tungsten lighting - shutter speed too low

down significantly? If so, are they not more versatile than the 400s or are they still too powerful?

Member said:

but the only "complaints" i read about the alien bee B400s is that
they are TOO STRONG, i never read that they are too weak ... people
seem to run them regularely at 1/8th to 1/4th of their max. output

point being ... dont get cought up in the numbers game e.g. B800
better than B400 .... ;o)

Click to expand...

hwwong said:

I built a home studio with two 1000w tungsten lights and several
muslins with different colors.

Click to expand...

I use 1000watt Mole softlites (metal reflector boxes) I bought used and with plenty of dings and I use diffusion gels. I shoot ISO equiv. 200 to 400 w/ a D100. I shoot adults. I have used 1000 watt fresnels with diffusion gels in lamp frames but had facial highlights that I like to avoid. That can be remedied by setting the gels a couple of feet from the lamp face. Don't put gels directly on industrial quarts lights, they well melt, distort, fade and may burn. If using industrial lights, open face fixtures or fresnels, frame the gels and clamp them on a stand. Diffusion gels increase effectiveness in proporting to distance from the lamp.