Cheap Lighting Kit

[cbsnet]

Anyone have any experience with this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-studio-flash-strobe-softbox-3-backdrops-more_W0QQitemZ360021086306QQihZ023QQcategoryZ15247 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

thanks

carl

[Shane422]

I haven't seen that brand reviewed or used. But here (http://www.studiolighting.net/the-power-of-low-power-strobes/) is a review of the Britek branded lights that are similar and sold on eBay.

I use a mix of lights. One Alienbee B400, one JTL versalite, and some hot shoe strobes as hairlights and kickers. The JTL is an inexpensive alternative that you may look into if you are budget conscious. The stand, monolight, and shoot thru umbrella are only $130 at Adorama (http://www.adorama.com/JTSL160BLK.html).

If you want further options, search the Adorama section for JTL, Flashpoint, and Adorama brands. But also consider reading about the strobist (http://www.strobist.com) techniques of using hot shoe strobes off camera. Used hot shoes strobes run $70 to $120 for the Nikon SB units (SB-24, 25, 26, 28, 28dx) and that makes you quite mobile. Again search the Adorama or B&H used sections for these. I just bought a pristine SB-28 for $100 myself.

[aarondl]

About the strobist technique, that is how I'm putting together my "mobile" studio. I purchased some radio-triggers, I have a couple of flashes, one is a SB-28, the other something old and nameless. I bought some umbrellas and tripods, a softbox, and some various other things for fairly cheap. The auction above seems to be a fair deal, as long as everything is halfway decent, $250 isn't bad. I didn't spend that much, but then I invested a lot more time hunting down things and fighting for them on eBay.

A question, I need a few more small hotshoe flashes. These days the competition for the SB units is fierce, even the old SB-24s are going for >$100, which is ridiculous, and prices for the SB 600s and 800s are going above retail price. So I was looking at some of the Sunpak flashes, for example the 383, 555, 511, and 522. Anyone have any advice with these flashes?

[ziggy53]

... A question, I need a few more small hotshoe flashes. These days the competition for the SB units is fierce, even the old SB-24s are going for >$100, which is ridiculous, and prices for the SB 600s and 800s are going above retail price. So I was looking at some of the Sunpak flashes, for example the 383, 555, 511, and 522. Anyone have any advice with these flashes?

I have, and I use, the Sunpak 383 flash and also the Vivitar 285HV. Either is suitable for a "Strobist" setup, but the Sunpak has more manual control over light output. The Sunpak also has both tilt and swivel head movements, which make it better as an on-camera auto-flash as well (IMHO).

On the other hand, the Vivitar has a built-in manual zoom feature, so if you need that quality it might be better.

[ziggy53]

Anyone have any experience with this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-studio-flash-strobe-softbox-3-backdrops-more_W0QQitemZ360021086306QQihZ023QQcategoryZ15247 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

thanks

carl

Carl,

No experience with those but I would investigate the following qualities:

Daylight balanced flashtube?
Consistent output pop to pop?
Whether variable output is truly proportional?
Service availability?
Compatibility with other manufacturer's fittings and accessories?

FWIW, I purchased the FlashPoint monolights and have been very happy with their performance. Ratings "I" would give the FlashPoint units I have:

Daylight balanced flashtube? - Very good to excellent. Very close to daylight settings on the camera even at reduced output.
Consistent output pop to pop? - Excellent according to both flash meter and camera tests.
Whether variable output is truly proportional? - Good to Very good. The controls are proportional at all settings until full output, where the full setting is about 2/3 stop above half. The settings are consistent and repeatable, therefore predictable.
Service availability? - Adorama is in stock most of the time with flash tubes and modeling lights. I have not had to test service.
Compatibility with other manufacturer's fittings and accessories? - Poor. The FlashPoints have a different system from other manufacturers, so only umbrellas are interchangeable. There are "universal" softboxes which I use that work fine with the FlashPoints, and FlashPoint has enough selection in snoots and barn doors and such, so this hasn't been a problem for me.

While I do recommend the FlashPoints they are obviously far from ideal, yet they serve my needs very nicely. As long as you can do a similar assessment of the EBay units, you would know what you are really getting.

[JimM]

For what you get for the price, it looks like a very good deal. You always get what you pay for, but hey, $299 is a great price for an entry level system.

My main lights are JTL's and I am relatively happy with them.

[photogreen]

check out http://amvona.com
but don't buy on their web site
they have an ebay store - buy there

[mr peas]

I would say thats a very good risk to take. $300 for 3 flashheads, soft box, umbrellas, slave cord.. backgrounds.. stands, goodness!

I'm sure it wont be like an Alienbee in build quality, just make sure you don't drop it.

You should buy these for normal entry-level strobing, then when you have the cash, go for the more expensive units and use these as back-ups or auxillary flashes such as hair light, background fill, etc.


---
Where can somebody acquire a universal soft box and for how much? :scratch:D
I was thinking of making a light box with just a very large white sheet and shooting the flash head through it.

[ziggy53]

... Where can somebody acquire a universal soft box and for how much? :scratch:D
...

I have a couple of cheap double-diffused softboxes like these that work pretty well:
http://cgi.ebay.com/36-x-36-Professional-Softbox-with-FREE-Speed-Ring-NEW_W0QQitemZ330213693849QQihZ014QQcategoryZ79008Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


... I was thinking of making a light box with just a very large white sheet and shooting the flash head through it.

That is called a "light panel" or "diffusion panel". Perfectly appropriate for some photography. Difficult to "aim" unless mounted in a positionable and adjustable frame.

Brian Z. has some ideas you can use for inspiration:
http://www.diyphotography.net/homestudio/blz/soft-light-panel-frame

[mr peas]

Haha, I just made my own light panel last night using the same materials. Its much larger though, its like 6 feet tall by 4 feet. If I did it right I can use it as an outdoor light scrim too; I'll throw pics out when its presentable, LOL.

I wish I would have seen this before though, I ended up sowing the white material, which is some stretchy white thing that just goes over my rectangle pvc frame. It looks like it might work, I have yet to try it yet.

I'm going to look into that soft box though. It'd be nice to have two fixed to my strobes.

Thanks Zig.