Looking for a couple of cheap strobes

[Greg Jones]

I have two AB1600 that I use for my main and fill but I need a couple of cheap strobes for my background and hair light. I have two 135w strobes I use for it now but the problem is that they do not have the verable adjustment. With just low ,med and high it is too hard to controll the amount of light, next to impossible.

Has anyone used these strobes http://cgi.ebay.com/180ws-180w-180-ws-Photo-Studio-Strobe-Flash-Light_W0QQitemZ170198516902QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3008 7QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Or any ones similar to them ? The ones I have ,have been great except the power control.
If I had the extra bucks ,I would by a couple more bee's but I just don't want to spend the money right now.

[ueb0258]

I have had a couple of them. The only thing you might run into problems with is consistent color.

[Greg Jones]

One thing I am not clear on is that the color temp of these lights are 5500k as you see listed below. I beleive that AB's are at 5500k as well but customer service tells me that is at f8
How do I compare the color temp, does the temp change with your apreture?

A brand new 180ws Flash Strobe (master/slave strobe). It could be
triggered by a flash, infrared and sync cord (included). It also comes with a
test button and variable dial for power setting from 1/8 to full. The Studio Light
is providing you with a Continues Lamp and Flash Function.. It will work as main
light, back light or hair light and comes with a easy to use umbrella holder
Specification:
Power Range 180ws
Power Control Variable
Guide No. 48GN
Recycle Time 0.5-3s
Angle of illumination 55 degree
Triggering Photo sensor, Sync Cords, Test Button, Wireless Trigger
Power Sources AC 110v or AC220 (also available)
Continues Lamp 50ws
Colour Temp 5500K
Accessories Includes Power cord, Sync cord, Modeling lamp

[DSMITH131]

color temp change with strobe power level.
And your speedlights will work for what you need

[Greg Jones]

I would rather not use my speed lights if the inexpesive lights would work fine. What kind of problems exsist with the cheap lights not being consistant ? This is the only concern I have other than that 180 ws is more than enough power that I need for background and hair. One thing I just realized is that I am doing a CWB with just my main and fill on, if this is the case then I should be doing it with all strobes on due to the temp change.

[ueb0258]

TMR is supposed to be publishing something on the color shifts on some lights soon but I dont know if he will include the ones you are referring to. How soon are you wanting to purchase? I may be able to do some tests with mine this weekend to see if there is a wide color shift. The photogenics I have are supposed to stay color balanced throughout the range of power but I havent tested them nor seen any wide shift to make me test them.

[Greg Jones]

No real big hurry, my life is in shambles at the moment anyway. Looking at maybe a week or so I would like to get something.
TMR ? Sorry I dodn't know who you are speaking of.
Do you have some inexpesive ones as well ? I know the AB's are are not the most expesive and I would like to get the AB 400 but if I can find cheaper ones to do the job , all the better.
Thanks for your help !

[ueb0258]

TMR Designs I think is his user on here. He was posting about the color tests in another thread. I do have one of the cheapy strobes like you posted a link to lying around. I havent used it in a while. Here is another thread on FM for some higher power older Photogenics for a decent price.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/621696/0#5491855

[Greg Jones]

Thanks ,I found him . I will look back on some of his threads. I will check out the site too .

[sleibrand]

One thing I just realized is that I am doing a CWB with just my main and fill on, if this is the case then I should be doing it with all strobes on due to the temp change.

Actually, it's not quite that simple normally. If your strobes are putting out different colors of light then you'll have color casts on different parts of your image. As an extreme example, take a shot with mixed tungsten and flash lighting. If you balance for the strobe, the tungsten areas look orange. If you balance for the tungsten then the strobed areas look blue. If you balance somewhere in between then you get kind of orangy and kind of blue.

Tungsten and Flash/strobe sources are about 2000-2500 degrees different. Variations in strobe color will probably be 200-500 degrees (I don't know anything about the strobes you are looking at, you might check to see if they publish the color variation across their range). So the differences will be more subtle but may be noticable depending on the setup and subject.

The real solution to different colored sources is gelling so that they match (or lots of masking in photoshop). This can be pretty tough since the color changes as you adjust the power and you can't see the shift with the modeling lights.

[Greg Jones]

Thanks Steve
We had coverd the color temp difference between different lighting in another thread and I have some gel samples ordered and should be her soon. I understand this when mixing different lighting ie: Tungsten, flouresent, and so on. But I thought that strobes would be puting out the same temp but I see it changes with the amount of light. I had figured that the temp would be the same just more deeper in hot and cool depending on the amout of light. What I am seeing now is that strobes are not the same and not only that it will change with the power or amount of light from the strobe.
Tell me if I am wrong , if I have only light from the strobe and I do a color balance then I should have a pretty good balance in camera of temp. I had read somewhere else that the modeling light ( tungsten ) doesnt'' have much affect on the temp, is this not right ?
This sounds almost like the last decusion we had.
Thanks for your input on the subject.

[ueb0258]

Greg, I have posted my results from testing out my two lights today. Hopefully the pic sizes dont get it removed.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=5073937#post5073937

[Greg Jones]

Greg, I have posted my results from testing out my two lights today. Hopefully the pic sizes dont get it removed.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=5073937#post5073937

Thanks, I am going to go and check them out.