Lighting kit help

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ChrisSutherland

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Hi, I'm looking for a little help,

I'm a web developer for a small company, and an amateur photographer as well,
I've been given a budget by my boss of £500 to buy a lighting kit to start to take photos of our stock, as it makes sense to do it in house, and I enjoy it.

Ill need a 3 head continuous lighting set, with a backdrop (white) and stand, with either soft boxes or umbrellas.

I know how to use the gear, as I used it at uni, and I'm confident with my camera. its just trawling through websites looking for what I need is giving me a headache!!

I'll mostly be taking photos of clothing, on a mannequin and occasionally people. Its just I've not had much experience with this type of kit other than what's already been handed to me to use by uni so I don't know which makes to look out for, which to avoid, (i know this is mostly down to personal choice, but some help would be nice)

should I but a complete kit? or is it best to buy the lights and the backdrop separately? Are backdrops universal? or can I only buy an XXX one to fit an XXX stand, so a YYY one wont fit?

I'm getting all confused trying to figure this out myself, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm using a Sony Alpha 700 camera with a variety of lenses.

thanks
 
Personally I wouldn't go for continuous lighting.
In theory it will work because your mannequin will keep still and and so long exposures won't be a problem, but you will still have a major problem in that you won't be able to shape and control the light because continous lighting produced for the amateur market doesn't have the ability to change the light shaping tools..
See this article on how to choose studio lighting and this one on light shaping tools, which are available for flash lighting
 
for backdrops i would go for collapsible ones as they dont take up much space and can be had for cheap. as for lighting though i cant comment however i suppose a cheap kit would be ok such as the interfit ex 150 mark II going for £200 at jessops, its not the best but it would be good for occasional use as you describe.
 
mastertrinity said:
for backdrops i would go for collapsible ones as they dont take up much space and can be had for cheap. as for lighting though i cant comment however i suppose a cheap kit would be ok such as the interfit ex 150 mark II going for £200 at jessops, its not the best but it would be good for occasional use as you describe.
Click to expand...

I have a studio sized space which is available perminantly, so space isnt an issue, also Its going to be more like a weekly task rather than an occasional thing, but still cant afford to spend more than £500

thanks though :)
 
Look at flash kits - much better suited to what you are doing.
 
A couple of used nikon speedlights off ebay £60 each, stands and lighting modifiers to fit both ~£100, remote triggers £60 for a set and a copy of Light Science and Magic £20.

Total £300 - plenty left over to spend in the local pub while you read LS&M ....

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starabo said:
A couple of used nikon speedlights off ebay £60 each, stands and lighting modifiers to fit both ~£100, remote triggers £60 for a set and a copy of Light Science and Magic £20.

Total £300 - plenty left over to spend in the local pub while you read LS&M ....

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Click to expand...

yep cheap yongnuo triggers can be found from flash in the pan on here but make sure you get an hotshoe adapter for your trigger, and pc cables sometimes need to be bought to connect the triggers to the flashguns.
 
...And a good quality studio kit won't cost much more.
I think this thread may be based on the belief that studio flash is expensive - that used to be true but not now. This 3 head Lencarta kit is only £400
 
I agree with Garry, if you are going to take photos weekly in a controlled studio, i would buy studio flash kit...

You can leave your kit setup in work and not have to worry about buying batteries or charging battery packs....

You will have a lot more power to play with and quick recharge times...

:thumbs:
 
I agree that flash is the way to go and, to cut to the chase, a Lencarta Smartflash kit is probably the best option for your budget. There are other quality brands like Bowens and Elinchrom, but you won't get three lights for your budget. Lencarta are cheaper because they only supply direct so you'll probably be buying blind, but Garry works for them and is always on hand here to give good advice.

You're still going to be extremely tight on budget though, as you will need a background system and a couple of rolls of paper (or cloth) which will be over £100, and a flash meter for another £120 or so. In addition, most kits don't include a very big softbox which you will probably find useful, but certainly not essential. If this is a permanent set up, a bit of DIY can sort out the background support with a couple of wall brackets.

You could economise by only getting two lights which will do most things pretty well, but the main exception is if you want pure white backgrounds, which I suspect you do, you need two lights just to get that properly and evenly lit.

Studio gear generally has universal fittings, with the exception of some brands having exclusive mounts for their reflectors (notably Elinchrom). However, Lencarta use the Bowens S fit, which most other makers have also adopted.
 
snap, we've got the same problem, small business garment photography, on a tight budget

my previous thread here:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=159484

there were lots of interesting comments there

so far we've bought a set of lights (smartflash) from lencarta, 3 heads, notably not a "standard" kit, Garry adjusted the kit to suit our needs, critical bit for garments being a big rectangular 140 x 70 softbox (http://www.lencarta.com/softboxes-umbrellas/sof007-140-x-70cm-55-x-28-rectangular-softbox/index.php). We've also bought a standard square 60cm softbox and a snoot for highlighting and a standard reflector for mucking about (for backgrounds or whatever, can add card barn doors or foil reflectors if needed). Went for softboxes as we're home based so in small room with close ceiling & walls, I felt that brollies would scatter light everywhere and have zero control.

We've not used it in anger yet as working from home and trying to get rid of a pile of old stuff (anybody want a free Farfisa organ) so we've got the space to set up properly

Any day now I'm hoping to do a test shoot with the kids (its half term)

First thing I plan to try is using a green polycotton sheet as a chromakey background (cheap and we've got loads of it)

I've been looking at various product photo examples around (crumbs there's some rubbish), especially websites but also printed. Getting a consistent background style appears crucial, the only way I can see it being achieved is by pasting it in afterwards. It also opens the door for more creative backgrounds and exotic settings to be swapped in.
 
Just trying to voice an alternative option - plus as the OP said he's an amateur tog so he may want to 'borrow' the gear at weekends!

I'll be honest, and I don't know much (read 'anything') about studio lights, but I do know a bit about speedlights. I'm quite interested to know, given the OP's scenario, what advantages a studio setup would give that a speedlight setup wouldn't (batteries aside)?

Surely if the it's just mannequins and garments, you don't need the extra watt-seconds? Leaving a bunch of studio lights set up in a room is the same a leaving a bunch of speedlights set up in a room.
 
starabo said:
Just trying to voice an alternative option - plus as the OP said he's an amateur tog so he may want to 'borrow' the gear at weekends!

I'll be honest, and I don't know much (read 'anything') about studio lights, but I do know a bit about speedlights. I'm quite interested to know, given the OP's scenario, what advantages a studio setup would give that a speedlight setup wouldn't (batteries aside)?

Surely if the it's just mannequins and garments, you don't need the extra watt-seconds? Leaving a bunch of studio lights set up in a room is the same a leaving a bunch of speedlights set up in a room.
Click to expand...

The advantages are lighting control. Obviously there are other advantages too, such as power, recycling speed and cost, but it's lighting control that we're talking about for this application.
Despite the best efforts of people like FITP who sell good accessories at good prices, the fact of the matter is that the accessories that are available for hotshoe flashes fall well short of those available for studio flash. See my article on light shapers
Yes, you can get things like beauty dishes (and you need them for this type of shot) to fit hotshoe flashes but they're far too small. You can get honeycombs, but they're far too small too, and it takes a lot of trial and error to get the effect right anyway, without modelling lamps. More specialised tools such as usable-sized fresnel spots just aren't available for hotshoe flashes - and they wouldn't be any use if they were, because of the amount of power they need.

The simple fact of the matter is that lighting is about creating light of the required quality from the required direction, not just creating sufficient quantity of light. Tfhat's why studio lighting is needed, although of course hotshoe flashes can do some things better than studio lights so it isn't one sided
 
starabo said:
Just trying to voice an alternative option - plus as the OP said he's an amateur tog so he may want to 'borrow' the gear at weekends!

I'll be honest, and I don't know much (read 'anything') about studio lights, but I do know a bit about speedlights. I'm quite interested to know, given the OP's scenario, what advantages a studio setup would give that a speedlight setup wouldn't (batteries aside)?

Surely if the it's just mannequins and garments, you don't need the extra watt-seconds? Leaving a bunch of studio lights set up in a room is the same a leaving a bunch of speedlights set up in a room.
Click to expand...

For one thing, using hot-shoe guns is not cheaper much by the time you have set them all up with softboxes and stands, triggers and stuff. If you buy top end branded stuff, it will cost far more.

They don't have much power which is limiting, and they are slow to recyle. You need about 1.0 second reycle time for serious portraiture or you'll miss loads of good expressions and it will drive you slowly mad. You can get that by turning them down, but then you're into a power spiral and end up chasing your tail.

Finally, they don't have modelling lights, which are invaluable when creating any new set up.

Edit: crossed posted with Garry :)
 
Thanks for the replies - as a humble amateur, I bow down to the wisdom of the pro's :clap:

I would argue that many of those benefits described above could be equally done with small lights; some of the work that the like of McNally, Hobby, LS&U et al produce is simply excellent. But given the OP's situation of a fixed location, I grant that studios are likely more suited to the task.

I think the key here is the knowledge of how to create that 'quality' of light, irrespective of what is creating it. I get the impression that a lot of people plump for spending big bucks on kit (speedies or studios) thinking that more cash = better light, when in fact a little cash and a little knowledge may help them more - I suppose that is the reason why this forum exists!

If you have the know-how you can select the right tool for the right job.

Anyway, thanks for the little detour - back to the topic....
 
Thanks for the replys, I've had a bit of a shop around and I think I will probably end up going with the Lencarta kit, as It seems to have everything I need.

My only concern is the trigger, will It work with my Sony camera? or Will I have to buy something extra to make it work?

Also, how does the trigger work? is it only via the hotahoe or can it be triggered with a PC cable? as I frequently have trouble with my hotshoe not firing a mounted flash, but they work fine wirelessly (I have two flashes, same problem, so its obviously the hotshoe)

this only leaves me needing a backdrop for around £100....
 
ChrisSutherland said:
Thanks for the replys, I've had a bit of a shop around and I think I will probably end up going with the Lencarta kit, as It seems to have everything I need.

My only concern is the trigger, will It work with my Sony camera? or Will I have to buy something extra to make it work?

Also, how does the trigger work? is it only via the hotahoe or can it be triggered with a PC cable? as I frequently have trouble with my hotshoe not firing a mounted flash, but they work fine wirelessly (I have two flashes, same problem, so its obviously the hotshoe)

this only leaves me needing a backdrop for around £100....
Click to expand...
The hotshoe fitting is a problem with some Sony models, but you can get an adapter cheaply enough via Ebay. Or, if you camera has a PC socket you can plug the radio trigger into it.
The Lencarta background system is £75.
 
Well after much research I have went for the Lencarta 3 head kit, and I would just like to share my initial feelings:

Firstly I purchased the 3 head kit and the lencarta backdrop system with a 3mx6m white backdrop.

The kit arrived next day after ordering, which was excellent, so obviously i immediatly dropped the job i was doing to play with my new toys!

For a "budget/home" kit I have to say I am extremely impressed, as I didnt think the build quality would be as good for the money I have spent,

The kit is very simple to put together and can be done quickly which is handy as I will have to assemble and disassemble the kit every time I use it.

The kit is supplied with durable bags (which i wasnt expecting to be included) for the light heads and stands which are very high quality and mean I can transport the kit easily if needed and also store it safely without having to worry about it getting damaged.

The trigger system was very easy to operate as I simply needed to plug the receiver into one of the flash units, then press the "cell" button on each head, attach the trigger unit to my camera (it has a hotshoe, but I use a Sony A700 so at present I am using the PC socket to fire the trigger) and It worked instantly! no mess, no fuss!

The lighting controls on the back of each head are also very good, one simple dial to turn to adjust the power setting meaning its very quick to be able to adjust power and keep going.

The stands have a fantastic range, I was expecting with a cheaper system for them not to be very tall but infact they are! (cant remember exact height, but its quite tall)

The background support system is also very good, I purchased the 3mx6m white backdrop, this was probably a mistake, as currently 3m of it is rolled up at the bottom so the 3mx3m would probably have been fine for what I need. however that was my fault for ordering it :P

The only negative points I can find so far are that the kit comes with no instructions of any kind, a basic PDF instruction manual is available on the website in the product listing, but has no assembly instructions or instructions on how to use the wireless trigger (or change the channel etc)
As I am an "intermediate" user, this wasnt really a problem, as I know how to put together a softbox, however if a first time user buys the kit they will probably find it challenging to put the softbox together!

Also, the backdrop is rather thin material, and was folded into a small carry case (clearly by magic, as im never gonna be able to fold it that small again!!!)
this meant i had to steam the creases out of the backdrop, and believe me, its not much fun steaming a 3mx6m sheet!!

These however are very minor points, and overall I am very pleased with the kit, and glad I made the choice to buy lencarta, I also have the piece of mind to know I can ring the company who makes the kit directly if I have any questions/issues and someone will answer.

I would definatly recommend this kit to anyone who wants a very high quality low budget home studio kit with 3 heads, 1 umbrella, 2x softboxes, wireless trigger, background support and 3mx6m backdrop all for just over £500 delivered.

Many thanks.

Chris Sutherland
 
Hi Chris,

Glad you like it. Just to address your concerns...
Softbox assembly: Click on the Learning Centre Tab on the Lencarta website for detailed illustrated instructions for assembling the softbox.
And while you're there, there's a video on the radio triggers too.
And a tutorial which explains how to get rid of creases in the background (it's actually a very thick material compared to the others on the market). Basically you just hang it up and use clamps on the uprights to stretch the material tight, and if you're also using it on the floor you use masking tape to hold it tight (as per the video on lighting subjects on a white background in the same section). If creases are still a problem, as they might be when it's new and just out of that tiny bag, just spray it with water from a plant sprayer and leave it for a few minutes. Magic!

Steam irons are for people with much more patience than me:)
 
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