Starter strobist kits

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dfawkes

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Hi.

I'm trying to get started with some studio kit and always hear about (on the Strobist site I think) how good Midwest Photo Exchange in the US are . They've got this kit which I think is perfect for my needs:

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12322.html

It's likely a bit beyond me at the moment (i.e. I could find cheaper options that probably won't limit me creatively), but I'm a believer in buying for the long term rather than replacing things regularly. I was all set to get this kit and it struck me, especially with $70 delivery, that getting a wad of kit posted over the Atlantic probably wasn't the most economical or at least ecological thing to do!

Can anyone recommend someone in the UK where I'd get a set of similar quality? (e.g. I've heard the LP120s and Westcott umbrellas are great)

I already have a 580EX2 but aside from some cheap stuff from eBay to try things out, I don't really have anything else substantive so see this purchase as giving me all I need to get me going.

If anyone's got any advice on how to get up'n'running with some decent kit so I can start developing my technique, I'd be glad to hear it! :)
 
LOL, thanks! Don't know if :thinking: means I should've looked there first before asking - there's certainly an argument for it! - but I wanted to see if there were good outfits (that might be non-TP advertisers) that were "go to" in the way that MPEX appear to be.

Graham, would you mind dropping me a PM with a quote for kit equivalent to the one in my first post and maybe we can take it from there? :)

Also, if anyone's got any views on what that kit is missing or I probably don't need, I'd be glad to hear!

Thanks again!
 
There is nothing special about that MPEX kit at all.

Things to consider:
1) Do you want hot-shoe guns or studio heads? If you have access to mains power there are numerous advantages to proper studio lights, and they are not very expensive £250-£400 gets you a decent two-head kit, ready to go.

2) If it's the hot-shoe route, do you want to retain auto-TTL exposure control? Since you already have a 580EXII that will act as a master controller (without the need for radio triggers) that's probably the cheapest option.

3) If you want to shoot outdoors in bright light, radio triggers are more reliable than the optical/IR of auto-TTL - but are manual only (at least at sensible cost).
 
Thanks for the reply.

HoppyUK said:
There is nothing special about that MPEX kit at all.
Click to expand...
Yep, fair enough. I'd heard that the LP120s were very good for the price, and that the Westcott umbrellas are as good as it gets. But it's not "special" as such, just all in one place with a big "buy" button that removes the need for further thinking :). If I could get equivalent kit at a reasonable price in UK I'm happy with that.

HoppyUK said:
1) Do you want hot-shoe guns or studio heads? If you have access to mains power there are numerous advantages to proper studio lights, and they are not very expensive £250-£400 gets you a decent two-head kit, ready to go.
Click to expand...
I wanted to go hotshoe for portability reasons - I don't have somewhere I can permanently set-up, and the ability to take it with me would be a boon. I also perceived it as a cheaper option, and removed the worry about mains power (and having to have cables all over the place). I suppose my main concern is about "portability" - or better put, being able to pack away in quite a small space. Is that a reason to rule out studio lights, or can you find compact (but not limited) packages and do you think other advantages of studio lights (always on?) would be worth considering?

2) If it's the hot-shoe route, do you want to retain auto-TTL exposure control? Since you already have a 580EXII that will act as a master controller (without the need for radio triggers) that's probably the cheapest option.
Click to expand...
I'm not really fussed about TTL to be honest, I anticipate using Manual. I forgot to mention that I do actually have a cheap Cactus v2 trigger which I've been using offcamera and am reasonably happy with that - though I'd prefer if there was an alternative to dialing in on the back of the flash :). Given I've got one v2 trigger, I could just add one or two more - but I've seen sets of 3 of the v4 on eBay for ~£50 so figured I'd just replace as I've heard they're much better (certainly the v2s can be a bit hit and miss).

3) If you want to shoot outdoors in bright light, radio triggers are more reliable than the optical/IR of auto-TTL - but are manual only (at least at sensible cost).
Click to expand...
Ye, I'm happy with that.
 
dfawkes said:
Thanks for the reply.

Yep, fair enough. I'd heard that the LP120s were very good for the price, and that the Westcott umbrellas are as good as it gets. But it's not "special" as such, just all in one place with a big "buy" button that removes the need for further thinking :). If I could get equivalent kit at a reasonable price in UK I'm happy with that.

I wanted to go hotshoe for portability reasons - I don't have somewhere I can permanently set-up, and the ability to take it with me would be a boon. I also perceived it as a cheaper option, and removed the worry about mains power (and having to have cables all over the place). I suppose my main concern is about "portability" - or better put, being able to pack away in quite a small space. Is that a reason to rule out studio lights, or can you find compact (but not limited) packages and do you think other advantages of studio lights (always on?) would be worth considering?

I'm not really fussed about TTL to be honest, I anticipate using Manual. I forgot to mention that I do actually have a cheap Cactus v2 trigger which I've been using offcamera and am reasonably happy with that - though I'd prefer if there was an alternative to dialing in on the back of the flash :). Given I've got one v2 trigger, I could just add one or two more - but I've seen sets of 3 of the v4 on eBay for ~£50 so figured I'd just replace as I've heard they're much better (certainly the v2s can be a bit hit and miss).

Ye, I'm happy with that.
Click to expand...

I don't see a compelling reason to go for hot-shoe guns there. The least portable aspect of any lighting kit is the stands/brollies/softboxes and they all pack away in neat bags anyway.

The big upsides of studio flash are: the modelling light (far easier, and better for learning); much faster recycle times; and of course more power. To save you researching, just get one of these Lencarta Smartflash two-head kits from £270. It's quality gear http://www.lencarta.com/smartflash-mains-flash/index.php

You can use them with your 580EX once you've sorted out how you want to trigger everything. Get a stand for that and any other bits from Flash In The Pan - follow the link he posted above.

If you want to go hot-shoe strobist style at a later date, just replace the Smartflash heads with a couple of guns like the Yongnuo YN465 from FITP, pop them on the Lancarta stands with the 580EX, and away you go with a three-light strobist set up, with E-TTL too.

PM Graham (FITP) re the hot-shoe stuff. And Garry Edwards on Lencarta, who works for them and also posts on here. Or repost here if you need more help :)
 
Thanks Hoppy. Food for thought, and not sure of best thing to do now lol! I'll take a look at that set-up you linked. Thanks again. :)
 
How do you sync the strobes to the shutter POAH, Ive always had problems with that
 
hope and pray I suppose. better off using a flash system than a strobe but strobes do seem to be flavour of the month these days.
 
POAH said:
hope and pray I suppose. better off using a flash system than a strobe but strobes do seem to be flavour of the month these days.
Click to expand...

Strobe is an American term for a regular flash gun... :thinking:
 
If you look up Strobe in an English dictionary, photography is referred to.

If you look at Dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/strobe


2.
Photography .
a.
Also called strobe, strobe light, stroboscopic lamp . a lamp capable of producing an extremely short, brilliant burst of light, for synchronization with a camera having a high shutter speed, in order to photograph a rapidly moving object, as a bullet, for such a short duration that it will appear to be standing still.
b.
the device and equipment for holding and firing such a lamp.

Now whilst it should be accepted that some would prefer to call them, flash (burst of light), flashes (bursts of light), flashguns (they're not guns) or speedlights (brand name) one should also accept that the use of the phrase "strobe" is in common parlance globally.

Or call them what they are, short burst high intensity non directional photon emitters
 
get some RF 602 triggers off ebay or flash in the pan on here
Calumet really small foldy stands rock
then manfotto or calumet umbrella adapters
dual duty umbrellas are handy, massive is great but has a tendency to blow away so maybe a small one for outdoors
flash in the pan sells great softboxes
 
From memory, there used to be a brand of professional studio flash called 'Strobe' back in the 70's.
I'm not certain but I think that this brand developed into 'Strobex' in the UK, a make of extremely large, heavy, high voltage generator flashes.

My guess (and it's only a guess) is that this is where 'strobe' came from. Not that it matters, I just think it a bit strange that so many people seem to think that a 'strobe' is a hotshoe flashgun
 
if you look up an English dictionary then you get

noun 1 a stroboscope. 2 a stroboscopic lamp. 3 N. Amer. an electronic flash for a camera.

• verb 1 flash intermittently. 2 show or cause strobing.


it is not the proper English use of the word to describe a flash gun.

JasonRS said:
If you look up Strobe in an English dictionary, photography is referred to.

If you look at Dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/strobe


2.
Photography .
a.
Also called strobe, strobe light, stroboscopic lamp . a lamp capable of producing an extremely short, brilliant burst of light, for synchronization with a camera having a high shutter speed, in order to photograph a rapidly moving object, as a bullet, for such a short duration that it will appear to be standing still.
b.
the device and equipment for holding and firing such a lamp.

Now whilst it should be accepted that some would prefer to call them, flash (burst of light), flashes (bursts of light), flashguns (they're not guns) or speedlights (brand name) one should also accept that the use of the phrase "strobe" is in common parlance globally.

Or call them what they are, short burst high intensity non directional photon emitters
Click to expand...
 
poah, this is not helpful, if you read strobist in the title dont open the thread then it will never come up as an issue
 
HoppyUK said:
I don't see a compelling reason to go for hot-shoe guns there. The least portable aspect of any lighting kit is the stands/brollies/softboxes and they all pack away in neat bags anyway.

The big upsides of studio flash are: the modelling light (far easier, and better for learning); much faster recycle times; and of course more power. To save you researching, just get one of these Lencarta Smartflash two-head kits from £270. It's quality gear http://www.lencarta.com/smartflash-mains-flash/index.php
Click to expand...

How do you power those when you're out and about? Car batteries?

i'm in the same boat. I need something portable for doing some strobist type experimentation.
 
KayJay said:
How do you power those when you're out and about? Car batteries?

i'm in the same boat. I need something portable for doing some strobist type experimentation.
Click to expand...

That's actually quite a big question. Yes, some people use car batteries, or even a petrol generator, but there are problems with these DIY set ups converting the current. You can also get custom battery jobbies like the Tronix Explorer, but there are no cheap or easy solutions, and you are still left with the dangers of using high voltage studio kit outdoors.

If outdoor use is your primary purpose, it is better to get something specifically made for the job - Bowens, Elinchrom and Lencarta all do some really nice stuff.

Or go the hot-shoe gun route.
 
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