Hey guys, looking at picking up some lighting gear eventually. One thing I'm a little perplexed by is the somewhat high cost of a flash set-up vs a studio light set up.. Obviously the minus the flash, a vendor on Ebay lists heaps (100+) studio set-ups (only baby 45w & 60w) for $50 a piece, with a light, optical slave, stand, brolly, stand mount yet for some reason I cant find a similar set up to utilise the Nissin pentax flash I have sitting on my desk.

Ultimately I want a wireless set-up but seeing as I'm not REALLY into flash stuff, i'm not too worried about top quality gear as it wont get used very often but it will still get used..

Same ebay vendor has wireless trigger, slave, umbrella and stand mount for $40~ and then a light stand for around the same, which is double the price for not much more (ok so the RF kit is worth at least $30 on its own)..

Few questions about this stuff is, it's the PT-01 RF gear thats floating around with YINGYANG and CHINGCHONG brands (all looks the same just branded diff), can I buy a rig like this and then buy another minus the trigger and use them at the same time even though they're a one channel only slave (i assume it'd work as they're all receiving the same trigger signal?)

ALSO, talking umbrellas, what's the best colour, silver, white, "translucent" (which i don't really see much point in)..

I know the biggest factor is that the studio kit you cannot take with you unless you have a big-arse battery and then it's ridiculously bulky etc vs flash kit which is much easier so don't even question that part, it's just the cost of the kit I'm interested in.

ok doky, well i wouldnt even bother with the 45 & 60w slave thingos, they suck dick not worth it, tlk to matt mead on here, i recently helped him out in getting flash gear, he should be able to give you a total price, he bought two vivitar 285hv's. a very well known and suggested flash in the strobist world. i started off with them and they are awesome. i also led matt onto buying this kit from bh photo impact kit it is simply great imo and in matts im pretty sure, you get two light stands, two umbrella hotshoe adaptors, same ones i use their in my tut. and two convertable umbrellas. theres a link too the vivitar 285hv in the tut aswell.

now with umbrellas, the ones in that kit are awesome as they have a removable backing, so you can either shoot through the umbrella giving nice soft diffused light (u must have the backing off obviously) or you can shoot reflective with them with the backing on. i used to shoot reflective alot but now i never ever do it, i always shoot through mainly because i like the result and i get more power out of my flash this way.

for radio triggers buy pocket wizards if you have the dosh these work flawless and never miss a beat, a friend of mine has them and they totally kick my shitty ebay tiggers arse anyday.

but if you wana do things the cheap way like i did, buy ebay triggers they work most times but sometimes you feel like fucking smashing the stupid asain bitch in the face who made them. end rant/

so you need the impact kit, atleast two 285hv's and something to trigger them, anymore questions fireaway champ hope it helped

Yeah i wasn't really ever thinking of BUYING the lamps, its just that its so cheap yet just a stand, adapter and umbrella is like half as much again when not in a kit.

I only have one flash at the moment so I was hoping of just sort of.. 'building' a kit at a one-at-a-time basis..

Had a look at B&H.. $100 for the kit, sure, $100 for postage? COME ON!! That'd insane!

its from us though, well worth it, it seems gay. or you can pick up the equiv but less quality from ebay like i did. wish i went the bh option though

i cant remeber exactly what i spent on my setup... my order from BH was just under 500$ but that included:

-impact light stand kit
-2 vivtiars
-50mm f1.8
-52mm uv filter
-58mm nd filter
-58mm grad nd filter

i then spent 50$ on the triggers

and most likly $100 on 20 enigizer rechargeable battery's and a recharger..

totally worth it...im going to order another vivtiar and a goo flash and 2 more light stands in the coming months... flash photography is the bomb

Yeah, i dont really have the skills you guys do nor the time/opportunities to utilise it which is why i'm just looking at building one rig and if i ever get into it i can go a bit more serious and get another, the BH set up is unfortunately a bit of a waste on me.

At the moment I'm tossing up between a grip and a lighting rig, I want them both and will eventually but its just the fact of which will i use more now then later.. pros and cons..

The grip i will always use for the extra battery life and the flash rig, well.. i could use it whenever too.. painful.

http://studiolight.com.au/

I buy all my stuff from here.. its great for price, delivered to your door quick and easy, ask to speak to daniel.. tell him corey from juiced photography referred you.. he is great for information etc

Hey Nick - did you ever go through with this? If so - find anything to your liking?

I currently have:

- 580EX II
- 430EX II
- Impact Lightstand Kit (2xLightstands, 2xHeads, 2x Umbrellas)
- 3 PocketWizard Plus II's

My advice would be to get a few vivitars, light kit and Cactus ebay triggers, won't be too much money plus the dollar is exceeding 80c

yeah kinda, got a stand kit locally (Dragon Image when they were at the valley) under $200 for two stands (albeit one 8ft & one a not-so-great 6ft) 2 42" STU's, brackets and a bag (wow wee!) and first I had a Nissin that was only 1:1 (no power adjustment), then I got a Nikon SB-25 for $50 (I know, awesome price) and now I've got an old but trusty National (somewhat Viv era) adjustable and a 580ex II with 'Cactus' or 'Poverty Wizard' triggers that have only failed me once, hardcore but they're fixed and working.

So a total of $800 if you include the 580 (but it was a birthday present) so $300 without it. Not really that bad! that includes $50 worth of rechargeable batts but I'm sure they're worth more than that probably. 4 (4x4) sets of Energiser AA's (2500Mah) and 4/5 sets of AAA's (4x2 & 900MAH) Eneloops.

I mainly only use one light and these days it's been the 580 on-camera unless there's something that needs off-camera then I mainly use the SB. I was thinking about getting a third stand similar to my 8ft which is a lot sturdier for the 580 but I figured I don't use them enough to justify it to myself or the minister of war and finance.

I agree with Casey on Cactus/eBay triggers but Vivitar 285HV's are somewhat of a costly item now strobing is in. I'd hunt eBay for some unnoticed early Nikon flashes. Sb-24 and above (25, 26 etc..) more adjustable and have more features and you can get them cheaper, Viv's are adjustable 4 ways (as in power level) and Nikons are 6 (as in power) inc head swivel & turn, zoom and backlight, pc sync, external battery pack compatible etc.. etc..



Do you ever use your shit enough to warrant PW's Casey? A little OTT?

I do actually, i do alot of stuff that i never usually post that is un-related to motorsports.

Post some!

i will when it gets on the website

Can you post some of the equipment you have so far? I am also interested in purchasing some lightning stuff so I can take my photography to the next level. I guess I have to start saving up...

another option a few ppl are heading is the skyports, made by one of the biggest flash companys in the world a few of my mates have had issues with canon flashes and the PW frequencys clashing .... and half the price... nifty . just an option.

Radiopoppers are a good trigger avail now with the JrX system. Same small size as the Elinchrom Skyports, same price but PW distance. Also the the bigger units can dial in power with some flash units (as in studio flashes, not sure about flash guns). Well worth a look too.

basically there are five commonly excepted portrait lighting setups in photography.out of the five types of portrait lighting setups, three are related to both subject and camera position.in most portrait situations, the subject will be pointing his nose to one side of the camera or the other.