HiLite and BX500Ri x2

All,

I'm new to this flashing stuff (no pun intended) however I would like some advice.

I'm looking to get some equipment together so that I can do more portrait shoots etc. I want the HiLite as i'll be restricted by space so I thought this would be a safe bet.

Strobe wise: I was looking at some Lumen kits however i wanted to go wireless to save tripping over cables in a small-ish room plus I thought if i'm going to spend this money i may as well get a bit more power to save having to spend more in the long run... good call?

Im looking at the 500W models however is it worth saving a few quid (about £40) and getting the 1x500w and 1x250w kit? I'm thinking for the sake of £40 to get the higher powered ones.

Should I also look at getting a light meter? If so any suggestions?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

I'm just one step ahead of you. I'm sitting here with two BXRi 500s using the provided 66 cm softboxes for now. I asked around quite a bit before picking the the two 500s. The answers I got were... get as much power as you can right away and also it is perhaps less confusing shooting with two similar lights. At first I thought I would pick 500/250 as I could shoot at a lower aperture but really we are talking one stop and it's not as if you can take these down to f/2 anyways.

On my first shoot with the lights I did not have a light meter which proved to be pretty tricky. I was shooting a soccer team in an inside arena where I had to blend in with the existing light. I eyeballed it but on my next shoot (a family portrait session) I had the light meter and quickly and with confidence found my exposure right away. I am really glad I got the light meter.. I chose the Sekonic L-358.

My next purchase is most likely the new 53" (135 cm) Rotalux Octa and some back ground materieal.

Like you I have considered the Hilite background but I've decided against it for now. I'm sure some guys can make this work but I'm not really crazy about the white back ground in general and do find it quite expensive.

Y'know - the only issue I'm concerned with when mixing different light strengths is that you lose the proportionality of your modeling lamps betweeen lights. This will ramble a bit but I'll try to explain my thinking. For example: If both studio lights are set to 100% of their power - each modeling lamp shines at 100% as well. Assuming your lights have the same modeling lamp - each of them projects the same light intensity onto your subject, but the power of each flash head is different. So you won't visually see the true comparisan between your 500 main light and 250 fill/shadow just by looking at your modeling lamps. Does that make sense?

Stated another way: If you set your 250 light at full power (100%) to the left of your subject, and the 500 light at half-power (50%) from the right of your subject ... the proportional modeling lamps would appear to give you more lightfrom the left side of your model's face, while the right side would appear a bit darker as filled shadow. Yet the resulting photos would have 250w/s of flash on each side - causing unexpected results from what you saw in your modeling lamp setup.

I know it's easy to merely calculate your outputs and lighting ratios between the main and fill using light settings, and just disregard the false impression your model lamps create in those instances ... but it's both easier and more predictable for me to stick with similar-strength lights and "see" the correct proportional results before pulling the trigger. Obviously well-experienced photographers wouldn't have any difficulty overcoming this, but I prefer to use either two Genesis 200's on my subject, or two Genesis 400's. Not a mix-n-match ... check your settings ... disregard your modeling lamps method. Just my $0.02

I haven't looked much at the Eli BXRi's yet. Maybe the modeling lamps are different wattages between the 250/500 so this would be a moot argument for you. But it's something to consider and check on in advance. I'd say go with both 500's, because for a few quid difference you have the extra power when needed but can easily stop one of them down or move 'em back to produce less light.

slivr wrote in post #6965955
Y'know - the only issue I'm concerned with when mixing different light strengths is that you lose the proportionality of your modeling lamps betweeen lights.

That is not an issue with the BXRi's Jason - you can adjust your modeling light to match your power output if you wish. That is one of the new features introduced in these new models - you can adjust your modeling light power to whatever you want, while it still remains adjustable so as to be proportional to the flash power (hope that makes sense ).

mfoto.ca wrote in post #6965488
I chose the Sekonic L-358.

Thats the one i've been reading about so i've done the bad thing and ordered one! Oh and a HiLite... Oh and the BX500Ri kit!

Can't wait.

Should be here tomorrow!

I had heard somewhere that might be the case with thse new lights, Rudi. Thanks for clarifying. I haven't stepped up to the Elinchrom's yet.

Tim - I'm jealous!!!

That is a feature they're boasting and I would imagine it's pretty accurate or it wouldn't be there. It's too bad this feature can't be found in the other strobes.

Perhaps this is something we'll see in the (hush hush) talk about new RX's due to come out mid 2009. Nothing to confirm that other than a BogenImaging rep at PhotoPlus this year.

Proportional modeling lamps with strobes of different power would be helpful to anyone, be it professionals, amateurs and hobbyists.

slivr wrote in post #6970111
Tim - I'm jealous!!!

I'll post some results over the weekend.

TMR Design wrote in post #6970338
Proportional modeling lamps with strobes of different power would be helpful to anyone, be it professionals, amateurs and hobbyists.

Yep. That is the one feature that is actually useful for a proper studio setup! The ability to ignore preflash and changing the power increments from 1/10 stop to something else, etc, etc, are just fluff... (they might be important to you if you use hot shoe flashes in concert with studio strobes, but they're not important inside a proper studio setup).

Bad news

The store just called to say the lights are on back order and won't arrive until mid Jan. I was looking forward to using them at the weekend... all well. Hopefully the light meter and background will arrive today so I can get to grips with using the meter for when the lights turn up.

Well the HiLite arrived and my god is it big!

And quite amusing to put away... Thankfully You Tube exists.

All I need now are my lights.

congrats on the HiLite.... looks like you can sleep in these things... perhaps even take it camping

Rudi wrote in post #6966131
That is not an issue with the BXRi's Jason - you can adjust your modeling light to match your power output if you wish. That is one of the new features introduced in these new models - you can adjust your modeling light power to whatever you want, while it still remains adjustable so as to be proportional to the flash power (hope that makes sense ).

Here's the video showcasing all the features and customizations available in the bxri http://www.youtube.com …e.com/bxri-kits-c337.html

mfoto.ca wrote in post #6990854
congrats on the HiLite.... looks like you can sleep in these things... perhaps even take it camping

It is actually bigger then my tent! I must admit when I was doing one of the zip up on the side, I did stick my head in and thing to myself... "I could fit in here..." I didn't try it though.

Oh, and who needs a gym when you have to fold this thing away. It took me 20 mins the first time. Looking forward to using it though!

eduardofrances wrote in post #6992254
Here's the video showcasing all the features and customizations available in the bxri http://www.youtube.com …e.com/bxri-kits-c337.html

I've seen that video once before. Found it to be quite helpful but also found his voice to be a bit annoying after a while.