Question on Calumet Genesis Light Power Levels

To change power on my Genesis 200 lights, I can use the digital knobs to change power. Power goes from 10 - 60 (I believe, can't remember exact as I'm only using them on the lowest level). Now my question is that I don't have a light meter, and I want to start playing with light ratios. How do I know what one stop difference corresponds to in the digital scale? Is it a difference of 10, 20....? Right now I'm using experimentation with the light power levels and positioning stands closer/farther to get desired light out put. It's completely unorthodox, but I'm experimenting.

So until I do get a light meter, can someone help much how much I have to change the digital values on the lights to correspond to one stop of light?

Thanks

BigBlueDodge wrote in post #5807540
To change power on my Genesis 200 lights, I can use the digital knobs to change power. Power goes from 10 - 60 (I believe, can't remember exact as I'm only using them on the lowest level). Now my question is that I don't have a light meter, and I want to start playing with light ratios. How do I know what one stop difference corresponds to in the digital scale? Is it a difference of 10, 20....? Right now I'm using experimentation with the light power levels and positioning stands closer/farther to get desired light out put. It's completely unorthodox, but I'm experimenting.

So until I do get a light meter, can someone help much how much I have to change the digital values on the lights to correspond to one stop of light?

Thanks

Normally 10 clicks in either direction should be equal to 1 stop, so going from 10 to 20 or 60 to 50 both should represent a change of 1 stop. BUT... after testing the Genesis strobes I found that they do not have that degree of accuracy. If I recall going from full power down 10 clicks was only about .5 or .6 stops.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that if the strobes were accurate enough to know what 1 full stop is you could work without a meter and make adjustments. Without knowing the exact different between 'stops' on the strobe you're really flying blind.

Thanks for the quick input. For the price of the kit, I can undersand why they adjustment isn't accurate (I mean I paid less for two lights than I did my Speedlight)

At some point in the near future, I will get a ligth meter. WIth my speedlights, it's pretty easy to control flash ratios with Canon's wireless ETTL system. I want to start getting fancy with my strobes and vary their output, but I need to know what adjustments do to output.

BigBlueDodge wrote in post #5807540
To change power on my Genesis 200 lights, I can use the digital knobs to change power. Power goes from 10 - 60 (I believe, can't remember exact as I'm only using them on the lowest level). Now my question is that I don't have a light meter, and I want to start playing with light ratios. How do I know what one stop difference corresponds to in the digital scale? Is it a difference of 10, 20....? Right now I'm using experimentation with the light power levels and positioning stands closer/farther to get desired light out put. It's completely unorthodox, but I'm experimenting.

So until I do get a light meter, can someone help much how much I have to change the digital values on the lights to correspond to one stop of light?

Thanks

Here are the results of a test I did on my Genesis lights back in February:

https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=4979233&pos​tcount=171

As you've already discovered and as my tests confirm, the digital power display is non-linear in its reflection of actual change in output power.

Dave F.

Dave,

That's a great post. That should provide some relative measurements for me to go by. I appreciate it.

BigBlueDodge wrote in post #5809494
Dave,

That's a great post. That should provide some relative measurements for me to go by. I appreciate it.

My pleasure.

Dave F.