Need some friendly advice...

[Ulf Krentz]

Ulf, thanks for the advice! I think I'll try and figure out this sync port for at least one flash that is in the frame on a camera.

Ted, thank you as well. I'll look into those larger units for off camera flashes or maybe I'll leave one in frame too.

If you sync the one on the camera this way you will have all the others in time via their build in slave photo cell. It really does work well. You can assign a key of your camera to open the flash whenever you think it´s the right time from your EPIC.
In case you should try to go the old flash route, again, you won´t be able to freeze motion in your strobe frame and you should use an old design with a power variator. The ones that allow to reduce power in fixed steps like 1/4, 1/2 and 1/1 are not suitable. You better use a bigger flash unit and dial it down (you want a low voltage on a big capacitor block). You can still have a long flash duration with modern packs, you may use a broncolor grafit4 on lampsocket 3 with a pulso8 head, at least that is the longest flashduration I can think of at the moment. The smaller units like the 250Ws Marc mentioned are way faster. Ahh, BTW you could also program a scoroA4S for multiple frames, so you will have for example 3 Frames covered, but all razor sharp, bacause of their extreme short flash duration, as I said, just a matter of timing. Sorry, I hope that´s not going too far...

Cheers, Ulf

 

[Corey_O]

dragon flashes

dragon flashes

Check 1:00 in for strobe flashes.....Its a wide shot at night on a Dragon.

 

[Douglas Underdahl]

Keep in mind that a global shutter will eliminate, for the most part, partial frame flashes. But global shutters are closed half the time at 1/48 sec aka 180 degree shutter. So even with a global shutter, or a film camera with a mirror shutter, you only stand a 50-50 chance of recording a flash frame. I recollect that electronic flashes only last 1/3000 sec.

I like the sync idea. Also I would experiment with longer shutter angles/exposure times to see how it looks.

Cheap option - borrow a mig or stick welder and flash the arc multiple times/durations.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

https://vimeo.com/35178545

 

[Clint Lealos]

I couldn't find any old magnesium flashguns here is Istanbul on short notice. I actually found a bunch, but non of them were functioning. However, I did do some tests with a larger unit (Some Korean brand "Fomex") and the sync port. It works! Without the sync port connected to the flash unit I got the familiar white bars across different areas of the frame when flashing. As soon as I plugged in the sync port... Boom! Flashes fill the frame. Sometimes I wouldn't see the flash at all, but when I did it was always across the whole frame. The Turkish guy I was wish said, "Can the Alexa do that?". No, no it can't. Thanks Ulf for the advice. I owe you one buddy.

Seeing Phil's Motion Mount thread made me instantly envious That's the real answer. Thanks for everyone advice. Reduser rules!