Indirect & Zoom lightholder. (eng)

Hello everybody.

I did not write anything for a long time. Even though there is something to write about. Allow me to introduce to you my summer's work (development).

I'll start with the budget attachments for reflected light with zoom. If you follow the novelties of brands, then you probably noticed, that practically all of them have parabolic reflectors, and some even with Indirect, and the coolest brands, of course, offer zoom too. What should an advanced amateur do here? The answer is obvious. Do it himself, especially since the workshop is nearby anyways. One can't pay 500€ for every novelty after all. That way one could find himself without pants. But the desire to do photography stays, and I'm accustomed to using good light. I made some drafts on paper, took a few attachments and went to an acquainted turner for help. So here everything started. He looked at the drafts and the attachments, and asked a very simple question:

- Do you even know what you want yourself?

- I want this part to this one, and this to another one.

The turner listened to my wishes and asked me to bring proper blueprints, and STEP models with them. That's how I was politely (nicely) sent **to hell**. No, nobody sent me **to hell** of course, they said they would help, but blueprints are required. After arming myself with tutorials about SolidWorks on Youtube in the evenings, I mastered this wonderful piece of software. Now I actively use it for 3D photography. All my constructions are made for the use with any kind of softboxes, strips and octa softboxes from Elinchrom, monolights BXRi can be used, Style RX, Ranger Quadra RX, and system flashlights, what could be very useful outdoors (on nature).

So lets start. All the construction consists of the holder for the attachments, three axes for zoom and three holders for the light.

I didn't want to make the holder more complicated, so instead of a lock like Elinchrom, I use bolts to fixate the attachments on the holder. To fixate the axes, I use a collet. I tried to copy the holder for Ranger Quadra RX precisely, good that in SolidWorks one can make a model from a picture.

Everything but the axes is made of a light and hard (dense) plastic. The reflecting surfaces are covered with aluminum foil. To one of the axes I attached a lock washer, to not accidentally break the lamp while fixating.

To limit the movement of the axes on the ends I installed blind nuts. When it's all put together, it looks like a spaceship, and with the rack, like a telescope.

The only thing I miss in all constructions, is a counter weight when I work with studio blocks, but in the near future I'll try to fix this. On these two pictures you can see how the spot of light changes when the depth of the light source is changed in the octa.

But with light everything is relative. I made this light for my taste. I like making portraits in renaissance style with one, or maximum two light sources. Indirect with Zoom guarantees soft light, but with good micro contrast.

Successful shots to you.

© Andrew Buckin.

P.S.:

Many thanks to the mechanics Robin and Andrey for the support and the hands. I would have done something on the turning rack myself, but German safety rules prohibit an electronics engineer to work on a turning rack.