• bio
• portfolio
  • adventure
  • lifestyle
  • people
  • landscapes
  • personal
  • adobe lightroom
  • Patagonia Expedition Race
• published
• awards
  • asmp best of
  • teva mountain games
  • nature's best
• links
• newsletter

  • sign up
  • back issues
• blog
• behind the scenes
  • digital workflow
  • equipment
    • photo accessories
    • camera equipment
    • digital equipment
    • camera bag
  • nikon world
  • new mexico magazine
  • adobe lightroom
  • in god's hands
  • reality of adventure photography
• contact

Equipment Review: Dyna-Lite Uni400jr Monolight

November 2005

After extensive research into location lighting gear and specifically monolights I could run on lightweight batteries I chose the Dyna-Lite Uni400jr. It wasn’t the lightest option but at 10 pounds total (for a one light set up) there is nothing else out there that can match it’s light quality and robust build. I have since taken this lighting set up on a two week rafting trip down the Grand Canyon and have hiked it 10+ miles into the backcountry. Sure there are more powerful location kits out there. The Profoto 7b is probably the king of location lighting but at 35 plus pounds that is not a kit I want to lug into the backcountry with me.

You might be thinking that 400 watt/seconds of power doesn’t seem like much but I have found the Uni400jr’s 400 watt/seconds equal to or more powerful than many other manufacturers monolights. For my work, I am not lighting sports arenas and 400 watt/seconds of power is overkill for 90% of my work. I generally use the unit at 1/8 to 1/2 power so I can take advantage of it’s short flash duration (up to 1/2,200 sec) to stop any movement - especially when shooting digitally with the Nikon D2x which has a top synch speed of 1/250th a second. The unit is also perfect for creating a ghost lighting effect with fast moving sports - to create that effect I crank the unit up to full power and the slower flash duration of 1/675 second creates a ghosting effect. The flash duration range is a key feature of this monolight - one that’s not available in any other battery powered monolight on the market (in this weight class).

Another great feature of the Uni400jr is the jackrabbit battery pack for shooting without AC power on location.The Jackrabbit provides approximately 80 full power flashes with a full charge. At 1/4 power that number jumps to 180 which is more than sufficient for my average stock shoot. If I need more juice in the backcountry, I take an extra battery with me. The downside to the battery is that it lowers the full power output to 320 watt/seconds - this hasn’t been that big of an issue so far as I generally am using the Uni400jr in early morning or late afternoon lighting conditions. And at only 3 pounds the battery weighs less than any of my cameras and it’s tiny.

Dyna-Lite is well known as one of the top lighting brands on the market and I have found that the Uni400jr is true to their name. It produces incredibly consistent silky smooth light and Dyna-Lite also has an extensive array of light modifiers to shape the light as you need it for each set up.

Above is a perfect example of what the possibilities are when you have a ten pound location lighting set up. In the image above Nigerian artist, Rafini Mustriphe, poses for a portrait for an article on the College of Santa Fe. I used a Nikon D2x, 17-35mm AF-S Nikkor lens, the Uni400jr and the jackrabbit battery which was hanging on the light stand for easy transport. To soften the light I used Dyna-Lite’s 18-inch Soft light reflector with the silk diffuser and a 1/8 CTO gel to warm things up a bit. The color balance was tweaked in Photoshop to give it a soft greenish cast which works well with his skin tones.

I find that for shooting adventure sports on location my favorite modifier is the Dyna-Lite 18” Soft Light Reflector with a silk diffuser. It is a metal reflector 18” in diameter designed for fashion photographers. It softens the light dramatically, weighs only a pound or so and since it is metal and smaller than a big flapping soft box it catches less wind. Hence, I don’t have to worry as much about the lights taking a “digger” when it gets a little windy. Plus it attaches to the flash head in seconds and makes set up easy when I am trying to get the perfect lighting combination just after the sun has set.

The only niggling I’ve found with the Uni400jr was that I had to send it back for repairs twice after buying it because the Jackrabbit battery plug was mis-aligned. It was finally taken care of on the second repair and since seems to be working just fine. I have heard from many that they found the Jackrabbit battery to be really finicky. My experience has been if you follow the instructions it works just fine. The only caveat is that when you recharge the battery you have to charge it exactly five hours - any more and you’ll blow the battery - any less and you’ll lower it’s capacity. If you aren’t sure you can deal with the five hour charging time then Dyna-Lite offers a more sophisticated charger as an option with an auto shut off function.

The Uni400jr also runs off AC power so it’s as versatile in the studio as it is in the field. At full power plugged into AC the unit recycles in about a second which is fairly fast. With the Jackrabbit it takes closer to three seconds at full power and even faster - around 1 second at 1/4 power. The modeling lamp and audible ready signal only work when it is plugged in to AC but otherwise the Uni400jr works the same whether it is running off AC or the battery.

Overall the Uni400jr is a welcome addition to my equipment arsenal and it has allowed me to pursue images I couldn’t create otherwise. It also allows me to differentiate my work from other outdoor photographers that don’t have the skills or equipment to shoot on location with strobes. If I was in a studio I think I would need more power and prefer a pack and head system but for in the field - in the back of beyond - the simple and reliable Uni400jr does it’s job very well. I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of images from me shot with these strobes in the future. For more info on the Uni400jr you can check out Dyna-Lite’s website (www.dynalite.com) or better yet look it up on B&H (bhphotovideo.com) which has the complete specs.