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sm1250s

Britek SM-1250 Professional Studio Flash

NOTE: The SM-1250 Strobes have been discontinued, and are replaced with the newer, more powerful (and more expensive) PS-300 Pro Strobe. The SM-1250 Strobe(s) in this package will be automatically replaced with the PS-300 Pro Strobe(s) at no additional cost. See the PS-300 here.

The NEW SM-1250 Monolight This brand new Britek SM-1250 is a great starter Monolight for the beginning professional, the pro with tight budget constraints, or the advanced amateur who is ready to bring the professional look to his or her photographs (without mortgaging the house). Why are photogs so in love with their studios? BECAUSE (in our studios) WE CAN CONTROL THE LIGHT! And a "studio" can be a corner of any room, as long as we can CONTROL THE LIGHT. In our studios, we can play God! We can make it daytime or evening or night; we can shoot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can CREATE anything we can imagine - as long as we can CONTROL THE LIGHT!	After all, the word "Photographer" itself (from Greek) actually means Light Writer, or "one who writes with light." The term is meaningful because those of us who make photographs are slaves to light. Light is both our nemesis and our salvation (when we can control the light). Without the right types of lighting equipment, we can never progress to professional level studio pictures. Or location pictures. Sure, we can make beautiful photos with available light... when the light's just right, at the exact time we need it, and at exact place we need it, if it's not raining, if it's not snowing, if it's not too cold, if it's not too hot, if it's not dark, if everyone we need to make the pictures are available, under all the right conditions.... beginning to see now? When we can control the light, we can make the best photographs.
PhotoSpeak: BTW, did you notice, above, that I said "make" photographs, and not "take" pictures? Well, here's your first lesson in how pros speak about photography (photospeak): "Snapshooters" or "point and shooters," who don't think and plan their shots (e.g., most of us) are the ones who "take" pictures (the rank amateurs). Photographers "make" great photographs by careful thought, detailed planning, and, most of all, scrupulous attention to lighting. Before they even think about pressing that shutter, they "design" their photos carefully. Soon, with a little effort, you'll be "making" great photographs! It's not that hard, believe me. But ya gotta CONTROL THE LIGHT!
This little beauty cranks out a full 125 watt seconds* for mamma or poppa (or both)! Why do photographers want powerful flash equipment (strobes)? Because (both indoors and outdoors) with strobes, WE CAN CONTROL THE LIGHT! Sound familiar? Starting to get the picture, now? (sorry, I just couldn't resist ;-) BTW, did you realize that both the photo above, and the photo on the left, were both taken against the same background? Yup. The backdrop was a pure white canvas. Why does the picture on the left look like it has a brown background? BECAUSE I COULD CONTROL THE LIGHT. Even with a cheapie old (really old) digital Fuji (no speed control, no slr, no aperture choice, etc.). Hmmm... Light! What the heck is a "Watt Second?" What does "GN" mean?
Technique: How was I able to make the background in the top picture pure white, and in the picture above brown? It's easy - when you know how (it's sorta like this: What kind of question is a hard question? Answer: One you don't know the answer to. And what kind of question is an easy question? Answer: That's the one you do know the answer to). Here's how it's done: In the top picture, I lit the background with a strobe, so it came out pure white. In the picture above, I did not light the background; I just used the tiny little built-in flash on the digital Fuji, which was enough to (barely) light the strobe I was photographing, but too weak to reach or brighten up the backdrop to white; therefore, the background underexposed and looked brownish, even though it was really a pure white canvas! Carried to an extreme, I could even make a white background look black, if I wanted to. How? By lighting the subject so brightly that the (unlit) background would underexpose so badly it would come out black. It's all in the LIGHT folks; it's all in the light!

At the great price you'll get this strobe for, you could buy 3 or even four of them for LESS than you might pay for a single competing light!

More about the new SM-1250.....

This is a Fabulous deal, but let's not lose sight of the reality. If you're rich, have a sugar-mommy or daddy, are a high-income pro, or if you can get financing, my advice would be to spring for something (several somethings, in fact) more powerful, more feature-rich (and a LOT more expensive). Lights are like hard disks and internet connections: no matter how big a hard disk is, and no matter how fast your net connection is, they're never big or fast enough. But if you're just starting out, or are on a budget, or are an advanced (or advancing) amateur, these little babies sure make a lot of sense. Let's face it, your portrait clients (or your mother-in-law) won't have any idea whether you paid three hundred or three thousand for each of these strobes; they'll just be impressed (let them think they cost you an arm and a leg; especially those snooty, skinny, little models - "Ya want great head shots, sweetie? It's gonna cost ya; hell, my lights are so valuable, whenever I trade one in, I gotta pay it alimony!") Umm, just some photographer humor, folks :) - it sorta grows on you as you progress in photography; you'll see.

Now lemme tell ya about another great feature on these dynamite little units that's not found on many competing strobes costing 3-5 times the price of these: when you set these units for 1/2 power, the modeling lights ALSO dim to 1/2 power! What a great feature (what's a "modeling light?" see the explanation just below this picture)! [Why, you may ask, would we want to reduce a strobe's power output? see the "technique" section, below. As we can see from the back view, The New SM-1250 is well-stocked with controls and comes with all the extras already built-in. The SM-1250 is a "Monolight," which means that all the required components are included in the one package (as opposed to other strobes which may have the flash head in one segment, and then need an additional and separate power supply in order to get it to work; at an additional cost, too). With these units, everything is included; just plug them in, and fire away!

BTW, a "Modeling Light" is a separate, additional, light (in addition to the strobe's "Flash Tube") that's built into the strobe and throws continuous light over the same area as the strobe's flash tube will (see the picture below for a close-up). You turn on the modeling light (before your shot), so the photographer can see what the modeling will look like, as s/he adjusts the lights before he takes the shot and fires the strobe ("Modeling" is PhotoSpeak for the highlights (light areas) and shadows (dark areas) that fall upon the subject, giving it the depth and texture necessary for professional results). This great feature (modeling light) is usually only found on much more expensive lights. This unit can be activated by the PC Cord (included, of course), the Test Button, or the Slave Sensor (which means that any other flash, even your camera's little built-in flash, can automatically fire this unit by it's light alone, so you don't even need to use a sync (PC) cord unless you want to). BTW, a "PC Cord" (Push Contact), also called a "Sync Cord" is a wire that connects the strobe to your camera, and fires the strobe when you press the camera's shutter button.

Questions, questions, questions....

How can you sell brand new photographic equipment for such low prices? What shipping and payment options do you offer? How do I know I can trust you with my hard-earned money? What's your policy on customer service? Will these pro strobes work with my camera? With my digital camera? What if my camera is old? How do I contact you? If I live in Southern California; can I pick up the equipment myself? Will you offer more photographic equipment (than you have now)? Are your products guaranteed or warranted? What if I want certain equipment, but you don't have an auction with the equipment I want? Do you accept Lay-Away payment plans? Will you ship to Canada or Europe or Asia? What if I have some technical questions? Hey! Somebody else e-mailed me after I bid on your auction(s) and offered me a "deal" on cheaper equipment... and many more of your questions answered - just click below!

Answers, answers, answers....

	We can see the difference between the Modeling Light Bulb and the Flash Tube (the circular tube surrounding the modeling bulb) in this close-up shot of the SM-1250's business end (with the reflector removed, of course). The modeling light is especially valuable to the amateur, because it let's us "see" exactly where the light will fall when the strobe flashes. This feature alone is worth at least a hundred rolls of ruined film (which you'll save by having a modeling light)! One of the major questions (and hesitations) I had when I was beginning to learn photography, was "If you use strobes, how do you know what the subject will look like, or how and where the light will illuminate the subject, if you don't have continuous lighting to judge by?" The answer was really simple: You don't. UNLESS your strobes also have MODELING LIGHTS! With modeling lights, you can see exactly where the strobe's flash will illuminate the subject, because the modeling light falls on the subject the same as the strobe's light will fall on the subject (less intensely, of course)! And this is why the pros pay lotsa money for good strobes that come with modeling lights. That's why the professional photographer's pictures look so much better than ours do: they have the right equipment for the job! They can CONTROL THE LIGHT! And now, so can you.
PhotoSpeak: What's a "Slave Sensor?" Well, if you had to use a PC Cord for every strobe, just think what a mess of tangled wires you'd have if you were using 5 or 6 or more strobes to light your subject (as many pros do)! So, science came to our rescue with slave sensors. It's a tiny little sensor built into most good strobes, that sits & waits for a short, intense burst of light. When it detects this burst of light (the flash from another strobe), it automatically sets off the flash tube in the strobe its built into. Voila! Now, with strobes that have slave sensors (often just called "slaves"), we can connect only one strobe to our cameras (with the PC or Sync cord), usually the strobe closest to our camera, and when we press the shutter button, firing the one connected strobe, that flash will automatically set off all the other strobes we may be using for that shot! Ah, ain't technology wunnerful (sic)? Even most of the little flashes built into most modern cameras can set off most strobes with slaves. A strobe that has PC socket, or both a PC Socket and a slave sensor is called a "Master" strobe; a strobe that only has a slave sensor and no PC socket (usually less expensive units) is called a "Slave." Whichever strobe you're using with a PC cord is referred to as your "master" strobe for purposes of that shot. Most of the better strobes have both PC sockets and slave sensors, so they're more versatile and useful to us (however, there are many very good slaves out there today, and you won't need all your strobes to be masters, so don't hesitate to buy some decent slaves when the time comes - and, believe me, if you stick with photography, the time will come).
Complete: Each of these SM-1250s comes complete with umbrella-capable reflector, sync cord, AC cord, Flash Tube, Modeling Light, built-in umbrella holder, and standard light stand connector; it's ready to plug in and fire away! Many additional accessories are also available for these units, whenever you're ready for them (e.g., snoots, barn doors, softboxes, stands, unbrellas, honeycombs, gel holders, etc.). BTW, pros use umbrellas to "bounce" the strobe's light off of (or sometimes through) to make the light softer, reduce or eliminate shadows, and "mellow-out" the picture. Softboxes are also great for this purpose (yes, softboxes are also available). Simply plug this great light into any 110 v AC plug, and you're on your way to great pictures (DC units also available)! Free photo education and tips are included (when our new web site comes online soon; you'll automatically be notified if you win an auction). These are brand new, 100% guaranteed, with full manufacturer's warrantee . These are NOT seconds, blemishes, or anything other than brand new, absolutely perfect, current 2000 models! Just 'cause the price is great, doesn't mean these are in any way less than perfect! Want more strobes, light stands, umbrellas, softboxes, and other goodies? Additional units and accessories are always available; just e-mail any questions or requests, to me at wryter@usa.net --These strobes and other photographic equipment also come with an "extra" that's not available anywhere else, at any price whatsoever: FREE photographic education, advice and training from MyPhotoHome.com (coming soon to a computer near you)! MPH Members also get FREE web space (to post your own pictures), and much, much more (when MyPhotoHome.com comes online, shortly).
Point of Information: Why, you might be asking yourself, have virtually all photographers switched to using strobes, when "regular" continuous lights (photographers call them "hot" lights) are everywhere, and it's easier for us to see how the lighting will look with them? Well, the continuous lights, like the ones in our houses (tungsten lights), or halogen (and similar) are called "hot lights" for a reason: they get hot. Really hot! And the special photographic hot lights get twice as hot as household bulbs! This tends to make certain things, like flowers, foods, animals, and those darn pesky models, wilt. Especially models. They get very, very, unhappy when they wilt. Whine, gripe, groan; you'd think a little melting makeup, and running mascara, limp hair, and sticky lipstick, and beads of sweat running down their lovely curvaceous (umm, let's say noses) was a big deal or something, the way they complain! ;-) Next, there's a little problem with the "color temperature" being way off with hot lights, so we have to use special films (3200K or 3400K) or filters, or special photographic bulbs, when using them (strobes are perfectly balanced at 5500K to simulate sunlight, so we can use all the regular daylight films we've come to love/hate over the years). You'll notice that most of your pictures taken indoors without using a flash turn out with a yellowish color cast; that's because household lights are loaded with yellow and red light. The solution is to either use special films, or special filters. But why create more problems for yourself? Using strobes eliminates all these headaches (and heat!). Also, with continuous lights, they're always shining; usually right in our subject's eyes, causing squinting and annoyance (and ugly looking pictures). With strobes, nothing is shining in their eyes, and the flash is too short to cause any of this discomfort to our beloved subjects (until AFTER the flash, when they might be chasing all those little light blips around the room:). Additionally, with strobes, we can control the light much better! We can adjust the power output with the flick of a switch. We can modify the light with umbrellas, softboxes, softcases, filters, scrims and gobos, doo-dahs, and thingamajigs, etc., etc. We can direct the light with barn doors, snoots, honeycombs, and many other accessories. In short, with strobes, we can play God with our photography; WE CAN CONTROL THE LIGHT! And we can do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whenever we want, no matter what the weather is, and without regard to daylight or night. There are yet other, more esoteric, as well as mundane reasons why strobes are the preferred means of photographic lighting in the modern world, but we'll pass on those things for now. You've probably had enough information shoved down your throat already (sorry, but I can't resist trying to educate everyone about photography).
BTW, technically speaking, all professional photographic flash units, even though nearly all pros call them "strobes," are not technically strobe lights. A real stroboscope is capable of dozens (or hundreds or even thousands) of flashes per second, and many can maintain that flash rate for hours on end. Our photographic strobes would die a dozen deaths if we tried to set them off 25 or 50 times a second! However, since photographers almost always call these lights "strobes," we'll just stick with the term; but, technically..... Well, you get the idea ;->

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to make my eBay user name more pertinent to the equipment I'm selling, I've changed my user name from: "PhotoSource3" to: "PhotoSource3." So from now on, when checking for my eBay auctions, please remember that I'm now known as PhotoSource3! See ALL my auctions! <-Click!

Technique: Why would we want to dim a strobe to 1/2 power? Because in order to get great pictures, we have to be able to control the light (sound familiar?) in a number of ways. Sometimes a full power flash is too powerful for the effect we're after; other times we may want to reduce the illumination to create a different mood. In people pictures, for a head shot (that's what photographers call a picture of a person's face, often the face and shoulders), we often want part of the face highlighted, and the other part of the face in a light to medium shadow. This interplay of light and shadow is called "modeling," and is a hallmark of good photography. Anyway, as an example, a common lighting ratio for people pictures is a 1:2 (also 1:3, 1:4, or even 1:5) ratio - full illumination on one side of the face, and 1/2 that amount of light on the other side of the subject's face (we rarely want full frontal lighting, because it gives the face a flat and unappealing look, as well as other negative aspects). The 1:2 (full/half) lighting combination can give us an interesting and often flattering image, with a good ratio of light and shadow - revealing the character, and giving us depth and texture (but be sure to play around with other lighting ratios, too, for even more creativity). Whenever we have two strobes to work with, we can achieve this 1:2 ratio by moving one strobe (the one providing the shadow side lighting) twice as far away from the subject as our main light (the strobe providing the full illumination). But often things get in the way, like walls and such; not all of us have lots of room in our studios (especially living room studios :) to move our lights as far away as we like. Aha! The scientific wizards devised a most convenient solution! A variable-power strobe (like this great SM-1250)! Now, instead of moving lights all over the place, all we have to do is flip a switch, and Voila! 1/2 power without any hassle at all! In some very powerful strobes, we might even find variations from full power, all the way down to 1/32 power. Another way to achieve a lighting ratio (when we only have one strobe) is to use a reflector to "bounce" some light onto the shadow side of the subject's face. You can buy a "professional" reflector for as much as $100.00 or more, but I just use a white poster board, which you can find at any art supply store for under two bucks. You don't have to spend a fortune to make great pictures, just use your equipment to its fullest extent - and use your head! Back up to the SM-1250 description

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has left the building..."

Well, folks, that's it for the goodies. Now for the details:

Shipping & handling is only $16.85 (in continental USA) for ground delivery of first strobe; if you order more than one, add $14.25 for 2nd unit and above. Other shipping methods available (UPS 3 Day Select, Next Day Air or Fed Express, etc.), buyer chooses. If you want a shipping quote, feel free to e-mail me. Payments by credit cards, cashier's checks and money orders shipped immediately; personal & business checks are welcome, but order will be held until check clears (5-10 business days). Taxable for California residents only. Thank you for taking the time to view this auction, may you have best of luck, and happy bidding!!

BTW, if you should ever outgrow this light (unlikely, because photographers can always use all the lights we can get), but if you do, you can either trade it in on the new ones, or sell it (maybe even right here on eBay) - and you might even be able to sell it/them for as much as (or maybe even more than) you paid for it! So unlike that great computer we're all using right now (which will be almost worthless, for resale purposes, in 6 months or a year), these lights will retain a good portion of their value if or when you're ready to move on.

Guaranteed! This brand new, top quality, strobe equals or surpasses those with retail list prices far higher! Go ahead, check with your local photo store(s). Bid responsibly, but with confidence. These items are 100% guaranteed to be brand new, with the full manufacturer's warantee (one year)! You may return this light (in new and undamaged condition, of course) within 7 days of receipt for a full refund (excluding shipping), if it is not exactly as described above in every way. Trust me, you'll love it! For a couple of hundred more objective opinions, check my feedback; and see what every other customer has had to say about this strobe (as well as every other item I've ever sold), and about my service, and my commitment to 100% customer satisfaction! Hey, us struggling photogs have to stick together, y'know (and all of us are always struggling - to make that elusive "perfect" photograph, huh?). Thanks again for viewing this auction, and best of luck to you; feel free to e-mail any questions to me, and may the photographic Gods smile upon you! Umm, a nice present from the Lottery Gods wouldn't hurt, either, huh? :-) For answers to common questions, read my FAQ.

As an eBay PowerSeller, a Billpoint PreferredSeller, and a PayPal "Verified" premier business seller, my customers are safer, happier, and better off all around! :-) If you're a PayPal user, you no longer have that darn $1-2,000.00 limit every 6 months on your purchases when you order from me (unlimited credit)! If you're a Billpoint user (your credit is unlimited again), you will NOT have that annoying $500.00 per auction limit on your purchases when you buy from me, and even if you're new to Billpoint, there's NO waiting or verification delays whatsoever, so your order can be shipped immediately (and you can use Billpoint to pay for any purchase from me - unlike the limits you have with ordinary sellers)! You're ALWAYS better off buying from PhotoSource3! Plus, your purchase is doubly guaranteed against fraud! Read more about your safeguards...

NOTE: You're welcome to pay with PayPal, BidPay, or Billpoint by credit card or electronic check. BidPay and Billpoint will allow folks from countries other than the USA to use credit cards, too. For those not technologically inclined, snail mail (i.e. the post office) will also work just fine. I hope this helps provide enough alternatives for you (if not, feel free to send in your suggestions; e-mail me here). One of the differences between me and the big guys, is the fact that I'm always willing to do whatever I possibly can to help out my customers in whatever ways are needed. Here's my philosophy on "Customer Service." Will I ship to Canada and other countries? Sure I will! But read this before placing an out-of-the-USA bid. Basically, if you're willing to pay the shipping charges, then I'll be happy to ship to you.

P.S. Check out my great Photographic web site HERE!

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