Photography News Issue 40

Photography News | Issue 40 | absolutephoto.com

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Steve embraced the XMT500’s TTL functionality. “I don’t always use TTL but on this occasion it worked well and gave us the results that we needed. You simply set it up if you perhaps want things to be a little brighter or darker; all you have to do is adjust the output using the XMTR and it just does it. You don’t have to think about it.” For even more lighting control on location the XMTR enables high-speed sync, which allows correct flash sync at shutter speeds up to 1/8000sec and is compatible with Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras. Enthuses Steve, “This is a very big deal for me. Previously I have struggled with a flash sync shutter speed of 1/125sec and that’s difficult if it’s a sunny day. If you can only control the ambient light with shutter speed up to 1/125sec that means you need a small lens aperture like f/11 or f/16. That in turn means you needmuchmore flash power to get enough output to match that aperture. But with the Bowens XMT500 partnered with the XMTR trigger it means you can control ambient light with shutter speeds up to 1/8000sec. I was shooting here at 1/3000sec to underexpose the ambient light and using a lens aperture of f/3.5. You don’t need as much flash power to give a stylised, flash-lit look.” The XMTR trigger operates on the worldwide 2.4GHz frequency, this system enables all the main features and functions of the XMT500 flash head, including flash modes, power output and modelling, to be set from the camera position. Says Steve, “This is a real benefit for location photographers. If, like me on this shoot, you’re lying on a beach early in the morning and you’ve got right down in position – stretched out full-length in the sand – the last thing you want to be doing is jumping up and down to change settings on the flash. It is inconvenient and slows the whole shoot down. On this shoot, I just checked the image previews and adjusted

accordingly as Susie ran by. 20 seconds later when she jogged by again I could already be set up with different lighting.” An easy-swap battery offers up to 500 full-power flashes from a single charge. Steve reports, “I love howeasy they are to switch. The indicator on the topmeans that you can quickly assess what battery is left. We shot most of the day and our XMT batteries weren’t even half-empty when we finished. Additionally, it’s important to note that other lights have batteries that clip onto the outside and that

would make me quite nervous when handling or transporting the lights. Now everything is within this single unit and you can just forget about that problem.” “The XMT system gives me total freedom to focus on the most important thing – my photography. I haven’t got to worry about something falling off or about tripping over a cable. It’s about being able to set up, forget about it and get on with being creative.”

Bowens Generation X

stevebrowncreative.com

The highly featured Bowens XMT500 head is packed with features considered essential by modern photographers. There’s nine stops of flash power, from full through to 1/256, which in output terms is 500Ws to 2Ws. As Steve Brown explains, “That power range is very useful – I have also used the XMT500 inside, and having the facility of very low power is really handy for wide aperture shooting.” When used with the XMTR trigger, photographers can use high-speed sync up to shutter speeds of 1/8000sec to perfectly expose a subject while underexposing in bright sunshine. Ultra-fast recycling times of 0.01 to 2secs is also a key benefit of the XMT500. For photographers like Steve, keeping up with fast action is vital. “On this shoot, when Susie was running behind us in the woods I was able to shoot as many pictures as I liked. I have done so many shoots in the past where I was forever waiting for the lights to recycle – and it was truly painful. The XMT500 has exiled that demon.” The XMT500’s high-capacity battery allows up to 500 full-power flash bursts, which is ample even for productive photographers and of course you get a great many more flashes at the lower power settings. Add a controllable output LED modelling lamp, power output adjustments in 0.3EV steps, strobe flash mode and adjustable flash sync delay, and the Bowens XMT system offers photographers a new creative dimension.

bowens.co.uk