Onelight DVD and the flashes he uses

jamesoliverstone

jamesoliverstone

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Please can someone tell me what power those flashes are that he uses?

I would really like to replicate the 2 flashes and modifiers he uses as they seem to cover a wide range of situations...

Should I hunt down the guns he uses, or go for a modern equivilant?
 
Zack uses (amongst others) a Sunpak 120J which are no longer made and makes them quite expensive to buy, a vivitar 285 which again are no longer made (although Cactus have started making replica's) and other Nikon unit's such as the SB80.
 
it doesn't really matter too much. Zack uses the sunpak which has a beauty dish, but tbh, it's an old flash, any proper modern flash does all that you need, and a lot more, so go for them.

Any flash will do though, as long as it has variable power output (1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc), and preferably a pc sync port, though this is not required as you can get an adapter.
 
Thanks for the replies guys... so as I am still learning about lighting... is my 550ex speedlight powerful enough to use with an umbrella/softbox for studio shots?

The only reason I ask, is that he seems to hint that these type of camera hot shoe flashes are no good for this kind of work?
 
Your 550EX will be fine. It's got a guide number of 180, which is the same as my Pentax 540.

I shot these last year with just the 540 and a shoot through umbrella, and added 2 Vivitar 285's since (which I now use nearly all the time)

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The pictures you're referring to could be achieved with much cheaper kit.

you could get a single studio head and use the bare bulb. No need for the portability of the Quantum, or the price.

You could probably get away with a hotshoe flash at full power, but with a much larger aperture (f2.8 vs f13) to take advantage of the lower power.
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Thanks for the replies guys... so as I am still learning about lighting... is my 550ex speedlight powerful enough to use with an umbrella/softbox for studio shots?

The only reason I ask, is that he seems to hint that these type of camera hot shoe flashes are no good for this kind of work?
Click to expand...

Have a look at Zack's Flickr stream (usedfilm),he uses a hotshoe flash in a 50" Westcott Apollo softbox :nuts:
 
Thanks for the replies guys, great pics there JasonRS!

I have literally just finished the watching the second DVD and I was really suprised at what can be achieved with a speedlight and a softbox! Time to buy a lightstand, softbox, umbrella and a couple of pocket wizards :D
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Thanks for the replies guys, great pics there JasonRS!

I have literally just finished the watching the second DVD and I was really suprised at what can be achieved with a speedlight and a softbox! Time to buy a lightstand, softbox, umbrella and a couple of pocket wizards :D
Click to expand...

Make sure you're sitting down before you price up the Pocket Wizards :lol:
 
If you can afford PWs there's no doubt they are the way to go, but the HK stuff is coming on in leaps and bounds, the older V2 and V2s triggers drove me to distraction :lol:
 
the vivitar 285s are in production, you can buy them brand new online. they are now voltage safe for the latest dslrs
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Thanks for the replies guys... so as I am still learning about lighting... is my 550ex speedlight powerful enough to use with an umbrella/softbox for studio shots?

The only reason I ask, is that he seems to hint that these type of camera hot shoe flashes are no good for this kind of work?
Click to expand...
answer to question is yes...
he suggests this cos the canon flashes dont have pc sync ports for pocket wizards to hook up to. but really it depends on how you are firing them, any flash will do.
check out www.gadgetinfinity.com for some cheap alternatives to pocket wizards that work with any flash.
they are pretty reliable, one guy tested them and had only 26 failures out of 3000 exposures, though youd get 0 failures with pocket wizards, but these only cost 25 quid lol.
 
The Canon flashes can take PW's with a bit of trickery. :)

I have two EX580's MK1's and have modified them to take PW's using a new foot from Flash Zebra. Also what two Vivitar 285's with some little optical triggers. :)
 
Very interesting reading, thanks!

I am torn between spending the money now on pocket wizards and bieng done with it, sor just taking a punt at these £30 jobbies knowing that I may have to bin them... or just keep them as a backup I suppose... hmmmm food for thought ;)

I shall get one of those hotshoe adapters for the 550ex as there are loads for sale on ebay :)
 
AliB said:
The Canon flashes can take PW's with a bit of trickery. :)

I have two EX580's MK1's and have modified them to take PW's using a new foot from Flash Zebra. Also what two Vivitar 285's with some little optical triggers. :)
Click to expand...

flash git, get it.....*tumbleweed*

but yeah good point can be done.
 
jamesoliverstone said:
I am torn between spending the money now on pocket wizards and bieng done with it, sor just taking a punt at these £30 jobbies knowing that I may have to bin them...
Click to expand...

Why not go for some Elinchrom Skyports instead - I bought them when my Cactus V4s decided to stop working the second time I used them.

Cheaper than Pocketwizards and can't fault them at all!
 
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