a tad confused :-)

[ms wg]

Im very new to lighting but was looking at purchasing the Bowens Gemini 400/400 twin head studio, which comes with a FREE radio trigger.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-bowens-gemini-400-400-2-head-studio-kit/p1029932

Where i'm getting confused is that my camera, 450d doesn't have a pc sync socket, so do i need a wireless trigger to do the job instead.. will the free radio trigger contained in the studio kit do the trick or do I need something completely different

Also this kit contains two umbrellas, no soft box...... I shoot mainly kids/babies etc.... so should i look for something that contains a softbox instead, or can they be bought separately

Also been reading about light meters/receivers and something else which I can't remember........ do i need to purchase them or can they be built up slowly.

thanks for the help

Cheers

 

[Garry Edwards]

The radio transmitter plugs straight into your hotshoe, you don't need anything else.

You can buy softboxes separately, plus a whole host of other light shapers, all of which do specific jobs.

I always use a light meter, others on here will no doubt tell you that you don't need one.

Bowens equipment is good, but very expensive for what it is - take a look at the Lencarta 2 head kits (at the moment only the most expensive head is showing because that's the only one in stock, but that should change later today - 2 head kits are normally available for just over £250)

 

[ms wg]

Cheers for that. Just been on the Lencarta site and will keep popping back through the day to see if the other kit appears.

I was originally looking at interfit before the Bowens, but was concerned that buying cheap may mean buying twice.

Can I confirm that the Lencarta kit also comes with a flash trigger thing , I think it does, I'm guessing the receiver is included with it? So the trigger goes into the hotshoe of the camera and the receiver goes on one of the heads. Will it definately work with a Canon 450d

Questions, questions, questions

The radio transmitter plugs straight into your hotshoe, you don't need anything else.

You can buy softboxes separately, plus a whole host of other light shapers, all of which do specific jobs.

I always use a light meter, others on here will no doubt tell you that you don't need one.

Bowens equipment is good, but very expensive for what it is - take a look at the Lencarta 2 head kits (at the moment only the most expensive head is showing because that's the only one in stock, but that should change later today - 2 head kits are normally available for just over £250)

 

[HoppyUK]

Cheers for that. Just been on the Lencarta site and will keep popping back through the day to see if the other kit appears.

I was originally looking at interfit before the Bowens, but was concerned that buying cheap may mean buying twice.

Can I confirm that the Lencarta kit also comes with a flash trigger thing , I think it does, I'm guessing the receiver is included with it? So the trigger goes into the hotshoe of the camera and the receiver goes on one of the heads. Will it definately work with a Canon 450d

Questions, questions, questions

Interfit is good value for money, but spending a bit more for Lencarta or Bowens or Elinchrom will get you some good quality stuff that will last for ages. One nice thing about the Bowens is the battery option, if you need that. It's expensive though ( the battery that is, they usually are) and mains performs much faster/longer.

Don't worry about the trigger. I'd prefer to use one of these anyway, £30 RF-602 http://www.amazon.co.uk/RF-602-Wire...HTU2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298301839&sr=8-2 Or you can always use the cable sync (supplied) with a £10 hot-shot/PC adapter from Jessops.

You don't 'need' a flash meter. With one light I really wouldn't bother and with two it's not too hard to chimp the exposure off the LCD/histogram. But a meter makes life easier, especially if you have two or three lights, and they're good for learning about lighting ratios.

Edit: Sekonic L-308s is the meter most people go for. Very good, and one of cheapest - £130.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Cheers for that. Just been on the Lencarta site and will keep popping back through the day to see if the other kit appears.

I was originally looking at interfit before the Bowens, but was concerned that buying cheap may mean buying twice.

Can I confirm that the Lencarta kit also comes with a flash trigger thing , I think it does, I'm guessing the receiver is included with it? So the trigger goes into the hotshoe of the camera and the receiver goes on one of the heads. Will it definately work with a Canon 450d

Questions, questions, questions

Yes, the radio trigger is included with all mains powered Lencarta kits, and works exactly the same as all others, i.e. the transmitter goes into the hotshoe on the camera, the receiver goes into the back of one flash head, the sensor on any other flash heads picks up the light from the first flash head and fires instantaneously (well, at the speed of light anyway)

 

[Kris]

Gary, dont you think this page needs updating a little wee tad? So wildly inaccurate as to be misleading in the extreme.

http://www.lencarta.com/faq/compare-prices

Eg -
1. genuine Elinchrom background reflector is less than 40 quid, not 77 as you claim on your site. 10 quid cheaper than the Lencarta Jinbei made version.
2. genuine elinchrom umbrella reflector is 19.20, not £40, again cheaper than the Lencarta version as you claim on your site.
3. genuine elinchrom snoot with honeycomb is 40, not 80 quid.

Plus you are being extremely selective in your products....

4. genuine Elinchrom 400 flash head can be had for 226, which is only 26 quid more than the Lencarta less powerful 300 head, rather than 569.
5. genuine bowens 400 heads can easily be had for 262

All prices can be found with just a little research on the tinetnet.
eg,
http://www.waltersphotovideo.co.uk/category/studio-lighting-heads/583/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0/1

http://www.theflashcentre.com/elinchrom-c24.html

 

[Garry Edwards]

Gary, dont you think this page needs updating a little wee tad? So wildly inaccurate as to be misleading in the extreme.

http://www.lencarta.com/faq/compare-prices

Eg -
1. genuine Elinchrom background reflector is less than 40 quid, not 77 as you claim on your site. 10 quid cheaper than the Lencarta Jinbei made version.
2. genuine elinchrom umbrella reflector is 19.20, not £40, again cheaper than the Lencarta version as you claim on your site.
3. genuine elinchrom snoot with honeycomb is 40, not 80 quid.

Plus you are being extremely selective in your products....

4. genuine Elinchrom 400 flash head can be had for 226, which is only 26 quid more than the Lencarta less powerful 300 head, rather than 569.
5. genuine bowens 400 heads can easily be had for 262

All prices can be found with just a little research on the tinetnet.
eg,
http://www.waltersphotovideo.co.uk/category/studio-lighting-heads/583/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0/1

http://www.theflashcentre.com/elinchrom-c24.html

Thanks for that Kris, I'll take a look

 

[ms wg]

Are the cheaper ones on the site yet, cant seem to find them?

S

The radio transmitter plugs straight into your hotshoe, you don't need anything else.

You can buy softboxes separately, plus a whole host of other light shapers, all of which do specific jobs.

I always use a light meter, others on here will no doubt tell you that you don't need one.

Bowens equipment is good, but very expensive for what it is - take a look at the Lencarta 2 head kits (at the moment only the most expensive head is showing because that's the only one in stock, but that should change later today - 2 head kits are normally available for just over £250)

 

[Garry Edwards]

Are the cheaper ones on the site yet, cant seem to find them?

S

Not yet, it seems that they're still waiting for HM Customs to make their chalk mark or whatever
Hopefully tomorrow