Affordable ways to experiment with Fresnel-style continuous lighting for portraits
Asked 12/15/2013
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I like the look of portraits and fashion images lit with continuous Fresnel sources, often HMIs mixed with daylight, but true HMI Fresnel kits are far beyond my budget. I’d like to experiment with a similar hard, focusable light quality for photography without spending at that level.
Are there practical lower-cost alternatives, such as tungsten Fresnels, flash-compatible Fresnel attachments, or third-party Fresnel modifiers? If using something like a 650W tungsten Fresnel for stills, is the output generally workable for portraits/fashion if I compensate with tripod use, wider apertures, or higher ISO? I’m also curious about any safety or heat concerns with cheaper Fresnel modifiers.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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There are lower-cost off-brand alternative Fresnel boxes, such as this one, but I'm not prepared to vouch for any of them. It's not that the optics are critical or anything of that nature; Fresnels are kind of sloppy in any case. It's more to do with cooling, especially when you're using modelling lights. Unlike (most) softboxes, Fresnel boxes are pretty small, so the air inside can heat up rapidly when you're using modelling lights, operating at high power quickly, or both. (And the Profotos aren't that bad, if you compare them to, say, the Broncolor Flooter.) To be clear: I'm not saying they're bad or dangerous. They may be perfectly fine. I'm just not prepared to state for the record that they throw good light and won't lead to overheating problems.
Thing is, though, you really just want the quality of light that a Fresnel gives you, not necessarily a Fresnel unit per se. And you can get close enough for jazz with a gridded reflector of the right kind. If you're a Profoto user, I would suspect that you can get pretty much the effect you want using a Magnum with grid and barndoors or a Telezoom. For closer-in applications where you want a large soft-ish spot and quick fall-off (the classic Hollywood look), you might find that a small gridded beauty dish will get you where you want to go.
If you're shooting slow and modelling lights are not a worry, you can easily jury-rig a small Fresnel using a resin lens from Edmunds Optics. If you can find an old tungsten or arc Fresnel unit, you can probably have it altered easily enough and get a more authentic wide-ring Fresnel look, or simply use the lens. You simply need nested boxes and a way to adjust them, and you can cannibalize a third-party speed ring as a flash mount.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
12y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—there are cheaper ways to explore the look, but each has tradeoffs.
A tungsten Fresnel is the most straightforward budget option if you want true continuous, focusable Fresnel light. For portraits or fashion, lower-wattage units can work if you accept slower shutter speeds, wider apertures, and/or higher ISO. That makes them more practical for controlled stills than for freezing motion.
Third-party Fresnel modifiers for flash or monolights also exist, but quality and heat handling can vary. The main concern isn’t only the optics; it’s cooling. Fresnel attachments are compact, so heat can build up quickly, especially with modeling lamps or prolonged high-power use. Use caution and follow the modifier’s rated limits.
If your goal is mainly the hard, shaped, directional look rather than specifically HMI technology, a tungsten Fresnel is a sensible way to experiment. HMIs are valuable largely because they provide much more daylight-balanced output, but they’re expensive. Start with a smaller continuous Fresnel setup, learn the beam control and shadow quality, and then decide whether you truly need HMI-level power later.
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