Which lighting?

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Garyhh89

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Ok, so the lucky boy that I am, I'm getting my first camera off Santa for being a good boy. But I want to know which kind of lighting kit is better for a beginner.

I know prices range vastly.

But there's so many different set ups I'm not sure which to go for.

I would mainly be using the lighting for portraits. Now do I get a flash gun and all the gadgets to make it work off camera. Or do I go for a studio light where I can use model light to see what I'm doing before the picture is taken?

Orrrrr do I go for a continuous light set up.

I know all have there pros and cons and I'm willing to put in the hours and learn which ever set up I go for. However I would like something that is going to help me learn quicker.

Many thanks
 
You'll get the most complete answer by taking a look at older posts, this very question gets asked a million times but here are some basic points:

Don't bother with continuous, everyone thinks they're a good idea when they start as you can see what you get but there's no good cheap ones, they're not half as flexible as a flash and with a little experience you'll figure out what a flash will give you anyway making the main thing you thought you were getting redundant.

An on camera flash or a studio flash both ultimately do the same job, if you intend to do a lot of work in a studio then get the studio head as the increased performance, range of modifiers and modelling light makes it outright superior for the task but if you're less certain about then the on camera flash might make more sense as they're more portable. Whichever you choose you'll need some basic modifiers, a light stand, an umbrella and a collapsible reflector is enough to get you started before committing to anything expensive.

As far brands the most common recommendation tends to be Lencarta, not because they're the cheapest or the best but because they provide a good balance between the two.
 
•
To solve the performance vs budget issue at a photo club, I proposed an LED
based system. Nowadays, LED have developed in a darn good set of solutions.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
To solve the performance vs budget issue at a photo club, I proposed an LED
based system. Nowadays, LED have developed in a darn good set of solutions.
Click to expand...
In the Flickr group I help moderate I've been seeing an increasing number of LED-lit photos. I'm still not impressed, I'm afraid. Colour rendering is still not good from most units, and even from the systems (such as the Light Cube) that can overdrive the LED module to produce a bright flash (as opposed to the significantly dimmer continuous light) the output and flash duration is not good enough to freeze action to any useful degree.
LED lights are improving remarkably quickly but I haven't come across any yet that I would consider buying as opposed to a more conventional flash-based system (either hotshoe or monolight), even if I were starting from nothing.

I don't know about all of them, though - which systems have you been recommending?
 
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All griefs accepted…
The main advantages are constant output in colour and intensity and no heat.
On a budget, some compromises must be included… and this was meant for
table top/ "nature mortes" studio work… not for action shoots!
 
Ah, OK. All understood. :-)
I suppose if colour rendering (and therefore accuracy) were not very important I could accept LED lighting if I had to. I could certainly make photos using LEDs. :-)
However, choice of available modifiers would still be a problem, so I would personally probably choose hotshoe flashes if monolights were too expensive.
 
Nionyn said:
I suppose if colour rendering (and therefore accuracy) were not very important
Click to expand...
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On the contrary, LEDs are very stable! …therefore WB is constant and predictable.
 
Phil V said:
But CRI is appalling unless you spend a lot of money.
Click to expand...
•
Budget oblige! When you're out of money, time, or what not… the solution is
cleverness!
CRI will appear occasionally if the light source is not diffused!
…a simple kleenex with do the trick!
 
Garyhh89 said:
Ok, so the lucky boy that I am, I'm getting my first camera off Santa for being a good boy. But I want to know which kind of lighting kit is better for a beginner.

I know prices range vastly.

But there's so many different set ups I'm not sure which to go for.

I would mainly be using the lighting for portraits. Now do I get a flash gun and all the gadgets to make it work off camera. Or do I go for a studio light where I can use model light to see what I'm doing before the picture is taken?

Orrrrr do I go for a continuous light set up.

I know all have there pros and cons and I'm willing to put in the hours and learn which ever set up I go for. However I would like something that is going to help me learn quicker.

Many thanks
Click to expand...
For a beginner - a window, take your time.
You can find my recommendations for gear elsewhere in this section, but I'm afraid it's time to rein in your ambitions. Get the camera, learn to use it, learn how light behaves, learn how to use your camera well enough so that you can interact with your subjects whilst changing settings. Then you might be at a point where you an successfully think about lighting a portrait.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I wasn't planning buying it straight away, I'm just abit of a control freak who loves to know in advance what I'm getting so I can research more lol.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
Budget oblige! When you're out of money, time, or what not… the solution is
cleverness!
CRI will appear occasionally if the light source is not diffused!
…a simple kleenex with do the trick!
Click to expand...
I think you've misunderstood CRI; Colour Rendering Index, cheap LED lighting doesn't render a full colour spectrum making some colours look 'odd', completely different issue to White balance, which is fixable.

The budget solution for light is Chinese flashguns,
 
Phil V said:
I think you've misunderstood CRI; Colour Rendering Index, cheap LED lighting doesn't render a full colour spectrum making some colours look 'odd'…The budget solution for light is Chinese flashguns,
Click to expand...
•
You're right, and I did not misunderstand you, but current "photo" LEDs are
doing a decent job in given situations… and on a budget! Not mentioning the
modelling light that a flash gun does not provide:
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
You're right, and I did not misunderstand you, but current "photo" LEDs are
doing a decent job in given situations… and on a budget! Not mentioning the
modelling light that a flash gun does not provide:
Click to expand...
I've not seen any 'budget' photo LED's, the only ones I'd trust are expensive compared to flash.

You're right that a flashgun has no modelling light, and that's why I always recommend studio flash for static situations.

But generally for a first light, I'd advise a TTL flashgun, then add a modifier, stand and triggers. By that point a photographer should know what direction they are going in which makes their next choice easier.

I wouldn't recommend spending anything on lighting to someone who hasn't yet taken their first proper photograph though.

Whilst I appreciate the OP's enthusiasm, it's a simple fact that most first camera owners don't take to the pastime. IMHO it's odd to be seriously thinking about the next serious move, before the first shot has fired.
 
Phil V said:
IMHO it's odd to be seriously thinking about the next serious move, before the first shot has fired.
Click to expand...

Agreed but no one would bat an eyelid if someone picked up a speedlight with their first camera, throwing in a stand, umbrella and reflector for under £50 would seem like a very good investment to me.
 
Garyhh89 said:
I know all have there pros and cons and I'm willing to put in the hours and learn which ever set up I go for. However I would like something that is going to help me learn quicker.

Many thanks
Click to expand...

Get the Book "Light, Science and Magic on your Xmas list and @Phil V can give you the names of a couple of highly recommended reads i.e. learn to think about the light a long time before you need to create it

Mike
 
As if by magic. Cheers @mike weeks

The speedlighters handbook by Syl arena, is a brilliant resource regarding light generally and speedlights in particular although it has some Canon specific parts you can ignore.

And the hotshoe diaries by Zack Arias has some brilliant mobile portraiture advice, again though some Nikon specific info to ignore.

Light Science and Magic is an awesome resource, but it makes my head hurt, it's so full of technical stuff.

I might have the hotshoe diaries for sale shortly as I'm clearing out some books.
 
There was a great post on SLR lounge the other day. The question was what type of modifier to buy first, the answer was some education. Go buy some books or a course. I have been following this advice myself. Just sayin...
 
matty D said:
If your a beginner, why not just try natural light until you have a firm grasp of the basics? Jumping straight in with all the gear and no idea might be a bit overwhelming. Just my 2p
Click to expand...
100% this. Photography for most of us is a money pit and that's before you start looking at flash.
 
Phil V said:
For a beginner - a window, take your time.
You can find my recommendations for gear elsewhere in this section, but I'm afraid it's time to rein in your ambitions. Get the camera, learn to use it, learn how light behaves, learn how to use your camera well enough so that you can interact with your subjects whilst changing settings. Then you might be at a point where you an successfully think about lighting a portrait.
Click to expand...

:plus1:

If you must buy something then make it a 5-in-1 pop up reflector. Learn to use the white side, the silver side, the often overlooked black side and the scrim inner. And you may as well play with the gold panel too, just so you know when not to use it.

Garyhh89 said:
However I would like something that is going to help me learn quicker.
Click to expand...

Then save your cash for some portraiture tuition, initially with natural light.

Of course you can learn without but I reckon the (flash) portraiture learning curve has two steep humps at the beginning. The first is interacting with and directing a subject and the second is getting a basic idea of a few ways lights can be used.

Once you're over those humps you can start to experiment on your own but until then it can be frustrating.
 
Phil V said:
For a beginner - a window, take your time.
Click to expand...

Once I've started wittering on I can't stop, sorry... but this kind of explains why some of us are suggesting leaving flash for a bit.

Even a single window has a huge number of possibilities. You could have it behind the camera or behind the subject. Or to one side. And then you can vary the direction the subject is facing relative to the light. It could be overcast outside, or you might add some diffusion material over the windows. Perhaps there's strong sunlight coming in, or maybe it's dusk. Or can you part-close some shutters or drapes to create a shaft of light, which may be diffuse or may be a harsh beam. I like using the transition zone on the edge of a diffuse shaft of light and then shooting across the window.

Or perhaps you could shoot through the window from outside?
 
UaeExile said:
100% this. Photography for most of us is a money pit and that's before you start looking at flash.
Click to expand...

Nah, just looking at flash is only dangerous if your credit card is nearby. It's the purchasing that causes problems.

Though it is really easy to fall into the 'buy cheap, buy twice' trap with lighting stuff. There are bargains but there's a lot of crud too.
 
juggler said:
Though it is really easy to fall into the 'buy cheap, buy twice' trap with lighting stuff. There are bargains but there's a lot of crud too.
Click to expand...

There's always good deals to be had with lighting equipment, might take a little patience if you have a specific need but unfortunately for most beginners they won't have enough experience to know what to look out for. It's a pity, giving someone a flash and some basic modifiers would do a lot for teaching them about light.
 
juggler said:
Once I've started wittering on I can't stop, sorry... but this kind of explains why some of us are suggesting leaving flash for a bit.

Even a single window has a huge number of possibilities. You could have it behind the camera or behind the subject. Or to one side. And then you can vary the direction the subject is facing relative to the light. It could be overcast outside, or you might add some diffusion material over the windows. Perhaps there's strong sunlight coming in, or maybe it's dusk. Or can you part-close some shutters or drapes to create a shaft of light, which may be diffuse or may be a harsh beam. I like using the transition zone on the edge of a diffuse shaft of light and then shooting across the window.

Or perhaps you could shoot through the window from outside?
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tips, I didn't realize how much you could get from one window!
 
lesson number one.
 
sorry may have missed it in the thread what system are you using ? or hoping to use?
 
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