HELP!!!!! Umbrella flash lighting

[gmacro]

Just needed some advice....if I wanted to purchase the following as basic lighting, what else would I need to purchase?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370474021436&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI

It mentions a sync cable which is included but I cant see that it would connect to my Canon 500d. Would i be right in thinking I would need to buy a hotshoe adaptor? I assume I would need to purchase this additionally if im happy to use it with wires? Alternatively there appears to be the option of using a wireless trigger, in which case would I purchase a wireless trigger with 2 receivers, one for each light?

Apologies if I am not correct, the world of lighting is a confusing one!

Thanks

 

[Garry Edwards]

If you wanted to buy it then yes, you will need a hotshoe adapter to plug the synch cable into it, or a radio trigger/receiver.

But please don't buy it. If your budget allows, buy a real studio kit instead. Or, if you have a couple of hotshoe flashes they will do a better job than this Ebay kit, which unlike hotshoe flashes has no power control and which will have more power. These things used to be sold as low powered slave flashes at one time, they went out of fashion and now seem to have raised their ugly heads again as 'professional studio kits'

 

[JonathanRyan]

Trust Garry on this.

You could buy that kit and a hotshoe adapter (or do something clever with pop up flash to trigger) but of all the lighting junk I've seen on eBay that's some of the junkiest.

The cheapest you can find a serviceable light stand anywhere is about 10 quid. Maybe 8 if you really push it and find a bargain. Same for the brolly. 4 brollies and 2 stands in the kit for 50 quid. So the lights are "worth" £2?