Flash units for M9

[Susie]

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Hi Guys,

 

Earlier this week I did some copy work for a friend using my M9.  He has a painting that he wanted photographed (his painting, he painted it - so no copyright issues)

 

I used my VALOO based stand with a Focoslide, but also had use of a twin flash set up (two big flash heads, soft boxes etc) owned and adjusted by another friend who is a semi-professional photographer, and the results were just what was wanted.  The painting was between A4 and A3.  The lens was a 50mm Focotar, and Jonathan was surprised at the high quality of the image, and much better than I had expected given the poor reputation some on this forum give the Focotar's (not the Focotar 2)

 

Now, on a smaller scale (both bulk and cost) can anyone suggest some flash units I can use myself?  Could I use, for example, two sf 24d's one either side of the copy stand, both being fired at the same time by the camera?

 

Any suggestions welcome, but please keep it on topic, and preferably below £300

 

Susie

[Robert M Poole]

Have you looked at the Yongnuo flash guns? Very affordable and good quality (I have one but only used it on my Fujis)

 

www.robertpoolephotography.com

[jaapv]

Hi Guys,

 

Earlier this week I did some copy work for a friend using my M9. He has a painting that he wanted photographed (his painting, he painted it - so no copyright issues)

 

I used my VALOO based stand with a Focoslide, but also had use of a twin flash set up (two big flash heads, soft boxes etc) owned and adjusted by another friend who is a semi-professional photographer, and the results were just what was wanted. The painting was between A4 and A3. The lens was a 50mm Focotar, and Jonathan was surprised at the high quality of the image, and much better than I had expected given the poor reputation some on this forum give the Focotar's (not the Focotar 2)

 

Now, on a smaller scale (both bulk and cost) can anyone suggest some flash units I can use myself? Could I use, for example, two sf 24d's one either side of the copy stand, both being fired at the same time by the camera?

 

Any suggestions welcome, but please keep it on topic, and preferably below £300

 

Susie

I think you are better off to use a couple of vintage Metz flashes and use remote triggers to fire them. Use the flashes to control the light or use video lights.

[LocalHero1953]

You used softboxes before, which give you a big light source, which in turn means even lighting and no risk of shadows. You need to reproduce this with your new system. Although in theory if the painting surface is smooth and you get the angles right you will avoid reflections into the lens, in practice single speedlights are such small hard bright sources that it is difficult to avoid unwanted lighting speckles or bright areas. In your shoes I would use softboxes (or cheaper brollies) along with the speedlights: a size that is about 1.5 times the distance to the subject should work.

 

If you're going off camera, I can see little benefit in shelling out for Leica flashes. My basic flash of choice is the Nikon SB28: robust, simple and readily available used on ebay for about £50-£60 (disclaimer: I'm selling mine on ebay at the moment, not because there's anything wrong with them, but because I'm moving to a wireless system with integrated triggers). But the market for cheap Chinese flashes and wireless triggers looks good at the moment.

Edited April 7, 2018 by LocalHero1953

[antigallican]

Is this in a studio? I've done a lot of this - my wife is a painter - and if the studio has white walls without too many coloured objects around I have come to the conclusion a pair of fairly powerful lights aimed away from the picture give the best, flattest, softest light. You're effectively turning the room into a softbox. I've tried everything else - soft boxes, giant soft boxes, polarisers... but open flash aimed at white walls works best. I use Elinchroms for this but have also used Nissin i70s, which I bought when still a Nikon user but kept because of the ridiculous cost of Leica flash. I still use a flash light meter but that's because I have one. If I were starting from scratch with a digital camera I would just take a test shot then adjust.

[Susie]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for your input. 

 

It will not be in a studio.  My partner and I do a fair amount of research using old books and documents at various locations, and so the ability to travel with the kit is a must, hence the use of the VALOO and not a Reprovit 11a (which I also have most of!) although at the National Archives at Kew they have about 50 Kaiser copy stands.

 

I suppose in my head I had the notion of a modern version of the lighting set up Leitz had for the Reprovits, but using modern flash (with radio triggering?) which would compact down into a smallish box for carrying.  I suggested the sf 24 ds because they are available for about £140 each off ebay, hence my £300 budget! Also they would fit onto the M9 if I wanted on camera flash for some reason. 

 

I notice that soft boxes are available for the small Metz flash units, which would probably come nearer to what I used on Wednesday.

 

On a slightly different tack could I do anything with soft large LED lighting units - or is that an oxymoron?

 

Susie