How many times have you changed the flash bulb on a monolight?

[c2thew]

Please specify below what brand you were using if your bulb burnt out. everything is relative i know due to how often you use the flash, but i'm wondering if there is a certain brand that has more service and repair issues.

[bobbyz]

Flash has a bulb?

[tim]

Four years with AB800s, used a few times a year, never broken a flash bulb. I've gone through a few modelling lamps though.

[Wilt]

A modelling light is an incandescent 'bulb'. The instantaneous light of the flash is produced by a 'flash tube'. Flash tubes typically have lives measured in the tens of thousands of flashes (as high as 80k in some cases). 'Strobes' used in discos and clubs can even be rated in millions of flashes!

[Curtis N]

I wonder about the strobes on the tops of big antennae that flash all night long.

[hawk911]

probably more than a few thousand thru the D2 set, and a few hundred thru the D2, give or take.

[FlashZebra]

One is far more likely to have to replace a flash tube due to trauma, or other misuse, than due to classic wear out due to repeated "normal" cycling.

I wrangle the flash gear for the two studios for my local camera club. The flash heads get likely thousands of cycles per week.

I do not recall ever replacing a flash tube due to wear out, but but I have replaced many due to trauma, mostly light stands with a flash head on them getting knocked over.

There may be a lot of things to sweat as a photographer, but typically flash tube wear out from repeated "normal" cycling is not one of them.

Enjoy! Lon

[Wilt]

I wonder about the strobes on the tops of big antennae that flash all night long.


Somebody probably goes up that tower on some periodic basis to replace a worn out flashtube! One million flashes spread over a 4 second period means it would last almost 7 years.

[c2thew]

sweet thanks

[Winck]

Somebody probably goes up that tower on some periodic basis to replace a worn out flashtube! One million flashes spread over a 4 second period means it would last almost 7 years.

Joe Mcnally has been up there a couple of times (http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2009/05/26/getting-high/) with the lucky guy who does the maintenance...

Knud

[johnlo]

a few times.

1) my power pack blew out... so the flash tube POP. good thing no one got hurt. glass was all over the place. It didnt happen on a shoot. I was setting up and doing test shot. it was scary.

2) The flash tube on my monolight broke - that was my mistake.. accident ... almost cut my finger. It wasnt plug.. thank god!

[Mark1]

I have never had to change out a flash tube. I bought a replacement when I bought the lights. Mainly so I have a back up in case I do something and break one.