Flashcubes/Magicubes (was Explain your avatar)

[dmr]

Mine is a magicube. I genuinely feel flash/magicubes are one of the most significant yet underrated developments in photography in the last 50 years.

'Bring the sun inside'!

I hope you don't mind me moving this to a new thread, but it's buried several pages deep. 🙂

Why do you feel this way? More significant than the flashbulb itself (over flash powder) or the electronic flash over the one-time flashbulb?

ObTrivia: Anybody remember the Wink Light? 🙂

 

[XAos]

When I bought my Hi-Matic (still not home from the shop yet.. I should check on it before the bill gets too high) along with a nice case I got the little folding metal disc flash bulb thingy and scads of flash bulbs. I should try it for street photography, it's bound to get more people looking at you (and hence the camera). Only thing is, around here, "street" photography is holsteins.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

ObTrivia: Anybody remember the Wink Light? 🙂

I have one for my Polaroid 🙂

Wayne

 

[Duncan Ross]

I hope you don't mind me moving this to a new thread, but it's buried several pages deep. 🙂

Why do you feel this way? More significant than the flashbulb itself (over flash powder) or the electronic flash over the one-time flashbulb?

ObTrivia: Anybody remember the Wink Light? 🙂

obtriviaII: The flashcube won the R&D100 award in 1965!

Simple as they are flashcubes solved several problems at once. Ordinary flashbulbs have their drawbacks; there are lots of types with different guide numbers and colours, you need a fan to flash them in, replacing them involves juggling hot bulbs and you have to change them every shot. Although attempts were made to make things simpler nothing achieved this like the flashcube. It had four bulbs instead of one, it had its flashgun 'built in', it didn't get hot and had a standard output. The later magicube added mechanical operation (no need for camera batteries) and used-bulb detection.

At a time where electronic flash was large and expensive flashcubes condensed existing flash technology into a simple consumer item that solved many problems and made flash photography simple. At last everyone could pop a flashcube on and take flash photos without knowing the first thing about cameras.

Brilliant (pun intended)!!!

 

[Gordon Coale]

How does their output compare to the Pres 25s?

 

[Duncan Ross]

How does their output compare to the Pres 25s?

Standard flashbulb has a GN of 100ft@100ASA
Press 25 (daylight) has an output of 200ft@100ASA

So the Press 25 is 2 stops more powerful than a standard flashcube and 1 stop more powerful than a polaroid hi-power flashcube.

These values are all based on X-sync contacts at 1/30th.

As you see flashcubes are easily powerful enough to bounce and Zeiss Ikon made a neat little accessory-mounted flashcube holder that could bounce up to 90° (it held the cube sideways).

 

[Duncan Ross]

I hope you don't mind me moving this to a new thread, but it's buried several pages deep. 🙂

Why do you feel this way? More significant than the flashbulb itself (over flash powder) or the electronic flash over the one-time flashbulb?

ObTrivia: Anybody remember the Wink Light? 🙂

And to answer your second question (which I missed, sorry!) I do not think that they were more significant than flashbulbs and electronic flash; but far more underrated like disposable cameras. Anything that lets people who want to know nothing about cameras take cheap pictures gets a thumbs-up here! 😀

 

[dmr]

obtriviaII: The flashcube won the R&D100 award in 1965!

I didn't know that.

it had its flashgun 'built in'

And ... I did not even think of this.

it didn't get hot

Again, I didn't think of this, but I do remember that my dad's standard armamentaria included a towel for grabbing the recently-used bulbs. I do remember that they would sizzle and bubble right after they were flashed. The smaller ones for the Brownie Starflash did this too, but not as badly.

I also admit that I've avoided flash whenever I could. I never liked it and still don't use it unless I have to. I very much prefer available light. (The pop-up flash on the Olympus Stylus is especially harsh.) I do have a Vivitar auto strobe for the real camera(s) but I very seldom use it.

Things just look more natural to me without flash.

I made a reference to the Wink Light, because my one aunt had it on her Polaroid and I considered it to be a kinder-gentler flash. It did not scare the cat (or me) the way the huge bulbs did. I was also impressed by the fact that it had a permanent bulb. I guess I'm one of the only ones here who doesn't have much experience with flash bulbs.