I am looking for a setup for some studio lighting. Some umbrellas, softboxes, stands and backdrops. I am willing to consider any recommendations.

Basically just looking for some advice from anyone who OWNS something. Also any tips as far as a manufacturer would be helpful. I was looking at some stuff from Smith Victor and CowboyStudio. Any good?

Also, anyone else here use a pocket wizzard?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Hello,

What type of photography do you want to achieve with the studio setup? (indoor portrait, outdoor portrait, car..etc) ?

For some good studio strobe kits..you can check out

- Calumet strobe kit. They're very affordable and a lot of good reviews on Canon forums.

- Alienbee brand is also very good for the money. Google the name brand

- I attended a studio seminar not too long ago for fashion photography and we worked with Photoflex stuff. In general I think they're great. Very reliable, solid products on everything they make and worth the money.

As far as umbrella or softbox. I prefers softbox over the umbrella (i owned an umbrella myself) A good softbox can diffuse the light a lot better than an umbrella. It gives that nice soft skin tone over what an umbrella can do. It depends on your level of photography and budget. If you're on a budget and just started with photography then an umbrella is fine (it's only $30 for one to try out and learn) But for strobe lights I recommends invest in a decent kit now. Pretty much start with what you can afford now and don't have to regret later.

Pocketwizard is pretty much the standard thing for professional photographers. Just like Snap On is a must for a shop. If you're on a budget, check out these

http://www.alienbees.com/cybersync.html#cst

CyberSync products..you can get a transmitter and receiver for the price of one PW.

I'm at work right now and getting ready to leave so i can't type too much. But if you have any questions, just post away

 

Pocket wizards are the way to go - I haven't heard a single bad thing about them, except some think their plastic construction is cheap. One guy's review I read somewhere said he used it for 2000 photos one day and they didn't miss a beat.

Other than that, that's all I have

 

Have you ever heard of shooting strobist? It is a CHEAP and extremely effective alternative to expensive studio lights. Most cameras have built-in wireless TTL flash for Hot shoe flashes now. These hot shoe flashes will mount on a light stand with an umbrella and bam, you have strobes. Check out this link, this guy is one of the best strobist teachers. You should also check out his DVD.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

 

^ All good suggestions.

 

Another option to consider if you are on a budget and are a hands-on kind of person is to make your own soft boxes and/or umbrellas. There are some good plans/layouts online for them, but they aren't the most complicated things to begin with. Had to do this a couple times in art school for friends who didn't have a drill.

 

Since I rarely use any lighting, I decided to go for a bargain basement, bang for the buck approach.

Everything purchased at b&h:
1 White umbrella w/ black removable cover - 45" (i think) - $25
2 umbrella + flash holder - $11
1 home depot green handle metal clamp modified to hold a light and umbrella - $.99
1 36" double sided reflector (silver/gold) - $25
Impact Softbox kit - includes 2 lights + 2 softboxes + 2 stands - $200
1 Canon 580EX flash - $300 used
1 Vivitar 285HV flash - $85
3 Pocketwizards - Dont skimp here, I tried the Cactus triggers and they were unreliable. B&H currently has a $25 mail in rebate for them - $550

If I were to do it all over again, I'd get everything on the list above but would get a single impact softbox kit. I've only used both at the same time once.

My suggestions to someone who's starting out with lighting would be - Go pick up an umbrella, mount, sync cable and flash. If you've got a little extra, get a softbox kit - but make sure it comes with everything you need (ie- stand).

If youve got some more cash lying around, get pocketwizards. They hold their value very very well and you'll be able to recoup 75% of your initial investment on the secondhand market.

Once youve got these, you can do tons of DIY stuff like beauty dishes, ring lights, grids, snoots, diffusers, gels, etc etc etc.

If you thought photography was hard and rewarding, see what happens when you add light.

 

^^ good stuff. Thanks

 

strobist is the way to go for me right now. No room to store huge studio equipment.

buying lights is like buying a camera; you're buying a system. I don't own any studio lights, but I have used Speedotron and Profoto. If you have the bucks, there's no question Profoto is the way to go, but it's a LOT of $$$$

I'm happy with my Nikon speedlites Can shoot on location a lot easier and the PWs give you almost unlimited range.