Info Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-01: preliminary review

[puttsk]

About the diffuser for HF-1, are there any drawbacks of choosing dome diffuser over flat diffuser? I'm planning to get the diffuser with the strobe to save on shipping cost but can't decided which diffuser I should go with.

 

[Backscatter::Jim]

About the diffuser for HF-1, are there any drawbacks of choosing dome diffuser over flat diffuser? I'm planning to get the diffuser with the strobe to save on shipping cost but can't decided which diffuser I should go with.

The dome diffuser is wider than the flat diffuser. In lower visibility conditions with a lot of scatter in the water, the flat diffuser is better because it is slightly more directional in its coverage with the narrower beam. The dome provides edge to edge even beam but is a little harder to eliminate scatter in the corners with a fisheye lens in low vis. The Hybrid Flash comes with the flat white diffuser. If you plan on shooting in clear vis (like most of the Caribbean) the domes will light up huge scenes with ease.

Basically the flats are more forgiving for eliminating scatter in low vis, and the domes are more forgiving for exact strobe position in clear water due to the evenness and width.

Also consider the color temperature. 4500K is great in greener waters or in shallow clear conditions as it tamps down the green and aqua hues and turns the water more towards blue. 5500 is great all around and the white has a bit more reach into the scene due to the higher color temperature.

 

[WS007]

The dome diffuser is wider than the flat diffuser. In lower visibility conditions with a lot of scatter in the water, the flat diffuser is better because it is slightly more directional in its coverage with the narrower beam. The dome provides edge to edge even beam but is a little harder to eliminate scatter in the corners with a fisheye lens in low vis. The Hybrid Flash comes with the flat white diffuser. If you plan on shooting in clear vis (like most of the Caribbean) the domes will light up huge scenes with ease.

Basically the flats are more forgiving for eliminating scatter in low vis, and the domes are more forgiving for exact strobe position in clear water due to the evenness and width.

Also consider the color temperature. 4500K is great in greener waters or in shallow clear conditions as it tamps down the green and aqua hues and turns the water more towards blue. 5500 is great all around and the white has a bit more reach into the scene due to the higher color temperature.

Thanks, very informative...

Do you know, by chance, a link where one can read in detail about the selection of the "right" color temperature for different environments/types of photos?


Wolfgang

 

[Backscatter::Jim]

Thanks, very informative...

Do you know, by chance, a link where one can read in detail about the selection of the "right" color temperature for different environments/types of photos?


Wolfgang

You can check out the original preliminary review article that has some sample images with before and after shots of 4500 vs. no diffuser:

Backscatter Hybrid Flash Underwater Strobe & Video Light Review - Underwater Photography - Backscatter

Also don't discount the Ambient filters too for a completely different look. There's few samples of that in the article showing comparisons of the Ambient diffuser vs. no diffuser.

I don't necessarily think there is any "right", a lot of it is up to personal preference. I found that 4500 works well to turn greenish/aqua water more blue in those color waters, but deeper in clear vis the effect isn't quite as much. Shallow in clear water, has a bigger effect. 5500 is just a classic and what most people want out of the box and would be more "faithful" for a lack of a better term. I think a lot of people would be surprised if I show them a properly balanced white diffuser shot (about 6300K) as it would look nice and warm especially at depth because the difference in color temp is so great at that point 6300 is comparatively VERY warm to the surrounding light. The higher color temps have more of a reach into the scene, which is where the ambient comes in being much higher in color temp. It's got a crazy reach into a scene because it is the same color (or very close) to the ambient light so you don't get that weird mix of colors when shooting a warm strobe underwater with the natural blueish light. It's all the same color so the falloff of light is just much further away visually. It's just filling shadows as you would with a land shot with a flash where the flash and ambient light are roughly the same color. The trick with the Ambient diffuser is to white balance the camera to the Ambient diffuser so the flash is at a constant color temp. There might be a small color temp difference between the flash and ambient dependent on depth but it's pretty damn near in the ball park form about 10-35 feet. As one gets deeper with the Ambient diffuser even thought the foreground might look good the background starts to lean more magenta/purple. At that point you could still make the shot work for that ambient type of look at those depths, but just move the Hue slider in Lightroom from purple towards blue and it will knock it right out.

I guess that was a mini article! Hopefully that's a good summary of what you're looking for. Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[Tall]

Does anyone know whether the flash has an auto-off focus light and whether a manual is already available?
I also wonder if switching between video and flash functions is easy. Perhaps this should be done with the metal-colored push buttons? I hope someone can help me further.

 

[BoltSnap]

Does anyone know whether the flash has an auto-off focus light and whether a manual is already available?
I also wonder if switching between video and flash functions is easy. Perhaps this should be done with the metal-colored push buttons? I hope someone can help me further.

Excellent questions. I am sure that @Backscatter::Jim will reply soon.

 

[Backscatter::Jim]

Excellent questions. I am sure that @Backscatter::Jim will reply soon.

And here I am...

The LED lights do turn off when the flash fires.

Manual should be out in week or 2.

The last one is a more nuanced answer.

In any of the photo modes the center silver button on the back controls the selection of spot/wide/red and the power levels. Long press changes the mode, short press changes the 3 power levels and off. In the photo modes the wide lights are 2000 lumens.

In video mode (V on the mode dial) the wide lights are 5000 lumens. Only wide is available in V mode. The center silver button controls the 3 power levels and off of the video light.

 

[BoltSnap]

And here I am...

We only have to mention your name once and poof, you are here

Thank you!!

 

[Tall]

And here I am...

The LED lights do turn off when the flash fires.

Manual should be out in week or 2.

The last one is a more nuanced answer.

In any of the photo modes the center silver button on the back controls the selection of spot/wide/red and the power levels. Long press changes the mode, short press changes the 3 power levels and off. In the photo modes the wide lights are 2000 lumens.

In video mode (V on the mode dial) the wide lights are 5000 lumens. Only wide is available in V mode. The center silver button controls the 3 power levels and off of the video light.

Hi Jim, thanks for your superfast and clear answer. I'm very curious.
I recently got two NON s220 flaslights (I kept my previously purchased INONZ330 for when I really need a lot of light) and I have the Weefine 6000 for video (and before I had the inons220 also as second flashlight).
But I find it inconvenient to have separate videolight and flashflight and I also would like to have a 2nd video light. So the combination of the backscatter seems perfect (but expensive ) for me
Thanks, Tally

 

[WS007]

Planned shipping is "end of May" - this would be just now, according to my calendar...

Did anyone already receive their HF-1 (I ordered two and am waiting)?


Wolfgang