Cheap pop up studios?

AndyG123 said:
Wanting something small which will work well with my d3300.
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Anything will work well with any camera as long as you know that
some compromises may be expected with most kit.

The provided link brings a question to my mind:
— " Continuous Lighting Kit 2x 135W" —
Is this an equivalence or the working output of that type of bulb?
If it is the first, very weak. If it is the second, go for it… for that money!
 
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It's junk, and unsuitable for portraits.
Also, although it actually has very little power, it will be uncomfortably bright for an adult and dazzling for a baby
 
Garry Edwards said:
It's junk, and unsuitable for portraits.
Also, although it actually has very little power, it will be uncomfortably bright for an adult and dazzling for a baby
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I was thinking of scraping the standard e27 bulbs and replacing it with Phillips hue system so I can adjust tone and brightness etc..
 
Garry Edwards said:
It's junk, and unsuitable for portraits.
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I would not consider for a minute to use such a kit in my
operation (like other kits btw) but if Andy is contemplating
it, there is most possibly a budget restriction.

In that case, I believe there is still potential to learn with it.
Sure, not to produce pro level studio work but as entry level
kit, knowing that some compromises may be expected, as with
most kits, I would not, at that price, call it junk but useable.
 
AndyG123 said:
I was thinking of scraping the standard e27 bulbs and replacing it with Phillips hue system so I can adjust tone and brightness etc..
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WB being the least conséquent parameter at SR,
I would suggest that you give it a try as is first. :cool:
 
Garry Edwards said:
It's junk, and unsuitable for portraits.
Also, although it actually has very little power, it will be uncomfortably bright for an adult and dazzling for a baby
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What he said.

And whilst the OP may have a budget, they should rethink priorities.

I can shoot great portraits with a window, there’s options with speedlights for a little more money, but a more realistic budget for some mains powered flash is a better option.
 
Phil V said:
What he said.

And whilst the OP may have a budget, they should rethink priorities.

I can shoot great portraits with a window, there’s options with speedlights for a little more money, but a more realistic budget for some mains powered flash is a better option.
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As above. The Phillips hue system is an expensive household lighting product, what you need is photographic lighting...
The kit is unsuitable for the reasons I've already given, replacing the lamps with another unsuitable alternative won't help.
Your best option by far is studio flash, or you could use flashguns as an alternative, not as good but still way better than the kit you linked to.
 
Hi yeah it is a budget issue. It literally will be an item on my Christmas list along with a 1.8 35mm lens which I will probably pick up pre owned. Budget is what it boils down to. I'd love to upgrade camera to something with a better system for flashes (commander mode)and would love a non kit lens.
 
AndyG123 said:
Hi yeah it is a budget issue. It literally will be an item on my Christmas list along with a 1.8 35mm lens which I will probably pick up pre owned. Budget is what it boils down to. I'd love to upgrade camera to something with a better system for flashes (commander mode)and would love a non kit lens.
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You don’t need commander mode on your camera.

If you want to put something on your Christmas list that’ll really help take decent studio portraits, try these books:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Speedliter...630150&sr=1-1&keywords=speedlighters+handbook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hot-Shoe-D...d=1511630244&sr=1-1&keywords=hot+shoe+diaries

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portraits-...28&sr=1-3&keywords=portrait+photography+books
 
AndyG123 said:
Hi yeah it is a budget issue. It literally will be an item on my Christmas list along with a 1.8 35mm lens which I will probably pick up pre owned. Budget is what it boils down to. I'd love to upgrade camera to something with a better system for flashes (commander mode)and would love a non kit lens.
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Your camera is perfectly adequate for family portraits with flash. Regarding power a speedlight may lack a bit but moving a stop or two up in iso to 200 or 400 is not a big issue. Your kitlens should be pretty good at f/8, you don't need fast f-stops here and you have the resolution you need. What makes the big difference is light and how you use it.

https://strobist.blogspot.dk/2006/03/lighting-101.html?m=1

https://neilvn.com/tangents/
 
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There's a lot of kit in that for very little money. It looks like reasonable value even if you throw the lights away 'cos they're useless.

Except.. I've had a variety of cheap umbrellas, stands and the like in the past. They tend to last a single use before they break. Sometimes they don't even last that long.

The 5-in-1 reflector would be worth having but you could get that more cheaply elsewhere.

Seriously, if your budget is really just £60 then I'd suggest

- a 5-in-1 reflector £10
- Set of A Clamps £5
- Gaffer tape £5
- Masking tape £1
- Some diffusion fabric - can be used as backdrop or diffuser £10

If you're feeling flash add a fancy stand & bracket for your reflector.

If you're determine to buy a light then the cheapest useful thing you could buy is probably something like a Godox 560II speedlite & trigger for about £40, plus some decent batteries and a charger for £20.

It'll be a bit non-standard and awkward to use without buying more stands, brackets and modifiers but you can do quite a lot by bouncing a light off a reflector or firing it through a diffuser.
 
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