AboutSteve Meltzer Expertise I am a professional photographer and I've been shooting for newspapers, magazines, commercial clients and artists for over 30 years.
I have shot stock photography for dozens of years and in 1977 created West Stock (Seattle, WA) which was one of the first to produce stock photo CDs and later one of the first to establish an online stock photo slaes site.
I have a new book on digital photography "PHOTOGRAPHING ARTS, CRAFTS AND COLLECTIBLES (Lark Books, 2007)which is available at Amazon.com, eBay.com and in bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. I have another book, CAPTURE THE LIGHT which will be puiblished in November, 2008.
I write 20-30 feature articles and columns for regional and national publications a year.
My education includes studying with photographers like Cornell Capa, Duane Michels and Oliver Gagliani (from the Ansel Adams Center.)
Expert: Steve Meltzer Date: 5/26/2008 Subject: halogen
Question QUESTION: hi there
ive just bought some interfit 3200 halogen lights with umbrella's and stands.
I have no idea what haolgen light is like?....is it similar to tungsten?>
whats the pros and cons of halogen?
Many Thanks
David
ANSWER: David
Halogens are different then tungsten because insteard of a vacuum they are filled with a gas-halogen gas. What happens is that as the filament gets hot it burns off some of its material. But becasue of the gas when you turn the lamp off the material reattaches to the hot wire.
So the halogens burn hotter and brighter but last long. Most halogens will last for a 100 hours of use or longer. Tungstens last a dozen hours beforethey start changing color-warming up-and dying.
Use halogens with Tunsgten (indoor) film or with your digital camera white balance set to tungsten (the light bulb icon) or read your instruction book and see how to see a custom white balance that will be more accurate with your particular lights and setting.
Steve
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QUESTION: so would u say halogen produce the same kind of light?..but just more economical?
and what gels work well on the lamp? or what ways to change the light are there that work especially good?...woudl barn doors be worth it?
DAvid
Answer D
Yes it is generally the same type of light. Not more economical as the halogen costs much morethen the tungsten bulbs. 6 of 1 half dozen of the other.
I wouldn't mess with filters or barn doors but consider getting photo umbrellas to either bounce the lights off of or to shoot the light through.
