Good starter studio set

[frasersphotos]

I am thinking of trying out studio photography but dont want to pay a fortune for top the line equipment until I am sure that i like it. I was wondering if I could get peoples opinion of the following kit on ebay for starters

thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/3375W-Photogr...item414ad690ca

[I @ M]

Hate to be a killjoy but you will probably find that there won't be enough power in those to do portrait style photos. That kit would probably be a good start towards product photos where the lights can be placed very very close to the subject.

Have a bit of a look at the budget end flash kits available from dragon image and studio works, not a whole heap more money than the ebay deal but a lot better as a starting point for that kind of work.

[ehor]

That's continuous lighting. Not really enough power for you to really sample studio setups.
Have a look at www.paulcbuff.com.au very well priced.

[frasersphotos]

I am after a continuous lighting setup what sort of wattage should I be looking at in the bulbs for portrait work??

thanks

[MarkChap]

I am after a continuous lighting setup what sort of wattage should I be looking at in the bulbs for portrait work??

thanks

I don't know a lot about what sort of wattage you would need, just that with continuous lights that do produce enough light it is going to be very hot and uncomfortable

[maccaroneski]

Unless you up the expense factor and go LED - pricier, but cooler.

[ehor]

Unfortunately you won't get anything worthwhile for portrait using continuous lighting going cheap.

[frasersphotos]

I don't know a lot about what sort of wattage you would need, just that with continuous lights that do produce enough light it is going to be very hot and uncomfortable

So i would be better off getting a budget flash kit setup to start off with?

[I @ M]

So i would be better off getting a budget flash kit setup to start off with?

Ideally you would be better off going with a top of the range set but if you are wanting to see if that style of photography suits you then spending a lesser amount to start with is going to be the best option.

Alternatively trying before you buy could be an option. Check out local studios that may hire you space and lights for a few hours or half a day. Investigate courses or workshops dealing with studio photography.

My recommendation would be to buy from an Australian based supplier, look for lights with user replaceable flash tubes and spend a lot of time researching specifications and the need for soft boxes, umbrellas and the other types of lighting modifiers commonly used.

[ricktas]

If you just want continuous lighting to try it out, go to Bunnings and buy some floods on stands. But as others have stated, continuous lighting gets hot to be under. Think TV studio lights, so be prepared to buy a few pedestal fans etc as well, to at least keep your models cooler.

[Clubmanmc]

I have 3 Par56 Cans, agreed it does get hot..

have been looking for a flash setup but its low on my list

yeah the cans have a yellow K value, but its simple to adjust the K in camera or in photoshop....

M

[Gremlin]

Elinchroms D2 kit a good alternative to continuous light? and can these be used "in field" Ive seen a few photographers over the years with a box that looks like a car battery with doals and gauges,
dont mean to hijack your thread FP

[oldfart]

Image Melbourne do cheap 160w Strobes from under $100 each
Yes you'll still need stands, softboxes etc etc (it never ends really)

Cheap and plastic, not really the kind of power some would have you believe you need
but for a small environment the perfect low cost learning tool

[Gremlin]

so 160W is low end, whats a good wattage to aim for I realise get the best you can afford then some,
would two 160's work with one s/box and one reflector for single person portrait for example? The more I read about these the more i get confused.

[ehor]

160ws is enough for indoors but you'll be shooting full power.
I would go atleast 300ws+ for indoors and outdoors 600ws+

[Topgunn]

Would that kit from eBay really be that bad?
One of these energy saving type globes light up the rooms in my house quite well with only 20watts so based on that I would have thought 15X45watts would be plenty to light up a model against one wall. And you could place them close enough without them being in the frame because they done emit nowhere near the heat of flood/incandescent type globes. The globes offered come in daylight colour temp too. On the page the seller has written 15X45=225 and thats way off 15X45 is 675watts so either they are actually 15w globes or they cant add up but even 225w of these high efficient globes would be pretty bright but 675w worth would be blinding.
I have zero experience with lighting setups so I could be missing something completely here but to me for the price including 3 light stands and softboxes (which with 675w you would probably need) it seems very cheap. Has anyone tried a setup like this?

[Brodie]

you need to remember Topgunn our eyes are far more advanced than cameras. What we see isnt what the camera sees. Those bulbs might provide what looks like a well lit room, but it still doesnt appear very light at all to the camera.

Ive seen pros use those bulbs as continuous lights for modelling lamps etc but certainly not for their actual lighting setup. You need to make sure you have daylight adjusted bulbs too.

I think each head could only accept 4 bulbs, so thats only 60W per head. Thats really not going to give you much power at all and you will find your still shooting as if you were outside after sunset. High ISO levels, wide open apertures, and very slow shutter speeds. No point to having it there.


Heres my tip, buy a couple of reflectors (5 in 1), and buy a hot-shoe flash. Two if you can afford it(capable of being triggered by the on camera flash). As a pentax user im not sure on what the best flash solution for you is.

[JM Tran]

some of u guys need to understand that the lower the wattage ie. 160WS - it will take a lot longer to recycle before the next shot can be taken - because of its weak output u will probably have to shoot at maximum power of 160WS, and the long pauses between shots for studio shoots can be quite off putting.

I would just pay more and buy something at 400WS minimum.

With the continuous lighting pros like myself do not use it much unless to create ambient lighting or special effects, continuous lighting can never replace or be able to replicate the sudden intensity and accuracy of a studio strobe - not to mention u will blind the model and yourself when u try to replicate the same intensity.

[Topgunn]

Thanks Brodie that makes alot more sense to me now. I wasnt actually going to purchase one I just wanted to know why it wouldnt work. I now understand it a lot better. I am actually getting a p-ttl flash (something like a sigma 500/530DG super) and a YN-460. I dont ever see myself doing a lot of studio/portrait work so they should do me fine. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I now understand (from what JM Tran said) about the intensity needed and how blinding that would be if it was a continuous light.

[Gremlin]

as above, thanks for explaining things in a good easy to understand way...
*puts the piggy bank back on the shelf for a bit longer *