Need help to advise for softbox

hoftwi

hoftwi

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Hi all, I would like to learn more about lighting which is the weakest part of my knowledge. Tried to look through the threads and gather ideas, however I get more confused by it. Basically I would like to set up a small home studio to do some portrait (self-portrait for testing first) and some still life. After going through the posts, I think I know what I need (maybe wrong) but I would like to get some more advices before I waste the money.

@Phil V suggested this in other thread, it seems to fit my needs and budget, however it doesn't come with a stand, then I look around and not sure which stand I should get and they are not cheap.

So I came up to this setup, as it comes with everything I need (please let me know if it doesn't) but it is a bit pricy for me (but I found the same item in the evil bay for £95 which is reasonable for me). however, if it is the one, i can save up for it.

Please advise whether it is a good choice for me or if I have missed something important or you have other alternatives for me.

Thank you all in advance.
 
This video might be useful, not as an endorsement of Lastolite per se, but as an illustration of the effectiveness of the different lighting effects for 3 of their products.
 
The softbox I recommended is just that, a softbox and a speedlight bracket.

The kit Dean recommended is utter rubbish, Dean will realise this later, as has everyone else who ever bought one (yes I'm speaking from experience).

The lastolite kit you linked is overpriced, if you add a £30 flash stand to the kit I recommended, you'd have the same thing for half price.

What we don't know is exactly what you want to achieve or what kit you already use/ have experience of.

The general rule, if you're starting out in studio lighting, is to bite the bullet and buy a decent starter kit. Studio lights are vastly superior to speedlights in a static setting. Do you have a budget in mind?
 
Phil V said:
The softbox I recommended is just that, a softbox and a speedlight bracket.

The kit Dean recommended is utter rubbish, Dean will realise this later, as has everyone else who ever bought one (yes I'm speaking from experience).

The lastolite kit you linked is overpriced, if you add a £30 flash stand to the kit I recommended, you'd have the same thing for half price.

What we don't know is exactly what you want to achieve or what kit you already use/ have experience of.

The general rule, if you're starting out in studio lighting, is to bite the bullet and buy a decent starter kit. Studio lights are vastly superior to speedlights in a static setting. Do you have a budget in mind?
Click to expand...

Thanks Phil for the advices and tips. That's what I am worried that I spend the money and the kits turn out rubbish. My budget is around £200, of course as cheap as possible. I also understand that the better quality one will increase the price and I am ready to pay more for that (just have to save up a bit longer, but hey! Christmas is coming:D).

I have no experience about lighting whatsoever, I have used a flashgun with a small box on to take some marco photos, apart from it, I don't know much about lighting.

I would like to do some portrait and still life, I tried to take some photo of my dog with my flash but it doesn't look right. Either the light is too harsh or not powerful enough or too much of the shadow. At the moment, I would like to set up a studio with my flashgun first, then go to the next step with proper studio kit. But if could do both at the same time, that will be great:) sorry if I am being greedy.

Is there any good quality flash stand you would recommend?

I quote the Lastolite kit is because it seems to include everything I need and I have the option to use it on my camera with the bracket but I know it is overpriced.

Sorry if my response doesn't make any sense, as I don't quite sure how to explain what I need or want. thanks for the patience to reply and suggest.
 
The kit Dean recommended is utter rubbish, Dean will realise this later, as has everyone else who ever bought one (yes I'm speaking from experience).
sorry Phil but i disagree. not everyone has neither the budget nor the location for hundreds of pounds of studio lighting gear.
for a small home studio shooting a few portrait shots you could essentially just use a couple of speedlites and umbrellas which would cost you as much as the kit linked above. not everyone wants or can afford to pay £400+ for a lighting kit they may only use occasionally.
the snobbery on here when it comes to kit and budget always astounds me and so many times i hear the same , dont buy that its crap nonesene. yet people seem to forget this forum is for ALL levels of photographers with ALL budgets.
having recently picked up a pair of 250 watt sgtrobes with model lamps ( neweer 250's ) for £23 each and an octagonal umbrella softbox for £18 coupled with the stands i already have i have for less that £70 a perfectly good setup that will do portrait shots at home without any fuss or bother. It may not be high end in any way shape or form BUT they work and the results for home shooting are great.
 
hoftwi said:
Thanks Phil for the advices and tips. That's what I am worried that I spend the money and the kits turn out rubbish. My budget is around £200, of course as cheap as possible. I also understand that the better quality one will increase the price and I am ready to pay more for that (just have to save up a bit longer, but hey! Christmas is coming:D).

I have no experience about lighting whatsoever, I have used a flashgun with a small box on to take some marco photos, apart from it, I don't know much about lighting.

I would like to do some portrait and still life, I tried to take some photo of my dog with my flash but it doesn't look right. Either the light is too harsh or not powerful enough or too much of the shadow. At the moment, I would like to set up a studio with my flashgun first, then go to the next step with proper studio kit. But if could do both at the same time, that will be great:) sorry if I am being greedy.

Is there any good quality flash stand you would recommend?

I quote the Lastolite kit is because it seems to include everything I need and I have the option to use it on my camera with the bracket but I know it is overpriced.

Sorry if my response doesn't make any sense, as I don't quite sure how to explain what I need or want. thanks for the patience to reply and suggest.
Click to expand...


200 quid will get you a great set up!

Phil has hit the nail on the head. I rambled about with speedlights and modifiers - I would have been better off in the long term having initially bought a decent studio head, modifier and a reflector!
 
Sir SR said:
200 quid will get you a great set up!

Phil has hit the nail on the head. I rambled about with speedlights and modifiers - I would have been better off in the long term having initially bought a decent studio head, modifier and a reflector!
Click to expand...


I would like to get it down to £100 then,lol :D
 
To be honest, on a budget, second hand smartflash one, reflector umbrella and stand. But ideally the two head set will have you set for ages (more cost initially but cheaper in the long run!!)
 
dean messenger said:
sorry Phil but i disagree. not everyone has neither the budget nor the location for hundreds of pounds of studio lighting gear.
for a small home studio shooting a few portrait shots you could essentially just use a couple of speedlites and umbrellas which would cost you as much as the kit linked above. not everyone wants or can afford to pay £400+ for a lighting kit they may only use occasionally.
the snobbery on here when it comes to kit and budget always astounds me and so many times i hear the same , dont buy that its crap nonesene. yet people seem to forget this forum is for ALL levels of photographers with ALL budgets.
having recently picked up a pair of 250 watt sgtrobes with model lamps ( neweer 250's ) for £23 each and an octagonal umbrella softbox for £18 coupled with the stands i already have i have for less that £70 a perfectly good setup that will do portrait shots at home without any fuss or bother. It may not be high end in any way shape or form BUT they work and the results for home shooting are great.
Click to expand...

No one here has suggested a £400+ kit, you're the first to bring it up.

The kit you're recommending has precisely one thing going for it and that's price, in every other respect you'll probably find something better buying elsewhere and it'll end up costing in the same region if you're careful. If cost were the main consideration you should be buying second hand but I hesitate to suggest that to beginners because you need a bit of experience to spot the difference between stuff that's well maintained and stuff that's a bit abused.

As for the op, Lastolite kit tends to be more expensive but it is better quality than the generic pieces 'most' of the time. I see that kit being more relevant for someone who isn't indoors as you're paying extra to get everything portable with it all being collapsible and in carry bags.
 
dean messenger said:
The kit Dean recommended is utter rubbish, Dean will realise this later, as has everyone else who ever bought one (yes I'm speaking from experience).
sorry Phil but i disagree. not everyone has neither the budget nor the location for hundreds of pounds of studio lighting gear.
for a small home studio shooting a few portrait shots you could essentially just use a couple of speedlites and umbrellas which would cost you as much as the kit linked above. not everyone wants or can afford to pay £400+ for a lighting kit they may only use occasionally.
the snobbery on here when it comes to kit and budget always astounds me and so many times i hear the same , dont buy that its crap nonesene. yet people seem to forget this forum is for ALL levels of photographers with ALL budgets.
having recently picked up a pair of 250 watt sgtrobes with model lamps ( neweer 250's ) for £23 each and an octagonal umbrella softbox for £18 coupled with the stands i already have i have for less that £70 a perfectly good setup that will do portrait shots at home without any fuss or bother. It may not be high end in any way shape or form BUT they work and the results for home shooting are great.
Click to expand...
Dean, I don't shoot landscapes.

If I entered the landscape section and continuously told inexperienced people they could shoot awesome landscapes with a £60 point and shoot, would I be an idiot? Then if I told the regulars that they were being gear snobs?

This isn't snobbery, in case you missed it, I have owned some of those rubbish heads, and it's not about money, I'm not saying the OP needs to spend thousands on Profoto heads, I've asked for his budget, and I'll advise accordingly. Because I know a bit about lighting people. You OTOH know a great deal about landscape photography ;)
 
simonbarker said:
If cost were the main consideration you should be buying second hand but I hesitate to suggest that to beginners because you need a bit of experience to spot the difference between stuff that's well maintained and stuff that's a bit abused.

As for the op, Lastolite kit tends to be more expensive but it is better quality than the generic pieces 'most' of the time. I see that kit being more relevant for someone who isn't indoors as you're paying extra to get everything portable with it all being collapsible and in carry bags.
Click to expand...

It is my other concern as well, since I am very very new to it, if I get the secondhand one, I wouldn't have noticed if it has missed any parts that I need. I have no problem with secondhand items but with my insufficient knowledge about the kit, I may stick to the a 'whole package' from new and start from there.
 
For £200 you can get a single Smartflash 200, a decent softbox, stand and a reflector.

But start with a good book.

As above, you could probably get a 2 head kit second hand, but like Simon, I'd hesitate to recommend S/H to someone with so little experience.
 
hoftwi said:
It is my other concern as well, since I am very very new to it, if I get the secondhand one, I wouldn't have noticed if it has missed any parts that I need. I have no problem with secondhand items but with my insufficient knowledge about the kit, I may stick to the a 'whole package' from new and start from there.
Click to expand...

Plus you don't have to worry about it electrocuting you! Part of me is always expecting the worst when I get something especially abused through the door (you'd be amazed how many people seem to think it's OK to sell something knackered without any warning) but I've only had a shock once and it was on baby 150w head that had been unplugged for a while so no harm done besides giving me a little shock (ha...).
 
Phil V said:
For £200 you can get a single Smartflash 200, a decent softbox, stand and a reflector.

But start with a good book.

As above, you could probably get a 2 head kit second hand, but like Simon, I'd hesitate to recommend S/H to someone with so little experience.
Click to expand...

Thanks Phil again for the suggestion. Sorry for being annoying. Are there any brands of stand you would recommend?
 
simonbarker said:
Plus you don't have to worry about it electrocuting you! Part of me is always expecting the worst when I get something especially abused through the door (you'd be amazed how many people seem to think it's OK to sell something knackered without any warning) but I've only had a shock once and it was on baby 150w head that had been unplugged for a while so no harm done besides giving me a little shock (ha...).
Click to expand...

That wasn't nice! Ya, I forget about the electric thing to worry about as well. I would have no idea how to check anyway.
 
hoftwi said:
Thanks Phil again for the suggestion. Sorry for being annoying. Are there any brands of stand you would recommend?
Click to expand...
Well I mentioned the Smartflash2, which is made by Lencarta, the head is £110 which is about right (50% of your budget).

Other brands are available, the key point is the mount for the modifier, which is Bowens S mount for Lencarta.
 
hoftwi said:
Thanks Phil again for the suggestion. Sorry for being annoying. Are there any brands of stand you would recommend?
Click to expand...

Any stand from one of the bigger manufacturers will do a good job (Elinchrom, Profoto, Bowens, Manfrotto, Calumet, Lastolite etc) but they're only affordable second hand.

Interfit have some reasonable stands but they fit into the same category as brands like Konig where the stands are very light and often have weak spigots which wear easily (probably not a huge concern for you though).
 
The cheapest kit is cheapest for a reason. It's fine for some people but, leaving longevity and reliability aside, it's harder to get good, consistent results with it.
This often means that it's sort of usable by skilled studio phographers but the worst possible choice for beginners - the market sector that the junk is actually aimed at.

Safety worries me too, standards can be appalling and don't assume that 'CE' means anything other than Chinese Export.

Second hand quality gear can offer good savings but without a warranty it can be a risk.
 
I have both Lencarta and Interfit stands as I bought secondhand kits on Ebay, all 200 w/s heads. I can vouch for the fact that the Interfit Stands do not have the build quality or stability of the Lencarta items. I personally was quite happy to buy known name equipment secondhand, the lower power flashes tend to be bought by amateurs, get used a few times and then put away. I collected the items which were demonstrated by the sellers at the time, both kits were as new. My Interfit EXD200 kit (2 softboxes) was under £100, the Lencarta Smartflash kit (again 2 softboxes) was £200. Bowens and Elinchrom tend to go for a bit more money. I use the Interfit Heads to white out the background so the mix of adapter fittings doesn't matter to me.
 
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