Home Studio Kit?

[simonbarker]

I have the chance to buy a couple of Bowens Gemini GM500R together with stands, reflectors etc, carry case.

Are these any good?? anything to look out for buying used?

It's a very good price, second hand £500 would be a good price but new they retail at £900.

It's a basic workhorse, a bit outdated, with an expensive but not great radio trigger system, and it isn't fan cooled - but well worth buying if the price is right, these lights have a good reputation for reliability

The 500r's do not have a good reputation for reliability, you're thinking of the older Gemini's.

It's a 'reasonable' price for the kit, but you can buy new with a warranty for less, it's the difference between a 10 year old focus or a brand new Kia.

The Kia will have more bells and whistles and a rock solid warranty, but the Focus was a 'better' car than a Kia in its time, but with no CD player and no warranty I'd give it a miss.

Ultimately it's your garage you're filling though.

It's a very good price for that kind of kit (especially so with a pulsar card and presumably the transmitter) and while it's old it compares reasonably well to most alternatives (I couldn't justify their new price at over £400 each though).

 

[redsnappa]

Please don't selectively quote

Until someone discovers alternative ways of quoting I have no choice but to selectively quote.

 

[Phil V]

Until someone discovers alternative ways of quoting I have no choice but to selectively quote.

You came back for that?

You selectively quoted, completely altering the context, now you're suggesting that you had no alternative but to cut off half the sentence and put it up against someone else's who was writing about a whole other issue.

If you'd put a smiley I'd have taken the joke, but you seem to think what you did was acceptable.

Frankly it makes you look like a nob.

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

Until someone discovers alternative ways of quoting I have no choice but to selectively quote.

Non selective, really easy!

I have no choice but to selectively quote.

Selective, more difficult.

 

[mike weeks]

You came back for that?

You selectively quoted, completely altering the context, now you're suggesting that you had no alternative but to cut off half the sentence and put it up against someone else's who was writing about a whole other issue.

If you'd put a smiley I'd have taken the joke, but you seem to think what you did was acceptable.

Frankly it makes you look like a nob.

Because they have a habit of doing this in a number of threads and often targeting @Garry Edwards - sorry but I would much rather listen to what Garry has to say, he has a proven track record of providing help so whatever the beef that @redsnappa has, either take it elsewhere or grow up because the only person looking foolish is you Redsnappa

Mike

 

[Phil V]

Because they have a habit of doing this in a number of threads and often targeting @Garry Edwards - sorry but I would much rather listen to what Garry has to say, he has a proven track record of providing help so whatever the beef that @redsnappa has, either take it elsewhere or grow up because the only person looking foolish is you Redsnappa

Mike

I did actually realise after I'd asked.

I suppose some people don't realise how many people Garry has helped over the years, how much time he's given others and how many of us have actually met him in person.

It's easy to make yourself look foolish by picking arguments with people so well respected in the industry.

 

[Jase]

Well hopefully I can clear out the garage in the new year and start on the studio.

Couple of questions: whats the best colour to paint a studio, I guess white but any disadvantage to doing that?

Also above mentioned doing a studio course, I've got a week off in January so can anyone recommend a good one?

 

[Phil V]

Well hopefully I can clear out the garage in the new year and start on the studio.

Couple of questions: whats the best colour to paint a studio, I guess white but any disadvantage to doing that?

Also above mentioned doing a studio course, I've got a week off in January so can anyone recommend a good one?

Black is 'best', but most people settle for a mid grey. If you go white you'll need to put up curtains or blinds to cover it.

Remember the point of 'light' is the absence of it, we don't control lights we control shadows, and light pollution bouncing off every wall creates issues.

 

[Jase]

Black is 'best', but most people settle for a mid grey. If you go white you'll need to put up curtains or blinds to cover it.

Remember the point of 'light' is the absence of it, we don't control lights we control shadows, and light pollution bouncing off every wall creates issues.

That's interesting as that was my initial thought but if you google photography studio, 99% of them are white.

 

[Phil V]

That's interesting as that was my initial thought but if you google photography studio, 99% of them are white.

The backgrounds are often nowadays shown as white (it's a popular look),

I've just googled for images, you're right most of them are white, but most of them are also 'home studios', if you concentrate on the pro size studios the black ones start to become a large proportion.

 

[Scooter]

That's interesting as that was my initial thought but if you google photography studio, 99% of them are white.

Ain't that the truth! Bane of my life. Small studios are difficult to work in anyway, but then they go and paint them all white. I agree with Phil: In a large studio this isn't an issue as the light falls off by the time it reaches the walls, but in a small studio, unless you only ever shoot dreamy light-everywhere portraits or catalogue work, I would ideallypaint it matt black, with the possible exception of the back wall which could handle a mid-grey ( Dulux Ice Storm 2 is pretty close apparently). This will be grey, or become black, white or any colour you care to light it with. https://www.prophotonut.com/2015/01/02/paint-studio-walls-dulux-ice-storm2-flat-matt/

 

[Jase]

The backgrounds are often nowadays shown as white (it's a popular look),

I've just googled for images, you're right most of them are white, but most of them are also 'home studios', if you concentrate on the pro size studios the black ones start to become a large proportion.

Ain't that the truth! Bane of my life. Small studios are difficult to work in anyway, but then they go and paint them all white. I agree with Phil: In a large studio this isn't an issue as the light falls off by the time it reaches the walls, but in a small studio, unless you only ever shoot dreamy light-everywhere portraits or catalogue work, I would ideallypaint it matt black, with the possible exception of the back wall which could handle a mid-grey ( Dulux Ice Storm 2 is pretty close apparently). This will be grey, or become black, white or any colour you care to light it with. https://www.prophotonut.com/2015/01/02/paint-studio-walls-dulux-ice-storm2-flat-matt/

Thanks guys, I agree with your advice as it makes that most sense so I'll got for black with possibly that ice storm 2 at the back.

 

[cardiff_gareth]

I started out with old Jessops Portaflash heads which are as basic as they get, three choices of power 1/4, 1/2 & full!

If it were me I'd do as other people have said already. One light and a modifier or two including a reflector and learn how to use it before adding more to the mix.

You could also look in the meantime to get a black/white vinyl roll and go strobist with off camera flash?