Monolites Info Please

[InaGlo]

Ive just seen a 400e & 200e with umbrella & softbox advertised in my local and Im intrigued as I still havent purchased any lighting yet.
It all feels a bit of a minefield to me at the moment this lighting thing, so even though Im mid search on the net ... I thought it might be best to ask the guys in the know.
Do any of you have any experience of the the Monolites? Would it be a good idea to have a play with these at £150? or Is it best for a noob like myself to steer clear of old stuff?
Your comments would be appreciated.

 

[MattEg]

I take it there Bowens?

I myself would steer clear of very old lighting which the monolites are.
If I was buying used I'd suggest the esprit range, which I think has just been
replaced by the Esprit DX.

I would suggest going for factory repaired kit, which can be bought through warehouseexpress
It comes with a three month warranty, which gives a little piece of mind.

I have recently purchased a 250DX head which has ample power for the space I have and the size of subject I will be shooting.
If you are going to be photographing large objects I would suggest going for 500's.

Don't forget you will need reflectors to direct the light, umbrellas and/or softboxes and stands for the lighting.
It ain't cheap so think about what you need before taking the plunge.

 

[InaGlo]

Thanks Matt... yeah theyre Bowens.
Even as I was typing the post I kind of knew I wasnt going to go for it ... I guess I just wanted clarification that I wasnt missing the bargain of the century, lol! She did have stands, a softbox & 1 umbrella included which kind of sounded too good to be true for the moolah!

Do you mind if I ask what subjects you shoot with the 250DX ?
I only have an 11'x11' room myself and want to do fashion type/portrait shots eventually.
Youre right, it isnt cheap and as someone who is really feeling their way in the dark Im very wary of buying expensive equipment blind. I guess as a noob I want someone to 'tell me' what to get. :embarasse
I did put myself on a college course last Sept in the hope of learning the basics in the kind of questions Im asking now ... when the tutor hadnt asked us to bring our cameras in by Feb I left (students were playing with Pinhole cameras then).
£300 down & still none the wiser.... its a cruel world!!!

 

[MattEg]

I don't have a room to use solely for photography, so furniture has to be moved
around in our living room, which is not much bigger than what you have.

I only have the one light, with a wideangle reflector (with brollie bracket) a large softbox and a couple of white brollies.
It will be used mainly for still life shots, with the occasional portrait shot and pets.

Here's an example using the softbox.

f14 1/125 ISO200
Tamron 90mm Di

When I feel the need to get more lighting I will add a 500, then another 500 eventually.

 

[InaGlo]

Thats a gorgeous flower pic, love the hot colours.
Ill be taking close ups of nails/hands and hopefully some flowers too. If I can get my flowers to look anything like yours, Ill be a happy bunny.

My room is all my own but is kitted out towards receiving manicure clients so I have furniture to move also.

Talking of the 500's, was just looking at this ... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bowens-Esprit...oryZ3860QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

A few peeps interested in that little set up but, I think Ill do a bit more reading up before I take the plunge myself.
Thanks for your help Matt.

 

[MattEg]

For hands you will only need one 250 light with a softbox.
The softbox will soften the shadows giving a pleasing finish.
You can always add to this at a later date.

A flash meter will be necessary, the one below is ideal

sekonic L-308S

You can use this to trigger the light and get the correct aperture/shutter speed.

Thanks for the compliment.