DIY Studio Strobe Part 1: LED Modelling Light
In this article I show how a modern LED photo light can be mounted together with a vintage on-camera flash (speedlight) to create an affordable and versatile Bowens-compatible studio strobe.
I love black and white film photography and I love using old equipment and old techniques in my photography where I can. I also love upcycling old equipment and modifying it to give it a new lease of life.
Why is a Modelling Light Important?
A modelling light or lamp is a continuous light source that allows you, the photographer, to see of the lighting effect a strobe will create when it fires.
A modelling light is a standard feature of studio strobes but is absent from speedlights and small off-camera flashes. The Godox AD100pro is one of the few small, off-camera flashes that has a built-in (1.8W LED) modelling light.
The Fresnel flash head that comes as standard with the next model up, the Godox AD200pro, has 2 small LED strips that can be used as a modelling light. However, the bare bulb flash head that also comes as standard, doesn’t have a modelling light.
For the digital studio photography having a modelling light is extremely useful but not essential, you can instantly see the effect of the strobe by taking a picture.
The same is not true for film photography, having a modelling light is essential. Without them, your studio photography is going to be a frustrating and unfulfilling waste of time.
My Speedlights
I have two types of speedlight: a single Nikon SB-600 that I bought new in 2005; and three 1980s vintage Vivitar 283s that I bought on ebay around 15 years ago. Neither has a modelling light.
I seldom use my SB-600 except when I’m travelling. The SB-600 is slightly smaller than the Vivitar 283 and has an LCD display I can use to manually set the power output at the push of a button. Compared to the Vivitars, there are fewer things to remember to pack.
I prefer the Vivitars and I use them in the studio for single and multi light setups. It’s easy to see why they have the 283 is the most popular electronic flash unit in the history of 35mm photography. The only downside is that they are fully automatic and adjusting the power output manually is tricky. I show you how to fix this in the second part of this series.
Adding an LED Modelling Light
1. Godox S2-Type Bracket
The key component is the Godox S2-type Bowens-compatible speedlight bracket which fits all Bowens-mount lighting modifiers and crucially has a removable insert that allows for 2 speedlights to be stacked horizontally.
In my case I’m not stacking 2 speedlights but instead a speedlight and a small LED light cube that will be my modelling light.
Note that there are cheaper S-type brackets that do not have the removable insert. These are not suitable for mounting a speedlight and an LED modelling light.
2. Rollei LUMIS Solo Cube LED Light
There are a wide variety of small, inexpensive LED lights that could work as a modelling light.
I chose the Rollei LUMIS Solo cube partly because it was on sale with a big discount. The same product is also sold under other brand names.
The crucial features to look for are:
- Size: you want the vertical height to be small enough that it will fit in the bracket below your speedlight. The Solo cube is 41mm high including the bezel used to attach accessories.
- Controls: you need the controls to still be accessible when the light is mounted in the bracket. A light with the controls at the rear is preferable. The Solo cube has a single button on the side that controls the power on/off and light level in 4 steps.
- Peak illuminance (light intensity): the higher the better, especially if you intend to use it with accessories like soft boxes. The Solo cube has a peak illuminance of 1000lx (4 Watts) which is good enough for my small studio.
- Battery life: the longer the better; my studio sessions are typically an hour, so I need a light with a battery that lasts at least that long at full power. The battery life of the Solo cube is over an hour when it is used at it’s highest light intensity and around two to three hours at it’s lowest setting.
- Colour temperature: if you are shooting in colour then having a light with a stable, neutral colour temperature is important. If, like me, you only shoot black and white then this is less important. The Solo cube has a colour temperature of 5500K ± 200K.
3. Putting it All Together
The other thing you’ll need is a small piece of rubber or foam to fill in the 3mm gap between the body of the Solo cube and the bezel. I use a 4cm wide strip of anti-slip rubber mat.
The assembly is straightforward:
- Remove the insert from the bottom of the S2-type bracket
- Place the Solo cube LED light at the bottom of the bracket
- Place the rubber or foam insert on top of the Solo cube
- Insert your speedlight at the top of the bracket
- Tighten the knob at the top of the bracket just enough to hold the speedlight and LED light in place. Be careful not to overtighten the knob, otherwise you may crack the case on your speedlight.
Budget
A budget of €100 is sufficient to buy the S2-type bracket, an LED light and a Vivitar 283 in good condition.
Together the Godox S2-type bracket and the Rollei LUMIS Solo LED light cost around €65 including delivery.
You can pick up a Vivitar 283 in good condition on eBay for less than €25 including delivery. A Nikon SB-600 in good condition is around €75.
To manually control the output of the Vivitar you need an additional plug-in controller. Part 2 of the series details how you can make your own.
Triggering Your Studio Strobe
To trigger your new studio strobe I recommend buying a remote radio trigger.
My recommendation is the Neewer PT-16 as the receivers have a socket for an old-style PC flash sync cable as well as a hot-shoe. The PT-16 is cheap (around €35 for a trigger and two receivers) but the build quality can be hit-and-miss, so it’s important to fully test them with your camera when buying one.
I discuss my experience of the PT-16 in Part 3 of the series.
Results
The series of photographs above shows the four light levels of the Rollei LUMIS Solo when used as a modelling light with a 55° reflector positioned 50cm from the subject.
They were taken with Fomapan 100 (ISO 100) at f4 and 1/125 second using a Nikon F80D and a 50mm lens.
The images below show the modelling light being used with a Neewer 60cm x 60cm softbox plus grid in a classic Rembrandt lighting setup.
And the final photograph, taken with Fomapan 100 (ISO 100) at f4 and 1/125 second using a Nikon F80D with a 50mm lens, a Vivitar 283 at -5 EV (1/32 power) with a softbox and a Neweer PT-16 wireless trigger.
The film was developed in Fomadon LQN (6:45 at 20°C in a rotary processor), scanned using Vuescan and a reflecta ProScan 10T (at 5000dpi) and converted in Lightroom Classic using Negative Lab Pro.
