DIY camera flash LEDs recommandations

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Hello flashlight friends,

I want to try and build a compact camera flash for my film camera.

Brightness and battery autonomy are important but the most important criteria for me is compactness.

It would be powered by batteries and the flash duration would be around 1/250s I guess.

Ideally I’d like to achieve something like this (or slightly bigger) :

Which LEDs would you recommend for such use case ?

Thanks

2

None. LEDs cannot output enough power for using them as a flash.

3

Thanks for your answer, don’t smartphones use LEDs for their flash ?

4

It looks like it already have led , what exactly you want to mod? Lets say you want hi- cri flash so here Nichia 5000-5700K
BTW phones not flashing, it turn on led for sec or few and only then shoots.

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5

Welcome to the forum!

If you want a “real” flash, “old” tech, xenon flash will provide more light in 1/250s than small LEDs will.

Phones use LEDs because they’re compact, but the instantaneous output is lower. If you can afford a longer shutter speed then LEDs might work, and are successfully used by guys doing light painting etc.

Just had a look at the AliExpress link, why not just buy that product?

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6

Thanks, I want to build one myself (instead of buying/modding the one from AliExpress) in order to learn electronics, that’s also why I want to avoid xenon flash because of the higher voltages they require

cc @Quadrupel

7

Okay, perhaps I’d also add regulated output to your requirements so that you can predict exposures. Else you’ll have a bright light when the battery is full and less light when it’s empty…

8

Alternative could be some headlamp

9

LEDs are useless as light source for camera flashlamp. End of story.
Mike

10

Here some about

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11

You beat me to it! I was searching for that thread as an example, the old CPF threads are often great technical resource.

To make something even closely comparable, you’d need big die LEDs which can tolerate being overdriven for a short period without the bond wires burning.

12

Indeed this is an interesting link :slight_smile:

but my objective is clearly not to build a 125 guide number cobra flash like the sb800 with LEDs
I’m aiming to build something way more modest in order to be able to take properly lit portraits at about 2 meters at full aperture. (12 guide number)
More like the flash built-in disposable cameras.

13

Buy a disposable camera with flash, and ask for the carcass back after taking it to develop the pix. Sometimes they’ll even give you a carcass for free if you ask nicely. Make up a story that you’re teaching your kid electronics or something, and want to show different components.

The tube and reflector are one unit, the electronics are a small board either attached to the reflector directly or can be hotglued in place. Easy to grab ± power and the trigger.

Boomf, done.

14

Yes I considered this, I already have a disposable camera with a flash at home but I’m afraid of sending 100s volts inside my camera and frying it :frowning:

15

Thanks for stopping by, bonne-bouille!

1 Thank