can play with prior to client arrival!
Give up the LED thing unless your gonna go all LED
Reason: Not near enough lumens...and you will be NOT happy!
Trusted phrase, trusted source!
I've seen your handy work with your photos obviously DM, and taking Ziggy's suggestion with mine involving gels and so forth is LESS of a course in frustration.
But buy some shop lights when you have time to really play and, if like me, you don't mind doing the epic fail dance for a bit.
Your right of course, cheap light and gives you something to do
Better than me. I bought my first On-cam LED late 2010 and it was about $265 and is small and if you like flat and direct light can be fine. But like most folks from Stills land, flat direct light is a bit hard to swallow.
Please let us know how that works out for you.