Lencarta Kit plus extra head? - FAO Garry!

zerodeluxe

zerodeluxe

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Ben
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Hi Garry

Finally we're getting around to get our kit to light and shoot our bikes (as previously discussed a while back in a previous thread) - but I wanted to check the compatibility of the 4 head Kit with an additional light?

We're going for the SmartFlash 800w kit, with an additional head for lighting over head (with a 140x70 softbox). Ideally the overhead flash needs to work wirelessly with the kit system. Is that possible? Which head would I need? Had looked at the Elite Pro 300 - would that one work without additional transmitters/receivers?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Don't want to buy the wrong thing!

Thanks!

Ben
 
Ben,
In theory at least, any head can be added into the system, there will be no compatibility issues.

In theory again, if you have a radio receiver firing a head fitted with a broad light source (softbox or umbrella) then enough light will reach the slave sensors of the other heads to fire them as slaves, so the obvious place to put the receiver is on the overhead light - but it can be a good idea to have extra receivers just in case a head is stuck somewhere where it sometimes doesn't see the flash from the primary light.

But you need to think about which head you have overhead... how are you going to get to it to adjust it? Your best option by far is to get a SuperFast 300 for that, it has a brilliant remote control, but it isn't cheap.

Second choice should be the UltraPro 300, a remote control is available for that too. But I wouldn't choose either the ElitePro or the SmartFlash as an overhead light, because neither can be controlled remotely.

Remote control in that situation only becomes important when you haven't got it...
 
"Trigger methods: Radio trigger, infra red, synch cable"

Probably showing my ignorance here, but is not what this means? Or does that mean it CAN but I'd need separate trigger/receiver?

Sorry, lighting not my strong point so not so familiar with the tech side, but hoping this kit was a good way to teach myself!
 
Radio Trigger :)
 
zerodeluxe said:
"Trigger methods: Radio trigger, infra red, synch cable"

Probably showing my ignorance here, but is not what this means? Or does that mean it CAN but I'd need separate trigger/receiver?

Sorry, lighting not my strong point so not so familiar with the tech side, but hoping this kit was a good way to teach myself!
Click to expand...
I really need to take a detailed look at the website, there may be descriptions/explanations that just aren't clear enough...
What that line means is that you can trigger the flash by any of those methods - triggering (firing the flash in synch with the camera shutter) isn't the same thing as remote control, which is adjusting the power of the flash, the modelling lamp, turning the beep on or off etc). For that you need a flash that either has a built in remote control (UltraPro) and get the Commander unit to remote control it, or the SuperFast, which doesn't have the remote control receiver built it, but which has full remote control built into the dedicated radio trigger set.

The SuperFast is a very high end flash with features that may or may not matter to you (probably won't) but it is more expensive than the UltraPro
 
Ah, I see. I don't think adjusting the power etc by remote is important as once I've got it right, the whole shoot will be the same. Triggering wirelessly will be what I want.

So, with the kit and extra head, will I need an additional trigger/receiver, or should it work together "out of the box" so to speak?!

Sorry if these are basic questions - just want to make sure I'm buying the correct equipment!

Thanks!
 
It should all work with just the one radio receiver, provided that it's plugged into a light that spreads enough to reach the slave sensors, as I explained before
 
Great. The set up will be the one head with large softbox overhead, two pointing at the bikes front/side and two pointed at he back drop.

Will those two pointing away's sensors pick it up?
 
There shouldn't be a problem. Each flash head has the sensor positioned on the top, where it sees the light from all angles.

And bear in mind too that as long as just one of the slave heads fires, that will itself produce light to aid the process.
 
Well, just give me a ring if you need any advice
 
Thank you - I may have to take you up on that. I'm guessing the kit should be fairly straightforward to set up, even to a novice?

It's the tinkering with settings/angles that will take time! :)
 
You can do that, and it will probably be perfectly OK as you aren't concerned about remote control.

The only possible issue is that it 'only' adjusts down to 1/16th of full power, the other flash heads have at least twice that much adjustment. This could create a problem if you need a very low level of light from that head, but personally I doubt whether it will be a problem.
 
Yeah, I don't think we'll be needing "low light" as such... occasionally I'll do some dark low-lit parts shots on black, but I'm sure I could work around it, or just use the lights we have now. I'd been using home-made snoots for those anyway!

I just though there wasn't much point in spending the extra £50 if there wasn't much of an advantage!
 
zerodeluxe said:
Do you think a carry bag could be thrown on with the purchase? Seem's a big sum not to have anything like that included? :)
Click to expand...
Nice try but no, sorry. The bags are in fact out of stock and discontinued. I've been told that a better bag is on the way, but don't have any details yet.

If you really would like a free gift, you could ring me up and I'll gladly sing "Men of Harlech" to you over the phone in Welsh, but I really don't recommend it:lol:
 
UPDATE!

Shooting today! Spent a day or so fiddling around trying to get the best set up - took a little while as we're limited on space, but happy with what we're getting so far.

Thought you all might like a laugh with our makeshift studio in the warehouse... you'll be cringing, but it's working so far! :)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3w61mfgnhgzy3z4/IMG_7618.JPG

The gazebo/tarp combo was the easiest way to cut out some unwanted reflections!
 
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