On location lighting help please!

[alexisonfire]

Hey guys, i'm looking to get a portable lighting setup to use on location for car shoots. But have some questions regarding flashes, diffusers and triggers!

First off flashes - Am i right in thinking pretty much all nikon flashes will fire via radio triggers in manual? (i understand i won't get TTL with all) And what would you recommend for around £30 per flash, how do you guys rate the sigma 430ST?

Triggers - Using my built in wireless sender on the D80 atm to fire my SB600, but the line of sight thing is annoying and would like something more versatile. Looking for recommendations, i've heard lots about cactus v4's but is there a cheaper alternative thats just as good?

Diffusers, this is where im lost. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using either a reflective umbrella, shooting through a white umbrella, bouncing off a white umbrella, and finally, using a softbox?

My idea was to use two flashguns with umbrella's on in front of the car, and one behind, bare, lighting up the background.

As i said this is mainly for automotive shoots, but it would be nice if i could use it for portraiture too.

cheers!

 

[Jambo_84]

First off flashes - Am i right in thinking pretty much all nikon flashes will fire via radio triggers in manual? (i understand i won't get TTL with all) And what would you recommend for around £30 per flash, how do you guys rate the sigma 430ST?

There may be something out there for that price but I don't know what, for full manual control I spend a bit more (£70) and bought a Nikon SB-24.

Triggers - Using my built in wireless sender on the D80 atm to fire my SB600, but the line of sight thing is annoying and would like something more versatile. Looking for recommendations, i've heard lots about cactus v4's but is there a cheaper alternative thats just as good?

I've just got a set of v4's, mainly to fire my studio flash heads but I've had a play with them on the SB-24 and they seem fine so far.

Diffusers, this is where im lost. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using either a reflective umbrella, shooting through a white umbrella, bouncing off a white umbrella, and finally, using a softbox?

Shoot through and softbox will give a similar effect, can't comment on the others as I've never used them!



Hope that helps a bit! Good luck, I'm sure someone here will be able to go into more depth.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Diffusers - as Jambo says. However, if you're trying to get a gentle, diffused light that produces diffused specular highlights then you'll need a diffuser at least 3 times the size of the subject you're lighting, so no commercially available softbox or umbrella will be anywhere near big enough if you want to avoid harsh specular reflections. And no hotshoe flash will have anywhere near enough power.

The standard professional starting point is a large scrim (black material with tiny holes in it) suspended above the car. This softens, diffuses and reduces direct sunlight. Again, it needs to be much bigger than the car.

 

[david1701]

whats kind of ambient are you expecting? flourescents in car parks? mainly outside?
get some gels (free from lee filters) to balance the colour temperatures.

 

[alexisonfire]

Mainly going for two styles, fill flash for sunset backdrop, and for night shoots which will almost all be lit using flashes.

 

[david1701]

I would say maybe a mixture of shoot through and reflective umbrellas

no hope of getting a soft, box bigger than the car.

maybe two shoot through in front and one reflective (harder but more power) behind

colour balancing shouldn't be an issue but might be handy to have gels for more creative stuff at a later date