Color tempature???

[luckikmc]

ive seen something like 2000k-7500k for this on certain focus lights and what not.....can some one please fill me in on the logistics....why low vs high and vice versa......thanx in advance

 

[spt29970]

For a focus light, it doesn't make that much difference since ideally the strobe will overwhelm the focus light and you won't see a "hotspot" in the image. Some people like the higher color temperature (more blue) because that it isn't attenuated as much with distance as the redder lights. Some people like the lower color temperature (more red) since they claim that it doesn't scare the fish as much. I have tried putting a red gel in front of my lights and the fish seemed a little less spooked. I don't know if it was the red light, or the fact that the beam was much dimmer. On a related note, I tried the red gel trick with a LED focus light and found that it pretty much blocked ALL of the light since the LED light had very little red in it.

In my opinion, the most important characteristics of a focus light are a bright, wide, and uniform beam. You don't need to get TOO bright or it will have a short burn time and could scare the fish.

 

[luckikmc]

ok did a little more research.....if the focus light is 7500 and the strobe 5600 is that not good or could it just be maybe something to play around with in the white balance.......trying to figure out a setup for my digital camera, so just trying to get as much advice as possible b4 i purchase.....i cant wait much longer!!!!........is that focus light worth it, price exluded....is the focus light for all times or just night........i didnt run into this focus light thing until today...so not exactly sure why or how to use it

 

[Papa_Bear]

Wax or white paper cut out to fit in the lens to make it soft light for focusing is more important than temp for this kind of light!

 

[spt29970]

You are missing the point. The camera autofocuses by maximizing the image contrast in certain points in the image (the focus points). It needs ambient light to do this. If there isn't enough ambient light the camera will either failure to focus altogether or it will take a long time "hunting". A focus light is only to provide enough ambient light that the camera will focus reliably. It is often necessary when you are doing macro at depth or shooting something under a ledge.

The beam from the focus light should be very broad so that when the main strobe fires, the focus light beam is completely overwhelmed. If the focus light beam is too narrow you can get a "hot spot." Since the flash will provide the vast majority of the light in the image, the color temperature of the focus light is irrelevant to the white balance.

If you are taking images at night, you need a primary light. Since it is extremely awkward to hold a flashlight and a camera, most people use the focus light AS the primary. Since it is usually mounted on the camera, there is only one thing to hold.

 

[luckikmc]

thanks for the clarification,,,,,,