How different flashlights impact on tube’s light Painting

April 12, 2016 by Udi Tirosh 4 Comments

A while back we shared Eric Pare’s method of creating perfect lighting painting circles with $3.5 tube guards. Basically it involves sticking a flashlight at the end of a tube and using it as an enormous light wand. (see the full post here).

If you were wondering if different flashlights yield different results, the answer is you betcha. Photographer Pete Polefitski compared 2 cheapo flash lights with an EagleTac D25LC2 torch.

The test involved doing the same Eric Pare signature tube guard look three time over a 3.2 seconds exposure.

While this is not a 100% accurate test, results are kinda predictable: The $2 and $4 flashlights provide usable results, while the EagleTac came out completely burned. Well, this is kinda expected when you compare a $4 flashlight to a $64 flashlight, but still good to know 😉

About Udi Tirosh

Udi Tirosh is the Founder and Editor in Chief of DIYPhotography, he is also a photographer, a relentless entrepreneur, a prolific inventor and a dad, not necessarily in that order

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Jacob A. Allen

Are they all shot at the same setting? Changing the setting can bring different results.
KTX

It’s not the price but the power output and light spread. It’s not voodoo. Those cheaper flashlights usually have simple leds that just don’t put out enough light. I personally think it’s better to have the more powerful light, turn the ISO of the camera down and use longer shutterspeeds to illuminate the surroundings. It’s easier to lightpaint with more time on your hands (plus you can paint more stuff into your photo).
Pete Polefitski

Yes, i shot these all at the exact same settings on the camera. You really want to do these light painting shots with more like a 1.5 second exposure when using the Tube or the Wand etc.. But, it also shows, that you can get by if you don’t have $64 to throw at a little flashlight. I love the EagleTac though. Not to mention, when you throw it into “strobe” mode you can get the coveted slicing effect. It’s all fun and where there’s a will, theres a way.
Brett White

Best article!