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Polarizing gels on D1

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
Hi,

We are working with polarizing gels on our D1's for copy work. Problem is that due to polarizing the lights and the lens, the fact we are using f16 to gain sufficient DOF for what is essentially macro work and using iso 80 on our leaf back, the lights are turned up to almost full power. That isn't a problem but it is burning through our Rosco gels at a replacement rate of once a week. An expensive turnover, the gel roll is ridiculously expensive. Infact if we turn the D1 onto max power it burns up the gel with a single pop!

At present the gels are taped onto the light with gaffer holding them in close proximity to the bulb. Works but hardly ideal.

What is the proper solution for a gel holder for a D1 flash unit?

Thanks!
 

cunim

Well-known member
Ben, I use polarizers on D1000s and on acutes with a D4 - usually with the zoom reflector. Use the gels with cardboard frames that you can get a clip onto. Same gel lasts a long time if I mount it on an arm that takes it a few inches in front of the modifier. Don't know if that works with your situation. If I mount the gel on the front of the light or in the grid/filter holder, it is gone just as you say.
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
So some sort of clip arrangement, problem with the D1 is that there is no reflector, the bulb is right at the front. Trying to work out how I can hold the polariser off about 2 inches.
 

Dustbak

Member
You could just put the Zoom reflector on, shove it at its widest point and attach the gel to to the reflector.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
It's a no-brainer Ben.

If it is the same one, the one I use has a collar that mounts over the stand before you put the D1 in it.

Attached to that collar are articulated arms with wing-nuts that allow you to accordion adjust the filter holder further or closer to the light. At full extension, the arms can reach out in front of a Light with a Profoto Magnum mounted. Small alligator clips in each corner hold the actual filter flat. The filter holder portion is also articulated and can be configured to a 12" square or made narrower either side for smaller pieces.

Are you using the glass domes or flat glass on the D1's?

I have three D1's ... two 500s, and one 1000w/s ... glass domes on the 500s, and flat glass on the 1000 so I can use the 5º, 10º and 20º slip on grids. Generally, I use the 500s with zoom reflectors and barn doors for background lights, and the 1000 with a grid for an accent light. Main lighting is provided by two 2400w/s D4 packs.

-Marc
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
We're not actually using stands Marc, the lights are mounted directly to the shooting table using something like this Manfrotto 013 Double 5/8 Spigot - Adaptors

Pain because otherwise it sounds perfect!

We're using the flat glass on a pair of 500's. It would be shame to have to buy the reflector just to use with the gels, we have no use for anything else. I am tempted just to make a DIY solution.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
We're not actually using stands Marc, the lights are mounted directly to the shooting table using something like this Manfrotto 013 Double 5/8 Spigot - Adaptors

Pain because otherwise it sounds perfect!

We're using the flat glass on a pair of 500's. It would be shame to have to buy the reflector just to use with the gels, we have no use for anything else. I am tempted just to make a DIY solution.
Sounds like a high volume production. Maybe worth replacing the D1 glass disk with polarizing glass disks?

Also, the spigot can be extended with another single spigot attachment and then the bracket discussed could be used.

Ya gotta be a MacGivver to work in studio ;) I'm making stuff all the time ... Jerry-Rigging solutions with bits and pieces of junk ... so I NEVER toss out anything. I put it in a Mac Givver box so it is there when needed.

-Marc
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
You're telling me Marc! Spent this evening with a Mamiya cable release which due to the niggardly amount of glue they used, fell apart in my hands (10,000 frames in a studio, pathetic). The top literally fell off exposing the 3 incredibly thin wires which had come straight off their solder. We spliced the wires to a foot pedal whose head we chopped off to try and get working again as (of course) we had a large rush job to finish by the end of tomorrow. Going to go out tomorrow and buy a 3.5mm male and female plug and with some solder, make the connection to the foot pedal permanent, it's more convenient at the shooting table anyway.

Why not get another you ask, is it not under warranty? Well it's the only one in the country, the supplier would have to send it abroad for repair (wish I was joking!). Yes the Mamiya takes an old fashioned screw in cable release but there isn't a single one for sale in the city.

Seriously been doing a lot of shaking heads. We've killed a cable release and Mamiya AC adaptor in under 20,000 frames in a studio environment. The tethering had never worked properly either and all they can say is that it's our computers fault. Sorry but from our point of view, Mamiya is not a suitable solution for a studio like ours shooting over 1000 frames a day, every single day. We have a D800e on order, based on the testing, in all honesty and all of us in the studio agree, the Mamiya is going bye bye and we'll get a 2nd Nikon. IQ is great but when we get delivery of 10 books, some 3000 pages/images, a private collection which we have for only 24 hours, we need everything to work perfectly and backup, instant backup, should it not. Incredible IQ means nothing if you can't take the bleeding shot and it's been too many times already. Who can afford two backs?
 
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Ben Rubinstein

Active member
This MacGivver enough for you Marc? :ROTFL:

Rotates freely to allow full polarisation and doesn't fall off. Cost nothing as they were on the way to the garbage anyway! :D


The boss has already had a fit because he can't bring bigwigs into the studio to show off our operation when we have something like that on the lights. I have explained that the alternative is pulling out his chequebook and coughing up!
 

fotografz

Well-known member
It'll especially be cool when they burst into flame and start the client's toupee on fire :eek:

Just spray paint them with flat black paint and have a kid use white finger paints to spell out Profoto ... no one will ever know :rolleyes:

=Marc
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
We are not using the modelling lights of course, more than for 5 seconds at a time on minimum power for checking polarisation. We put them on just for this pic :D
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
I use this one (as suggested above):

Profoto Grid and Filter Holder for Profoto Zoom Reflector 900649

I've also used this one, and still do from time to time ... a bit flimsy, but it works"

Delta 1 12 x 12" Flex Gel Filter Holder 45610 B&H Photo

-Marc
OK going to order the profoto ones tonight, can you give me the link at B&H for the exact reflector I need and can you confirm that the gel holder will rotate and work with cut sheets of gel (you don't need some propitiatory form of gel from profoto). I see that there is some sort of 'filter cassette', do I need that?

Thanks!
 

fotografz

Well-known member
OK going to order the profoto ones tonight, can you give me the link at B&H for the exact reflector I need and can you confirm that the gel holder will rotate and work with cut sheets of gel (you don't need some propitiatory form of gel from profoto). I see that there is some sort of 'filter cassette', do I need that?

Thanks!
Just saw this Ben. Did you already order it?

The B&H site references the proper reflector that it attaches to ... standard zoom reflector.

The slip-in diffusion panel & frame (cassette) comes with the attachment unit, and is the frame to hold cut filters. Just remove the diffusion and replace it with the polaroid material.

The unit itself clips onto the zoom reflector pretty securely, and is not smooth to rotate. To rotate the unit just release the zoom reflector lever and rotate the whole thing, then re-lock.

The only thing that is proprietary are Grids ... this unit uses larger ones, and the standard 7" Grids do not fit.

-Marc
 
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