advice needed no studio lighting kit ? ?

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moralproductions

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Andy
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Hi

looking for recommendations and advice on studio lighting,i mainly take fashion glamour pics,as can be seen from my prvious threads.im looking for a 400w 200 w or maybe 2 300w heads,in a kit with all accessories needed.i was looking at bowens and elinchrom but alot of you here,seem to gave gone with elemental or lencarta,would i be better staying with the big names or are the other brands ok ?
 
It very much depends on what you want to do with them!

What is the space like? Do you actually know how much power you will need? When you say all accessories you need to be a little more specific. There are literally hundrends available. If you are doing fashion/glamour do you want softboxes? ringlights? fresnels? Snoots? Grids?...............

Will you need this setup to be portable, will mains power be enough and do you plan to take them out the studio at all once installed?

As for brand. They kind of run something like this. Profoto/Elinchrom/Broncolor then Bowens/Interfit/Lencarta then everything else you can possibly dig up on ebay.
 
Bowens are an excellent brand, but expensive.
Elinchrom are excellent in terms of light quality but their consumer range isn't as heavily built as Bowens.

Both brands charge a lot for their accessories (which is important because it's really the accessories, or light shaping tools, that help you to control the light) This isn't a big problem if you buy Bowens because there are plenty of other people who make a good range of accessories to fit Bowens lights at much more reasonable prices, not so with Elinchrom.

And both brands are unnecessarily expensive because they sell through distributors, which of course adds a lot to the cost.

I'm involved with Lencarta on the tech and customer support side. Unlike some other brands, all models are made in the same factory and to the same standards and personally I feel that it's worth paying a little bit extra (compared to some other sellers) to get the Lencarta quality and customer service - and now that the prices of the new SmartFlash 200 range have been cut to just £250 for a basic kit, I think it's a no brainer.
 
Elastolite Lumen8 are pretty good, I use them for schools work which is about as tough as it gets for them. If I were buying from scratch now I'd be looking hard at the Elinchroms, having a built in radio receiver is a great idea.
 
Your first link is £469 and out of stock
Your second link appears to be in stock, but probably has too much power for your needs and costs £599
The Lencara SmartFlash 200 costs £250 and will do everything you need it too. Kits can be customised to your needs
 
Garry Edwards said:
...plenty of other people who make a good range of accessories to fit Bowens lights at much more reasonable prices, not so with Elinchrom.
Click to expand...

Interfit and Lastolite make cheaper softboxes and octaboxes to fit Elinchrom.
 
HoppyUK said:
Interfit and Lastolite make cheaper softboxes and octaboxes to fit Elinchrom.
Click to expand...
Agreed - but AFAIK they only sell basic diffusing accessories, it's still necessary to go to Elinchrom and pay their prices for everything else
 
Hi Garry,

Don't mean to hi jack the thread but i was looking at the bowen 400/500 kit myself despite being a total novice and i am now thinking that i might go with the kit you have recommended. Can you tell me what the difference between the softbox kit and the umberella kit is? I actually mean why would someone choose the unberella kit over the soft box kit and vice versa? Do soft boxes/umberella's both do the same thing?
 
scottduffy said:
Hi Garry,

Don't mean to hi jack the thread but i was looking at the bowen 400/500 kit myself despite being a total novice and i am now thinking that i might go with the kit you have recommended. Can you tell me what the difference between the softbox kit and the umberella kit is? I actually mean why would someone choose the unberella kit over the soft box kit and vice versa? Do soft boxes/umberella's both do the same thing?
Click to expand...
The do similar things but they are not necessarily interchangeable.
If you read this article you will see that softboxes basically produce the best of both shoot through and reflective umbrellas, i.e. unlike reflective umbrellas they can be placed close to the subject and therefore produce softer light, and unlike shoot through umbrellas they don't scatter light everywhere.

So, for most people most of the time, even small softboxes are a better choice in a small space. But in a big space, where light spill is less of a problem, it might be better to have the larger umbrellas rather than the small softboxes. And a lot of people prefer reflective umbrellas for use as hairlights, and a shoot through umbrella placed behind/above the photographer makes an excellent fill light.

Or in other words, horses for courses
 
Hi Garry,

I have a room that is about 12 feet long and about 10 feet across and i was looking at using this spare room as a small studio just for portrait pictures. I was wondering if i would be better off buying the umbrella kit or the soft box kit. As i said i was looking at the Bowen kit because i had a chance to use a friends and this had an umbrella and a soft box so i stupidly thought that this was how they all came. I am not sure i should spend £800 or whatever on a lighting outfit and i would be much more comfortable spending >£300 so could you please tell me if this kit will do me even after i improve my technique. What i mean is will i have this a while then wish i had gone for more power? One other thing, would i need a light meter and if so can you recommend one please?
 
scottduffy said:
could you please tell me if this kit will do me even after i improve my technique. What i mean is will i have this a while then wish i had gone for more power? One other thing, would i need a light meter and if so can you recommend one please?
Click to expand...

You probably won't want more power unless you go for creative, hard lighting such as fresnel spots, very tight honeycombs, beauty dishes with honeycomb fitted...
And if you do then you probably won't see any loss of quality if you change the ISO setting on your camera from 100 to 200, which in effect will double the power of the lights.
And anyway, you could always buy a more powerful head later and use the lower powered ones just for softboxes or fill flash.
 
Thanks Garry. You've been a great help. I think i'll go for this set up and as you say i can build on it if needed. I am about to take a portrait photography course at college in January so hopefully that will show me how to use them once i have them. Thanks again.
 
Spec says 140cm octobox, which is not the one in the pic. Good news if it's correct.

Flash meter?
 
I have the G&J kit from them and i have found it to be excellent. The only problem i had was that the batteries in the wireless transmitters were crap.

Replaced them with some from Maplins and happy days....

Enjoy.
Mac
 
Stick to orignal plans. Bowens or elinchrome. I have only had one flash tube go in 10 years. i replace the lights every 3. They are the best. We shoot nearly 16.000 portraits a year. So you tell me?

Remember a lot of guys on here don't shoot a lot. some are part time others don't have a huge work load. We do so go for the best and you wont be dissapointed.

It really does get boring why everyone keeps harping on for the dirt cheap makes..... most can't take a lot of work and are designed for ametuer /part time work loads. So it's your choice.

I've said this before but a few mates wished they'd spent a bit more to save the hassle of cheapo lights over heating, bits coming loose. or blowing!
 
went with a three head kit from elemnetal,great customer sevice,very snappily replaced a modelling bulb i had a problem with,heres one of the first shots with the kit and hi-lite

4186775977_52a1776b10.jpg
 
Garry Edwards said:
Agreed - but AFAIK they only sell basic diffusing accessories, it's still necessary to go to Elinchrom and pay their prices for everything else
Click to expand...

if you look around there are plenty of deals to be had. i bought the 135cm Rotalux Octa for £150 and i bought the 130x70m strip for the same! Both outstanding accessories and easier to set up take down than any other softbox I've used.

i feel the Elinchrom lights and accessories are superior - many top pro's use them BUT the Bowens lights have the pretty affordable travelpak which is a very useful add on. The Elinchrom power pak is very expensive and doesn't work with all their heads.
 
EOS_JD said:
if you look around there are plenty of deals to be had. i bought the 135cm Rotalux Octa for £150 and i bought the 130x70m strip for the same! Both outstanding accessories and easier to set up take down than any other softbox I've used.

i feel the Elinchrom lights and accessories are superior - many top pro's use them BUT the Bowens lights have the pretty affordable travelpak which is a very useful add on. The Elinchrom power pak is very expensive and doesn't work with all their heads.
Click to expand...

I'll have some of that! Where did you get one of those wonderful things from for that money? £280 from The Flash Centre :eek:

Thanks :)

Edit: found this one for £148 :love: Is this your supplier? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Elinchrom-Rot...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414c0b1a7d
 
HoppyUK said:
I'll have some of that! Where did you get one of those wonderful things from for that money? £280 from The Flash Centre :eek:

Thanks :)

Edit: found this one for £148 :love: Is this your supplier? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Elinchrom-Rot...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414c0b1a7d
Click to expand...

Yes you found him! :) I was a bit wary to start with. I think it came from India or China (can't remember now).

Came in the bag with the speedring, diffusers and the poles to set up the box. Really excellent and i think I would buy another rotalux box - they are probably the easiest boxes on the market to set up and take down.

i fancy the deep throat but for what i do it's a bot of overkill. I'm going to buy the reflectors that fit inside and give a large beauty dish look. Still to buy my boom too! Money money money!!!

Shipping costs can be cut if you buy more than one box - i got the 130x70 (I think that's the size) strip box too. Same easy system - umberella like.
 
EOS_JD said:
Yes you found him! :) I was a bit wary to start with. I think it came from India or China (can't remember now).

Came in the bag with the speedring, diffusers and the poles to set up the box. Really excellent and i think I would buy another rotalux box - they are probably the easiest boxes on the market to set up and take down.

i fancy the deep throat but for what i do it's a bot of overkill. I'm going to buy the reflectors that fit inside and give a large beauty dish look. Still to buy my boom too! Money money money!!!

Shipping costs can be cut if you buy more than one box - i got the 130x70 (I think that's the size) strip box too. Same easy system - umberella like.
Click to expand...

Cheers for that EOS JD :thumbs:

I'll have one. Flippin bargain, it's half price with free shipping, and the seller has good feedback. Not sure how a Swiss softbox, sold by an American (apparently) but shipped from elsewhere and you say India/China :thinking:

Are you sure it's genuine? Maybe these things are actually made in India/China and a few found their way out of the back door...

Anyway, I've succumbed to a PayPal account so when that's verified I'll give it a punt. Tar :)
 
HoppyUK said:
Cheers for that EOS JD :thumbs:

I'll have one. Flippin bargain, it's half price with free shipping, and the seller has good feedback. Not sure how a Swiss softbox, sold by an American (apparently) but shipped from elsewhere and you say India/China :thinking:

Are you sure it's genuine? Maybe these things are actually made in India/China and a few found their way out of the back door...

Anyway, I've succumbed to a PayPal account so when that's verified I'll give it a punt. Tar :)
Click to expand...

I think they are made in India and that's what I thought too, He's been selling them for some time now - I've had mine since July.

Now that I remember I think I bought the bags as they are not standard. I would advise buying the bag. Were pretty cheap too.

Quality seems very good although I had a small accident and there's a tiny hole in my octa - black tape hide it though. Nothing to worry about. Great quality light too. One light on the subject BX400 with 135 octa and a Lastolite Hilite backdrop with vinyl floor.

Edit6.jpg


This was with the black bottletop on the hilite and a triflector. Just one light - 400BX and Midi-Octa.
KJG-138.jpg
 
EOS_JD said:
I think they are made in India and that's what I thought too, He's been selling them for some time now - I've had mine since July.

Now that I remember I think I bought the bags as they are not standard. I would advise buying the bag. Were pretty cheap too.

Quality seems very good although I had a small accident and there's a tiny hole in my octa - black tape hide it though. Nothing to worry about. Great quality light too. One light on the subject BX400 with 135 octa and a Lastolite Hilite backdrop with vinyl floor.

<snip>

This was with the black bottletop on the hilite and a triflector. Just one light - 400BX and Midi-Octa.

<snip>
Click to expand...

Just got a reply back from that ebay supplier who says that the softboxes are genuine Elinchrom but they don't come with a case and he cannot supply one :thinking: Sounds well hooky to me.

The Flash Centre can supply one for £38 - where did you get yours? Having a super-softbox that is easily colapsable for transport but without a case is not a good plan IMHO, but it kinda takes the shine off the deal :(
 
I bought mine for less than £20 from him. Maybe he has a supplier problem? :)

i bought one each for the Octa and Stripbox. You could use a standard lighting stand bag that would probably hold both but the bags are nice to have.
 
EOS_JD said:
I bought mine for less than £20 from him. Maybe he has a supplier problem? :)

i bought one each for the Octa and Stripbox. You could use a standard lighting stand bag that would probably hold both but the bags are nice to have.
Click to expand...

Maybe Elinchrom have moved production of the bags to another supplier, where they don't leave the back door open ;) A bit rude of them.

He specifically told me that they were without a bag and he couldn't supply even at extra cost :(
 
£38 for a bag does seem a lot! But like you say when you've spent thousands already, £38 is a small amount and it's a bit of insurance to keep a £250 bit of kit safe!
 
jhonebhrestom said:
Well I require lighting equipment to look for the build, power of the modelling light, dial adjust or digital power adjustments, cooling, and the refresh rate. I am not sure about that brand, or kit.I believe the b400 are actually 160 watts, b800 are 320 watts and b1600 are 640 watts.
Click to expand...

That's Alien Bee lights you are talking about. I believe they will start to bring them to the UK but till now they have been predominantly only available in the US.
 
I think you can buy Alien bee from the Australian website. They ship to Europe. The problem is that the costs are much higher then in the US. Check the Alien bee website. There's a link to the European customers.
 
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