Studio equipment and triggers

[SillyEddy]

So I'm trying to get into doing more studio work, and I have a bit of a conundrum.... I really don't know what I need. Well, I know roughly what I need, but I don't know the exact products and how to integrate them to my current camera.


I current use a Canon EOS 1000D, and I have one 430EXII speedlite. I use a hotshoe cable which is E-TTL compatible. And this leaves me two routes:

1) Get more speedlites (I do like speedlites)
2) Get proper studio lights.


For option 1, I would need something to control the flashes. In the past when I had the chance to use several speedlites, they were using the Canon IR trigger, but this was commonly misfiring as the flashes were sometimes behind objects. So I think radio triggers would be the best solution for me. What sort of set up would I need? I have seen some radio triggers from basic crappy ones on Amazon to Pocketwizards. Is there a large benefit to choosing Pocketwizard, and which product suits me? They have half a dozen different sorts of triggers. I just want one that makes the flash fire, ya know.


For option 2, I have seen products such as the Interfit studio kits (As seen here) which looks perfect, and isn't much more than a speedlite. However, I have no idea how to integrate that to my camera. What sort of radio trigger would be compatible, and is this where sync cables come into play?



I am mostly interested in portraiture, but the ability to expand is always nice. I am kind of tight on space, but I will be able to clear out masses of space this summer to store large kits.


So could someone help me out? I need to work out whether to go for speedlites or studio lights (or can the two be used at the same time?) and how to connect them up to my current equipment.


A massive thanks,
S.E

[craigmcguire]

Hi Eddy,

I've been using the Interfit studio lights for about two years now, and they're a really good entry-level kit. Slightly different from the one you've picked though. I used this one http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/74367/show.html
It's reliable, flexible and will give you a good basic studio setup.
You have three options for commanding the lights.
1) You get a wireless radio-trigger that mounts on your hotshoe. The Interfit ones are about £40 I think.
2) You get a hotshoe adaptor and run the cable from that to your nearest light and use that as a trigger.
3) You use a flashgun to trigger the studio flashheads. (You can set them so that if a flash is fired, they recognise it and fire. Synch speed is up to 1/200th of a second I think)

Best option is the wireless radio-trigger as it doesn't restrict your movement, and as long as one of the lights fires, the other will too. I've used all three methods an in order of preference, it's 1, 2 then 3.

Since I bought the Interfit kit I have expanded it by purchasing a beauty dish, barndoors, snoot, larger softbox, stuff like that. There's a page on my website with 12 images on it. Numbers 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 11 were shot using the Interfit lights.
http://www.craigmcguire.co.uk/portfolios.php



On to speedlights - as far as I'm concerned, using speedlights on tripods with portable lighting modifiers and a radio trigger is much more flexible and just as functional as using studio kit, but without the drawback of having to have a mains power supply. The flip side is that it's a bit more expensive, because you get what you pay for.
I've used cheap radio triggers that were £25 and they don't last. I've used expensive triggers and they're a lot better, but LOTS more money. Throw in the cost of flashguns, tripods, softboxes, etc, and it starts to become a pretty big number.

I can't offer any advice on Canon lighting controls because I used a Nikon, but there's a ton of information out there if you search under 'Strobist'. That'll get you a load of off-camera flash techniques, tools and recommendations.

Hope that's of help.

Craig

[SillyEddy]

That is some very handy advice, thank you.

I think for flexibility, I would go down the transceiver route regardless. And the studio lighting kit you linked me to seems like a very good offer (there are many other good ones on Amazon too)


How important is brand when it comes to studio lights? I have seen brands like Interfit (who seem to make cheap but great parts) and companies like Alienbee and also no-brand ones. Take, for instance, THIS KIT which has a lot of power and a lot of goodies, for a nice price. Or should I concern myself more with getting a brand that has all of their own parts for their products for maximum efficient customisation?


Regards,
S.E

[Garry_Edwards]

My advice on makes is to stick to well-known British Companies - Bowens, Elinchrom or Lencarta in alphabetical order.
Alien Bees are very popular in the US but, what with the exchange rate and transport costs, aren't very competitive here and haven't gained much of a foothold so far.

Buying cheap kits via Ebay is tempting but... they're cheap for a reason. There are some reputable firms that sell on Ebay as well as on their own websites, but most of the sellers aren't really lighting people and if you buy from them you may find that then no longer sell those products and aren't interested or able to put things right. That particular kit doesn't have fan cooling so is likely to overheat, the 75watt modelling lamps are too dim to be useful, the recycling is slow and, worst of all, it doesn't even have interchangeable reflectors, so pretty well the only accessories you can get for it are the ones sold with it. And all cheaply made lights tend to be very inconsistent when it comes to colour temperature and flash energy, and these are the things that need to be OK.

Coming back to triggering the lights - whichever lights you decide on, make sure that you get a genuine radio trigger. I say that because some firms sell triggers that work on an infra red signal, not a radio signal, and they are very unreliable, especially when there is bright light in the room or when there is no line of sight between the camera and the flash. Radio triggers are unaffected by these problems.

[D Pentney]

I'm facing exactly the same decision; I'm a bit fed up trying to be creative with a flash on a tripod. I've read in a lot of places you can get great results with just one flash and maybe a reflector, but to my mind, this requires a level of experience that i simply do not posses, and there's no denying you're restricted with what you can achieve. I can't, for instance, light the backdrop without picking up the subjects shadow. Looking at most high key shots, you have one light just on that before you consider what you're doing with your subject.

I don't want to pay big money for a strobe kit because I'm not going to use it that much, I don't have a large working enviroment, and this is an aside to my landscapes anyway. On the other hand, I've been bitten several times by trying to 'make do' with a cheaper option, only to have to go out and buy something that'll satisfy the requirements.

So my question is a bit more specific; What output of lighting would be considered adequate for full body shots in a 5m room? Could I get away with using a continuous light source or are these going to be too weak given I'm not going to spend big money? It seems strobes are the best, a speedlight kit is going to kill the bank balance and I don't need it to be really portable (bet I'll eat those words).

i realise there may be some inconsistancy, but my needs aren't really to get pro results, more to help me learn and discover if this is something I'd like to pursue further.

[Rosie]

Consider Proline for decent starter kits, which are very portable. http://www.prolinestudio.co.uk/range/show/1/Flash-lighting
You can pick up the starter kit for about £250