D-Lite 4 Mk2 (i.e. with fan) - noisy?

[elliot_n]

Hi

I recently bought a D-Lite 4 Mk2 kit (i.e. with fans), having rented the original, fanless, D-Lite 4 kit on several occasions.

I was keen to get D-Lites with fans, as I had experienced thermal cut-outs on the rental units.

I was surprised when I first switched them on that the fans were quite noisy. This was late at night, in a quiet room, so I assumed that I wouldn't notice the noise in an actual shooting situation. But yesterday I was photographing an author in her quiet study, and I found the noise from the fans really distracting.

Anyone else bothered by the noise?

Elliot

(Both my lights make exactly the same fan noise, so I don't think they're faulty).

[TMR Design]

I hate to say it but it's something that goes with the territory. All strobes or packs with fans are noisy to some degree. None are quiet. Obviously in a quiet room and one that doesn't have a lot of fabric or material to absorb sound you're going to be very aware of it. Personally, I wouldn't give it a second thought and don't think about it.

When I have four 400BX's going it's far from quiet but it doesn't bother me and I'd rather have the cooling fans than not.

[elliot_n]

It's possible that I haven't used strobes with fans before.

I've often rented Bowens monoblocks (Gemini 500, 750, 1500 etc) and Profoto battery powered heads (7B), and I've never noticed any noise from them. Maybe they don't have fans (?)

I'm hoping that yesterday's shoot with the author, which was in a very small and quiet room, will be an exception, and that on most shoots I won't notice the noise. (If it continues to bug me, I'm sure I'll be able to find an owner of the original D-Lites who will be keen to swap!)

Improved on the D-lite 4 Mk2s is the audible beep - on the Mk1s the beep sounded like an asthmatic old man blowing a whistle, whereas on the Mk2s the beep sounds crisp and sharp.

Elliot

[TMR Design]

It's possible that I haven't used strobes with fans before.

I've often rented Bowens monoblocks (Gemini 500, 750, 1500 etc) and Profoto battery powered heads (7B), and I've never noticed any noise from them. Maybe they don't have fans (?)

I'm hoping that yesterday's shoot with the author, which was in a very small and quiet room, will be an exception, and that on most shoots I won't notice the noise. (If it continues to bug me, I'm sure I'll be able to find an owner of the original D-Lites who will be keen to swap!)

Improved on the D-lite 4 Mk2s is the audible beep - on the Mk1s the beep sounded like an asthmatic old man blowing a whistle, whereas on the Mk2s the beep sounds crisp and sharp.

Elliot

I wouldn't go backwards and swap out fan cooled strobes for no fans. I think that's a mistake.

[elliot_n]

Update:

I've done several corporate portrait shoots this week, mostly in open plan offices, and the fan noise from the D-Lite 4s hasn't been an issue.

I think in most shooting situations the fan noise will be irrelevant.

However, if you like to work in silence, it is maybe something to bear in mind.

Elliot

[Motofreak429]

i like to work in studios with models and have the music blaring!

gives me somthing to show off my awesome dance moves to the models. haha

[TMR Design]

Computers have fans, hard drives are spinning, fan cooled strobes make noise, the compressor in your refrigerator makes noise. I don't think that a silent work environment is possible for this type of work. If you were to upgrade your strobes to any other strobes they would have fans. If you got a portable battery solution it would have cooling fans.

If it bothers you then it bothers you but I think there are more important things to think about and you would not want to give up cooling fans. If you went to an environment that was not cool or didn't have air conditioning in the Summer you would not want strobes that had no cooling fans.

I'd forget about it and just concentrate on shooting.

[Gaussian_Blur]

i like to work in studios with models and have the music blaring!

gives me somthing to show off my awesome dance moves to the models. hahabw!


The peace of mind knowing the strobes won't experience a thermal shutdown far outweighs the minor distraction of the fan noise. :)

[neliconcept]

just got my dlite 4, its not really that noisy

it sounds about as loud as my powermac g5 when the fan is on, which isnt bad as long as its not hitting stuff (the fan blades and making racket) I had a desktop that the blades would warp and hit the side of the housing and it just irritated the hell out of me

[Calbeee]

shoot with music on :)

[Rudi]

If you got a portable battery solution it would have cooling fans.

Not quite true, Robert. The Ranger is completely silent. :)

The D-Lites, like all fan-cooled strobe can be heard. What is worse, the D-Lites have a higher pitch than my RX600's so (to me) they sound more annoying, IMO. But I agree that generally the fan noise is not an issue, although I have had a couple of clients ask me whether the noise was "normal"... (I guess it can be scary, being surrounded by bright lights in big softboxes... :D).

[TMR Design]

Not quite true, Robert. The Ranger is completely silent. :)

The D-Lites, like all fan-cooled strobe can be heard. What is worse, the D-Lites have a higher pitch than my RX600's so (to me) they sound more annoying, IMO. But I agree that generally the fan noise is not an issue, although I have had a couple of clients ask me whether the noise was "normal"... (I guess it can be scary, being surrounded by bright lights in bog softboxes... :D).

I should have been more specific. When I said portable battery I was not referring to the Ranger system. I meant a dedicated battery such as a Tronix.

Of course there are varying degrees and pitches but my point was just that many, if not most of the elctronics we use that produce heat or have the potential to overheat are fan cooled in one way or another. I'm sure there are clients that don't understand it but high end systems are fan cooled and it goes with the territory in most cases.

[Motofreak429]

3 words

#1. Music

#2. Dance Moves

Models dig it