Hello, I need your help. I am currently working on a project, where I try to take photos of falling objects using a Raspberry Pi. In order to achieve a good image quality I need a decent flashgun or strobe. Here comes the catch, I have some requirements for the flash:

  • It should be able to flash 1-2 times a second
  • It should be able to trigger it externally with a cable (optimally)
  • It should not be locked down to a specific brand like Nikon (since I’m using a Raspberry Pi camera)
  • It should be possible to power the flash with a cable
  • The flash should be somewhat durable
  • Optional: The flash should’nt be to expensive

The flash will be used in a stationary setup, and is expected to run for hours on end, since I want to take quite a lot of photos using my project. I would really appreciate if you could give me some form of recommendations for flashes/strobes that could fit my requirements. If you are’nt sure, if a model fits my requirements, please point me to it anyway. I will then see if it fits for my project.

  • ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world
    4·
    14 days ago

    My comment

    It sounds to me that really any sort of studio strobe would be fine, even the cheapest ones. Assuming that you can use a very low power setting, meaning that you can really put your lamp very close to your setup (<50 cm), then power won’t matter. The closer the better. Because if you use any sort of strobe at a very low power setting with a usual parabolic reflector, and no diffusion in between, at this distance, you should have more power than you could ever need. Also any flash or strobe that you can buy can also be triggered via a cable.

    But for specific recommendation:

    “Paul C Buff Einstein” If you need a lamp for more than just that one project.

    Otherwise, really any will be fine, given that you can place it as close as you want to your subject. A reputable cheap manufacturer is GODOX.

    Rant about electrical safety

    But I will say this put in the effort for safety mechanisms when it comes to electricity. You should still use the heat sensor even though it should be fine because “I thought it was fine” are always the famous last words before a fire. I am a staunch advocate for proper electrical setups because once I saw a guy working for an exhibition connect a 2 kW continuous lamp, to a cheap Chinese extension cord and put the cord on top of a radiator. Other things I frequently see are “photographers” triggering the overheating protection of their extension cords and then just resetting them as if nothing happened. The overheating safety is the last line of defence before a fire. If you save effort literally everywhere, that’s fine. But put in the effort when it comes to electrical safety. Even the nicest extension cord will be cheaper than the consequences of a fire. Rant over.

    Edit: typo.

  • harsh3466@lemmy.ml
    2·
    14 days ago

    We need more details to recommended something to meet your needs.

    1. What are you photographing? Is it a large object/scene, or a smaller object/scene?
    2. How many hours on end do you expect the flash to run?
    3. How much light do you need the flash to output? A lot? A little? Is this light meant to be the main light for the photo or is it supplemental?

    Running a flash for hours on end flashing 1-2 times per second can quickly overheat a flash, which can lead to problems. The lower the flash output, the better it will handle that heat and the longer it will be able to run.

    But with that being said, depending on how many hours and how much light you need you might be better off with ac powered LED light panels instead of a flash.

    • cows_are_underrated@feddit.orgOP
      2·
      14 days ago

      I am taking photos of falling seeds, so I shouldnt need that much light. The System should be able to run for at least 6-8 hours, so that you are able to just put a lot of seeds onto the machine and let it run over night. Alternatively I could maybe integrate a heat sensor, that stops the whole system, if the flash gets to hot, but I would like to not be forced to do this, since it would mean quite a dip in productivity.

      • harsh3466@lemmy.ml
        2·
        14 days ago

        You might be better off with an LED panel. Something like this, which can run off an ac adapter.

        But as the other commenter mentioned, if this is running unattended for 6-8 hours safety is a big consideration. Be aware of the heat these lights will generate and the safety of the electrical cords and connections you plan to use.