How to avoid gels from melting?

[Draconian Guppy]

So just got sb700 (to act as commander on d5000) and sb600, trying out some test shots I put on the nikon SJ-1 blue gel, but after some 30+ at the lowest power setting on manual (and a couple on i-TTL) I could see the this figure "S" imprinted on teh gel.

I asked teh oracle (google :p) and came up with this and This i'm thinking of doing it teh velcro way, however light leakage worries me using that method.

[crazzy88ss]

Light leakage should be pretty minimal; read negligible. If there is any, just reattach it. I use the second method, http://www.photogels.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=1&chapter=0 except with just masking tape (I don't use gels too often.)

They definitely need some air flow, but it seems a bit weird that you're having problems with only 30 shots at 1/64th power (or does the SB700 go to 1/128?).

The SJ-1 is what comes with the SB700? Maybe there's some heating issues... they're still kinda new. I know the SB900 heats up really fast; I've triggered the auto-shutoff a few times on "regular" shooting at the higher power levels.

[Draconian Guppy]

Light leakage should be pretty minimal; read negligible. If there is any, just reattach it. I use the second method, http://www.photogels.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=1&chapter=0 except with just masking tape (I don't use gels too often.)

They definitely need some air flow, but it seems a bit weird that you're having problems with only 30 shots at 1/64th power (or does the SB700 go to 1/128?).

The SJ-1 is what comes with the SB700? Maybe there's some heating issues... they're still kinda new. I know the SB900 heats up really fast; I've triggered the auto-shutoff a few times on "regular" shooting at the higher power levels.

Aight, I'll try teh second method then.

Perhaps forgot to say which flash had the gels on. It was the SB-600, at lowest( 1/64th), blue gel from SJ-1. The SJ-1 gel filters I ordered separately. I think maybe the problem was, when I switched to i-TTL from manual and it was a dark room, so probably the SB600 fired at more than 1/64th. Though what bothers me is that if I'd gone berserk shooting maybe even the gel would've stuck to the flash, that would've been totally unacceptable and I attached the gel by folding it and inserting it in the top part of the flash as indicated. Perhaps with the methods above heat transfer is less, but IMO, as it is, it's a flaw by design.

The minimum the SB-700 can do is 1/128th. Though Nikon implemented a sort of snap on plastic which IMO (Based on current events :p) is better then those flimsy gels.

Edit: come to think of it, using the SJ-1 gels, I CAN'T used the above method, as those gels are exactly the size of the flash, not larger ( perhaps even just a tad smaller too!). :/

[crazzy88ss]

Get this pack from Rosco: http://www.amazon.com/Rosco-Strobist-Collection-Cinegel-Strobes/dp/B002SWIOOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296853120&sr=8-1 or http://www.amazon.com/Roscolux-Swatch-Sampler-Almost-Filter/dp/B0002ER2YG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1296853120&sr=8-3.

I have both. The second one is cheaper cuz you have to rip the gels out of the roll on their first use. The first one has pretty much all the colors you'll need and comes in a very nice holding case. It also has the "Strobist" brand name on it, hence the higher price.

Sometimes TTL gets things wrong and it could have been shooting at 1/1 for some strange reason. Even then stuff shouldn't be melting, though!

[Draconian Guppy]

Any reason in particular why you have both or any reason why would NOT recommend the roscolux ?

Edit: if you check the roscolux reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Rosco Swatch Book

Service was good, packaged well, and shipped fast. The gels start warping after 3 or 4 flashes. Usable, but poor quality.

Which is basically what happend with the Nikon SJ-1, Crazzy, you've never had issues with gels warping/melting?

[Argote]

This has happened to me with my homemade gels, I wouldn't think it'd happen with bought ones though...

[Draconian Guppy]

Yeah they suck, how did you make your own? With transparency film?

[crazzy88ss]

Any reason in particular why you have both or any reason why would NOT recommend the roscolux ?

I bought the roscolux on my own. Then ~6 months later my girlfriend bought me the "Strobist" pack as a gift, not knowing I already had gels.

Which is basically what happend with the Nikon SJ-1, Crazzy, you've never had issues with gels warping/melting?

I mostly use the "Strobist" pack now because they come in an easy-to-use packaging (compared to ripping out and then having to find a separate storage container).

I've never had melting issues with either. I've used the green gels to balance fluorescent lights in gyms where I'm shooting sports at 1/4 power at 4.5FPS (so read that as: Burning through 1/1 every second of shooting) with no problems. Then there's the CTO ones I've used at 1/2 to 1/1 but that was a bit slower shooting (still at least ~50 shots, though) and I've also used some "theatrical" colors but that was much slower shooting.

All in all, I haven't had a problem with either. I think everything boils down to mounting technique so that they can get a little bit of air flow. I got the roscolux cuz they were highly recommended and my photo "mentor" was using them as well.

Yeah they suck, how did you make your own? With transparency film?

From my understanding people take bigger gels designed for hot-lights and cut them down to SB800 size by hand.