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Lighting at Photokina 2014

gazwas

Active member
Even though Bron didn't give us a Profoto B1 rival, possibly because of the influx of much cheaper but still very good cheap Chinese versions (Cononmark and Phottix) the biggest surprise to me was the lack of a Profoto Acute B3 announcement.

The amazing little ActueB2 is a cracking little battery pack but very dated now even for a starter range of packs.

Seems like all Profoto's efforts went into Nikon TTL support.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Even though Bron didn't give us a Profoto B1 rival, possibly because of the influx of much cheaper but still very good cheap Chinese versions (Cononmark and Phottix) the biggest surprise to me was the lack of a Profoto Acute B3 announcement.

The amazing little ActueB2 is a cracking little battery pack but very dated now even for a starter range of packs.

Seems like all Profoto's efforts went into Nikon TTL support.
Probably because that's where the money is these days.

Pretty convincing video of Brian Marcus shooting wedding work on the fly with a Nikon and B1s.

B1 Off-Camera Flash

I'd suspect that one of two things will happen in future … a TTL Acute B3, or discontinuation of the Acute B series in favor of something totally new.

The little Acute B2 Lithium AIR is my go-to mobile solution because I'm shooting with leaf-shutter lenses where I set everything manually anyway, and I like the B2 analog controls.

I hope they replace it with some wonder-box so I can get a second B2 cheap ;)

- Marc
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Marc

Thanks for sharing that video . I shoot 5-6 times a year in NYC and I ve been to almost everyone of his locations . Those images are stunning and really demonstrate how you can control the light to get the photograph you know is there . Of course ..it helps to have attractive professional models and two skilled lighting assistants …..Dreaming again.

Roger
 

gazwas

Active member
Great video and results.

What I find strange is the overwhelming use of bare bulb with the B1 as that is how I also liked to use mine when I had them. I know a B1 has much more power than a speedlight which helps a lot in bright sunny conditions but it makes me wonder as a lot of these great shots were captured bare or into a brolly what the diffetence would have been if they had just used a speedlight? On a couple of shots they did use a beauty dish but at those distances from the subject what was the point other than to get one in the video because they are cool?

Just some random thoughts!?
 

RVB

Member
Great video and results.

What I find strange is the overwhelming use of bare bulb with the B1 as that is how I also liked to use mine when I had them. I know a B1 has much more power than a speedlight which helps a lot in bright sunny conditions but it makes me wonder as a lot of these great shots were captured bare or into a brolly what the diffetence would have been if they had just used a speedlight? On a couple of shots they did use a beauty dish but at those distances from the subject what was the point other than to get one in the video because they are cool?

Just some random thoughts!?

Gareth.I think the BD is also proving a similar effect to the magnum and adding direction and more power...??

Rob
 

gazwas

Active member
Gareth.I think the BD is also proving a similar effect to the magnum and adding direction and more power...??
Not a critisism, just an observation that its a weird choice of modifer considering a BD is an indirect reflector so not that efficient or soft at those distances and considering the use of bare bulb so much why not here?

Regardless of what they used, great results.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Great video and results.

What I find strange is the overwhelming use of bare bulb with the B1 as that is how I also liked to use mine when I had them. I know a B1 has much more power than a speedlight which helps a lot in bright sunny conditions but it makes me wonder as a lot of these great shots were captured bare or into a brolly what the diffetence would have been if they had just used a speedlight? On a couple of shots they did use a beauty dish but at those distances from the subject what was the point other than to get one in the video because they are cool?

Just some random thoughts!?
Good random thoughts, and some debatable ones IMO.

Interestingly, I was breaking in a new lighting assistant at this past Saturday's wedding shoot, and the same questions/observations came regarding strobes verses speed-lights. I showed him that Marcus video.

If you look closely at the video, the use of various modifiers is quite apparently adding to the quality of light not just quantity. (However, quantity is not to be overlooked as a B1 set to 1/4 power would require that a speed-light put out near full power, and you sure wouldn't be shooting as fast as Marcus was even if a Canon or Nikon speed-light thermal breaker did shut you down for 10 to 15 minutes … been there, done that).

The mobile shots with the two umbrella XLs shows a silver one and a diffused one which is obvious in the end result. Mods that big would swallow a speed light's energy and take seconds to recycle so you'd never be shooting that fast to catch that special expression.

In one shot the beauty dish was used in conjunction with a larger Octa key and the assistant was holding it to skim the subject while putting light on the background to separate the subject … which is also obvious in the final shot.

Ect. Etc, Etc.

So, while you could use a speed-light in some situations, you couldn't in most of them.

Brand endorsements aside, close observation shows that Marcus knows what he is doing.:thumbup:

- Marc
 

Kirk Candlish

New member
On a couple of shots they did use a beauty dish but at those distances from the subject what was the point other than to get one in the video because they are cool?
The number one selling modifier to newbies and wannabes is the BD. Seldom is it the PF BD, more typically a Chinese knock-off but the BD is pretty hard to fail with and it's an icon of what a 'Pro' shoots with.

So yeah, it's in there for the cool factor IMO.
 
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