Eli5 Why are photography flash programmed to go off at the time of capture and not illuminate continously.

Question

I understand the energy conservation while on battery but I have seen the same with rigs connected to the wall.

In: 4

Answer 1

Heat.

An lighting rig used for lighting in picture and video capture that is desinged to be continuously running is big and heavy as 99% of it is heat dissipation mechanisms and the support structure needed for such mechanisms.

Also heat resistant materals and construction makes these always on lights extremely expensive.

You can get the same brightness in an small tiny flasher but it can’t run continuously or it will literally melt itself.

Flashlights can bypass this by strobing, baisically be turning off and on so fast that while the human eye precive it to be bright, but its only really on for 1/3 of the time. But this is bad for recording video as it leaves this moving grid line effect or have timing issues with photo taking where the moment you capture can end up as the moment the light is not actually on.