Dilema. Mixing studio heads with on camera 580

FlyTVR

FlyTVR

Suspended / Banned
Messages
4,234
Edit My Images
No
I ordered a new studio head the other day. This would have meant I had 4 studio heads. I am due to shoot a charity event this afternoon - white backdrop. I was planning on using 1 head as a key, 1 as fill and the remaining two to illuminate the backdrop.

Here's the problem. City Link tried to deliver yesterday - I missed them. They tried to deliver at 830 this AM - I missed them. Not allowed to collect from depot untill 7pm!!!! Called them and asked if driver could return - unlikely.

SO..... my options as see it.

a) Go with 3 lights and do extra PP on backdrop. Yuck!

b) I have two 580EXIIs. I could use one on camera as the fill and trigger the rest of the studio heads (in manual no ETTL!!!!). Good idea?

c) Stick to studio heads, 2 for backdrop and just one large softbox (oct) for key.

d) Find somewhere that I can buy a head from today. Where?

Really appreciate your input!
 
3 lights is enough to shoot white seamless if you've got a big umbrella or softbox to use as key. Position it right and if it's big enough and you don't need fill, though a bit of (low power) onaxis fill from an on camera flash can work pretty well.

If you're desperate for fill, get a sheet of foamboard or similar and use that as a reflector just to throw in a bit of fill.
 
Suggestion 1. Ring City Link and tell them that they WILL deliver to you today, or alternatively allow you to collect from them NOW. Tell them that you will complain about them to their customer if they don't.

Suggestion 2. Yes, you can integrate your hotshoe flashes as long as there isn't a problem with preflashes.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
3 lights is enough to shoot white seamless if you've got a big umbrella or softbox to use as key. Position it right and if it's big enough and you don't need fill, though a bit of (low power) onaxis fill from an on camera flash can work pretty well.

If you're desperate for fill, get a sheet of foamboard or similar and use that as a reflector just to throw in a bit of fill.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input Dave.

Actually, if I use 1 on camera 580, I could use the other as an extra light if a large group turns up.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Suggestion 1. Ring City Link and tell them that they WILL deliver to you today, or alternatively allow you to collect from them NOW. Tell them that you will complain about them to their customer if they don't.

Suggestion 2. Yes, you can integrate your hotshoe flashes as long as there isn't a problem with preflashes.
Click to expand...

Hi Garry.

It's one of your 300 heads ordered from you :)
 
FlyTVR said:
Hi Garry.

It's one of your 300 heads ordered from you :)
Click to expand...
I thought it might be, and if you tell me your name I'll lean on the warehouse to lean on City Link:)
 
I'm only trying to help because you're a fellow Welshman:)
 
Just for reference then, if you switch the 580 to manual (no pre-flash) it will trigger the studio heads via their optical slaves no problem.
 
How did you get on with this ? did city link deliver ? had a similar problem with them last year because of the snow, they wouldn't deliver but wouldn't let me pick up till 7pm, bloody frustrating as they are literally 1.5 miles from my place, hope you got your event done ok :)
 
I waited in all day. No redilivery (dispite Garry's efforts - big thanks to Garry). I feel City Link are pretty inflexible. I'd have been more happy if they had been honest and told me that a redeliery was not going to happen as this would have saved a wasted day.

Event went 'OK'. It was at a local school. The room that we were using had not been cleared, so I had under an hour to clear it and setup.

Without my light I toyed with the idea of using a red, black or grey background, but with the limited time I thought it best to stick to plan 'a' - white.

Next decision - do I mix in a 580 on camera as fill. I tried it and it worked however, unlike a static studio light, if I wanted to change the position of the camera (i.e. change distance from subject to camera) this impacted the exposure. I was running out of time at this point and I dropped into fail safe mode and went with just three studio heads.

All in all not a great night BUT I did get some cracking images. Even phoographed a pro togs kids - no pressure there ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top