lights
i feel lost.
i played with strobes in school, for studio lighting, but that was like 6 years ago. and i pretty much did enough to pass the class.
as for controlled lighting since then, ive used shop lights, and things of that nature.
well. i think im finally ready to swallow my pride and get some "real" lights. but just enough to get by. :)
controlled lighting isnt really my gig, but we all know that it has its place. so, i need help.
whats the best bang for the buck? do i need anything else? (trigger, sync chords, meters, etc.)
i know about stands, umbrellas, etc. etc. etc. but we had to use a handheld meter, i hated that thing, please tell me my cameras better than that. (40d, backup 400d)
tia!
i played with strobes in school, for studio lighting, but that was like 6 years ago. and i pretty much did enough to pass the class.
as for controlled lighting since then, ive used shop lights, and things of that nature.
well. i think im finally ready to swallow my pride and get some "real" lights. but just enough to get by. :)
controlled lighting isnt really my gig, but we all know that it has its place. so, i need help.
whats the best bang for the buck? do i need anything else? (trigger, sync chords, meters, etc.)
i know about stands, umbrellas, etc. etc. etc. but we had to use a handheld meter, i hated that thing, please tell me my cameras better than that. (40d, backup 400d)
tia!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ryan Armbrust on -
Alien Bees
I own the Alien Bees. In my opinion, they are the best lights money can buy! They are also cheap.
I bought the lights from the above link, and bought my own umbrellas and stands. I also bought the large softbox from Alien Bees.
If you want to play around with them in my studio, drop me a line.
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Permalink Reply by John Adkins on -
I'm not too familiar with Canon's but I'd look into the 580 EXII speedlights. They are portable and put out good enough light for you to shoot 90% of the shots you would ever want to take. They can fit in a small bag and couple a few of those with a few light stands and modifiers and you have relatively low cost, quality lighting that can travel with you.
Plus look into a few radio transmitters (one for each strobe)... I prefer Pocket Wizards (but they are costly), another cheaper but good option would be to check out Cyber Syncs ...which would also work with any of the Alien Bee studio lights ...if you decided to go the studio lighting route. Keep in mind though that those speedlights will also work in a studio environment.
That being said, I would like to have some Alien Bees myself.
EDIT: with today's modern cameras and lighting systems ..there is no need for a light meter ...unless you're just nostalgic ;)
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Permalink Reply by Charles on -
You like portraits and you like to be mobile: Try to pick up a used 580EX shoe-mounted strobe. 580EXII is the current model. I mention a 580EX because it will serve as a 'master' and a transmitter for your slave(s), which would be a 430EX, and will save you some money over "new". With ths simple setup, you can shoot on location without lugging a ton of equipment. If the incoming dollars starts dragging you towards the studio, then you can worry about all the big equipment purchases then, such as lighting kits, pocket wizards, ect. Your 40D and the ETTL system of the EX flash units are perfectly capable of professional results, and best of all, you can carry it around. Also, just like Alien Bees stobes, you can dial down the power, work in ratios, ect. No pocket meter needed, although some prefer to use them still. Here's a few shots using Canon strobes. Some were diffused with umbrellas or other, some were shot straight on..no umbrellas, ect. Granted, all these were taken with a 30D....not my current body.
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Permalink Reply by Jacob Zimmer on -
In other threads I have been toying with the idea of doing a studio lighting seminar for LPC and I think it's time to book it. Later tonight I will start a new thread where we can share schedules.
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Permalink Reply by Charles on
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Jacob Zimmer said:In other threads I have been toying with the idea of doing a studio lighting seminar for LPC and I think it's time to book it. Later tonight I will start a new thread where we can share schedules.
RSVP #1 right here!
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Permalink Reply by jes on -
thanks for the response!
i think the speedlight idea would fit my application best right now. when i get into considering a power supply and all that.
though, ryan, i think ill take you up on your offer at some point in the near future, since running a studio is my ultimate goal.
so. flashes as strobes, if theyre off camera, do they need to be canon brand, or would canon dedicated be sufficient?
will the ttl be a reliable enough trigger?
(id like to keep it between $200-$500, the lower the better. :) since im just sort of playing with controlled lighting.)
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Permalink Reply by Charles on
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jes said:"....so. flashes as strobes, if they're off camera, do they need to be canon brand, or would canon dedicated be sufficient?
will the ttl be a reliable enough trigger? (id like to keep it between $200-$500, the lower the better. :) since im just sort of playing with controlled lighting.)
Well, if you're really watching for deals then you could get a 580EX and a 430EX for $500 more or less 'used'. They're very powerful strobes. I believe Sigma and Promaster makes dedicated strobes for Canon if you want to find something cheaper.
I've bought a lot of things from a Canon forum online.....here's a link to their "sell board". I've gotten many good deals here: Photography-on-the-net
There's a place on Bardstown road in Louisville called "Chuck Rubin Photographics". You could put Canon Strobes on lay-away there and pay them over time. I also saw some Promaster flash units in the "used Canon" cabinet at Murphy's yesterday...also on Bardstown road and not far from Chuck's.
I've not had any problems with Ettl signal transmission.....although Canon states that wireless ettl could be somewhat problematic in bright sunlight. I've not experience that myself. Why not use reflectors and a single strobe in bright sunlight anyways?
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Permalink Reply by Jacob Zimmer on
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Any and every strobe and speedlight should have the ability to operate in Manual mode and fire on the hot shoe or remotely.
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Permalink Reply by Rob Metzger on -
I would love to join in.
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Permalink Reply by Rafael Alonso on -
Hmm, well for best quality you need a flash light meter (can't remember the name). I like to do things manually when I am doing a portrait in doors or at events, since the point of using lighting is to remove most shadows if not all. I have a 580ex mk II Speed light, which is a master slave, so you can use more than one flash, I think I would invest in buying one and then buying cheaper lights like a 430ex mkII. The rest is up to your creativity and knowledge of bounce and angles. The sad thing is that photography is an expensive art (even more for film users), so to get the best out of your work you need to invest in things that may out of your budget.
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