Studio Lighting
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
As a starter kit i would highly suggest Alien bee products.. hands down the customer service you will ever encounter.. i started shooting fashion 1.5 years ago and bought my first Alien b set and still swear by them. for remote shooting i would suggest the battery pack.. i've gotten over 400 images on one charge..
on the other end of the scale my dedicated studio and location light is now Profoto.. there is a distinct quality of light that i like with the profotos.. but again this is on the other spectrum when cost is a factor.
softboxes and beauty dishes are the way to go..
what do you plan to shoot..
BTW.. Pocket wizards are the only way to shoot.. i've tried to cut corners.. this is not a corner worth cutting.. spend the $200 a pop and keep shooting
David..
some of my work @
www.davidnstudio.com
on the other end of the scale my dedicated studio and location light is now Profoto.. there is a distinct quality of light that i like with the profotos.. but again this is on the other spectrum when cost is a factor.
softboxes and beauty dishes are the way to go..
what do you plan to shoot..
BTW.. Pocket wizards are the only way to shoot.. i've tried to cut corners.. this is not a corner worth cutting.. spend the $200 a pop and keep shooting
David..
some of my work @
www.davidnstudio.com
Former Moderator
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,852
Likes: 1
From: New York
Originally Posted by TAMTANIUM' date='Jan 13 2009, 08:22 PM
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
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
with everything. Calumet of Alienbees are both more than enough for a home setup.
Former Moderator
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,852
Likes: 1
From: New York
Originally Posted by Borbor' date='Jan 14 2009, 11:10 AM
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 $$$$
I'm happy with my Nikon speedlites Can shoot on location a lot easier and the PWs give you almost unlimited range.
buying lights is like buying a camera; you're buying a system. I don't own any studio lights, but I have used Speedotron and Profoto. If you have the bucks, there's no question Profoto is the way to go, but it's a LOT of $$$$
I'm happy with my Nikon speedlites
Can shoot on location a lot easier and the PWs give you almost unlimited range.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,802
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
I own both of the options above and they serve different purposes. The Strobist route is not cheap unless you go to used everything. Canon 580 EX II is $420 and each of two Pocket Wizards is $180, for $750+ plus a hot shoe adapter cable.
I also have a JTL 500 watt dual softbox kit from eBay that I've been using since 2002 with no issues whatsoever. It's A/C powered so it's less flexible but it's also 1/3 the cost and way more power. For product shots I would grab the studio lights 100 out of 100 times. For light use I'd recommend the JTLs without reservation. Adorama has softboxes from JTL starting at $180.
Away from an outlet the Pocketwizard route starts to make more sense. And, I for own don't feel the need to lug around massive battery packs every time I need a strobe.
Both can give great results but the studio setup is easier out the box and "just works". You don't have to worry as much about E-TTL metering and all the settings on the camera. Just fire them up, do a couple test shots and you're ready. With continuous lights or a modeling light option it's a piece of cake.
I also have a JTL 500 watt dual softbox kit from eBay that I've been using since 2002 with no issues whatsoever. It's A/C powered so it's less flexible but it's also 1/3 the cost and way more power. For product shots I would grab the studio lights 100 out of 100 times. For light use I'd recommend the JTLs without reservation. Adorama has softboxes from JTL starting at $180.
Away from an outlet the Pocketwizard route starts to make more sense. And, I for own don't feel the need to lug around massive battery packs every time I need a strobe.
Both can give great results but the studio setup is easier out the box and "just works". You don't have to worry as much about E-TTL metering and all the settings on the camera. Just fire them up, do a couple test shots and you're ready. With continuous lights or a modeling light option it's a piece of cake.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 554
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
Originally Posted by bkw' date='Jan 14 2009, 05:15 AM
3 Pocketwizards - Dont skimp here, I tried the Cactus triggers and they were unreliable.
The Cactus triggers are nice to learn with but if you need reliability, you're going to pull your hairs out because they will misfire especially when you're further away. Used them for a while and they worked okay for the cost but just recently got 4 Pocketwizard Multimaxes.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 523
Likes: 0
From: Hayward, Ca
ive purchased a set of 800w studio lighting from www.ephotodiscounters.com for less than $500 shipped. It includes two 400w monolights, stands, softboxes, and umbrellas. i trigger them with some modified cactus trigger/receivers (antenna mod/battery pack mod/dedicated 3.5 mono plugs).
Strobe pros:
its cheap for beginners and you wont lose too much money if you decide its not for you and you need to resell. Recycle time is decent. the light color output is fairly consistant at around 5700k. good internal cooling. modeling light is a godsend for focusing in pitch darkness which is how i like to shoot. The softbox is easy to put together and take down. they also offer a myriad of accessories from grids to snoots to gels for you to choose from.
cons:
Its cheap, and feels cheap. flash tubes are not easy to replace. housing is hard impact abs (but then the alien bees are as well). recycle time is decent at about a second at full power. this is plugged into an outlet. when ive used it onsite with the inverter, its a bit longer depending on how many strobes im using. Most pro setup will have a faster recycle time. but i personally dont think thats too big of an issue for beginners. the power cords do not seat all the way down on the 400w models. theyre a bit loose. but the 300w monolights have a redesigned seat that allow the cord to sit very snug and tight. maybe the new 400w ones have it now but i have the first gen version. the softbox speedrings are a touch notchy, but have since broken in so it will take some time before youre happy.
Cactus triggers:
you can read the reviews elsewhere. just wanted to say that with the antenna mod, i was able to get over 100yrd of triggering distance. with the battery pack mod, i never had a low battery false trigger problem. right now this setup is about 75% as consistent as the PW. the PW will always be superior with their nearly zero false triggers and better range.
overall i am very happy with this purchase as a learning tool. if you want to experiment and get into strobing on a larger scale then using flash heads, this would be the best route for you to take, IMO.
break down of my setup:
800w strobe set: $480
pure sine inverter: $130
misc extension cords: $60 (2x25ft cords, 1x100ft cord)
cactus trigger w/ receiver: $32
antenna mod: $15 (antenna + base)
battery pack: $1.99ea (2 packs)
Here's a couple of shots i took with this setup:
Strobe pros:
its cheap for beginners and you wont lose too much money if you decide its not for you and you need to resell. Recycle time is decent. the light color output is fairly consistant at around 5700k. good internal cooling. modeling light is a godsend for focusing in pitch darkness which is how i like to shoot. The softbox is easy to put together and take down. they also offer a myriad of accessories from grids to snoots to gels for you to choose from.
cons:
Its cheap, and feels cheap. flash tubes are not easy to replace. housing is hard impact abs (but then the alien bees are as well). recycle time is decent at about a second at full power. this is plugged into an outlet. when ive used it onsite with the inverter, its a bit longer depending on how many strobes im using. Most pro setup will have a faster recycle time. but i personally dont think thats too big of an issue for beginners. the power cords do not seat all the way down on the 400w models. theyre a bit loose. but the 300w monolights have a redesigned seat that allow the cord to sit very snug and tight. maybe the new 400w ones have it now but i have the first gen version. the softbox speedrings are a touch notchy, but have since broken in so it will take some time before youre happy.
Cactus triggers:
you can read the reviews elsewhere. just wanted to say that with the antenna mod, i was able to get over 100yrd of triggering distance. with the battery pack mod, i never had a low battery false trigger problem. right now this setup is about 75% as consistent as the PW. the PW will always be superior with their nearly zero false triggers and better range.
overall i am very happy with this purchase as a learning tool. if you want to experiment and get into strobing on a larger scale then using flash heads, this would be the best route for you to take, IMO.
break down of my setup:
800w strobe set: $480
pure sine inverter: $130
misc extension cords: $60 (2x25ft cords, 1x100ft cord)
cactus trigger w/ receiver: $32
antenna mod: $15 (antenna + base)
battery pack: $1.99ea (2 packs)
Here's a couple of shots i took with this setup:
