UREGNT! How to install twin tubes in cross position on balcar iris head?

[tarunn]

Hi
How do I install two flash tubes on my balcar iris head for faster flash duration? I have the Balcar AQ battery pack. Has anyone done it before? Do I have to remove the halogen since the tube doesn't seem to fit otherwise. The balcar manual tell you that it's possible but don't tell you how? Searched the net but to no avail.

Thanks in advance,
Tarunn
Photographer
Bangalore
India
Email - tarunn@tarunn.com
Website - Home Page of TARUN TARUN Professional PHOTOGRAPHER-Advertising, Creative, People, Fashion, Digital PHOTOGRAPHY. Bangalore, India.
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[Klyment_Tan]

Did you get a longer flash tube? You can't install two standard length tubes into a Balcar Iris head if I recall correctly. This longer tube will install perpendicular to your existing tube. You shouldn't have to remove anything.

[tarunn]

Hi Klyment

Thanks for the reply. But I already got a reply (it took 5 days), from Balcar. They said I have to have 2 long flash tubes if I want to keep the model lamp. If I have 1 small and 1 long tube, which I did, I'll have to remove the model lamp. Also I need 2 trigger wires.

Would you know where I can buy the converter to use my Profoto heads on Balcar AQ pack?

Thanks so much for the reply anyway

Tarunn

[Klyment_Tan]

I'm glad that you got that cleared up and I see that I remembered incorrectly. =)

Take a look on Balcar's website to see if there's an agent near you. I think Malaysia and Singapore are your best bets though I am unsure of their stocking situation. At least in the past, if there is no regular channel in your territory through which you can obtain equipment, Balcar would be willing to deal with you directly. In North America, however, this resulted in greatly-inflated prices since you would be buying in euros and Calumet (when they were the N. American distributor . . . dunno what's up now) made Balcar equipment available at attractive prices and would also do a phenomenal job servicing it all.

I actually sold out of all of my Balcar equipment (a few Nexus packs, two AQ Packs, Concept, and some dedicated light mods) because of the loss of Calumet as the authorized distributor at the time and the Canadian distributor botched the one encounter I had with them that I lost all faith in the viability of shooting with Balcar considering how lighting-dependant my shooting style had become.

[tarunn]

Hi
Sorry for a late reply. Been on a shoot. I found a person in Bombay who is importing the required Balcar stuff. I've also bought a Profoto 8A Air last week. I'll keep Balcar AQ only when I'm stuck without a generator. Also Balcar specifications are same as Profoto 7B. And AQ is less than half the price of Profoto 7B. Plus the Balcar can take 2 Flash tubes on one head with one wire. Profoto Twin head has two wires and uses up 2 plugs from the generator. So actually with Balcar you can have 4 flashtubes firing from one generator. Whereas with profoto I can only use maximum of 2 flashtubes per head as the twin head only fires through two flashtubes if both the plugs are connected. Profoto 8A looks good till now. Only issue is that they promise a sync speed of 1/500 with focal plane shutter. But I'm only able to get close to 1/320 with my Canon 1 ds MKIII. I've written to Profoto and await a response. Do you have any clue about it? I'm also trying to replace all my speed rings for Chimera to Profoto now.
Tarunn