Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Studio Photography
Watt second / Joule ratings can be very misleading as they relate to the supplied electrical power and not
the actual light output. Guide numbers are often not much better because they depend on conditions and
reflectors defined by each manufacturer. A specific example of this are semi-pro monolights of similar
price from two popular UK manufacturers:
The Courtenay Solapro 300 has a 300 Joule rating and a guide number of 52m @ ISO100
The Prolinca 400 has a 400 Joule rating and a guide number of 51m @ ISO100
On the face of it there's not much to choose between the two and the Prolinca is more popular because of
its (irrelevant) higher Joule rating and the fact that it sits at the bottom of the much larger Elinchrom
professional range. However, further investigation reveals that the Courtenay is even more efficient than
it already appears and has a 1 to 1.5 stop light output advantage when measured under the same
conditions. This is because the Courtenay spec. is based on a 65 degree reflector and the Prolinca on a
special 52 degree reflector that concentrates the light more to improve the paper specification.
I don't know where else these models are available, but I'm sure the moral of this tale applies to
manufacturers around the world. Sadly, reviewers don't often pick up on this fine, but important, detail
and it's up to the individual photographer to test the products under the specific conditions that they will
be used.
-- Sean Sedwards, August 23, 1999
Hi guys.. I seem to always run into this nagging delinquent conversations about brand "X" being better
than brand "Y" and "Z" put together. Forgive the interjection (and the wet blanket statements to follow),
but I've always been under the impression that the photographer will do whatever is necessary to achieve
the effect intended. And, regardless of the tools used, is considered to have succeeded when that given
initial intended effect is achieved.
That being said, I've often challenged students of mine to outshoot me with their expensive cameras
while I use the cheapest cameras of all time... the China made "Seagull". Costing no more than US$60, I
can make the fixed focal length, twin lens beast (el cheapo) perform most of my commands.
Bare basics come to mind:
Composition, exposure, timing, color balance, tonality, subject matter, just to name a few.
While I find it simply tickling when I stroll into a camera store, to hear the ever unceasing Nikon vs.
Canon Wars, or the Mamiya Vs. 'Blad rampages, I cannot but feel sorry that we, have all fallen prey to
the "prestigeous snob elite" bug.
"WOW! look at that BIG 600mm lens" "My Leica M6 has a custom ostrich skin leather replacement"
http://www.photo.net/studio/primer (12 of 17)7/3/2005 2:18:01 AM