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Doog

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Dougie
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I have read one or two of the threads in this section but it is always nice to get tailored answers to questions, so here goes.
My intention in the new year is to make advances in learning artificial lighting techniques. I hope to shoot still life (products) for stock and maybe the occasional portrait or small animal for family members. My dilemma at present is the usual one of budget, lack of knowledge (which is nil) and fear that I'll buy the wrong thing. So my question is, "What system and what is the best way to progress on a low budget of a few hundred pounds". Realistically, I know with such a low budget I will have to compromise, but if you can help me decide on a sensible way forward, I'd be most grateful. Remember though, that I know nothing, and you may need to be patient and spell things out. :help:

If I have to hold off to increase budget for a little while I will, but I would like to get started on purchases and learning.
 
Doog said:
Giving this another airing for feedback. :help:
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It's a very broad question really Doog, which is maybe why you haven't had much response.

But from what you've said, you're probably best starting out with a basic one studio head outfit, mainly for portraits, which will be far more versatile that you perhaps imagine. You can learn and develop from there.

Lots of threads on this. Lighting is less about the kit, within reason, but more how you use it.
 
Doog said:
"What system and what is the best way to progress on a low budget of a few hundred pounds". Realistically, I know with such a low budget I will have to compromise.
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It may also be helpful, if you say what your budget is, as their are some decent systems out there, where you can buy a good starter kit, and add on to it, as and when you have some spare cash, to name a couple Lencarta and Elemental, but most of the well experienced guys on here, like Richard (Hoppy) and Garry Edwards, will most definitely point you in the right direction, as regards the techie side of things.
 
Thank you both. I'm thinking about £350 max at the moment but I'm prepared to spend a bit more over the coming months if I need to. I'll see how much I actually use it. I'm just not sure about where to begin. I'll maybe pop into Jessops or some place and see what they have.:thinking:
 
Avoid Jessops as generally their sales people have no knowledge. If you can go to £350 then for £340 you can buy this twin head, dual soft box set up from Lencarta http://www.lencarta.com/lighting-st...ads-1/twin-head-mains-powered-starter-kit-504 - personally I would rather have soft boxes than umbrellas, however you can save £20 by getting the 1 umbrella/1 softbox kit.

One of the good things is that Lencarta use the standard Bowens S mount which really opens you up for a great range of attachments.

One thing that I would not want to work without is wireless triggers so you need another £40 for these http://www.lencarta.com/lighting-st...gers/16ch-wireless-flash-trigger-receiver-set.

This will get you plenty of kit to play with and what I would add at a later date is a light meter such as the sekonic 308

The thing is that Lencarta is a known quantity and if you needed to sell at a later date you would lose relatively little whereas a lot of the cheaper ebay stuff is throw away.

My main studio kit is all Bowens heads which are great but much more expensive however if I had to replace it tomorrow I would get Lencarta due to their value.
 
Doog said:
Thank you both. I'm thinking about £350 max at the moment but I'm prepared to spend a bit more over the coming months if I need to. I'll see how much I actually use it. I'm just not sure about where to begin. I'll maybe pop into Jessops or some place and see what they have.:thinking:
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I wouldn't even consider spending that much for now.

Start off by having a good look through strobist.blogspot.com , a site dedicated to using artificial lighting.

If you still decide it's for you, i'd go for a nikon sb24 or sb28 (older flashguns but very reliable) for around £50-£60, a transmitter and reciever so you can fire the flash off camera (even cheaper way would be to get a sync cord that will connect your camera to the flash), a konig light stand for around £10, and a shoot through umbrella for around the same price. Also maybe a black muslin backdrop (a 1.8mx2.8m is £15 on amazon) and a couple of clamps to hold it on to something. Thats it. Starter kit for less than £100.

Start off with just one light and learn how to use it. Positioning of the light and how it behaves with the camera. You will also be using your camera in manual so it will give you good practise on how iso, exposure and aperture relate to flash output.

Then once you're comfortable, get a reflector to use as a second light source (these are cheap as chips too). The worlds your oyster....start simple and progress from there :)
 
mike weeks said:
Avoid Jessops as generally their sales people have no knowledge. If you can go to £350 then for £340 you can buy this twin head, dual soft box set up from Lencarta http://www.lencarta.com/lighting-st...ads-1/twin-head-mains-powered-starter-kit-504 - personally I would rather have soft boxes than umbrellas, however you can save £20 by getting the 1 umbrella/1 softbox kit.

One of the good things is that Lencarta use the standard Bowens S mount which really opens you up for a great range of attachments.

One thing that I would not want to work without is wireless triggers so you need another £40 for these http://www.lencarta.com/lighting-st...gers/16ch-wireless-flash-trigger-receiver-set.

This will get you plenty of kit to play with and what I would add at a later date is a light meter such as the sekonic 308

The thing is that Lencarta is a known quantity and if you needed to sell at a later date you would lose relatively little whereas a lot of the cheaper ebay stuff is throw away.

My main studio kit is all Bowens heads which are great but much more expensive however if I had to replace it tomorrow I would get Lencarta due to their value.
Click to expand...

antihero said:
I wouldn't even consider spending that much for now.

Start off by having a good look through strobist.blogspot.com , a site dedicated to using artificial lighting.

If you still decide it's for you, i'd go for a nikon sb24 or sb28 (older flashguns but very reliable) for around £50-£60, a transmitter and reciever so you can fire the flash off camera (even cheaper way would be to get a sync cord that will connect your camera to the flash), a konig light stand for around £10, and a shoot through umbrella for around the same price. Also maybe a black muslin backdrop (a 1.8mx2.8m is £15 on amazon) and a couple of clamps to hold it on to something. Thats it. Starter kit for less than £100.

Start off with just one light and learn how to use it. Positioning of the light and how it behaves with the camera. You will also be using your camera in manual so it will give you good practise on how iso, exposure and aperture relate to flash output.

Then once you're comfortable, get a reflector to use as a second light source (these are cheap as chips too). The worlds your oyster....start simple and progress from there :)
Click to expand...

Two very different opinions there but gratefully received. Will take them on board.
 
No worries Dougie, there's nothing wrong with buying good studio gear if a:you can afford it or b:you are dead set on going down this route (as it saves you spending twice)

Neither direction is wrong, but I still stand by starting with using just a single flash unit and learning how to use it!
 
Hotshoe flashguns are a possibility, but they have very limited power, slow recycling, limited ability to use modifiers and, most importantly, no modelling lamp.
 
Doog said:
Two very different opinions there but gratefully received. Will take them on board.
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Agree with Garry. You can do wonderful things with hot-shoe guns but when the option of mains powered studio heads is there, they win hands down every time for all sorts of reasons.

Not expensive either, often cheaper. And you still need all the same accessories like stands and softboxes and backgrounds etc. I quite often use studio heads and hot-shoe guns together - speedlites are good as handy extra effect lights for background or hair etc. Nice and small, hide them anywhere, and where you don't need much power you can turn them down so they recycle fast.

Look at Lencarta, or Elinchrom for a bit more money. They are a sound choice, as good as any and better than most, but within reason if a unit has the features you need (all pretty similar TBH) then you'll not go far wrong.
 
mike weeks said:
One of the beauties of studio over strobe is the built in modelling lamp as it removes a lot of the guess work of what the lights are doing, no matter how much I guess being able to see it is easier.
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Yes, modelling light, fast recycle (which you need for portraits when expressions and fleeting gestures literally change by the second), power when you want it, and hot-shoe guns don't like being caned for long before they either overheat and cut out (and they need to run at full power, or close to it) or do themselves permanent damage.
 
I'm not disagreeing for one minute that studio flashes are better than flashguns, but seeing as Dougie explained it was for Products and maybe the odd portrait session I wouldn't have thought you'd be smashing off shot's left, right and centre all day. If you can afford to spend £350 on something you might use now and again, fair enough.
 
If its for product (mainly) then standard continuous lighting is the best bet. Then get some chap flash gear to have a go at portraiture.
 
Studi0488 said:
If its for product (mainly) then standard continuous lighting is the best bet. Then get some chap flash gear to have a go at portraiture.
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Why, and what?
 
Continuous lighting is less bad for still life than for portraits (because still life keeps still and doesn't get blinded by the light) but it's very much a beginner 'solution'.

The problem isn't so much lack of power and (often) poor colour rendition, it's the fact that you have little or no adjustment of power, you can't usually fit any kind of light shapers to it either, which means that you can't control the light and create the effects you need.

Even cheap flashes are a far better choice, but they have their own problems too, with inconsistent power, inconsistent colour, lack of power adjustment and very limited ability to fit different types of modifiers.
 
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