Which starter studio lighting kit??!

Slimbert

Slimbert

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Damien
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It's something I know nothing about so can anyone recommend a two head studio flash kit for under £250 to get me started? :thinking:

I'm guessing there won't be much between them quality wise but is there a kit that's known to be the best of the bunch in that price range?

I'd prefer a kit with one softbox and one umbrella rather than two of either.....and I'm not a brand whore, so it doesn't have to be the latest and greatest, just something solid and reliable! :thumbs: Second hand would be good but there doesn't seem to be much about at the moment!! :shake:
 
take a look at the Lencarta site
some good stuff on there
and not silly prices
 
Can recommend elemental, works well as a starter kit and good range of add-ons/accessories.
 
mmcp42 said:
take a look at the Lencarta site
some good stuff on there
and not silly prices
Click to expand...

Lencarta was the first place I looked and this would be ideal: http://www.lencarta.com/index.php?p...ategory_id=21&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53 but it's just a tiny bit too much for the wallet to handle this month and second hand they are like rocking horse feces!! :shake:

Thanks for the suggestion! :thumbs:

jim_j said:
Can recommend elemental, works well as a starter kit and good range of add-ons/accessories.
Click to expand...

Not had a look at them yet, so thanks very much for that suggestion! :thumbs:
 
Damien,

I would absolutely agree with the Lencarta idea :)

Have you seen my "Absolute beginners guide to off camera flash/studio lighting"?

How big is your studio?

Having just built a studio I might have some ideas for making it cheaper for you :)

eg.... How wide is the area?....... 9 feet? then buy a 9 foot wide pole and then attach two thick pieces of wood to the walls maybe 8 inches side by 4 inches width and 1 inch thick. Cut a "V" shape in the top of the wood and then you can mount you pole straight across your rooms width...... Decent quality backdrop holder for under £10 and without taking up space with the stands.

eg2.... Buy a pair of Ikea Muslin curtains for £15 and machine them together, this gives you a backdrop 10 feet wide and 12 feet long with hooks at the top that go over your pole !!

So my idea of how to spend your money :)


Lencarta 2 head starter kit - LINK.


This is £269 so £19 over budget BUT it has decent lights which have a BOWENS S fit which means they take any standard BOWENS S fit accessories such as soft boxes etc.

The quality of the stands is EXCELLENT... I use these same stands with my Safari and ElitePro lights.

The kit comes with 2 umbrellas BUT you can swap one for a softbox like this:

A 2' square softbox is £54.95

but drop one reflector @ 19.95 and one umbrella @ 19.95

so swapping one umbrella for a softbox would cost you 54.95-19.95-19.95 = £15.05

This would make the new total = £269.95+15.05 = £285

You will not get a better setup for £285........

I would also ask them to swap the battery radio trigger set for a mains radio trigger set which will be a no cost option.

This is £35 over budget but will give you:

2 x SmartFlash 200 (200Ws) Flash Heads (FLA010)
2 x Studio Light Stands (STA009)
1 x Reflectors (MOD006)
1 x Silver reflective Umbrella (UMB003)
1 x 4 channel MAINS Radio trigger/receiver (TRI001) {after swap}
1 x 80cm 5-in-1 reflector set (REF001)
1 x 3-head carry case (BAG001)
1 x 60 x 60cm (23 x 24") Square Softbox (SOF004)

Top setup :)
 
jim_j said:
Can recommend elemental, works well as a starter kit and good range of add-ons/accessories.
Click to expand...

The chap that owns it had been banned from EVER coming onto this site due to his lies and threats. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him but I do have a trapped nerve in my back and a hernia :)

Not saying that his stuff is carp, no idea as I've not used it.
 
cowasaki said:
Have you seen my "Absolute beginners guide to off camera flash/studio lighting"?
Click to expand...

Not yet, but I'll take a look! :)

cowasaki said:
How big is your studio?
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This is for location stuff mainly, so it'll be in and out of the bag.....won't be used very often though which is why I don't want to have a load of money just sat there most of the time when it can be better spent elsewhere in my kit bag!

cowasaki said:
So my idea of how to spend your money :)


Lencarta 2 head starter kit......
Click to expand...

Absolutely awesome help Darren! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

£285 is do-able if I shift a few other bits first.....I need to have a rummage! ;)
 
elemental is best bang for buck if your on a budget. Have you also looked at the calumet genesis series, I don't know how much they retail for but they get excellent reviews and I have heard they are cheap.
 
cowasaki said:
The chap that owns it had been banned from EVER coming onto this site due to his lies and threats. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him but I do have a trapped nerve in my back and a hernia :)

Not saying that his stuff is carp, no idea as I've not used it.
Click to expand...
See this thread
 
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Damien,

I would either PM Garry Edwards or just ask Lencarta when you ring regarding which umbrella would be best if you are going to have only one.

Basically there are 2 types of umbrella "Shoot through" and "Reflective"

Shoot through works by diffusing the light from the flash through the material of the umbrella as well as spreading it out over a larger area so reducing its strength at any one point but covering a wider area with that light.

Reflective umbrellas work by the light from the flash hitting the umbrella and reflecting back but due to the shape of the umbrella the light is spread over a much larger area. Because you have a certain amount of light spread out over a b****r area the amount of light hitting any one point is again reduced and it also then covers more.

So they basically do the same thing ISH but each is better for different things.

I would ask Garry as I use softboxes but if my thinking is right reflective is more efficient but will give a harsher light whilst the shoot through is less efficient and will give a softer light. Don't read harsher as worse though. If you are shooting a 19 year old model off a clearasil advert then use a reflective and if you are shooting her grandma then use the shoot through. Umbrellas are not expensive though so you can always get the other one later. They have advantages and disadvantages over soft boxes, portability and quick setting up is their forte.
 
Darren's answer is excellent - it seems he was listening when he came on my lighting workshop:)

My personal answer is to have choices of umbrella, given the different jobs they do and their low cost. I don't know what type(s) of photography you want to do but if you have, say, portrait photography in mind then a shoot through umbrella is generally a poor choice as a key light, because of the uncontrolled light and because, placed in front of the camera, it can cause flare - a softbox is generally a much better choice.

But used as a fill light, which always goes at the camera position, a shoot through is ideal simply because it's big enough to stick behind the camera without the photographer blocking too much light, and light bounced around the room isn't a disadvantage for a fill light.

This article in the Lencarta Learning Centre may help - just click on the photos to see examples shot with the various light shaping tools.
 
I wish I had found this forum months ago now. I bought some lights about a year ago when I decided I wanted to do portraits. They havent had that much use, but I bought Interfit Stellar 300's. It seems they are not highly thought of by the masses :(

Having said that, I havent had any trouble with them.
 
DaveRed said:
I wish I had found this forum months ago now. I bought some lights about a year ago when I decided I wanted to do portraits. They havent had that much use, but I bought Interfit Stellar 300's. It seems they are not highly thought of by the masses :(

Having said that, I havent had any trouble with them.
Click to expand...

Interfit sell various products made by different manufacturers and some are much better than others. The Stella range that you bought into are definately better than some others, so if I were you I'd just enjoy them and don't worry about the reputation.
 
DaveRed said:
I wish I had found this forum months ago now. I bought some lights about a year ago when I decided I wanted to do portraits. They havent had that much use, but I bought Interfit Stellar 300's. It seems they are not highly thought of by the masses :(

Having said that, I havent had any trouble with them.
Click to expand...

Who cares what the masses think?

You have bought them, you are happy with them. Just get on and use them!

It's digital it doesn't cost anything to have a play.....

Used my Safari lights last night out and about for the first time to have a play..... Made a discovery that Lencarta Octoboxes make fantastic sails !!! Also found that light stand weights are a must have !!!
 
cowasaki said:
Who cares what the masses think?

You have bought them, you are happy with them. Just get on and use them!

It's digital it doesn't cost anything to have a play.....
Click to expand...

Very true I guess. I really should get them out and use them more to justify the expense. Im in the middle of emptying out our spare room (junk room in other words) so i can set them up semi permanently and have a tinker.

Made a discovery that Lencarta Octoboxes make fantastic sails !!! Also found that light stand weights are a must have !!!
Click to expand...

:whistling:
Thats a very valid point too I guess. Hadnt thought of that. I actually nearly dragged mine outside the other week, and would probably have had a similar incident!
 
cowasaki said:
Used my Safari lights last night out and about for the first time to have a play..... Made a discovery that Lencarta Octoboxes make fantastic sails !!! Also found that light stand weights are a must have !!!
Click to expand...
...and that rear curtain flash is useful for longer exposures.

Oh and Chloe gets cold and bored easily!! :lol:
 
-Rob- said:
...and that rear curtain flash is useful for longer exposures.

Oh and Chloe gets cold and bored easily!! :lol:
Click to expand...

I just need two 10Kw battery powered flashes :)
 
cowasaki said:
The chap that owns it had been banned from EVER coming onto this site due to his lies and threats. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him but I do have a trapped nerve in my back and a hernia :)

Not saying that his stuff is carp, no idea as I've not used it.
Click to expand...

Bit like saying I wouldn't buy an Apple Mac because Steve Jobs is a bit of a knob, and not relevant to the OP in my opinion.
 
jim_j said:
Bit like saying I wouldn't buy an Apple Mac because Steve Jobs is a bit of a knob, and not relevant to the OP in my opinion.
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No, I think it quite reasonable. What someone is like is totally relevant, what are they going to be like should something go wrong etc. I did say that I have not actually used their stuff though.
 
If their kit is good and a well run company, why drag personalities into a simple query.
 
How come no one ever mentions Bowens when it comes to starter kits? They seem to have a really wide range of products which I do find a little confusing but some of it Is listed as entry level.
 
dubcat said:
How come no one ever mentions Bowens when it comes to starter kits? They seem to have a really wide range of products which I do find a little confusing but some of it Is listed as entry level.
Click to expand...

price
 
Ah - just compared like for like - see what you mean :)
 
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