Studio lighting

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ROB247

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ROBERT
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hi all i am thinking of getting some studio lights. There is some for about £199 new. Are they to cheep. how much should you pay for a good set.
 
How many heads...

What for...

What make...

What Power...

Link?...

Depends what you call a good set...

I could go on...

If you use the search feature I'm sure you can answer your own question, or at least be able to provide some more useful info for us to help you further.
 
Hi Rob, you want to try event studio work? Do you know how to use the lights, how to light people?

I find that whatever the discipline it's even harder to do it on location so if I were in your shoes I'd spend a little getting trained in lighting before I attempted to take something like that out on the road. Yes, it might end up being a very simple setup and something you repeat time after time but it's really not just a case of plonking a couple of lights at 45 deg and firing away, at least not if you want to light right.

I have interfit heads (300w) and they work fine for me but I'm also very kind to them and don't use them commercially very often so they are not being dragged around. For that kind of work I'd look at something like Bowens, they need to be built like tanks to take the knocks of pro (commercial) use.
 
Hi Ali many thanks for your comments i will give it some thought
 
Hi, i have the ex150's and believe me for commercial work they just cant cut it . They are good for learning how to light subjects if you can keep them close but there'e just not enough power in them for anything else. I tried to use them at a friends birthday party and soon learned i should of bought better lights first time round.
 
It depends what you want to use them for though Mynx. If you want an occasional portrait sitting at home or you want to learn about lighting using inanimate objects then they will probably be just fine. If you want to be throwing them in and out of the car, setting up, taking down each time then I'd be concerned about my 300w ones. I have three heads so at least if I'm clumsy and damage one I can still get the job done but something that is going to take the knocks of commercial use really would be require for events work.

If you think Bowens is expensive have a look at Broncolor and Profoto! But they are expected to last busy pros for years.
 
i am wanting to try event studio work
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So does that you plan on having a sort of 'studio set up' you plan to take with you to events. Or just that your going to use studio strobes on site?

Also, are power sockets going to be an issue? If so that means you may may have to think about battery powered lights which are pretty expensive in comparison

Whats your realistic budget for this kit, and how many flash heads do you want? (remembering all the other stuff like stands, backdrops, reflectors and light mods you will need ontop)
 
My 2 Pence,
When buying studio lights, like your camera your buying into a system, and accessories, the reason I would not touch the Interfit EX models is there is no ability ro expand, the number of accessories is very limited and you will soon out grow them.

Best bet is to go for the Stella range if you are looking at Interfit, as it has the S TYPE fitting accessories which gives you all their options, many cheaper non brand options and everything that fits Bowens Gemini lights!

That and the fact you have a wide choice for expansion also means once you have mastered one accessories you can move to another, your not limited by the heads!
 
That's a great point Barry! I had not realised that the EX is not the Bowens fitting. Mine are the Stellars and a bit sturdier!
 
thanks all. its a total mine field. you's have given be a lot to think about.
 
lol It's not that bad Rob. Honestly there are a few fittings to be aware of. One is the Bowens S type. All the bowens and some 3rd party manufacturers use it. The other ones are Elinchrom and Bron. Most will work with these three fittings. Try to pick something that fits those but have a look at the pricing as you do. Some are more expensive and exclusive than others.

I'd say the Bowens S type is the most common and certainly Interfit, Lencarta and Bowens all manufacture to that fitting as well as some you may find on the bay.

Your choice has a lot to do with durability as well as compatability and Bowens, Interfit and Lencarta certainly do systems that would fit the bill. When it comes to independantly powered systems Lencarta do lead the way in terms of price and power. Bowens are built like tanks and will last for years and Interfit when mains powered are fine but I've not tested the battery versions.

That's a whole new question. Bowens and Lencarta run two heads from one pack with the abilty to change power outputs via the power pack. Interfit would require a separate power pack per head, but at £300 per unit it's not a bad price. £600 for 2 is not bad but then you need to evaluate the power outputs and battery life.

So yes it gets a little complicated but then it depends very much on the exact application. Best to so some homework now rather than buy and buy again :)
 
our first kit, some time ago for home shoots was a twin head interfit EX150 kit.
out of its depth for studio work realy, cos they arent powefull enough.

tend to be used to light the hi-key backgrounds now or as spare backup..
the other interfits stuff has been reliable.
two stellar 600,s have been faultless.
and the s type fittings does give you more options for light control too.
soo much so that were considering buying stellar X 1000's too.
 
I have the ex150 kit and its true that they are lower down on power but if you only want to use them for portaits ( I supplemented by a canon ex580 and a ex430 for hairlight etc...) Then they work just fine. "Blitzing" a white backdrop for full length Hi-key shots its quite beyond their reach. They are not "cheap" just "horses for courses".. For ages before I got them I used nothing but vivitar 285HVs and my canon580ex.
I've just been tying to find a thread i saw recently where a lady was asking the same question. I beleive she eventually went for the lencarta kit.... Not much more and looks very good value.
 
Get yourself a copy of this months Digital SLR User Magazine as they have a mini test on a few starter systems.

I'm just looking at something similar but have spent a couple of hours at my local studio getting some tuition. Ok, so it cost me £40, but I learnt a lot and I now have the choice of hiring the studio and all the gear for £20/hr, which is good as I already know how to use it all :)
 
ROB247 said:
hi all i am thinking of getting some studio lights. There is some for about £199 new. Are they to cheep. how much should you pay for a good set.
Click to expand...

I should mention that there is a for sale section here. search for " interfit studio" :thumbs:
 
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