Me and my Norman 220B
Norman 200B - All American II
I am almost (not quite) feverishly preparing for a joint
show (muestra in Argentine Spanish) that I am going to have with Argentine
painter Nora Patrich at the Vermeer Gallery in Buenos Aires in mid-September of
this year.
While doing this I have been trying to convince Patrich to
get us a sitting with the former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner.
I would never just face the woman and click a few times with
my Fuji X-E3. I would want to do this in my own personal style using a softbox
and flash attached to it. So I took out my venerable Norman 200B (read what
this is in the above pair of links). Then I thought what would happen at the
Toronto Airport security when they found the Norman pack in my carry on or in
my luggage. On the right you see a very large wedge-shaped nicad. Would they
object? Then there is the fact that the battery (it is brand new) might give me
50 flashes. What if I plan (I am) in taking portraits of my Argentine family?
This would mean taking the heavy charger. But. Electricity in Buenos Aires is
220.The charger is built for 110. This could easily be solved by any of the
many transformers that Patrich has in her house.
Then on a trip to Kerrisdale I went into Kerrisdale Cameras
and spotted a small, light green plastic flash unit, a Metz, that has no battery but must
be plugged in. It does not look like a bomb. It would fit easily in my luggage
and in Buenos Aires I could use Patrich’s transformer.
I ordered the unit at Leo’s Camera. Jeff Gin instantly
answered to tell me that it was ordered and that (yes!) the unit can be plugged
into anything from 90 volts to 220.
I feel a bit guilty in leaving my trusty Norman behind but
this solution seems to be the best.