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Our client Hillbarn Theatre just released one of their publicity posters for the upcoming production of West Side Story. This image was shot using a Flashpoint XPLOR 600PRO and the Glow EZ Lock Deep Parabolic 48″ with disk and inner diffusion panel as the key light. Rim light was a Saberstrip v2 using an eVOLV200.
I did a re-shoot for a client's West Side Story publicity imagery since they have actually cast the roles. I decided to use the Glow 48 with the metal disk and inner diffusion panel installed instead of my focusing arm modifiers for this session. I wanted a slightly softer yet still punchy look for the mood the client wanted created. I continue to be amazed and happy with the light quality and the ease of set up with this modifier. My only niggle is that it can be tough to push it open because of the size of the modifier. I have to stand to one side and really push down to get it to click. Ah first world problems eh? LOL.
I continue to be impressed with the EZ 48, so much so that it was only one of four modifiers I took for a personal editorial project down to El Segundo to shoot Luna Cycle. (I have an upcoming article on that trip along with photos of course….) The other two modifiers were my Fresnel and two the soon to be released SaberStrip v2.0 which comes out later this month. This project was editorial in nature over 'beauty' in the traditional sense. (I find beauty in loads of things that may not seem obvious.) I know a good many of you (including myself) like to 'learn' about modifiers and how they apply to shooting beauty or product. But for me the real test of a modifier is just how versatile it can be in a variety of situations.
The light quality is always my first concern and the EZ has that down pat. The ease of assembly and if it is the right tool for the right job is my second consideration. For the two images below it fit both all three of those criteria perfectly.
I have found that the value and quality of light presented by the EZ is remarkable.
I had a client reschedule one of my sessions, so I decided to do a quality of light test today with this modifier against my SMDV 110 using a focusing rod and my Parabolix 35D modifier. Since the Glow comes with this little metal disk I wanted to find out if it could produce a similar quality of light to my actual focusing rod light modifiers. Spoiler Alert: Yes it can! With one major limitation…..
I was actually away at how good this 95.00 modifier's quality of light is in real life. The major difference between it and my other focusing rod modifiers is its inability to feather light while using the disk. I almost always feather light using any modifier. I know that many people generally point a modifier directly at the talent, but my taste prefers having the light bounce away from the talent. It produces a delicious wrap that a direct shot just doesn't accomplish. Because the light source on the Glow is pointing DIRECTLY TOWARD the talent, but is deflected back toward the modifier by the disk (much like a beauty dish), any angle not pointing directly toward your talent exposes the strobe bulb. This creates a severe hot spot and ruins the effects of the modifier. True focusing rod modifiers point the strobe bulb AWAY from the talent toward the modifier. That greatly increases the angle at which the modifier can be turned without exposing the bulb. In addition the housing of focusing rods which hold the strobes have a flange that also shields the bulb from direct line of sight.
One of the "potential issues" I had read somewhere is that the Glow 48 is passing light 'through' the spokes of the housing skeleton. I'm always fascinated how people concern themselves with things like that. In my experience it does NOT affect the quality of light in this modifier.
For the purposes of this test I shot all three modifiers directly at Jenni, no feathering. In the focusing rod comparison, no diffusion material was used on any of the modifiers. The reason I prefer focusing rods is the extra contrast, smoothness and punch they produce in the quality of light. They're certainly not for everyone, but my clients now insist on this type of light for most of their publicity work. There are exceptions, but it's what we both prefer. The ability to focus or flood the very same modifier to give different lighting moods/looks is wonderful.
For the SMDV and the Parabolix I had the focusing arm in their mid-flooded position (both used the Parabolix focusing arm and an xPLOR 600 with remote head), meaning halfway out from the apex of the modifier. I did this because the disk on the Glow would only go about halfway from the apex of its modifier. I did notice a color difference between the modifiers as well. I've decided to post the images without identifying which modifier was which…until the end. After all we each decide for ourselves what we prefer and I don't want to influence your view of this modifier. So here we go….
I also wanted to do a quality of light test using both diffusion panels which is the way most of the people will use the Glow 48. I did NOT use the diffusion disk in addition to the two diffusion panels. The inner diffusion panel has a 2 stop circular panel which effectively reduces any potential hot spots. My gold standard in a two diffusion panel configuration has been my beloved Elinchrom 39" Rotalux Deep Octa. I found the Glow achieves 90% of the light I love in the Eli. And considering the Eli is 290.00 PLUS an additional 55.00 for a Bowens speedring AND 86.00 for a hooded diffusion panel (no grid is made for the Eli Rotalux line) that's a whopping 431.00 compared to 95 bucks. Is that 10% difference worth the extra three and change Benjamins? That's totally up to how your client feels about the lighting. And if you're not shooting client work, how you feel about the light quality.
So let's do a little math:
- Glow 95.00 (46")
- SMDV 110 (44") 325.00 (not including a focusing rod)
- Parabolix 35D (89cm) Package 838.00 (including focusing arm)
In order of ease of assembly and breakdown as I used them today (without diffusion panels):
- Glow 48*
- Parabolix 35D
* The Glow is the easiest to assemble and strike IF you don't use the inner and outer diffusion panels. They must be removed and installed each time you use this modifier.
** The SMDV is hands down the fastest and easiest modifier to assemble and break down if the diffusion panels are installed. You don't have to remove them when breaking down the modifier. They can remain on the modifier.
Shot Modifiers:
- Shot A: Parabolix 35D
- Shot B: Glow 48″
- Shot C SMDV 110cm
I will simply say that the light quality and value of the Glow Deep 48" Quick is REMARKABLE. Add to that fact its cost and it's a no brainer. It is going into my workflow immediately and I'll not hesitate to use it when it's the right tool for the right job. A side note, Jenni the young woman I asked to be my test subject is also a photographer. She was so impressed she plans on purchasing a Glow 48. Hell who can blame her?!
Zarli, a visitor recently asked me two questions, one of which didn't take long to research and I'm assuming others will have this same question so I'm adding it here. He wants to know the diameter of the changeable speed ring in the unit. The measurement is 144mm or 5 2/3rds of an inch. If the light quality is as I expect I will change the Bowens speed ring to a Cheetahstand low profile ring. I've done this for all of my Bowens modifiers when using them without a focusing rod. The reason is the Cheetahstand Low Profile rings allow my Flashpoint strobe bulbs to penetrate further into a modifier giving me a percentage increase in light output. It's a very easy change and well worth the extra 25 bucks.
Original Post
Although I have not had time to evaluate the actual light quality of this modifier, I wanted to give my impressions of the Glow EZ Lock Deep Parabolic's physical build quality of the unit. As is my workflow, until I can test any modifier I won't be using it on commercial shoots. Since this is my hectic time of year I'm not sure when that will occur. But once it does I will post my impressions here. And I'm not going to get into the fucking bullshit back and forth about whether this is a true parabola. If you're one of those best of luck and start babbling about geometric facts somewhere else. My world is about creating compelling and excellent imagery, not having to be fucking right. Plenty of other troll places you can go online for that.
At this point it's way too early to give my impressions of the light quality, simply because I haven't tried it! But from a construction standpoint I feel that for 95.00 USD it presents a great value. Is it 'better' than this brand or that brand? I can't say, but will say that IF the light quality is great to excellent I will add this to my workflow when it's the right tool for the right job. More to come…..later.
Update August 13 2018
I belong to a small Sur Ron Light Bee group and wrote up how to bleed the brake system on the bike. I debated over posting it here, but decided that some may want to know. So here you go!
Bleeding Sur Ron Brakes
- My GF: "Babe I made you some lunch…wait what are you doing? I thought you JUST worked on your brakes!"
- ME: "Yeah I did but that guy Matt wanted to know how to do it so I told him I'd post a how to."
- My GF: "You must really like this guy!"
- Me: "He's the one with that adorable little daughter."
- My GF: "Ah no wonder you're doing this. OK lunch is ready."
First and foremost I HATE when people try to tell me how to do something. Or worse they feel THEIR WAY is the BEST WAY. So I'm posting this to tell you how I do it. How you do it is up to you.
If you don't want to do a full bleed, a simple way I maintain my brakes is to just remove the top mushroom screw, insert the plastic syringe into the hole, fill it about halfway with oil and pump the lever. As time goes on the bubbles move upward toward the brake lever and they're easy to remove with this method. Up to you. Just be sure to adjust your brake lever so that it's level to the ground and you've turned your handlebars so that the respective lever is higher than the lowest part of the brake line.
Here is the kit I purchased to work on my MTB and Sur Ron brakes:
I always remove the brake pads from the calipers no matter what I'm working on. Dirt bikes, MTB bikes, on road race bikes. I never want any contamination of the fluids to hit the pads or rotors.
- Step one is to remove calipers from the fork leg and the rear swing arm. I think it's a 5mm hex but I can't remember. Easy.
- Remove the pads from the calipers. Just use a number 15 Torx and unscrew the pin that holds the pads in the caliper. You'll need to remove the small retaining safety clip on the end of that threaded pin. BE SURE TO INSERT A BRAKE PAD BLOCK INTO THE CALIPER!
Unlike motorcycle master cylinders the Sur Ron's are tiny. Hence they use tiny screws too. On motorcycles I would draw the fluid from the top down. With the Sur Ron I push fluid from the bottom up. I like it better since it moves air bubbles up rather than down.
- Pick which brake you want to bleed first. Loosen the brake handlebar 5mm bolt and adjust the lever so that it is level with the ground. You should turn the handlebar to the right all the way if you're working on the left brake. This will allow the brake line to be as high as possible.
- In this case go to the back caliper and remove the teeny tiny 15 Torx screw which is the 'bleed' screw. Don't worry if mineral oil starts to leak out. Place one of the threaded hose fittings (the one that fits from the kit I use) into the bleed port on the caliper. Attach the hose. Fill the syringe ¾ of the way with mineral oil and attach it to the fitting.
- Undo the very small mushroom screw and place an empty syringe into the opening. Be careful to notice if the rubber washer is on the screw or left in the threaded hole. Place the non-threaded syringe into the hole.
- Go back to the caliper and start compressing the syringe with the ¾ amount of oil. You will see the syringe on the brake handle start to fill and you will see bubbles too. That's what causes the mushy feeling when you brake. Stop when you have about ¼ inch of mineral oil left in the caliper syringe.
- Then pull the oil back through the line by drawing the caliper syringe back until the one on the brake handle is about 4mm from the bottom. Reverse the procedure and again push the mineral oil back into the line.
- Doing this removes more bubbles than just doing it once. Once that's done place the pushing rod slightly into the top of the brake lever syringe. Not too much, it's just to keep the fluid from flowing out of the caliper fitting once you remove that syringe.
- Remove the syringe, nipple and replace the bleed bolt.
- Use the caliper syringe to suck out the majority of fluid out of the brake handle syringe after removing its plunger.
- Replace the mushroom bolt, do NOT over tighten.
- Wipe down everything with a rag and alcohol. (Not the kind you drink) The caliper, the brake handle, anything that has oil on it.
- Remove the brake pad block and reinstall the brake pads and be sure to align the spreading spring properly as to NOT be in front of the brake pads.
- Reinstall the caliper. I use Blue Loctite on the threads.
- Remove the mushroom screw and reinsert the plastic syringe without its plunger.
- Fill it halfway with mineral oil.
- Pump the handle. This is to remove any remaining bubbles. If some remain, you will see them rise up from the brake handle. Do this for about three minutes.
- Reinstall the mushroom screw and adjust your brake lever to where you like the angle.
The brake levers are also adjustable for reach, although it may not be readily apparent. Using a 2mm hex wrench you can adjust the reach to be further or closer to the handlebar with this small screw:
Update August 11 2018
I recently purchased and am awaiting the Super Moto kit from Luna Cycle. I have also changed from the 60t sprocket back to the stock 48t sprocket since I have also ordered the new X Controller which offers more torque, top speed, engine braking and regenerative charging! During the sprocket change I noticed that the pedal kit I have installed was coming apart. The pedal kit is the weakest link in the build quality of the Sur Ron and is actually a poor build. It is basically a tube that gets bolted to the frame. A rod runs through the tube and is held in place by two screwed in caps on each end. No bearings, no shims, just a hole on each side. The sprocket itself that turns does have a bearing. But because the end caps are just 'large threaded washers' the play of the rod is quite large. What this means is that the chain tension varies as the pedal sprocket turns because the rod has so much free play. Much like a motorcycle whose sprockets or chain are worn, the tension varies depending on where the pedal kit through rod is in its varied position. Not good.
When I got my bike which had the pedal kit installed, I noticed that the chain tension was very tight. MUCH tighter than I'd ever have on my motorcycles. I had read and been advised by other owners of the Sur Ron that the bike didn't need to have chain slack like a regular motorcycle. The opinion of one owner: "Because of the jack shaft, the chain tension does not change through the entire motion of swing arm travel. Thus the chain can be tight and it will keep it from flapping. The fact that there is no chain guide confirms this. I run my SurRon snug and my motorcycles proper loose."
Well intended, but what I found in my actual experience is by loosening the chain to allow play of about a 1/2 inch either up or down in the middle of the chain, it provided me with seat of the pants torque equivalent to the 60t sprocket compared to the stock 48! Yes THAT LARGE OF A DIFFERENCE. Better acceleration, higher top end, just by allowing more play in the chain than it's been since delivery. Whether or not the 'jack shaft' location has anything to do with the chain becoming more tight or more loose as the swing arm compresses, my recommendation is that having some play in your chain is well worth trying. Some without the pedal kit installed recommend 5/8″ play. Your own mileage may vary, but give it a try.
For the poorly designed and executed pedal kit; I may look into bearings which will fit the ID of the pedal tube and the OD of the shaft. That would solve the poor tolerance issues.
Update August 8 2018
Luna Cycle asked Matt Richards to test their new X Controller for the Sur Ron. This is the YouTube video which show the results which are very impressive. It is expected to be released by Luna later this month. Once I have the chance to test the controller I will post my findings here. Stay tuned, but this bike just gets better and better and better! I have begun to use my Sur Ron on the street since it is now licensed and insured as a moped in California. Formerly mundane errands are now fun not to mention saving wear and tear on my car. Make no mistake, my primary use for the Sur Ron is off-road and now with a valid CA Plate it is legal at all CA OHV parks too! To have it serve as a dual sport electric bike is incredible!
I have also ordered Luna's Sur-Ron Super Moto Conversion Kit which will be delivered later this month. I plan a full test and review on that road option as well.
Update August 5 2018
It's official, my Sur Ron can now be used on the street and at OHV parks in California!!! WOOHOO!!!
Update July 11 2018
My motorcycle pal Chris sent me this screen grab of an article about the evolution of technology and how that relates to motorcycles and now ebikes. Very cool that it specifically mentions the Sur Ron Light Bee.
Update July 9 2018
Not really an update on the bike, but had fun jumping Wall-E yesterday until something went wrong that I cannot remember because I got knocked out for 45 seconds. And for those who think I'm silly to have mounted a first aid kit to the front forks, this is the reason why. Not my first concussion on a bike, but the first for the Sur Ron. At least I didn't get airlifted to a trauma center after crashing at 145 MPH in turn 10 at Thunderhill Raceway! LOL. No one saw the actual crash, but I must have gone over the bars. The only damage really was the right foot pedal arm got a bit bent and the right bracket of the Fisher FabHouse headlight got a bit tweaked. Other than that no damage. I think that because the mass of the Sur Ron is so low (110 pounds) damage is low during a crash. Kinda like when I crash my mountain bike, little damage occurs….
I certainly look much worse than the bike…thank goodness as I was too handsome anyway! LOL!!!!!
Update July 8, 2018
When I was riding street bikes one of the most used features of the tank bag on my bikes were the bungee cords on the top of the tank bag. It was so convenient to shove my gloves under the little black cords or clothing I wanted to shed when the weather turned warm. So I decided to fabricate something similar on my Sur Ron (Wall-E as he's been named….)
The tough part was figuring out how to mount everything. My workflow is to NOT permanently alter things by drilling or cutting native materials. Wall-E's 'tank' is plastic and I could have easily placed eye hooks through the plastic by drilling into the cover and bolting the other end from the inside. But I opted instead to use hooks to secure the bungee cords. The first issue I had is what the hell are those flat kinda hooks called? Well they're known as 'gutter hooks' and I found the ones I needed through Wolfman luggage. (The same company who I purchased an off road tank bag for Wall-E BTW) Then in examining the slope and angle of Wall-E's battery cover, I determined that I'd need to secure the top gutter hooks to the plastic by using some sort of tensioning strap. I decided upon some Reusable Fastening Cable Straps off of Amazon specifically the 18" one. I bought the bungee cord and tightening lock from REI.
I simply ran four zip ties through the gutter hooks and then crossed the bungee through the zip ties. I had originally thought about just running the bungee through the gutter hook slots, but they are too narrow and would not allow the bungee to smoothly slide. On the back gutter hooks, I securely attached two other zip ties to keep the ones I used for the bungee cord from moving back and forth.
What I really like about this set up is that I can still see the battery indicator and lift the plastic cover to remove the battery if needed. And since it's always on Wall-E if I stop somewhere to grab a sandwich, or need to shed clothing I can simply stuff it under the bungee contraption……score! And a final convenience is I can leave this on the bike even when I'm using my Wolfman tank bag! (I have a photo of that bag and a link to it down toward the bottom of the post.)
Update: July 1 2018
I have installed the Fisher Fab House Ultra 3200 headlight and written my review of the product in this post.
Update: June 27 2018
This posting appears with my permission on ElectricMotorcycle.com
Today I installed the Luna Cycle 60t stainless steel sprocket. My desire for more lower end torque over top end prompted me to purchase one of Eric's units. Went on easy as can be. My only concern is that the included chain extension takes the chain adjusting screws to almost the end of their reach. Not a big deal, but I will probably remove a link to keep the rear axle in the middle of the adjustment range. The added torque down low changes the personality of the Sur Ron more to my personal taste. Exiting a corner and the ability to climb steep hills has always been good, but now it's great!
Tonight I wanted to see just how much the 60t sprocket reduced my top speed. (like I need ANY excuse to ride Christy!) Luna states that it will max out the top end at 28MPH. Another user stated he obtained a top speed of 32 MPH. Tonight I got 36 MPH measured via a GPS app on flat ground. The hill climbing with the larger sprocket is incredible especially for a bike this small and this light. For what I use my bike for anything over 30 MPH is plenty. My top track speed on my RC51 was 168 MPH so if I want top end I'll ride that bike! LOL
I'm not sure what the angle degree it is to get up to this spot, but it's easily over 30 degrees. No question if the Sur Ron would climb this hill, not even a slight hesitation. Remarkable.
I am pleased with the modifications I've done to my Sur Ron. I added a First Aid kit to the front. Why? If you've never crashed while riding alone in a remote area then you have no experience in being injured and alone. Enough said. I continue to be impressed with the Sur Ron and plan to mount the 60t rear sprocket I purchased from Luna next week. Don't need top end, need more torque…. Stay tuned. The fenders work very well to keep mud from being flung onto the controller and the rear linkage and shock body. One definite improvement I'd like to see either Sur Ron or a third party make happen…a better seat! I tend to ride an average of 20-25 miles at a time and man my ass hurts! I'm not a big fella nor do I have a big ass, but the seat makes my ass hurt. Even when I wear bike shorts with padding! And if you think it's because I have a peddle kit, think again grasshopper! LOL
Original Post
Before…. (stock)
After….(my mods to make her my own)
I realize this is my photography site. But I like to post things I'm passionate about and two wheeled vehicles DEFINITELY fit in that category. They have occupied my thoughts and activities my entire life. So for you photographers looking for my latest assessment of a strobe, modifier or something similar, keep moving along. And for the two wheel crowd who are visiting and wondering WTF is a photographer doing posting about the Sur Ron Light Bee on this site? Life isn't about just one thing is it? And like my photography posts this is all about Paying it Forward. The experiences I've had and the modifications I've made to "Christy" are to enhance my use of the Light Bee and may not apply to your needs/uses. But if some of what I've done helps others, so much the better.
Some Background
So before getting into my impressions of the build quality, performance and value of the Light Bee and Luna Cycle's customer service, I'm going to post a bit of my background. I've ridden two wheeled motorized vehicles almost all of my life. I've raced motocross, TT and long haul desert events. Saddleback Park (RIP), Barstow to Vegas twice, Carlsbad, and Indian Dunes were just a few of the places my dirt bike days covered. Roger De Coster, Brad Lackey, Charlie Bower were my dirt bike heroes. I owned a Yamaha DT125, a Penton 125, a Bultaco Pursang (250) and a Maico 250 with leading link front forks. On road courses I campaigned a Honda RC51 1000cc vtwin. I belonged to Keigwins at the Track and was one of their original instructors. Laguna Seca, Buttonwillow, Thunderhill and Sears Point were our venues for both track days and training racetrack tactics.
As I aged I finally surmised I'd never contend in World Superbike and felt that my reaction times had gotten to the point where I may endanger my fellow racers so I stopped racing. Chasing a mid-level AMA racer and crashing in turn three at Laguna and then a helicopter ride to the Enloe Trauma Center in Chico after crashing at Thunderhill Raceway convinced me. I still did track time for a year and a half after that chopper ride though…..
And street riding, well I loved it in the early days, but after 28,000 miles of track riding/racing it just no longer appealed to me. So I got into mountain biking because I missed the 'offroad life' and bought a Specialized Hard Tail with Rock Shock forks. It was sure fun, but I missed the tinkering and fabricating a 'real' motorized two wheeled ride offered me. So I began looking into eMTBs and bought a Haibike Fullnine RC in 2016 from Motostrano in Redwood City. I've written a post about my experience with "Sofia" in another post on this site. You can read that here.
I wanted a 'bit more' in terms of speed and power so I started researching other ebikes. Not necessarily legal either…. I found two possible bikes, one made right here in San Francisco called The Bolt (which has now changed to Monday Motorbikes and they have moved to SoCal). At the time it was not really available for sale. I'm not sure if it is now since their website is not very clear about sales only preorders. And I could find very little non marketing material by real users of the bike. Plus the bike is really designed for street riding. And if I'm going to do that I would just use my now street legal RC51. But again, I'm not keen on street riding anymore. ESPECIALLY with all of the fuck heads who think texting is OK because they can multi task. Bullshit. Let's play slap face texting. You text on your fucking phone while I slap your face and let's see just how quick you can react to block my hand. Enough said.
The other bike that was VERY intriguing to me is the Neematic. A trellis frame, 50MPH top end and 'seems' well built. But at 8500 Euros and still vaporware I didn't have much hope for the bike actually being produced in quantities that would actually hit US shores. And as of this blog post (June 2018) I still cannot determine if it's being produced. And no actual user reviews of the unit…..bad. Not really much new marketing materials either…..suspicious.
I cannot recall how I happened upon the Sur Ron Firefly as it was called when I first happened upon it. But I sure as hell am glad I did!
The Meat and Potatoes
OK so like you I searched a LOT on Google about the Sur Ron. Lots of video reviews were done and the ones I especially appreciated are from Homes Hobbies on YouTube. John (ahem he must get a LOT of shit about his name…LOL!) has such informative and useful information I highly respect his channel. The other resource I found helpful is by Sur-RonUSA and I've followed several of his recommendations on my own bike. I also researched Luna Cycle and had originally planned on flying down to LAX to visit their location. I grew up not far from LAX (Crenshaw) and know right where El Segundo is, but after reading TONS of information about the Sur Ron I opted to nix that idea. Why? Because reviews from actual users about both Luna and the Sur Ron convinced me to just pull the trigger. Eric and his crew at Luna seem like no nonsense, no bullshit fellas, the kind I like. As a matter of fact Eric reminds me of Paul Buff, a guy who doesn't give a good hot shit about what established makers think of what he's doing. He seem to only care about innovation and quality, much like Paul (may he rest in peace). And like Paul he has built his own company albeit a bit smaller and younger than PCB.
I can tell that Luna is a young and growing firm, having the same growing pains all young companies experience. But what instilled trust in me parting with 3500.00 USD plus tax and shipping was the level of response I received from his crew. And the other web posts that talked about his other products, those developed well before he became the sole US distributor for the Sur Ron. His video on the teardown of a Sur Ron was the final selling point. Having wrenched on Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki motorcycles has shown me how brands stand above and beyond each other. Small things like bosses welded into frame points rather than loose connectors are the small things that show build quality. The video and the fella's comments illustrated that. And when I received my own Sur Ron I confirmed the quality of the build. It's a Honda level quality build and that's saying a fucking ton.
Shortly after I made my purchase I noticed that Luna had discounted the pre orders by 200.00. I wrote to them to ask if I could get that price. They responded immediately that my account was credited 250.00 for any future purchases. Again, excellent customer service, well done and timely.
Luna shipped my bike via FedEx Freight which is different than the way I normally received FedEx packages. I was told from Luna that the driver would contact me via phone to confirm a date/time when my bike would be delivered. As I waited for the day my bike showed it was to be delivered, I received no call. And their website never showed "Out for Delivery." So I called FedEx and was transferred from the number I normally call to their Freight division. I was pissed when I was told that the bike which showed it was to be delivered on a Friday would not be delivered until the following Wednesday. As a young man I had the patience of a teenage male's stiff dick and as a more elderly person now I have a little more patience….of a 28 year old hard on! LOL!!! Just be aware that when you get notification from Luna that FedEx has picked up your bike, CALL FedEx Freight. Their number is 866-393-4585, don't call their normal package delivery number. Don't just trust their website, call!
My Sur Ron was well packaged and included the installed Pedal Kit which I had ordered. As a matter of fact had Luna not offered the pedal kit I would not have purchased the unit. In reality the pedals don't really do much to propel the bike forward. And of all the elements on the bike the rotating spline on the pedal kit is the weakest link. It is not well machine and has a significant amount of play while rotating. Why get the pedal kit at all? I'm not going to answer that for you, but it should be obvious why you'd want them…..enough said.
One of the YouTube videos I watched shows the guy cutting the shipping straps, but I found that they make handy tie downs so instead of cutting you may want to just untie the ends and release the buckles.
I suggest that you immediately remove the battery and begin the charging process. My Sur Ron arrived with an 83% charge in the battery.
I believe this is v2 of the charger. In Homes Hobbies video he mentions that Sur Ron had revised the charger from the one he received which I don't believe had the fins or fan. This charger remains dead cold as it charges, as does the battery.
The Pedal Kit includes the pegs too, so not to worry. A simple tool kit is included which takes care of mounting the front wheel.
Luna's Mountain bike pedals are nice large flat and studded pedals. One of the issues I found is on the left side of the pedal kit the threads are not reverse threaded meaning counter clockwise tightening. Since the pedals rotate counterclockwise on that side it can loosen the 14mm nut. I found that putting Blue Locktite thread locker on the nut/bolt thread helps prevent this. Also the two hex head bolts on the right side of the pedal kit must be tightened to get any friction on the pedals. Mine shipped loosely fastened.
The user guide refers to a 'fuse box' located in front of the 'air switch' and an extra fuse. I could not locate a fuse box or an extra fuse. I believe the air switch is a breaker switch, much like you have in a modern house.
In this shot the breaker switch is the red switch just below the ignition/USB plug. I'm not sure what the white connector is with the black electrical tape's function is for the Sur Ron.
The suspension is damn impressive. Compression and rebound on both front and rear. I converted my RC51 to full Ohlins forks and shock just to get those features!
Compression for the front really works. Just adjust a click at a time.
Rebound on the same fork leg as the compression adjustments dial is located at the bottom of the right fork.
Rear shock's compression damping is on the top of the remote reservoir. Rebound is located on the bottom. I've adjusted the spring preload. It comes fully extended, so adjust to your weight/riding preference.
During my first rides I had an issue where my Sur Ron would either cut off engine response to the throttle or not respond at all to the throttle when leaving my garage. The level of battery power varied anywhere between 100% to 70%. The lights and the display stayed on, just the response to power died. After writing to Luna it was suggested that it 'may' be the brake safety sensors. After contacting John Homes at Homes Hobbies he instructed me how to remove the brake cut off sensors. I removed the threaded collars that are just below the brake lines on each of the hand levers. I noticed that on the front brake (right) the very small set screw was backed very far out. I'm assuming that may have caused my no throttle issue. I have no idea how those sensors work, as they don't seem to be pressure sensitive, but rather magnetic. In any event after removing the brake sensors I have not had any issues with the throttle not responding.
I replaced the sleeve bolts and filled them with Instamorph (BEST shit EVER!!!) to ensure moisture doesn't get into the master cylinder levers.
These are the brake sensors in the levers. I could not locate any moving parts which may indicate they are magnetic sensors.
I found that both the rear and front brake lines were about 5 inches too long. So I shortened them to what I feel is the proper length so they don't catch on brush or branches. Like mountain bike hydraulic disc brakes the Sur Ron uses Mineral Oil for hydraulic fluid. I have tons of that from changing my ebike brakes. Just use a sharp pair of cutters to cut the lines and buy some brake Olive and connector pieces. Bleed the brakes and you're all set!
Removing the brake sensors and trimming the brake lines made Christy's front end very tidy!
I also took the advice from one of the site's I've listed to increase the height of the stem by simply reversing it upside-down. Doing so adds about an inch of reach at no cost. Very slick! The Quad Lock bracket simply holds my cell phone when I ride.
I like riding in the rain and the resulting mud. OK so I never outgrew the toddler phase of my life, so what?! LOL. But after racing off-road I know firsthand the toll packed mud can take on suspension or cooling fins. It's never pretty. So I've installed a fender on the front of Christy and am installing a rear off-road shock guard to keep mud off of the shock body, linkage and spring.
Front Fender by Mud Hugger. Rear is fabricated by me. I simply took a 5.5 inch piece of 90 degree aluminum and cut/bolted it to the existing bosses on Christy's swing arm. Just buy an addition 5mm x 12mm long bolt for the right side boss which is empty. I attached a Honda mud flap to finish the job.
I will be riding solitary most of the time. I don't know others who own bikes like this so I feel it's important to carry some basic tools with me along with a first aid kit. I use to tell students at the track, "Hey I know it's fucking hot today. It's fine to not wear your back protector. Just wear it when you know you're going to crash!" The Sur Ron uses fasteners that are basically mountain bike nuts and bolts so I've lashed a multi tool pouch with a MTB multi tool to the right side seat frame.
And I plan to go on extended rides, sometimes at night. So I want to carry snacks or extra layers of clothing. So I simply bought an off road tank bag by Wolfman. It's perfect for my needs and stays damn secure on Christy's 'tank.' And yes that's a water bottle on the right side of the frame. I hate wearing a backpack so I installed some removable boss fittings onto the frame to attach a water bottle cage. Does it stay secure? Yes it does!
What Luna and Sur Ron have here is what I consider to be an absolute winner. The build quality of the bike is incredible. I have no idea how either of those companies make a profit off of these bikes. The margins must be very slim. The fun factor is incredible and I'm sure there will be loads of performance upgrades.
In terms of performance upgrades I'm a real bitch about tire pressure, brake performance and suspension over horsepower. I had read somewhere that a user was going to change the stock Sur Ron brakes to Magura MT5s. I installed those on my eMTB, but I find the stock Sur Ron's are great and don't plan on any brake conversion. Great feel and modulation on the stock units.
Sure like anyone else I like 'more power' but after racing I KNOW that it's what you can USE and for me races are won or lost entering and exiting turns. Late braking and getting on the pipe coming out of the corner is where it's at. Additional horsepower is great, but at the expense of greatly reduced battery range would be an issue for me. I'll keep Christy for what I think are for the rest of my days. And after that my daughter wants Christy! She's pissed that I let her ride it on Father's Day. Now she's figuring out how to budget her funds to get her own…..or when her old man will die and leave her the bike and all of my damn tools!
My son had the opportunity to ride the Sur Ron and he loved it. Since he wants to get a street bike I discovered just how valuable this bike is for a new rider. Learning on dirt (the way I did) is MUCH better than on the street with a heavy bike. Teaching him throttle control, body position, sliding, hard braking, etc. on this thing is brilliant! The feel and the mechanics of bike riding are much better done on the dirt too. So cool!
I had purchased a Thule Easy Fold bike rack prior to purchasing my Sur Ron for the two ebikes we own. Both are Haibikes one a Full Nine and the other a Trekking. So I wanted to find out if I could use the Easy Fold to transport the Sur Ron and guess what? It can which means I don't need to have or rent a truck to take it to off road parks or trails! SCORE!
UPDATE August 11 2018
I wasn't always a commercial photographer. Prior to this wonderful life I was a 'suit' a corporate guy in several different industries. Energy, broking, retail, software and entertainment were the majority of my career areas. Yes unlike most I switched industries rather than just positions because I became bored…LOL. But what was common to all of those industries for me was the marketing and PR portions. Every company from the Fortune 100 one I worked for to the smaller ones spent loads of funds on marketing. My positions included being a loading dock forklift driver to the COO of a Fortune 100 company.
So I'm always suspicious of marketing hype. I know firsthand its purpose, to bring in more revenue through increased sales or new customers; or both! So when I read that Eric from Luna Cycle was touting taking care of early adopters who would buy the Sur Ron, I thought to myself "OK another marketing ploy, but good for him."
I was happily proved so WRONG about Eric's early adopter promise. He recently released a limited supply of X Controllers for the Sur Ron which was reviewed by Matt Richards. The controller offers many benefits like regenerative braking and charging, increased performance, etc. I respect Matt much like I respect John Holmes (no not THAT one!) and Jackson who have all produced Sur Ron videos. I've stated elsewhere on this blog that Jackson's video of the teardown of the Sur Ron is what pushed me over the edge to get out my credit card and buy a Sur Ron.
Most people who follow my photography blog know that I am an early adopter for lighting gear. NEVER has a company such as Godox supported us early adopters like Eric. All of my lighting gear is produced by Godox and I switched from a US based company I was loyal to for years. As a matter of fact, early adopters are seldom rewarded like Luna Cycle has done:
"Luna will also be announcing some exciting new upgrades which will only be available to people who buys their from us." TRUE
"Luna customers who bought their Sur-Ron from us can trade in their old controllers for a $220 store credit. After you receive your new sine wave controller simply send your old one back to us and you will receive the credit." TRUE
What I have experienced with Luna Cycle is that Eric is TRULY supporting the EV segment of this community. Not just with cute marketing slogans and bullshit, but with action. Sure like any new and growing company, especially in an emerging industry there are the same issues all growing companies experience. Supply chain issues, CS issues, employee issues, etc. I'm irritated by what I view as 'entitlement attitudes' by some, meaning trying to take a remarkable offer like an actual cash credit for turning in an old controller into 'hey just take that 220.00 off of the 490.00 price right now' kind of bullshit. How in the world does anyone expect any company to make a profit off of an already discounted product? Oh perhaps they've never owned their own business or been responsible for a company P&L, yeah that must be it. I hear the same shit from photographers when a company makes an incredible advancement in a product. "Oh I'd buy it if you had just made it microwave my gluten free food and also built a washing machine into the strobe that it would do and fold my laundry like my mommy. And have the whole thing weigh less than a pound. I don't see why you couldn't do that!"
My bottom line; I will continue to support Luna for as long as I see their business practices and incredible foresight into products elevate the EV industry. And support the honor in which they treat their customers. Why? Because I have never seen or experienced their type of 'Marketing.' Amen
Original Post
I try to complete a personal project twice a year to stay sharp and exercise my creativity. I say 'try' because often my plans don't happen due to client work. And as a small business if I don't work, well I don't eat so some year's personal photo projects take a back seat to food. In the past I've focused on dance, as you can view on my Conceptual photo page. Tango and ballet have been my focus simply because I love the athleticism and art of dance. I have two long term projects which are currently in their fourth year; "Our Perceptions, Ourselves" and "A Book by Its Cover" which are yet to be released.
In each of these cases I have known the individuals well prior to the shoot, have interacted with them on a regular basis and have befriended each of them. And the photographic elements created illustrate beauty in what I classify as its common form. But for this particular project I wanted to step outside of my own comfort zone and focus the project on people I don't really know at all. And to capture beauty in a way that some may view as 'nontraditional' yet I view as gorgeous in a very different way. Two elements from which I will never vary for personal projects are; my love of visual storytelling and my passion for the subject matter.
Yet unlike my previous projects where I have a passion for the subject matter the talent performs (dance), in this case the subject matter is something I've done, riding/racing motorized two wheel vehicles. A huge difference….no one should ever see me dance!
I was drawn to Luna Cycle because I was intrigued with a product they import called the Sur Ron Light Bee which is an electric dirt bike manufactured in China. Luna is the exclusive USA distributor for the Sur Ron. I ended up buying one primarily due to Jackson's video review of the Sur Ron's build quality on Luna's site. I then began to roam through Eric's site to see more about the company and his products. I became intrigued about Luna Cycle more than the Sur Ron.
I've had the privilege to get to know some of the people who I view as geniuses in their fields; Paul C Buff of PCB and Steve Jobs when he worked for NeXT after being canned from Apple. What struck me about Eric from his YouTube videos is he seemed to possess the same drive, passion and determination of those men. And just like those two, he seemed to be a bit odd, out of the norm, the kind of mind and personality it takes to move an industry out from what has always been accepted as what's 'right.'
So I wrote an email to Eric giving him my pitch for an editorial photo shoot on the dates I had available and waited…nada. So the day before the final first day of my availability I wrote to him once again. I stated that since I had not heard back from him and airline fares are terrible booking the day before I was not going to make the trip and proposed that we could do it another time if he was interested.
In a very short time thereafter he wrote back to me and apologized for not responding sooner. He offered to cover my flight and lodging costs if I could still make it down to his El Segundo location for the shoot. So I booked my flights for the very next day and off I went on this adventure.
Upon arriving at the Luna Cycle location I recognized the area based on the YouTube videos where the staff and Eric demonstrate the speed of the Sur Ron against other much larger gas bikes. I rang the Nest Video Doorbell and waited….nothing. Yet as soon as I started to walk away I heard the door open and there was Eric. Just as he looks on video, crazy hair, intense eyes and those famous pajama pants, the kind my own kids harangue me about if I leave the house wearing them. After explaining that I really had to pee (I was actually going to search for a place around the outside of his building where I could piss) he offered me a cup of coffee from his way above my pay grade expresso machine. And that's where the fun started….
As I began to look around the one of two warehouse/factories he operates I was simply blown away at the scale of the building in which we were standing. I really had no concept of what it takes to build or assemble ebikes so it was all new to me. In the middle of what I will call his ebike building is a large sectional couch which Ashley (his business and life partner) told me is where 'Eric and I hang out' along with a product photo 'studio' where an ebike was placed among some constant lights and a backdrop screen Eric built.
Eric explained to me that his first career was as a chess teacher and that he himself is a Chess Master. He went over his philosophy that 'talent' is not what he considers to be the key element in creating exceptional people, but rather hard work separates the wheat from the chaff. I agree with his theory since I've known a ton of 'talented' people who, because of a lack of effort let their skills go to waste. It was then I realized that just like my experience talking with Paul or Steve, Eric is EASILY distracted. Think "SQUIRREL!" and you'll get the picture. Although I don't classify him in the same category as these men, my friend David who is the Principal Horn for the Berlin Philharmonic is also easily distracted. We just call David Squirrel! LOL. I just think it's the nature of the beast for people of this caliber, or so it seems to me. One of the staff members came over to ask Eric a question and I took that opportunity to fade away to meet other members of his team.
The first man I spoke with was Kyle, another person I recognized from the Luna YouTube videos. I was struck by how tall he is, well over six feet. I say this because as I saw both he and Jackson (who I met later but only briefly) sitting on the Sur Rons and it didn't appear as tiny as it actually is in real life….odd. He's responsible for quite a bit of the ebike assembly and testing of the Luna Cycle line. Prior to working at Luna he worked for Specialized and some other bike makers in the Bay Area. One hell of a nice guy who's also very intelligent, he was a joy to speak with and get to know.
Then there is the logistics area where bikes/parts are prepared for shipment. It was one of my favorite places to shoot while I was there. I was so happy to use my SaberStrip v2.0 for these shots. If it weren't for that modifier combined with the AD200 it would have been a real bitch to light!
Venturing across the parking lot to Luna's other building felt I was going into a whole different world. This is where the actual manufacturing of the batteries and other hardware is conducted. The piece of equipment I was completely enchanted by is their laser cutter. It is massive and occupied a room just by itself and rightfully so. While I was there Eric and his team were cutting ½ inch stainless steel as if it were warm butter cut by a hot knife. This is where I had the opportunity to roam around and find little gems of discarded or in process parts I lit with the AD200 with the Fresnel head attached. And for me this is where the true beauty of a factory lives. "Seeing" through light is wonderful. Even more so that it is in and around epic light….a laser!
The battery room
One of the interesting parts of this trip was discovering that Eric and Ashley share a very similar life path as I do with my partner Tracy. We both work in the very same industry, work together and live together. I don't know many other (none actually) couples who can share time 24/7 without a homicide occuring! Oh sure just like me and T, Eric and Ash have 'their moments.' It just would not be natural to not, now would it? I consider them the Ying to my Yang. An older white guy with a young Asian gal versus and older Asian guy with a young white gal! Hahahahahaha!!!!!
And finally it would not be a Mark project without portraits.
What I discovered during this project is Eric has created a segment in the ebike market that has the potential to turn the market upside-down. Because of Eric's innovation and ability to execute ideas into actionable forward thinking products he may become the leader in the market. I simply say 'may' because there are many other factors which come into play, as Steve or Paul can attest. Unlike Apple and their widely accepted consumer products, the ebike market is not a segment every person will want to join, it is a more specific market like Paul's lighting segment. But just as Steve created the iPhone and Paul the monolight, Eric has the capability to create a never before seen 'thing' in the ebike market that we could not imagine, but afterward cannot imagine living without. Sounds familiar eh?
But in my mind the raw elements are there, an innovative mind, irreverence for the 'norm' and a work ethic like most can only imagine. I wish Luna the best and feel lucky to have been given a glimpse into his world.
I have noticed that so many of the reviews/recommendations are from companies who sell the unit and because of that I'm always cautious of their views. There is one site I found well done that is NOT a company, but a user. His review can be found here. Accessories for almost all medical devices are expensive, or more expensive than I feel they need to be so I opted to find products that fit the AirMini as good or better than ResMed's own products. And that's what I want to share here.
ResMed offers two different cases for the AirMini. One is the $29.99 ResMed AirMini CPAP Machine Travel Bag that just holds the AirMini CPAP device. The other is the $61.00 ResMed AirMini Travel Bag which holds all of the needed AirMini items, the CPAP, the hose, the mask, the power brick, etc.
First off although I'm sure both of those cases are of good quality I felt that they were way overpriced for protective carrying cases. Plus the $61.00 carry all travel bag does not have a strap to hold the bag onto my rolling luggage handle. Perhaps it does, but I could not see it in any of the photos. So here is what I found that performs great for less money:
$17.99 MIER Insulated Lunch Box Bag Expandable Lunch Pack
Yep a lunch bag and expandable to boot!
$14.99 DEEPLITE Hardshell Carrying Case for DJI Mavic Pro Drone
I fly a drone for my work and it comes with two cases. The smaller top case meant for the Mavic Pro's controller fits the AirMini unit perfectly.
$10.95 Tupperware Black Smidget Set of 5 with clear seals
I use one of the HumidX disks for only a week and then they go to waste since ResMed recommends that they only be used for 30 days after opening the airtight package. So I store them in the Tupperware containers after letting them dry out for one day after I return home. I also put the disk through my SoClean machine to allow ozone to disinfect the disk. I believe this will prolong their life and not having to throw them out after only a week's worth of usage. I do replace them after 30 days of use, just not 30 days after I've opened the package. I wrote to ResMed to ask them the reason why the disks have a 30 day life, but never heard back. I will mention that when I took the AirMini camping the night temperature was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and quite a bit of moisture accumulated in my hose. Just FYI.
Shacke Medical Equipment Luggage Tag for Respiratory Devices (Black / Vertical)
Pretty self-explanatory, I just want it clear to the TSA and airline staff that it's medical equipment and doesn't count as a carry on item.
As of this writing ResMed has yet to produce a battery for the AirMini. I have used two different ones when I was camping. The first is a battery pack I used for portable flash strobes, the PCB Vagabond Mini. It has two 110 pure sine wave outlets and one USB female outlet. Fully charged the unit lasted two full nights before needing to be charged.
The second unit I used was a Romeo Power Saber. It contains a universal AC 110v outlet, two USB outlets and one USB-C outlet. I purchased this for my airline laptop/cell phone use. It lasts 10 hours using the AirMini and only takes 2 hours to fully charge from dead.
I'd recommend either of these units it just depends on the size/recharge time configuration you need at the time. Longer time? Vagabond Mini. Smaller footprint/faster recharging time? Romeo Saber.
I hope this post gives you more options for cases and portable power for your ResMed AirMini. If so I'm happy!
Shooting as a pro means there are times when you have to prove yourself once again with an established client. Not doing a great job either in the finished product or through your service simply means you're not used again. One of my long standing clients, Village Theatre recently changed Artistic Directors. Jerry Dixon, their new AD planned to attend two of the three on location publicity shoots all to be held in different cities in greater Seattle area. The first session for the play Curious Incidents is also the play he is directing. No pressure eh? LOL
The second aspect of this day that is always a bit concerning was that I NEVER SAW ANY OF THE VENUES IN ADVANCE of the day! Sure the Marketing Director sent me some camera phone photos and links to the MOPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) areas where she wanted to shoot, but I had never been there. Nor had I been to Spangler Book Exchange/Reread Books, the quaint bookstore where we were to shoot the Matilda publicity or the alley in Everett where I'd shoot the Howard Barnes publicity. Add to that the additional element of time. For each venue we were limited in time based on either the schedule of some of the talent or due to the venue's prior commitments.
The only element I ever insist on from clients is to answer; "What is the mood you want from each session?" Why? Well because the expression of the talent(s) and the LIGHT is something I have to plan for BEFORE I hit the job….which leads me to….
The Marketing Director kept asking me "Mark, I need to know your power requirements for each venue so I can work with each of the operations managers to plan power for your gear." Since I exclusively use Flashpoint strobes, guess what….they need no outside power!!! SCORE! I hauled seven, yes seven strobes from SF to SEA in a small Pelican case. 49.5 pounds…just UNDER the 50 lbs. limit! Three Xplor600s, one 600Pro and three Evolv200s! I split the four 600 batteries between me and my partner's carry on camera bags instead of inside checked luggage to save weight (btw I always put gaff tape over the contacts of the batteries just in case…). All of the stands were rented in Seattle and for the smoke I advance shipped smoke grenades to the Marketing Director. It takes planning folks….LOL
For modifiers I took three v2 Saberstrips which use Evolv200s with their Fresnel heads. I cannot speak highly enough about both the Evolvs and the new Saberstrips. Together they create what I view as a revolutionary combination in camera lighting. Yeah they're that good. I knew that both the MOPOP and the bookstore sessions would be VERY CRAMPED in terms of space. Using "traditional" modifiers or strobes would be a total pain in the ass. Sure it could be done, but would easily have been a 10/10 on my cussing scale. I knew I wanted a softer light for both the MOPOP and bookstore feeling, but a hard light in the alley. So I took three Fresnel modifiers for that session. All of my modifiers fit into my SKB hard sided golf case which I use to transport my light modifiers when traveling out of town.
So here's how it all worked: (All of the BTS images are by my partner Tracy Martin)
Session 1, Curious Incident shoot at MOPOP
Session 2 for Matilda at ReRead Bookstore
A few of the Final Images
Session 3 for Howard Barnes in an alley in Everett WA
A few of the Final Images
I was so shocked to see an article written by James Spangler the owner of ReRead Books where we shot the Matilda publicity! All if not most photographers know that getting feedback is rare so this was both a nice and humbling surprise. My whole point on this post is to highlight the incredible leap in technology and innovation in the field of photographic lighting. Sure all of us can figure out how to do something even if it's tough. But to have others who are helping to ease the stress of creating beautiful light is wonderful!
Update August 1 2018
I recently used the v2 Saberstrips in on location sessions in Seattle. Man I could not have done it without them! You can read about it here.
I have also completed a publicity shoot using two Saberstrips for a West Side Story publicity image as shown below.
Original Post
Like most other folks and way before I began shooting as a full time pro, I had a day job. It was during this time I discovered a very unique light modifier called the SaberStrip. What was so intriguing to me is its shape and the quality of light it produces. I was a bit suspicious when I first received my Strip because it seemed like 'just a high quality shipping tube' with some rip stop nylon as the modifier's cover. Also this was back in the day when I was almost exclusively using speed lights, but had two PCB Einsteins for my 'studio work.' And this was well before the advent of built in radio receivers in speed lights, so I had to use a pigtail cable connected to my speed light inside the tube to attach it to the Phottix Transmission receiver I was using at the time. A bit of a hassle, but it was the only thing that existed at the time, which was 'high tech' for that era.
Although I loved the quality of light it produced, for me the power or rather lack of power of the speed light relegated the Strip to my closet. I tried to fabricate my own 'Strip' for my Einsteins, but found out it was not as easy as I thought. So I basically gave up and moved on to other things.
In 2013 I decided to create a series of images about the hands of artists which included both performing as well as creating artists. Since I wanted to shoot the talent in their natural environments I found that all of my 'normal' modifiers would not work well due to space. In some cases I had literally 10 inches or less to place a light and modifier to light the talent! So as I was rummaging through my gear closet I happened upon my Strip that I had doomed to its lonely existence in the back of my modifier closet. Eureka! That's the perfect tool for this job and since most of the venues I was shooting in were very small I would not need a ton of light power so my speed light would do just fine.
By happenstance the Director of the Peninsula Museum of Art saw one of my images and asked to see the rest. She then asked if I'd consider having a solo exhibit at the museum the following year. I politely told her no and when she inquired as to the reason for my decision I simply replied "I don't think my work is good enough for a museum and I think it would be very narcissist to do that." She simply smiled and said OK. Later one of the artist I know mentioned that he had heard I was offered a solo museum exhibit but turned it down. Werner asked me if I ever go to museum exhibits to which I responded "Why yes, I love going, why?" His response was typical Werner, direct and to the point; "Well quit being so fucking selfish and let others enjoy and be inspired by what you've created Mark!" I'm seldom if ever at a loss for words but I had nothing to say. So I contacted the Director and agreed to display my work which I titled "29 Hands, 15 Artists." With the exception of one of the images, all were lit with my Strip and a speed light.
Fast forward to today, 2018 and I was made aware of SaberStrip's v2.0 version of the Strip which accepts an eVOLV200! In March 2018 I was shipped two advanced copies of the modifiers to test to see if I could offer any feedback. Here's what I've found so far:
The 200 is inserted into the bottom of the modifier through what I call the "Tractor Tire" the designer fabricated it to attach the 200. I believe his design is to offer strength to the mount. I simply like to think he liked Tonka Trucks as a kid! The knurled knob on the left in this photo is the turning knob that screws the 200 in place. The other nice design feature is you can eject the battery of the 200 without removing it from the modifier, a very thoughtful design element.
Sorry for the shitty camera phone blurry image. The red thing you see at the top of this shot indicates that the screw is NOT attached to the 200 which is a very nice feature. One of the things that I found to be a design issue, it's very easy to over tighten the screw. There's no need to do so because it makes it VERY difficult to unscrew the unit from the mount. I learned the hard way and had to use a screwdriver and hammer to loosen the screw.
It's also not possible to let the eVOLV slide down into the tube because there are ribs on the interior which keeps the strobe from sliding too far into the unit. I believe he may have other plan since those interior ribs seem to be reinforcements for four exterior metal nipples. Barn door or grid accessories for the future? Perhaps.
I painted a directional arrow on the housing to indicate which direction to loosen the mounting screw.
What the interior looks like in the v2.0 Strip. You can see the reinforcing supports which prevent the eVOLV from sliding too far into the tube.
Although most people will not have to do this, I ground down the mounting peg that is cast into the housing. This allows me to easily insert the peg into female mounts I use to place the modifier in either a vertical or horizontal position. Although the v2.0 Strip works extremely well in stands which offer the mounting peg to be in a vertical or horizontal position, not all light stands offer that option. When I travel to other cities I often have to rent stands and not all rental houses have adjustable spigot locations on their stands.
This is why I needed to shave down the diameter of the molded peg. It would not fit as cast. I find these female spigots invaluable in my gear bag.
I plan to use these to mimic a 'ring light' because I can now leave the modifier and strobe very close to the talent and back away to shoot with a long lens. Not possible with traditional ring lights. Also since the eVOLVS have modeling lights in the Fresnel head I now have a modeling light in this configuration. Sure, not brightest modeling light, but way better than none.
Canon 1DXII EF135 lens ISO 100 both AD200s set at 1/8 power. 1/5000th f2.0
In those instances where I want to place the v2.0 Strip close to the ground I will simply use a Godox S bracket as a base. This configuration will be perfect for dance shoots as fill lights or anytime you wish to place the units very low onto a flat surface.
|SaberStrip v1.0
|SaberStrip v2.0
|w/2 eVOLVS and SS
|Flashpoint Zoom R2
|Flash weight
|17 oz
|31 oz
|Power level
|Distance to Sekonic
|5 feet
|5 feet
|Shutter Speed
|Time to Recycle
|6.8 sec
|1.57 sec
|Length of fabric
|Width of fabric
|Length of modifier
|Diameter of modifier
|Saberstrip Weight
|19 oz
|27 oz
For me the most significant stats are the recycle time and power. It's the very reason I stopped using my original speed light Strip, it just lacked power. And in my work a one second delay feels like 12 years. Human expressions change in a nanosecond and invariably it's the money shot I wanted, but missed because the strobe was recycling. Two full stops and five seconds faster in recycle time makes this modifier an incredible tool.
The 'tube' freely rotates around the mount so it can easily and conveniently turn the fabric to any position needed. There's also a very small 1/4 inch 20 screw hole in the 'tractor tire' housing. I'm not sure why the guy put one there but it's damn convenient. I plan to place a female mounting stud in there so I can either mount the Strip with the built in male stud or a female one. It should be noted that if you place a long ¼ 20 screw into that hole it will stop the free rotation of the tube. So IF you are the anal type and want to lock down the tube's rotation you can do that with this screw hole.
This coming weekend I have three personal project shoots and I plan to test the light quality and applications in those sessions. I'm not sure how many times the Strip v2.0 will be my key light, but now that the recycle times and the power available through this meets my needs I'm sure it will always be in my bag.
Having a stand, a strobe and a modifier all in one easy to transport package is great for run and gun shooting, especially outside in moderate to high wind. My preferred stand for these is the Neewer Light Stand, 114 inches/290 centimeters Stainless Steel Heavy Duty with 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch Universal Adapter. It has a removable spigot that can be configured for either a vertical or horizontal female mount which is perfect for the new Strips. They are well made, strong and inexpensive.
The number of ways to mount the Strip seems endless. My current favorite grip mount for the Strip is the Matthews Mini Grip Head. I modified it by drilling out one of the holes to 9/16th of an inch which fits the Strip's 5/8th inch stud.
What I like:
- High quality Construction
- Built in male mounting stud
- Ability to rotate the modifier around two axis
- Accepts the Evolv200
- Well balanced, having the strobe at the mounting end of the modifier
- Very wind resistant
- Will fit into very tight spaces
- Male stud needs to be the 5/8th inch size standard of all spigots
- Wheel that attaches the strobe needs to have directional arrows.
- Wheel needs to prevent over tightening
During the weekend of April 21st 2018 I had my first opportunity to use the v2 Sabers in studio. I wanted to determine if paring them in a horizontal way would give me the ring light type of affect. I've always loved the look of a ring light shot, but have been frustrated that the distance of the light to the talent is limited by the focal length of my lens. Using my ring light further away to compress the talent's face meant that the light is also further away, causing a harsher look. But using two Strips horizontal to the ground with the ability to adjust the distance between them allows me to leave the light source close to the talent, yet move further back to use a longer focal length. Having my cake and eating it too is wonderful!
The images below show how this worked on Jessica and I'm very happy with the results. Shot with a 135mm prime lens.
The flexibility of being able to angle the pitch of the Strips and distance between them is wonderful. More control than a ring light. As a fill/rim light I have not experienced a better modifier. Reflectors make great fill or rim light modifiers, but I have always preferred strobes for that task. It allows me finer control of my fill light.
By changing the angle of the top Strip in the image of Jess with her arm above her head I am able to cast a bit of a shadow on her eyes while filling in under her eyes to prevent shadows. That flexibility allows me to create nuance shadow/highlights with the Strips.
Here I am using the Strips as a fill and rim light. All of these images are three light shots. My 10" Fresnel is the key light, a gobo modifier is used on a light to create pattern on the background and the Strip is used as a fill/rim light.
The control of the Strip as a fill light is quite lovely and can be used as subtle or as bold as you wish. Here are two more images I created using two SS's in parallel as a 'ring light' but in my view with a much better result.
Oh and large groups in moderate to strong wind? I was recently at a client to cover the high school musical awards and prior to the event kids assemble outside. It's often a fun place to get group shots before the show. The issue is always crowded sidewalks and of course crazy high school kids. I shot this image with ONE SS and one eVOLV200 at HALF POWER.
I recently visited Luna Cycle in El Segundo to do some documentary photography of the staff. In the vast majority of cases the SS were used due to their flexibility and light quality. As in my 29 Hands Exhibit I was able to use the SS to light the talent in places where it would be almost impossible to fit a modifier in the space I had available and achieve a quality of light I wanted. Below is an example of one of the shots.
My apologies as I know you won't be able to 'unsee' the image that follows, but to date it illustrates the rim lighting capabilities of the Strip. During this session I was to shoot two Drag Queens. The fella on the left is 6-1 without heels and with his 4" heels it makes him 6-5! I used the Strip as a rim light and if you notice the illumination from head to toe it's quite remarkable. Could this be accomplished with a gridded light? Of course it could. But due to the very slim shape of the Strip it allowed me to get as close to the back drape as possible keeping spill to a minimum and certainly much less than a softbox without a grid.
Outdoors with the Strip is quite good. It is 'almost' impervious to wind, high wind. It is more wind resistant than my go to outdoor modifier, the PCB Omni. The disadvantage is since the Strip uses the AD200 it is a full stop less powerful than the AD600 I use with the Omni or my Aputure Fresnel head. But to circumvent that disadvantage I often use two Strips as a key light when outdoors. And in those instances where I want a very large light source I use three Strips configured in a Y shape. I find it's the equivalent to a 45" octa with 600ws of power. Ever use something that size out in moderate or high wind? And I use all three on a single stand.
My partner recently conducted a head shot session using two of the Strips. She used one as the key and the other as a rim light. It was very windy under the concrete bridge where she was shooting and the Strips barely wobbled. The light quality is excellent and easily replicated her preferred modifier, a Glow 36" Octa. But in that kind of wind, especially the gusts that occurred an octa would have been quite the handful. She does prefer the catch light of the octa, a personal preference to which many people may agree. I happen to feel that round catch lights are the default, yet in natural light a catch light is anything but round…..
As you can see the quality of light produced by the Strip is excellent. Two lights, both Strips. One as the key light the other as a rim light.
Is it the perfect modifier? Nope, but as of right now there is no perfect modifier. Just like there's not a perfect camera, lens or person. Is it the most versatile modifier I currently own or use? YES! For me the v2 Saber Strips are revolutionary and I have not even scratched the surface of how they can be used. Thank goodness for the AD200 lights and Scott's development to incorporate them into the Saber Strips! Scott has mentioned that the v2 versions which use the eVOLV200s will be available in late July 2018.
While visiting Luna Cycle I contacted Josh from FFH to see if I could pick up one of his lights while I was in the LA area. He was kind enough to drop it off with one of the Luna staff so I brought it home with me and installed it. Later tonight I will be testing the light quality and the pattern, but based on his videos I'm sure I'll be pleased.
These images are screen grabs from FFH's Facebook video which shows the difference between the stock Sur Ron light and the FFH at 3200 lumens.
Installing the light is straightforward with some caveats. First the plugs supplied with the light are NOT simply plug and play with the Sur Ron plug harness for the stock light. I ran some tests to determine which color wires go with the FFH and the Sur Ron:
- Blue to Red
- Brown to Black
Connecting the wires in this manner allowed me to use the stock Sur Ron plug located under the ignition switch. Simply cut both connectors off of the stock head light and the FFH and join the wires as I've outlined above. (They include two crimping connectors, but I chose to solder the connections and shrink wrap them. It's just my personal preference for all things electrical.) Then plug the stock connector into the wiring harness on the Sur Ron and you're all set. I'd like to see FFH supply the correct connector to the Sur Ron in future editions.
The light is held with two milled aluminum 31.8mm brackets which are mounted on the handlebars. They're well made, but I'd like to see the female receiver on the mount tapped into the bracket rather than using a lock nut. I have other mounts like this one and having one bolt rather than a bolt and a nut makes for a cleaner installation process. But the parts fit perfectly on the Sur Ron handlebars and I like the light being just a bit higher than stock. NOTE Josh let me know after reading this review that FFH had originally threaded the female side, but it could be cross threaded due to differing variations of 31.8mm bars, which would have the bolt enter at the wrong angle, hence their switch to a locking nut.
Unlike all of the other lights I own the FFH light uses what I call a 'step less' switch. Sure you have to press it to activate, but until you press the button, the light remains off. I much prefer this to the stock light which is always on; because there are times I don't want to be seen from the front with a light I cannot control. This is a 3200 lumen light at its brightest setting, much brighter than the stock headlight. The reason I call it step less is based on FFH's instructions:
"Your light has 5 separate modes which you activate using a single button. Select any mode by quickly tapping the desired number of times regardless of the current mode.
- Dim – 80 lm 1 tap
- Bright – 770 lm 2 rapid taps
- Super – 2900 lm 3 rapid taps
- Ultra – 3200 lm 4 rapid taps
- Flashing – 770 lm 5 rapid taps
- Turn off Hold the button down for 2 seconds
FFH Ultra light features and functions
Our ultimate high power LED light for those of you who want to see and be seen. We built the 12 volt Ultra specifically for use on the Sur Ron and it's capable of an ULTRA bright 3200 lumens.
Over the years of development we found that color spectrum was important. The Ultra 3200 uses 5000K CREE LED's to give riders the best depth perception and visibility.
To get this much light in a small 6oz. package creates some heat so the light protects itself from overheating. If the light is in Super or Ultra mode and there's not enough airflow it will automatically set itself to the Bright mode. Once there is enough airflow the light will go back to Super or Ultra."
As an example if I'm in the Bright mode and want to go to the Ultra mode I rapidly press the button four times, not two which would be like other lights. There is no click or tactile feedback to the button press, so just be aware of that.
The light pattern of the FFH is just my cup of tea. Just like in cameras marketing people brag about megapixel count and in light it's lumens. But so many lights I've used for my bikes have gigabillion lumen counts (marketing BS) but the pattern sucks because it's pinpoint. I want a light pattern that is wide AND long in distance and the FFH has that in spades. I am so pleased to hear that Josh has taken into account the color temperature of the light 5000k, which is very close to the 5800k photographers like, sunlight! And it's true the depth of field view is wonderful with his light. Bumps and irregularities are easily seen in the dark. The other element that pleases this photographer is one of the two lenses used in the FFH headlight is a Fresnel! I believe that is what he uses for the width portion of the light and the other lens is the more focused one for distance.
The following are my actual photos of the FFH at three different levels:
The light pattern is both wide and deep which is something I so appreciate in a trail light. I can see why Luna has the FFH listed on their site. It's a remarkable value at its current price point of 199.00 USD. I'm very happy to have purchased this light which is invaluable for night time trail riding. If you just want to be seen by traffic on the road, the stock Sur Ron head light is fine. But if you want a great headlight not just to been seen in traffic but to increase your trail night vision, buy the FFH. It's really that well-made and designed. If you do order one, make sure to specify that it's for a Sur Ron 12v bike.
Before I started to use lights of any kind I would proudly (and arrogantly) say to anyone who would listen, "I only shoot with natural light." I pontificated that only 'pure photography' was created in natural light. Truth was I didn't know shit about using anything other than available light. Sure I had used speed lights 'some' but as I look back on my images I thought were great back then, well…… they are pure shit in my view today!
So during a dinner conversation with a longtime friend who knew I liked taking photos asked, "Hey do you know who Greg Gorman is? My brother Seth works with him and you may want to talk to Seth about seeing if you can take one of Greg's classes." After picking my jaw up off of the ground I responded "WTF you mean THE Greg Gorman? The fucking guy who has shot about every fucking celebrity I can name? Your brother KNOWS him?"
So after contacting Seth he conveyed to me that later in the year he was teaching alongside Greg during one of his classes. So I signed up. The course was one full week in Albion, CA where Greg has a residence and a studio. I won't go into the whole thing, but suffice it to say that I owe quite a bit of my success as a photographer to what I learned from him about light during that week.
His whole objective was to teach us (four students) how to see and use light. And for the first two days we used 'natural light' meaning the sun along with reflectors and scrims, specifically Sunbounce gear. Because of Greg introducing me to those items along with my real life experience of all the Sunbounce gear I used and have since purchased (way too many to list) I am not only a loyal Sunbounce consumer, but have found that for on location gigs nothing beats them.
I received a Glow Panel which is 39″ x 62″ right between the sizes of the Sunbounce Mini and Pro panels I own and use. The Mini is 3×4 feet and the Pro is 4×6 feet. I have many of the Sunbounce fabrics, 1/3, 2/3 stop scrims, silver/white reflective fabric and some gold/silver combo fabric. I find that I seldom use the gold/silver since I'd rather add warmth in post if needed. And the other fabric I use all of the time is the black. I learned from Greg just how valuable a light detractor is in sculpting light. I'm not certain if Adorama plans to offer a black fabric for this device.
Prior to using Sunbounce stuff, I like others used those pop out type reflectors or white foam core. The issue I've always had with those pop up type reflectors is they are crap in moderate wind. One of the things I look for in any reflector is its ability to keep a tight fabric surface. Trying to feather the right amount of light onto talent is hard enough. Having to wrestle with a flexing reflector is ridiculous. And foam core, uh OK it's cheap but a pain to transport and it never lasted too long in my hands.
The Glow Reflector/Scrim kit comes with both a 2/3rds scrim and silver/white reflector reversible fabric. The frame of the unit is hinged and fully connected via smart hinges. There is a bar that attaches to the frame which holds the unit on a light stand. It's nice that they include a grip to attach the unit to a light stand. Unless you purchase the Sunbounce Kit, no grip is included.
The fabric is attached via Velcro and is well done and keeps the fabric nice and tight. But I do NOT like to use Velcro to attached fabric to reflector frames. Why? It's a personal preference, but I have found that when I am shooting on location the time it takes to attach fabric via Velcro to a frame is time consuming. I had tried Photoflex framed scrims and reflectors. They used shock cord to assemble the frames, much like a tent. And the fabric was attached via strong elastic bands at each corner. Convenient to put on and off, but not very tight in holding the fabric tight and easily blown off in wind.
One issue I found with the Glow unit is when placing or removing the cross bar onto the frame, the entire end mounting pieces must be completely disassembled to attach the units onto the bars of the frame. Again more time than I'm accustomed to.
The hinges in the middle of the frame can pivot in two different ways. Only one of those ways is the way it's intended to pivot in order to fold the frame in half to fit into the carry bag. The other pivot method simply places the frame into a 90 degree angle with the opposing side of the frame. Frustrating….
Now for the good news. If I were to keep this Panel in a studio environment and not have to assemble and disassemble the frame/fabric I'd have opted for the Glow Panels over my Sunbounce units in a second. Why? Well the fabrics are of high quality and the units present a much better value for studio work. At 99.00 which INCLUDES the light stand mounting grip, a scrim and a reversible white/silver fabric, versus a Sunbounce Mini at 378.00 PLUS and additional 153.00 for a 2/3 stop scrim you're looking at a whopping 531.00! The performance of the scrim/reflector material is equal to the Sunbounce fabrics. But if you need to assemble and disassemble the frame on a regular basis (like I do) there's no competition with Sunbounce. And as far as those pop up reflectors, I really don't like their performance in the conditions in which I shoot. Sure they're damn convenient to 'pop up' but their use in wind or in keeping a uniform surface has not been good in my experience. The Glow framed reflector is a much better choice.
I'm posting this just so that I can rate images on my iPad to edit those images later in Lightroom on my office PC. This process shows you how to automate the rating process from Shuttersnitch to Lightroom. If you have no interest in that workflow, no need to read further.
Update June 5 2018
I just ran a test to see if two of my iPads would receive images simultaneously from my Canon 1DX II with the WFT-E6A dongle attached. Sadly no. Only one iPad can receive images through Shuttersnitch at a time. I had thought that since the Canon was simply a transmitting wifi signal both would pick up the images. Not so….sigh.
Update June 2 2018
I just returned from a client shoot for the production of Hunchback of Notre Dame. I took 1820 image during that live performance. Normally I do a backup on my Nexto drive and then wait until I arrive back at my office to do culling and editing. I HATE CULLING. Editing is much easier for me. But on this trip I did all of my culling on my iPad Pro as I waited at the airport and then on the flight back home which is only 2 hours. My wait time at the airport was about 1.5 hours and I worked on culling for about one hour. Then on the flight I worked on the iPad culling for about another hour. So in two hours I was able to cull 1820 images down to 576 and sent my Selection List to my email. Incredible time saver for me. I highly recommend the software I've listed in the Original Post.
Original Post
I'm going to start from the beginning. Back in 2012 I bought an iPad 2 and paired it with my Canon 1D Mark IV using a WFT-E6A Wi-Fi dongle and Shuttersnitch. I did this so I could shoot wirelessly tethered for my clients. For client work, being tethered is part of my workflow. Clients get to see images in real time without having to look at the back of my camera. For my work it's much better than being tethered via Ethernet cables. I find that looking at the back of my camera by the client can ruin the flow between myself and the talent. It's not to ensure color temp, focus, pixel peeping etc. during sessions. It's to see if the shot mood, expression, concept are being executed as we discussed during our storyboard sessions. It's so efficient to shoot tethered since a client lets me know when I've 'got the shot' and we can move onto the next scene.
And yes I realize that by shooting tethered via a cable allows me to shoot directly into Lightroom, but I much prefer a wireless tether. But like all things in life you don't get something for nothing. My preference for shooting wirelessly tethered to my iPad meant that when I returned to the office, I had to download the files and Pick or Rate the images I wanted in Lightroom. I often had the client star the images they liked in Shuttersnitch during the session. I'd then export the Selection Files and manually enter the image numbers into Lightroom. A hassle….
And since half of my client work is via air travel, I'd have to open up my laptop, launch Lightroom and then go through my rating process in the air. I never edit on the plane, only pick the shots I think the client wants or has approved during the session. And if you travel 30-50 times a year you'll understand using a laptop on an airplane is a PITA.
Fast forward to today, May 2018. After shooting for a new local client, my partner who is an Apple zealot wanted to just walk by the Apple store in downtown San Francisco. Since it was rush hour I mentioned that we should go in and look around to avoid the inevitable traffic. As I started to look around I saw the new iPad Pros which have keyboards built into the covers. I took my iPad Mini out of my bag and compared the weight of the Mini to the 10.5 inch Pro. Wow not much heavier if at all…hum…
So then I wanted to see if the larger iPad would fit into my camera shoulder bag. It was at that point that the salesperson, Justin approached me. "Oh gosh you would have to walk up just as I'm trying to steal this thing wouldn't you!?" He laughed nervously and I started to ask him some questions. He suggested I type on the new keyboard and that's when I was hooked. I'm NOT an Apple person, I use a PC. As a matter of fact my iPad Mini is/was the ONLY Apple product I own. So when I was presented with a keyboard for an iPad and a way better screen I started to calculate my credit card balances….
Long story short; I bought the 256 Gig, 10.5", Wi-Fi, iPad Pro, the keyboard cover and the Pencil. I was determined to find out if I could replace my laptop for business travel with the new Pro since it has a great keyboard. BUT my main priority was to see if I could select images on the Shuttersnitch app and have those selections transferred to Lightroom. IF that could happen I would be very happy. Why? Because working to select images in Shuttersnitch is WAY easier than in LR. AND using an iPad on the plane is way more convenient. I do NOT edit on my iPad, only select image for editing once I'm back in the office.
Keep in mind that for production shooting per performance, it is not uncommon for me to have 1,000 to 2,000 images to cull. And my clients expect turnaround time anywhere from 24-72 hours. For studio publicity sessions the number of images ranges from 500-800 per day and the turnaround time is the same. So the most efficient manner to cull images saves me much time.
So here's how it's done, what's needed: (BTW this works on a Mac as well as a PC. My partner uses Mac and she's thrilled too!)
- iPad
- Shuttersnitch
- SnitchSync
- Lightning card reader (I bought this one)
- Lightroom CC or Classic (not the CC for iPad) For your office computer
I use three different brands of cameras. Fuji, Canon and Pentax. With the exception of my Fuji I can write to two different cards at the same time. So I send RAW files to one card and then low res JPGs to the second card. Why? When using SnitchSync you need both your RAW file and a JPG to match your selections when matching Shuttersnitch selections in LR. (Unless you're using DNG files, then you only need those files) As a FYI using a Wi-Fi transmitting card like an Eye-Fi also works with the Shuttersnitch/iPad combo. It's what I use in my Fuji and Pentax cameras.
When using a card reader hooked to the iPad, it downloads everything on that card including RAW files into the Camera Roll folder. That includes any RAW files and JPGs. If that doesn't bother you then there is no need to direct RAW and JPG files to different cards. I always shoot RAW and the files are large, especially with the Pentax 645Z. So to speed up downloading to the iPad I just like to dump my small JPGs onto the iPad. I'll leave that to your preference.
Please note that I have NOT outlined each and every step. You need to RTFM (read the fucking manual) for each product. It's not my job to educate you on software.
Once the files are on your iPad then open up Shuttersnitch and create a new Folder
Then Import the images you downloaded into Camera Roll into the just created Folder
Once you select images in Shuttersnitch then export them to Selection List
Email the Selection List to your email account
Copy both your RAW files and JPGs into your main computer into the same directory. If you are using DNG files you only need to copy those onto your computer.
Copy the Selection List into your Clipboard
Open up your installed version of SnitchSync and paste your selection list into the proper field as show here.
Follow the onscreen instructions and you're all done! The files you have flagged on your iPad are now rated in Lightroom! Note that the demo version of SnitchSync limits the number of Rated files to 5. You need to buy the full version to have all of your Rated images flagged. Hell it's only about six bucks USD for crying out loud. And I had to check my Spam Folder for the registration number once I purchased it. So if you don't receive yours right away, check your spam.
This process has been wonderful for me. Your own workflow may prove that this method is not valuable to your needs. But if so, it's really a godsend! Also now that I have two iPads I will be testing to see if my cameras will send images to both iPads. I don't see why it won't work, but will post my findings. Why two iPads? One can be for the client to view and the other for the talent. Why not?!
UPDATE June 2 2018
I installed the optional rear handle onto the Pro and love it. Being able to use the handle to adjust the angle of the strobe when it's on a stand is so welcomed. Even though I often use a focusing rod modifier I do NOT like to use the rod as a lever to angle the strobe, so I simply hold the modifier to adjust the angle. There is one issue with the item I received. In order to install the handle you must remove the four Allen head bolts and use the longer ones which are supplied. I received two hex wrenches and I originally thought that they were different sizes, but they are the same. The issue is they both are TOO LARGE to remove or install the bolts. Luckily I have a huge tool supply and had the correct size of hex key. The supplier should investigate whether I just received an anomaly pack or if they've spec'd the wrong hex key.
The second issue is more of an annoyance than an actual issue. After I installed the handle the Pro would not fit into the cool little case that comes with the unit. Sad, I really like that case…sigh! But more importantly even with the handle installed it still fits nicely into my Pelican Case which is the one I use for airline transport. I recommend the handle, especially when a heavy modifier is mounted to the Pro.
UPDATE April 4 2018
My client has just released the press imagery for Hunchback of Notre Dame so I am now able to share them. The session was held on location in Seattle at the Volunteer Park Water Tower which is four stories. After obtaining the required permits we had to lug all of the grip and lighting gear up four stories and I HATE LUGGING! LOL… Because the remote head was not yet available I didn't use any focusing arms for this session. My modifiers of choice were the Elinchrom 69″ Octa and the SMDV 110cm octa. I used the 600Pro in the Eli and an xPLOR600 in the SMDV.
UPDATE March 15 2018
During recent client sessions, both of which were on location I had the opportunity to use the AD600 Pro in combination with a number of modifiers. Because the remote head for the Pro is not yet released I did not use any focusing rod modifiers. In one session whose images I cannot at this time, I used the Pro in an Elinchrom 69″ Octa with both diffusion panels installed. I did not go over 1/4 power and was shooting HSS with my Pentax 645Z. The unit performed flawlessly.
In the session I can post images below I used the Pro in a SMDV 44″ (110cm) octa with both diffusion panels installed. The interior of the theatre where I was doing these portraits was very dark so I appreciated the very bright modeling light so that I could easily obtain focus. To date I've found the Pro model exemplary in recycle time, modeling light and ease of use.
UPDATE: February 21 2018
Yesterday I was able to utilize the Pro during a commercial session. Here are my observations:
- The modeling light is VERY bright, as bright as my former Einstein strobes.
- IF I use the modeling light at any power that enables the fan, the battery life is much shorter than the AD600. My session was only three hours and at the end of it I had only one bar left on power. Keep in mind that I was using the modeling light at 100% during the entire session. The strobe only went to sleep after 30 minutes of non use. I will need to experiment with power control on this unit, i.e, modeling light, sleep time, etc.
- The swivel mechanism is MUCH MORE ROBUST and far easier to adjust than the AD600. I tend to adjust the position of my lights often and in incremental steps during my sessions and the ability to pivot the modifier is excellent. Not having a ratcheting mechanism makes all the difference.
- The recycling times are extraordinary. Literally no waiting for the strobe to recycle IF you're not using 1:1 power. One second can seem like a lifetime when I'm shooting, but I seldom use 1:1 in rapid shooting. Normally in studio I'm at power levels of 1/32 to 1/2 at the most. I'm not a "spray and pray" shooter so when I say that I shoot at will, it's when I see a gesture or expression that I want. And at those power levels it allows me to shoot at will.
- Because the unit swivels so freely I will purchase the optional handle when it's released. Although I plan to use the Pro with focusing arm modifiers and can use those to pivot the strobe, I'd prefer to use the handle.
That's it for now. I used the Pro with the Adorama 65″ Glow Easy Lock X-Large Deep Beaded Silver Fiberglass Umbrella. Incredible modifier which I'm finding can rival my focusing arm modifiers in some instances!
Original Article
I debated waiting to write an entire review of my experience using the new Flashpoint Godox AD600Pro strobe until I had tested most of the items important to me. Because this is my high season it would take me about six months to do a soup to nuts review. So I'm opting to write my findings piecemeal meaning – as I go along. Sorry, but I felt it best to do it this way for this strobe. As I integrate the unit into my workflow I will make mental notes and add my findings to this review.
Also since I almost exclusively use focusing arm modifiers now, I probably won't have extensive use of the Pro until the remote head is released.
Things that are immediately apparent as improvements over the Flashpoint Godox AD600 units:
- The swivel adjustment is nice and smooth now. No more ratcheting which I hated and modified on my units.
- The modeling light is B R I G H T and adjustable to the output of the strobe. Like my old Einsteins. Love that
- The swivel mount now allows you to place the unit in a vertical (parallel to the light stand) position using a SuperClamp and a stud.
- I like the power button located on the bottom of the unit rather than the side. When I pack my strobes into my Pelican cases I often worry about the units turning on due to the pressure from the foam pads. So I always detach the batteries which airlines don't like in checked luggage. Also simply pressing the power button now turns to unit off immediately. I like that. You must hold the power button down for 2-3 seconds to power the unit up.
- The Bowens mount seems much more snug than the AD600. But that depends on the modifier too.
Some people 'may' feel that the build quality is 'better' on the Pro but I never thought the AD600 exhibited poor build quality….except for the irritating ratcheting swivel which has been completely removed as well as improved. BTW the swivel adjusting handle can be moved by pulling and re-positioning it in the event the handle is being blocked by the strobe's body or any attachments.
I've had zero issues with my units, only with the early remote heads where the LED modeling lights would fail after two months. If trolls are concerned about what happens if they drop the strobe, hell any strobe….well best of luck to them.
Of course the real aspect of the Pro will be the light quality/battery life/recycle time. I'm very interested in recycle times and the Masking feature. For color consistency a separate menu choice like the Einsteins is great. But during those times my clients need absolute precise color I have never depended upon strobe color temperature, but instead the X-Rite Digital ColorChecker Passport and a recently calibrated monitor.
I have confirmed that the new Flashpoint/Godox AD600 Pro works in HSS with the Pentax 645Z as explained in this post.
In preparation for a session this week I plan on using the Pro with my 69″ Elinchrom Octa WITHOUT a focusing rod. The session calls for a Vanity Fair style of light, so I will use ultra soft lighting which the Eli 69 delivers in spades.
Further aspects and more will be forthcoming….stay tuned.
Earlier this month while was using my Mavic to both film and photograph for a client, I was flying sideways and ended up crashing into a tree! Total user error and thankfully it was at the very end of the sessions! LUCKILY I had purchased DJI Care Refresh (Mavic Pro) when I bought the drone. They allow you to purchase the coverage within the first 48 hours of purchase. For 99.00 on a 1k item it's a great value. But just like all insurance the REAL TEST comes when you make a claim. Any company will gladly take your premiums, but filing a claim is a different story. So I got onto the site, filled out the form and guess what? They emailed me a FedEx label! That's right, they pay for shipping to and from! Incredible. The cost for my 'repair' was 79.00. And IF I crash again it will be 129.00! Now this does not cover things like theft, losing your drone, etc. Makes perfect sense. But in my case I could not be happier and DJI has a loyal customer for life.
UPDATE November 11 2017
Still practicing and boy to get cinematic film ain't easy. But hey if it was everyone could do it! It sure is fun to learn though. Using ND filters really helps.
It's also nice to know that the Mavic can take RAW stills in the form of the DNG format. Granted not as high res as my MF camera, but still good! What I did learn though is when I set my shutter speed at a low number, usually around 1/125th or lower when I take stills that have motion I get motion blur. Makes perfect sense, I'm just not accustomed to switching from film to stills. Learnings…..
Original Post
Yep, it was time. Time to try something new, to feel uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone. Film, stills, creativity from a new perspective. How does anyone expect to grow simply by being 'safe?' FAA certification is on tap. Using light and motion….
….stay tuned.
UPDATE May 24 2018
CalArts has placed their entire Summertime Issue 2018 #3 online.
Original Post
In January 2018 the Editor of The Pool, an alumni magazine for the California Institute for the Arts contacted me about a feature they had planned for their 3rd edition of the publication. CalArts was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and performing arts. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees among six schools: Art; Critical Studies; Dance; Film/Video; Music; and Theater.
The publication wanted to feature one of their alumni – Antoine Hunter a deaf dancer, choreographer and educator. The editor informed me that Antoine had specifically requested that I create the imagery for his feature which prompted CalArts to commission me for the honored task. I met Antoine when he danced for Savage Jazz Dance Company of Oakland where I created publicity imagery for their troupe.
As with all creative endeavors my workflow was to meet with Antoine over coffee to discuss the mood he'd like to have for his imagery. Once we had our meeting I contacted the editor to discuss his wishes and we scheduled the session in and around iconic San Francisco landmarks. He wanted the imagery to reflect the majestic flavor of Antoine's home. Beyond that, the artistic elements were left to my discretion which I always appreciate.
In March the editor flew up for the day and we began the session. Even though there was a chance of rain I was confident that the areas I had selected would be shielded from rain if it occurred. As luck would have it, it was a glorious day with wonderful clouds in the sky that I adore. Antoine brought his 6 year old daughter to the event along with his ASL interpreter. Even though we had not discussed shots of him and his daughter, I took them anyway as a memento of that day which he could have for his own memories. I too have kids and having imagery of them never gets old. In the end the magazine used one of the photos which I felt added much to his story. I've often found that the images created outside of an assignment are often used and enrich a story.
For all of the images I used a two Flashpoint 600s with extension flash heads to keep weight on the modifier end to a minimum. The modifier I used was a PCB Omni reflector which is my go to outdoor modifier. I had written a blog post about how I converted it to accept a Bowens mount. It is great in wind which is always a concern with my on location shoots. I planned to utilize two of these and had both with me during the sessions. All of the images were created using HSS between 1/1000th and 1/2000th of a second depending on my location and the sun's intensity at the time. Generally the aperture was f2.8.
My plan was to NOT make the images appear lit, but balanced in natural light yet with a high production value. The only exception was when I created his portrait in a tunnel that is very darkly lit. In this instance I used two of the lights, one as a backlight to rim his figure and the other as a key light. The back light modifier was a simple 7 inch cone on a Flashpoint 600. The magazine ended up using that shot for the cover and I'm really pleased with the results.
I continue to be impressed with the performance, flexibility and quality of my 600 units, both as a monolight or with an extension head. They are key to my work and the innovation in their ability to convert from a monolight to a pack/head or 1200ws head offers me options other manufacturers don't offer or match at the price point. I often chuckle when I read others who are so concerned about a 1/3 drop of power when using the extension heads. I guess increasing their ISO 1/3 of a stop doesn't occur to them! LOL!!!! Some people will bitch about absolutely anything rather then spending their time on creating.
Gallery of images. Not all were utilized in the publication.
UPDATE May 15 2018
I continue to appreciate the strength and build quality of the stand. I have been using it to hold my Mole Richardson 412 converted Hollywood Fresnel. The total weight of the Mole with barn doors and 1200ws strobe head is 29 pounds. Add to that the weight of one or two Flashpoint 600s and this thing remains rock solid. The only downside? It's a bitch to lift that spotlight up! LOL
UPDATE December 22 2017
The more I use these stands the more impressed I have become. Not only do I find they present a better value than Matthews stands, but their wide footprint makes them invaluable for my work. I use one religiously whenever I'm using a long boom arm to suspend lights/modifiers over the talent. I've found that by placing my 15 pound counterweight on one of the legs rather than on the boom arm is beneficial for two reasons. First I am not having to lift an additional 15 pounds up while raising the height of the stand. Secondly the lower placement of the counterweight is more effective in offsetting the weight of the modifier and light head than placing the weight in a higher location on the stand.
UPDATE October 19 2017
I've had the opportunity to use this stand extensively over the past few months. I will simply say that whenever I need to ENSURE that my light/boom/whatever combination needs to be rock solid it is my go to light stand. I always use it when I'm using a boom arm for an overhead light. Or when I use my 59″ Zeppelin. Do I like lugging it to locations? Oh hell no!!! It's damn heavy, but the trade off of stability and rock solid dependability to ensure the talent is never at risk of being injured is well worth it!
UPDATE August 16 2017
I am preparing for a fashion shoot and due to the way I will configure my 59″ Westcott Zeppelin on my boom I could not be happier with my Flashpoint Junior Steel Wheeled 12′ Stands! Their huge footprint makes them so stable for things like this.
UPDATE July 17 2017
I recently wrote an article about using all of my Xplor/Godox lights in one shoot including the Junior Stands. You can view that post here.
UPDATE: February 18 2017
Today I ran an eight hour studio session for a client's upcoming season brochure. I was able to use the Flashpoint Junior Steel Wheeled Stand – 12′ for an entire day. I should explain that this day involved shooting seven different scenes with different talent for each, so moving lights around was constant. I will simply say that the stand performed FLAWLESSLY and I will not hesitate to purchase another and another. The wheels are incredible and roll over extension cords with ease. Granted none of my strobes use cords, but my smoke/haze machines/wind machines do! These stands are highly recommended for its performance and value. Be forewarned these are not sissy stands, they're heavy and beefy, use them in studio only!
UPDATE May 14 2018
I recently conducted a client publicity session using my converted Mole Richardson 412.
I was finally able to run a session with both the converted Mole Richardson and my gobo light modifier where I use Rosco size B gobos. The Mole Richardson performed brilliantly. Since I was in studio I did not use both AD600s, but rather a single one. Barn doors were used along with a light modifier I am not allowed to display or mention. I used it as a fill for these shots.
The final tweaks have been made to my now converted Mole Richardson Junior 412 2000w tungsten spotlight into a strobe. I have installed a Flashpoint 1200ws strobe head into the unit along with a 9″ reflector as well a diffusion bulb cover. I love the look large Fresnel lenses offer for light and plan to use this not only for portraits, but for dance. The modifications I've made allow me to convert the Fresnel BACK INTO a tungsten light. The design of the light is genius. By simply removing four machine screws the entire guts of the light simply drop out.
I wanted to try the converted unit outdoors using the barn doors and HSS. Still more refinements, but I believe this will make a valuable tool in my lighting kit. Both images shot at 1/2500th f2.8 ISO160
Original Post March 27 2018
I've been in love with the light a Fresnel throws. As a young man I marveled at Hollywood glamour portraits produces by film and Fresnel spotlights. I purchased and have used two Aputure 4.5″ Bowens mount Fresnel modifiers with much success. But I longed for a larger version of a Fresnel. So I researched models over 8″ in diameter. The only ones I could find were the Elinchrom FS30 and the Broncolor Flooter. 3k and 4.5k respectively in price. There are some new LED Fresnel lights that are great, but I wanted a strobe. So….
I purchased a used Mole-Richardson Junior 2K Fresnel Tungsten Light, 10″ Lens – 412 off of Craigslist and am converting it to accept a strobe. It's going well and when the project is finished I'll be posting how I did my conversion as well as some test shots. I'm excited to say the least as it's going way better than I expected. I wanted to have the ability to switch from my 600ws head to my 1200ws head when needed. I love choices. One of the great design elements of this classic unit is the ability to switch it back to its native tungsten configuration. AND Mole Richardson sells a LED conversion kit that only takes four screws to install. The unit is designed so well. No wonder so many film studios used these things!
My total cost to convert it to accept a strobe including the cost of the unit? 315.00 including the barn doors!
UPDATE May 13 2018
I recently used the Glow 65″ Deep Beaded Silver Umbrella on a commercial shoot. My decision to use this modifier over my normal focusing rod modifiers had to do with the unknown. Although I knew what the client wanted, I had no idea of the area where we were to shoot the session or whether I had to move from spot to spot. Breaking down and setting up a modifier could have presented a potential issue with time, so I opted to use the Glow. I was very pleased with the results as is the client. The beaded texture of the modifier is something I prefer as it adds more contrast to the images.
Original Post
Wow! I've read about 'deep umbrellas' for some time now and have tended to "poopoo'd" them. Sure higher end companies like Profoto manufacture deep umbrellas, but for their price point I'd rather go with an octabox. I had been a huge fan of PCB's PLM umbrellas and still utilize them from time to time, but had made a move to more 'professional' (bullshit word btw) modifiers like Parabolix. I love the look of focusing arm modifiers produce. Punchy, yet soft when you want soft. Focused when I want focused light. I now find 'normal' softboxes boring in what they produce and when I want to keep spill with softboxes, I'd have to use grids. Not so with a focusing arm modifiers. This deep umbrella prevents "spray light everywhere" situations like normal umbrellas and non gridded softboxes.
Prior to using focusing arm modifiers my go to octa was the Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 39″. The light that modifier throws is magical. So when I saw the Glow was offered in the same 'pebbled' texture silver interior fabric as my beloved Eli 39, so I opted for that model. BTW I continue to use the Eli 39″ in both a diffused and focusing arm configuration. During a client's session they allowed me to use the Glow 65″ in some 'test shots' with their talent. I used it as the key light, camera right for two of the actors. The fill light was camera left and I was using a 69″ Elinchrom Oct which I have adapted to use a focusing arm. In this configuration I had it in the fully flooded position. In another post I have displayed my shot using the 69″ Eli with a focusing rod.
The actors are in costume for the play "The Elephant Man."
So the question is, would I use the Glow instead of the Parabolix, CononMark or Zeppelins. The simple answer to that question is 'no' I have yet to find a single modifier that can do EVERYTHING well. BUT when choosing the right tool for the right job I would not hesitate to use the Glow Deep with pebbled silver interior. As a matter of fact I plan to obtain the two smaller units as well. The ROI and ease of setup and striking of an umbrella is undeniable. What The Glow line has done is mitigate the down sides of the lowly umbrella for a price that presents an unbelievable value. And for me no matter how 'cheap' a piece of gear may cost, if it doesn't produce EXCELLENT light when I'm using it, then it doesn't get used.
For people on a budget I cannot think of a better modifier to use. And for people who make their living shooting, it's an incredible tool to add to your bag.
UPDATE April 22 2018
I recently used this unit during a session with a Fresnel. It can be found here.
UPDATE April 18 2018
I recently tested the Flashpoint xPLOR600 Pro on location using my gobo device for an upcoming session. Because of the Pro's excellent modeling light I was able to see exactly where the pattern falls even in bright daylight. Plus the LED modeling light does not generate enough heat to affect the plastic Fresnel lenses in the unit.
UPDATE March 25 2018
I decided to update this post even though the two gobo modifiers I use are sadly no longer available. The first unit I'm talking about is the SP Image Projector. It uses Rosco size B metal gobos. When it was available it was very inexpensive as well as very effective. I'm updating this post to say that I've adapted it to accept any Bowens strobe since I've switched from PCB Einsteins to Godox/xPLOR600 units. I also needed to have the ability to rotate the gobo holder so that I can angle the unit to suit my needs. When I was using the PCB strobes Paul's mounting system allowed me to rotate the unit when attached to an Einstein. Not so with a Bowens mount so I simply used an older Bowens speed ring which allows me to rotate the SP Image Projector.
Apparently both of these gobo modifiers were not popular enough for each manufacturer to continue producing them. Sad. I know that there are companies who make gobo projectors for speedlights so all is not lost if you want to use one. Before I found any of these unit I converted a Leko 1000w tungsten theatrical follow spot into a strobe gobo modifier. I wrote a post about this crazy idea and will be converting it to accept a Bowens mount. Yeah it's damn heavy, but produces the best light to date for gobo use paired with my 1200ws head. Just kinda impossible to take on an airplane! LOL!
UPDATE: August 4 2015
One of the great advantages of having a portable gobo/strobe combination is the ability to use patterns of light outside of a studio environment. Recently I wanted to create the illusion of a window on a painted concrete wall located in a parking structure. I loved the texture the wall provided so I simply took my gobo device, one Einstein strobe hooked to a Vagabond Mini Lithium battery. An incredible little combination for on location light pattern needs.
Original Article
For years I have hauled around a full size stage follow spot just so I could use gobos in special photo shoot sessions. For anyone who knows me I seldom complain, it's just how I was raised. But I will say that on a CONSISTENT basis my primary bitch is lugging gear. I hate it, I literally hate lifting, hauling and dragging gear to and from the airport, onto the car rental shuttle, into the rental counter, into the car, into the hotel, back out of the hotel into the car and then into the client's venue. And then all of that in reverse. Get the picture? Assistants? Sure, but not on every assignment….
UPDATE April 19 2018
Recently I have favored Fresnel lighting for my on location outdoor sessions. The flexibility of the Fresnel's ability to focus its beam, it's matching light quality to sunlight and the stability of the modifier in high wind makes it a winner for my work. The other aspect of my work I've been trying to improve is the ability to make a lit scene not look lit. It takes much more finesse to light any scene as if it is just natural light, but with a high production look. Still much more to learn, but the Aputure Fresnel is a remarkable tool. My strobe of choice for this session was the Flashpoint xPLOR600 Pro.
UPDATE February 25 2018
I've written an on location post where I've utilized an Aputure head.
UPDATE January 26 2018
I've recently written a post about my use of the xPLOR600/eVOLV200s with several different modifiers for a session. You can find that post here.
UPDATE October 2 2017
I have written a post about a dance session I conducted that uses these items. You can view that post here.
UPDATE September 10 2017
I recently posted an article on my use of all Godox units in one session. The article includes the use of this product. You can view that post here.
My initial findings for the Aputure Fresnel Lens – July 6 2017
Because I work with so many theatrical stage lighting designers and bow to their artistry along with how COMPLEX their jobs become, I am very familiar with the Fresnel lens. It's a staple of the constant light stage world and was very popular in the early Hollywood celebrity portrait days. Many shooters now love 'soft light' the softer the better in their minds. But the use of bare bulb lighting and Fresnel light is very powerful and effective to convey the right mood in a shot. So for a whopping $69.00 I decided to buy the Aputure Fresnel Lens off of Amazon.
One of the things I will find out in actual use is how much light bleed from the vents on the side of the housing cause. I believe that will depend on where/how the strobes are placed in relation to the subject. Since the unit is made to be used with all Bowens mount units the vents are placed to dissipate heat. I don't imagine that the light bleed from the vents will affect my work unless I'm using the unit for an overhead light which may bleed onto any seamless I'm using. Time will tell and if that is the case I will simply use some Cinefoil to mask off any bleeding light. Stay tuned….
I wanted to determine how much light loss happens using this modifier compared to a bare bulb or 7″ cone. My little test was done outside in daylight. Using an Xplor 600 at maximum power (1:1), 20 feet from the wooden wall, measured with a Sekonic L-358 light meter, ISO 100, 100th of a second. My finding:
- Bare Bulb: f9.0
- 7 inch cone: f9.0
- Aputure Fresnel: f8.0
The f8.0 was when the unit is set at the maximum spread of 42 degrees. Things change when I zoomed the Fresnel to the 15 degree mark which yields f9.0 at the same distance.
Obviously I will be continuing to update this post when I use it on a commercial shoot. In September I have a dance session where I plan to use this unit along with a gobo strobe modifier. At this point I'm very pleased with the construction and operation of the unit. Stay tuned.
UPDATE March 29 2018
Because I've changed from PCB Einsteins to Godox/Flashpoint 600s I needed to 'convert my conversion' to accept a Bowens mount. It was very easy since I simply bolted a Cheetahstand Low Profile Speedring onto the PCB umbrella reflector. His low profile speedrings allow the bulb to insert further into a modifier. Now I have the ability to not only use the 600ws heads but also the 1200ws head when needed. Very slick!
Original Article
Why? My view is why not?! A few years ago a friend asked if I wanted an old Leko stage follow spot. Being a bit of a lighting pack rat I said "Sure!" I originally used it so I could apply light shaped with gobos in my still photography for dance. It also allowed me to create lovely rays of light using haze combined with different gobo shapes. In its original state the Leko was a 1000 watt constant tungsten light. Plenty powerful for stage applications, but completely overpowered whenever I used it in conjunction with my Einstein strobes. Even though the Steins can go as low as 2.5WS doing simple math shows you that at 1000 watts shot at 1/250th of a second yields about 4WS, not a ton of power.
UPDATE: March 25 2018
I wanted to do a final test prior to using this modifier. I placed my eVOLV200 into the unit with both the Fresnel and bare bulb heads to see if there was any light output difference. I originally thought that the bare bulb would produce a higher output but I was wrong. Both the Fresnel and the bare bulb produced f32 at 2.5 feet from the front of the modifier. Power level for all shots was full power, 1:1. As I contemplated the output is not even across the face of the diffusion panel. Not unexpected since this is designed primarily for speedlights. Also ANY modifier where the light source is not centered would most likely not produce even output across the face of the diffusion panel:
With Fresnel Head
- Center: f32
- Right (where the strobe enters the modifier)" f29
- Top: f30
- Bottom: f29
With bare bulb attachment
- Center: f32
- Right (where the strobe enters the modifier)" f29
- Top: f30
- Bottom: f29
I also added my Godox AD-S18 Flash Tube Bulb Metal Protector Shovel Cap to see if blocking the flash bulb at the entry point would produce even light. But instead it reduced the amount of light across the entire face! Center was f22.
So I've determined for the uses where I plan to use the Sundiscs, I will simply use the Fresnel head on the 200. It's less prone to breakage than the bare bulb and I have a modeling light when using the Fresnel attachment. Keep in mind all of this was done using a Godox S Bracket to hold the 200.
Original Article
I came upon an article by Michael Sewell about the Sundisc modifier. His review intrigued me enough to further research the piece of kit. After looking it over on other sites and reading his review in full, I felt it worthwhile to invest in two to see how I could use them in my workflow. My original thought was to use them in those infrequent, but frantic 'run and gun' situations where a client needs me to go around different parts of a venue and with very little time with the talent. I also thought that they may be a nice alternative to overhead or side fill lights.
It took about two weeks from ordering to arrival since they are shipped from China directly to the consumer through Sundisc. As with all gear I test them thoroughly before even considering using them on set. Determining the best use of a tool along with how I would configure it is just protocol for my workflow. So the first task is always examining the quality of the construction. The units are well made, seams are well sewn, zippers and elastic are of high quality. The reflective materials are thick and well placed. The Sundisc allows you to reverse the modifier for silver or gold reflection, very nicely done. The elastic loops are designed to hold speedlights, but I found that using a Godox S Mount is much more useful than using the elastic bands. You'd have to use some sort of swivel anyway to mount this to a light stand so I found that an S Mount is just right for my use of the Sundisc.
At this point I only tested the Sundisc with my eVOLV200 using the Fresnel head. The bare bulb attachment would easily work as well. One of the other advantages of using the S bracket is the ability to place the head of the strobe very low in the modifier, thereby filling the entire surface of the diffusion panel. Keep in mind that I don't think I'd ever use this outdoors or in a mild breeze. I'm not sure how the construction of the disk keeps the sides separate, but whatever is holding them apart works well. Yet even a slight breeze would cause the modifier to twist or turn, so for me I'd only consider using it indoors.
So I decided to try it on Bob to view the quality of light the Sundisc produces.
Some people may ask if the strobe produces any hot spots in the modifier close to the actual flash head. At this time I didn't notice any hot spots.
During my initial evaluation of this unit I find that the quality of materials and the quality of light it produces is well worth the investment. Obviously during actual use more uses/issues may become apparent than just during my initial overview. I really like how thin the unit is and how small it packs down to transport. It's very light weight as well which is another plus. The only downsides I see right now is my perceived inability to use the unit in a breeze, but other than that I'm happy to try them on a commercial shoot. Although they will work with my H600 remote heads using a Bowens ring to insert into the hole of the Sundisc, I doubt I'll be using them that way. Using it as a key light? Uhhh….not sure, maybe? Like I always say, never say never….Time and experience will tell though….