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Coldest temperature to safely use strobes

Does anyone know what the lowest temperature it is safe to use strobes? It may get down to -15f on my shoot tomorrow night. I'm going to use hot lights as much as possible, but may need the strobes.
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
This is a great question. I recently used strobes at a ski resort and thought about this too.
I would think that if you paused between shots and didn't fire them too rapidly or let the glass elements heat to fast it should be okay. Even though most use pyrex domes the flash tube themselves need to acclimate. Doing ski/ride action, I can only fire one or two shots between set ups, so it doesn't get too hot. I'd be thinking more about batteries and keeping them warm...
 

Kirk Candlish

New member
Does anyone know what the lowest temperature it is safe to use strobes? It may get down to -15f on my shoot tomorrow night. I'm going to use hot lights as much as possible, but may need the strobes.
By strobes you mean on camera flash, monoblocks, power packs and heads ?
 
I have used Dynalite electronic flash units in many environments over the years; including the heat of the Saudi desert to the below freezing meat packing plants of Texas and the winter in the high Canadian arctic. I have never had a problem with either the packs, the flash tubes, or the modeling lamps. I expect the cold might make the glass lamps & tubes more brittle, but never broke one due to cold. As a previous post mentions, I would be more concerned about batteries.
 

jusu

New member
I have shooted with elinchrom rangers in -17celsius . Works fine before batterys starts to cold.
 

DDudenbostel

Active member
A few years ago I had a shoot in New York at Orange County Chopper for one of my clients. We chatered a private jet and few up. My Speedotron Force 10's were in the unheated baggage compartment and at altitude the temp was roughly -90 F. It was winter and had to be in the cold after we arrived so the units had little opportunity to warm up much. when we arrived and I set up my gear I turned the units on they didn't come on. They were so cold the electronics didn't function. After about thirty minures ar room temp I switched them on again and they worked just fine. I guess there is a point at which they won't work but don't know the specific temp.
 
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