Lights for different occassions, what do do?

[khani]

What I have:
Interfit Stellar 3 Head Kit (300w each) (triggered using I.R. transmitter)
580 ex II speedlite
430ex II speedlite
430 ex speedlite
Lots of umbrellas, softboxes, snoots, barn doors etc etc.
Sekonic LS28 light meter

What I do with it:
I have been using the interfit kit as a portable studio for around 1.5 years which I take to customers homes and wedding venues.

+ve

• Good quality lighting and results

-ve

• Heavy and not very portable
• Long set-up time and put away times
• Need mains and limited to indoor work

I use the 580ex II on camera during shoots (bounce flash, fill, garry fong modifier etc) however I'm not currently utilising canons wireless system and feel that by doing so I may be able to eliminate having to use the cumbersome interfit kit.

+ve

• Light weight and portable
• Quick set-up and pack up times
• Can be used outdoors too

-ve

• Not enough power
• Battery intensive limited flash life

Future Plans:
I'm setting up a home studio (garage conversion) and have thought of using the interfit primarily here as a more permanent setup.

I also want to start shooting outdoors in nice locations but still achieve studio quality lighting. This totally rules out the interfit kit but opens up the possibility of using the speedlites or purchasing a location/portable lighting kit consisiting of two flash heads (elinchrom rangers/lencarta safari etc) which can also be used in the studio.

My thoughts:

1) Use the interfit kit in the home studio as a permanent setup
2) Use the speedlites on location thinking: are they powerful enough to overpower the ambient light? the number of flashes will be very limited,maybe i should purchase a power pack like the quantum turbo packs)
3) Add more speedlites to the setup for more power on location
4) Purchase a location lighting set-up to use on location indoors and outdoors and also in the studio

Your thought, ideas & advice

What would you guys and gals do if were in my situation?
Does anyone have a similar set-up or need lights for similar things?
What other +ve/-ve's can you see from the current and future setup?

THANKS

 

[khani]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks for all the advice.

If you break it down into more manageable chunks, I'm sure you'll get some feedback

 

[khani]

If you break it down into more manageable chunks, I'm sure you'll get some feedback

Your thought, ideas & advice

What would you guys and gals do if were in my situation?
Does anyone have a similar set-up or need lights for similar things?
What other +ve/-ve's can you see from the current and future setup?

THANKS

:bonk:

 

[HoppyUK]

Okay, I'll have a go. TBH I think you have covered most things and addressed most of your own questions.

The usual constraint with these things is budget, but if that's not a deal breaker, then what I would do is this.

Simple solution to the location set up is a pukka battery system, eg Elinchrom Rangers. You need power to drive a good sized softbox and get fast recycling - there's no escaping that fact. Four AA batteries cannot compete. Use the hot shoe guns as supplementary fill and effect lights - they're spot on for that.

You already have the indoors studio kit sorted so leave it as is.

Hot shoe guns can do amazing things these days, but fighting with daylight, inside a big reflector, with fast recycling, at low ISO - that isn't one of them. If my understanding of what you're trying to do is right, eg replicate studio style outdoors, the Speedlites will crash and burn, literally.

We've all seem some pretty incredible strobist set ups and great photos, but banks of four Speedlites (to get the output) running at half power (to get the recycling) seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face when a better/easier alternative is just a credit card away.

Just my 2p. Let us know what you decide

 

[khani]

Okay, I'll have a go. TBH I think you have covered most things and addressed most of your own questions.

The usual constraint with these things is budget, but if that's not a deal breaker, then what I would do is this.

Simple solution to the location set up is a pukka battery system, eg Elinchrom Rangers. You need power to drive a good sized softbox and get fast recycling - there's no escaping that fact. Four AA batteries cannot compete. Use the hot shoe guns as supplementary fill and effect lights - they're spot on for that.

You already have the indoors studio kit sorted so leave it as is.

Hot shoe guns can do amazing things these days, but fighting with daylight, inside a big reflector, with fast recycling, at low ISO - that isn't one of them. If my understanding of what you're trying to do is right, eg replicate studio style outdoors, the Speedlites will crash and burn, literally.

We've all seem some pretty incredible strobist set ups and great photos, but banks of four Speedlites (to get the output) running at half power (to get the recycling) seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face when a better/easier alternative is just a credit card away.

Just my 2p. Let us know what you decide

Thanks for that hoppy much appreciated. You're exactly right in that I want to recreate that studio lighting outdoors. I'm not sure whether to go for say a lencarta safari pack or an xtronic explorer sinewave battery pack thingy?

Think your right in that I will use the speedlites for effect lights. Wondering how I can get all the lights to fire at once. Will be using a pocket wizard for transevier on camera and on the lencarta flash head and the 580exII but how will that trigger the 430ex's considering they have no pc sych?

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks for that hoppy much appreciated. You're exactly right in that I want to recreate that studio lighting outdoors. I'm not sure whether to go for say a lencarta safari pack or an xtronic explorer sinewave battery pack thingy?

Think your right in that I will use the speedlites for effect lights. Wondering how I can get all the lights to fire at once. Will be using a pocket wizard for transevier on camera and on the lencarta flash head and the 580exII but how will that trigger the 430ex's considering they have no pc sych?

Can't help on the location flash stuff - never used it. All I know is the Elinchrom Rangers look good and I wanted it as soon as I saw it. If I was doing this, I think it would be important to get both outdoor and studio outfits as compatible as possible, reflectors etc, so they could be used together if necessary. Thinking about it, is it practical to use outdoor kit indoors as permanent studio lights? Depending on what you need, it's maybe worth a thought :shrug:

I do know how to incorporate Canon Speedlites in a studo set up though. See here http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=162366 which explains the problem with optical slaves, and the solution. But you already have a Pocket Wizard, so use that to fire the Speedlite, on manual, via a pc-hot shoe adapter (£10 from Jessops) and that will trigger the optical slaves on the studio heads. If you want to use more than one Speedlite, you will need another PW receiver so it would probably be cheaper to get the required number of radio triggers off Flash In The Pan on here (see For Sale section). He's got lots of very good value strobist stuff going cheap

 

[khani]

Can't help on the location flash stuff - never used it. All I know is the Elinchrom Rangers look good and I wanted it as soon as I saw it. If I was doing this, I think it would be important to get both outdoor and studio outfits as compatible as possible, reflectors etc, so they could be used together if necessary. Thinking about it, is it practical to use outdoor kit indoors as permanent studio lights? Depending on what you need, it's maybe worth a thought :shrug:

I do know how to incorporate Canon Speedlites in a studo set up though. See here http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=162366 which explains the problem with optical slaves, and the solution. But you already have a Pocket Wizard, so use that to fire the Speedlite, on manual, via a pc-hot shoe adapter (£10 from Jessops) and that will trigger the optical slaves on the studio heads. If you want to use more than one Speedlite, you will need another PW receiver so it would probably be cheaper to get the required number of radio triggers off Flash In The Pan on here (see For Sale section). He's got lots of very good value strobist stuff going cheap

Thanks again hoppy your advice has been invaluable

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks again hoppy your advice has been invaluable

No problem bud Glad if it's been helpful - eventually

I'd be interested to know how you finally resolve all this - lots of choice and options, particularly if budget is not the absolute overriding consideration. As you've probably guessed I'm thinking along similar lines, but you always learn something new from people's cat-skinning adventures.

Late edit: just been drooling over Elinchrom Ranger Quadra (again). V cool. Looks like it was made to do just what you want, including operating with Speedlites. And not that expensive

 

[khani]

No problem bud Glad if it's been helpful - eventually

I'd be interested to know how you finally resolve all this - lots of choice and options, particularly if budget is not the absolute overriding consideration. As you've probably guessed I'm thinking along similar lines, but you always learn something new from people's cat-skinning adventures.

Late edit: just been drooling over Elinchrom Ranger Quadra (again). V cool. Looks like it was made to do just what you want, including operating with Speedlites. And not that expensive

Yeah totally agree the quadra's do look a top bit of kit, Frank Doorhof shows there capability in a set of mini on location videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJePeFd3yw0 on you tube. However they are a little bit pricey.

I'm thinking of going down the lencarta route - one 600w head and my speedlites as effect lights. PW's on both the speedlite which in turn triggering the flash head.