Topic: Flashbulbs going paf

[Francois]

This is so cool!
Here's a video of flashbulbs going paf being filmed at a whopping 100,000 FPS

https://youtu.be/sJtTRe_dEzs

Really beautiful stuff.

[Bryan]

That is cool!  You can see the little sparks jumping around like my shot below shows. 

Flash Bulb by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

[Francois]

Yep, just like that.
What surprised me the most is that you can see the sparks actually spinning in the air before igniting another filament.
I hadn't realized that what makes the bulbs slow burning is that they actually use a chain reaction to ignite. Quite a fascinating piece of tech in reality.

[LEAFotography]

That video is great! Thanks for posting that! And it reminded me of Bryan's photos from a couple of months ago.

Coincidentally, I've brought (and fired) some flash bulbs on holiday with me (20 PF1Bs) to use with a Duo Lux flash gun, and Solida I camera.

I made a 22.5v battery from a column of 15 AG13, AG12, and AG10 button batteries. The connectivity between the flash gun and camera is a bit temperamental, so a few of the bulbs went off as I was tilting the camera, and I got scorched finger and thumb when I was reseating a bulb that had not fired (ouch) but I managed to get a few photographs on HP5+ and to develop them on holiday, so I'm really pleased

[Francois]

That's pretty cool. Thankfully you didn't get some of these big press camera bulbs blow between your fingers!
Your flashgun might just need a bit of contact cleaner. Thing is that those things are not exactly fresh off the assembly line.

I don't know if it's still the case but flashbulbs were the preferred way to photograph caves.

[AJShepherd]

Nifty! It reminded me a bit of the atom bomb sequence in the third series of Twin Peaks!

Is there any little company out there that can still manufacture flashbulbs, or are they limited to remaining dead stock?
Did those wacky Lomography people miss a trick there, just think how much they'd charge for new build flashbulbs/cubes!

[Bryan]

Nifty! It reminded me a bit of the atom bomb sequence in the third series of Twin Peaks!

Is there any little company out there that can still manufacture flashbulbs, or are they limited to remaining dead stock?
Did those wacky Lomography people miss a trick there, just think how much they'd charge for new build flashbulbs/cubes!

As far as I know this is the only company still making flash bulbs.

http://www.meggaflash.com/

[LEAFotography]

I got round to scanning my photos from the roll of HP5+ I used in combination with a Solida I and PF1B flash bulbs.

I'm pleased with the exposures (developed them in the holiday cottage bathroom) and got the focusing about right. My friends were amused by the powerful flash and wave of heat that radiates from the bulbs.