Help me find 600ws at 8+fps

Been getting into action sequences. I've been getting 5fps out of my Speedotron 1205CX LV at a max of 300ws. Not too bad but, I want more. So, without breaking the bank (no Pro B4), anyone got any recommendations for 600ws or better that can keep up with my 7D's 8+fps? I would consider monolight but suspect only a pack & head will be capable.

Bob

Only way I know to get that is to find a pack that will deliver enough power to recycle that fast when powered down. If you want those Ws you're going to have to start a lot higher.

600Ws at 8 frames a second. What are you shooting? And how far away to the lights have to be?

Hot Bob wrote in post #15737461
without breaking the bank (no Pro B4)

I don't think it exists. Maybe something from broncolor?

Why not just rent the profoto when you need it?

I'm shooting horses! Right now I'm lighting with a handheld 16" 30° sports reflector from about 40-50 feet. I actually have enough power but I want to shoot higher frame rate and it would be nice if I could soften the light up a bit too. Maybe a medium silver parabolic panning on a stand. My Speedo 4803 won't even come close. The 1205 recycles much faster at equivalent power settings. Of course the 4803 is pretty old; I wonder if the newer CX models are any faster at recycling?

Bob

Hot Bob wrote in post #15738300
I'm shooting horses! Right now I'm lighting with a handheld 16" 30° sports reflector from about 40-50 feet. I actually have enough power but I want to shoot higher frame rate and it would be nice if I could soften the light up a bit too. Maybe a medium silver parabolic panning on a stand. My Speedo 4803 won't even come close. The 1205 recycles much faster at equivalent power settings. Of course the 4803 is pretty old; I wonder if the newer CX models are any faster at recycling?

Bob, I cannot add anything to the recycling speed issues, but want to address your issue of softening the light.

At 40 to 50 feet, I very seriously doubt that you'd see any difference in the "softness" quality of the light if you used even a 60" diameter umbrella. The distance makes that still seem like a small light source.

Think of the sun. In reality, it's about the largest light source available to us. However, it's so far away that it's effectively a point-source of light which is why shadows in sunlight (with no clouds in the sky) are so harsh.

In a portrait studio, it's not unheard of to use a modifier that is as wide as the distance between the face of the modifier and the subject. That's the way that shadows can really be softened.

What you might be able to soften the light to do is to use several sources of light (each pretty darned serious in it own right) spaced over a span of twenty to thirty feet or more. They would all be triggered by radio slaves. If you're in an indoor venue with a white ceiling, you could bounce some of the light.

Skip, of course you are right. Multiple lights would be the best way to go. That would however, dramatically compound the complexity of this. I'm shooting outside, powering the pack with a generator. As it is now, I have been doing all this by myself. I fire the camera (tripod mounted and prefocused) by remote as I swing the light. I've already been considering adding a backlight to get more depth and separation. That means an assistant and probably another generator to go along with an additional pack and head.

This is all personal work/experimentation so, though I don't mind putting some money into it, I still have to be smart about it.

Bob

Hot Bob wrote in post #15737461
Been getting into action sequences. I've been getting 5fps out of my Speedotron 1205CX LV at a max of 300ws. Not too bad but, I want more. So, without breaking the bank (no Pro B4), anyone got any recommendations for 600ws or better that can keep up with my 7D's 8+fps? I would consider monolight but suspect only a pack & head will be capable.

Bob

Here's some food for thought (and it's the way I'd approach this problem). Get yourself another Speedotron 1205CX LV (or equivalent), a MultiMax and two Plus III or FlexTT5 units. With the MultiMax set to Speed Cycler mode, you'll be able to fire the lights at 10 fps at 300Ws. If you decrease the frame rate sufficently, you may be able to increase your power output enough to meet your needs even though it probably won't be at 600 Ws.

8 fps at 600Ms? I'm not a lighting guru by any means but that seems like a tall order, and by "tall" I mean expensive. If it's even possible. My interest has been peaked.

I did not realize when I started this that I already had a very capable system. After doing some research, it appears the Speedotron 1205CX LV is a very fast recycling pack; actually incredible for the price! Specs say .9sec at full power. I know Profoto and Broncolor make packs that can recycle at up to 30fps but, they are extremely expensive. I'm now thinking that maybe I could use a Speedotron 105 quad tube head and feed it from two or more 1205's. I'm going to play with the recycle rate on the 1205 at lower power levels and see what I get. If I can get 8fps at 150ws, the quad light will probably give me what I am looking for. I think this is where a variable drive speed on the camera for the frame rate would be a nice tool. It would be nice to be able to tune the system.

Bob

I've been running some tests on my lighting gear; just pushing the limits to see what I get. The 600EX's are pretty capable at low power. I set them to 1/128th power and was able to get a full three second burst with the 7D at 8fps without a single missed pop. At 1/64th power I missed one out of ten frames. This is with fresh alkaline batteries so it may be possible to do better with a external pack or high quality rechargeables.

This doesn't really help me right now but, I'm sure this may be useful for me at some point. If I mount all four 600EX's on the four-square bracket zoomed to 200mm I should have a guide number of about 34' at 1/128th power. That's useable high-speed recycling!

Bob