How many watt seconds do I need?

"me" wrote in message
...
How many watt seconds do I need? I'm using a 35mm film camera. I'll be
shooting in my single car basement/garage and a smallish living room.
Ambient light from sun is dim, EV4 at 100 ISO for both.

I'd like 3 lights, main, fill and hair/bg/kicker. I assume the main and
fill
should be the same w/s but how many w/s should the other light be? I'm
trying to come up with a ratio like 1/2 or 1/4 as many w/s as main.

I also want more than 3 power levels. I think this would be more versatile
and may be a necessity since I don't have room to move lights further from
the subject to reduce power. What do you think?

I apologize if this question is vague but I have never purchased studio
lights before.
Thank you for your help.
me


Remember the old quote, "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"
Substitute "Light" for "Speed' and "bright" for "fast."
The lights I have only give me about 700w/s, but they've been sufficient for
my purposes in the small space I have to work.

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

"me" wrote in message
...
How many watt seconds do I need? I'm using a 35mm film camera. I'll be
shooting in my single car basement/garage and a smallish living room.
Ambient light from sun is dim, EV4 at 100 ISO for both.

I'd like 3 lights, main, fill and hair/bg/kicker. I assume the main and
fill
should be the same w/s but how many w/s should the other light be? I'm
trying to come up with a ratio like 1/2 or 1/4 as many w/s as main.

I also want more than 3 power levels. I think this would be more versatile
and may be a necessity since I don't have room to move lights further from
the subject to reduce power. What do you think?

I apologize if this question is vague but I have never purchased studio
lights before.
Thank you for your help.
me


Remember the old quote, "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"
Substitute "Light" for "Speed' and "bright" for "fast."
The lights I have only give me about 700w/s, but they've been sufficient for
my purposes in the small space I have to work.

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

me wrote:
How many watt seconds do I need? I'm using a 35mm film camera. I'll be
shooting in my single car basement/garage and a smallish living room.
Ambient light from sun is dim, EV4 at 100 ISO for both.

I'd like 3 lights, main, fill and hair/bg/kicker. I assume the main
and fill should be the same w/s but how many w/s should the other
light be? I'm trying to come up with a ratio like 1/2 or 1/4 as many
w/s as main.

I also want more than 3 power levels. I think this would be more
versatile and may be a necessity since I don't have room to move
lights further from the subject to reduce power. What do you think?

I apologize if this question is vague but I have never purchased
studio lights before.
Thank you for your help.
me

Watt seconds is not an accurate measurement of light output. Two
different lights with the same ws rating could put out vastly different
amounts of light.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:BDjud.5398$xa6.2073@trnddc09...
me wrote:
How many watt seconds do I need? I'm using a 35mm film camera. I'll be
shooting in my single car basement/garage and a smallish living room.
Ambient light from sun is dim, EV4 at 100 ISO for both.

I'd like 3 lights, main, fill and hair/bg/kicker. I assume the main
and fill should be the same w/s but how many w/s should the other
light be? I'm trying to come up with a ratio like 1/2 or 1/4 as many
w/s as main.

I also want more than 3 power levels. I think this would be more
versatile and may be a necessity since I don't have room to move
lights further from the subject to reduce power. What do you think?

I apologize if this question is vague but I have never purchased
studio lights before.
Thank you for your help.
me

Watt seconds is not an accurate measurement of light output. Two
different lights with the same ws rating could put out vastly different
amounts of light.

What manufacturer's specification do you use when comparing?
Thank You,
me

dadiOH wrote:

me wrote:

How many watt seconds do I need? I'm using a 35mm film camera. I'll be
shooting in my single car basement/garage and a smallish living room.
Ambient light from sun is dim, EV4 at 100 ISO for both.

I'd like 3 lights, main, fill and hair/bg/kicker. I assume the main
and fill should be the same w/s but how many w/s should the other
light be? I'm trying to come up with a ratio like 1/2 or 1/4 as many
w/s as main.

Watt seconds is not an accurate measurement of light output. Two
different lights with the same ws rating could put out vastly different
amounts of light

He wasn't asking about how much light, just a guideline on what he would need.
As most monolights, and a good number of packlights allow you to control the
power downwards, he just needs a reasonable top end. The various answers he got
based on room size should be ample guidance.

Cheers,
Alan


--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.

dadiOH wrote:

me wrote:

How many watt seconds do I need? I'm using a 35mm film camera. I'll be
shooting in my single car basement/garage and a smallish living room.
Ambient light from sun is dim, EV4 at 100 ISO for both.

I'd like 3 lights, main, fill and hair/bg/kicker. I assume the main
and fill should be the same w/s but how many w/s should the other
light be? I'm trying to come up with a ratio like 1/2 or 1/4 as many
w/s as main.

Watt seconds is not an accurate measurement of light output. Two
different lights with the same ws rating could put out vastly different
amounts of light

He wasn't asking about how much light, just a guideline on what he would need.
As most monolights, and a good number of packlights allow you to control the
power downwards, he just needs a reasonable top end. The various answers he got
based on room size should be ample guidance.

Cheers,
Alan


--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.

me wrote:


Watt seconds is not an accurate measurement of light output. Two
different lights with the same ws rating could put out vastly different
amounts of light.


What manufacturer's specification do you use when comparing?
Thank You,

You can only compare W-s. On the AlienBees site, they use to put up what
aperture setting you would get at a fixed distance (10 ft.) for ISO 100 when
using their basic reflector. (I don't recall if they gave a GN equivalence for
this too). They've redone their website since then, so not sure if the same
info is still there.

Why don't strobe manufacturers give GN? Mainly becasue of reflectors and the
behaviour of packed strobes with various cable lengths.

For what you want to do a couple 400's and a 200 would be ample, a cut above (2
x 800 + 1 x 400) would give you more manouevering room. But as I said an AC
strobe or two is handy for touching up the lighting here and there.

Cheers,
Alan

--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.

In article ,
Randall Ainsworth wrote:

Jeez...you don't need to give 'em a sunburn. Shooting portraits of
ordinary people at f/16 is not advised.

In a lot of the churches I photograph in, old & dimly lit
Usually f/8 is barely possible with 100 asa for group shots, unless one
is using full power. Additionally I print my own work which means I print
people down so that the ambient light, on stained glass, candles etc.
is part of the picture. Some people like shadows around the subjects
heads (I don't).

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

In article ,
Randall Ainsworth wrote:

Jeez...you don't need to give 'em a sunburn. Shooting portraits of
ordinary people at f/16 is not advised.

In a lot of the churches I photograph in, old & dimly lit
Usually f/8 is barely possible with 100 asa for group shots, unless one
is using full power. Additionally I print my own work which means I print
people down so that the ambient light, on stained glass, candles etc.
is part of the picture. Some people like shadows around the subjects
heads (I don't).

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

In article ,
Randall Ainsworth wrote:

Jeez...you don't need to give 'em a sunburn. Shooting portraits of
ordinary people at f/16 is not advised.

Two lights on the pack can be adjusted but starts at 600 a piece, two
stops down from full power is 150 ws per lamp I believe. I only need that
much power on occasion for groups.

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918