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TP: advice on a Studio Lighting setup

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Printed Date: 19 February 2025 at 15:22


Topic: TP: advice on a Studio Lighting setup
Posted By: H20boy
Subject: TP: advice on a Studio Lighting setup
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 01:49

NOTE: Admin hijack into Talking Point area as this was one of the suggested topics -- brettania

I've progressed from a 'light tent' to the need for a good, studio lamp setup. What I have seen, and what I understand and need, are two different things. I have almost always shot available light and flashes, and with a new photo business option, I want to look at a midrange, midpriced, studio setup. I have seen many sets on ebay, but I don't trust the names, the wattages, the accessories, as I don't know anything about them. That's where my friends here at dyxum come in.

I would love to have two reflective umbrellas, maybe one shoot-thru type, but is that necessary for portraiture? I would like a projetion lamp, one that I could accent at different intensities on particular items of interest, whether it be the subject or in the background, and it must be able to accept those gel filters for color changes. :)

Then for the lights themselves. I have a couple tall stands already, but if a good setup always includes them, so be it. :) Are the best lights for portaiture going to be continues type, strobe, or a combination? Is a strobe dimly lit, then fires on shutter release? Do I need a remote trigger from my 7D as well, and will it do both strobes at once?

I know, sorry for all of the questions, but perhaps you can start with your recommendations and I can follow up with more insight, then you can return with that perfect solution for me. (cross fingers) Links to ebay auctions or other internet sites where I can purchase gear would be great! Remember that I am trying to start out at about $500 all together. My backdrops will have to be rigged for the time being. :)



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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries



Replies:
Posted By: omerbey
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 02:14
If you have the time, I would strongly recommend you:
http://strobist.blogspot.com/ - strobist

no really..


Posted By: H20boy
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 02:31
gee...the whole thing? :)

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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries


Posted By: H20boy
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 03:18
Lighting 101, good source! eyes hurt now, must rest them. Will continue tomorrow for more education.

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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 22:29
Matt,
I've found that with typical portraits (kids, family, Senior, etc, etc) the use of Strobes are good also easy, a basic 2 light kit is good enough, but from what you've described, probably want 3 lights. This is quick and easy in that you set up your strobes, and the ratio you want on the model, and fire away, you can move to any camera angle and distance from the subject and still get the same exposure, but if you would like to do fine art/model portfolio type pictures for magazines advertisement, or posters and such, the Hotlights(Lowell(tungsten) or Smith Victor Constant cool-lights or Westcott Spyderlites) are better only because it is WYSIWYG, and it's easier to adjust(most times as easy as - move it in closer or move it out further). Some of these constant lights do come with rheostats I think for power adjustment, but I can't confirm yet.
Now if you have the money and time, strobes are easier on your models, but will be time consuming to adjust (take a flash reading with the meter - Adjust output, go to a different surface, check again, etc, etc, until you get the right exposure)for the perfect lighting. I've read that on a Playboy shoot for instance, they have up to 21 different light set-up for one particular layout and meter each one of the lights for accuracy and perfect exposure.
Just what I've seen and concluded from my experiences with these lights that I've seen used. Do check out and read that strobist link, because it is very helpful.

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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: brettania
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 22:47
Originally posted by omerbey omerbey wrote:

If you have the time, I would strongly recommend you:
http://strobist.blogspot.com/ - strobist

no really..


Best viewed in Firefox (doesn't work with IE and not grfeat in Opera but perhaps should have reloaded as a blog).

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http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/posting-images-and-links-faqs_topic28010.html - Posting Images and Links | http://tinyurl.com/oz62mfp - Posts awaiting answers


Posted By: DLNY
Date Posted: 24 April 2007 at 22:51
I'm going to follow this thread with interest since I'm at the same point as Matt


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 25 April 2007 at 20:45
Matt,
Shoot through vs Reflective would also make a difference in what's being photograph. If you are taking a large group type shot, the Reflective umbrella is more efficient because there is less light loss, and you get a wider spread of light. I've normally seen shoot-throughs used for one or two people/small group Portraits. They function like a softbox, not as efficient as softboxes, but cheaper too.
If looking for good portable strobes, "Alien Bees" makes some really good, and cute(colorful) ones. They are the same company that make "White Lightning" strobes. Alien Bees have now come up with a 'Ringlight' strobe that is like a macro flash only for portraits, and you can have different attachments/covers on it for different shaped catch-lights in the eyes of your model. Check them out...
http://www.alienbees.com/ - Alien Bees
as with most studio strobes, preeettty pricey.
One more thing before I forget, and that is that I know that a lot of people say that with digital now you can adjust your strobes by taking test shots with your camera like they used to with Polariods, but I find a flashmeter really cuts down on the set-up time.
You can also find systems that have a main controller that you plug your strobes into and is controlled from that one box. Most of these are heavier and more cumbersome to carry around and set-up, but I would assume faster to set-up because you can control your flash ratios from the control box. Just flip the swith to 1:1 or 1:3, etc, etc. Just some other things that came to mind.

Lionel

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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: sooten
Date Posted: 26 April 2007 at 18:30
I have been looking at the Alien Bees for a while. They look like a good product. My first question is how do watt seconds translate to guide numbers? In other words, how does the 400ws Alien Bee compare in light output to the Sony 36/56? I have a Sony 56 that I use wirelessly into an umbrella. It seems to work OK, but sometimes I think I might need a little more power...then again, I might not be managing things properly either.

To ask another question, what do you think would be sufficient for shooting individuals up to small groups of 10-12 people? 2 400s, 2 800s?

Thanks in advance!
Scott

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Scott
He who laughs last thinks slowest!


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 26 April 2007 at 19:35
Scott,
Yes, from my personal experience with and around the Alien Bees units(don’t own them but have friends that own and use them), and used two in a class I took, they are pretty well made, solid and compact. I don’t get paid for them by the way, just letting you know what I’ve experienced.
I asked that/your question to my Instructor and was told that it’s a common question that’s hard to answer. This is because it’s like comparing Apples to Oranges. Watt-seconds/Joules is the measurement of potential energy stored in a flash units capacitors, while “guide numbers” are derived from the actual output of the flash unit (guide number is a numerical representation of that flashes light output for use in calculating your f/stop ie. guide # over distance' = f/stop).
On top of that, there are differences in how efficiently a flash head & pack or monolight converts their potential energy stored in the capacitors to actual light output. Then of course you get the fact that different reflectors influence the intensity of light.
The Silver or White "umbrella" reflector spreads the light over a wide area while a narrow angle reflector/Softbox concentrates the energy into a much narrower area of illumination.
As far as I know there is no industry wide standard for this, so different manufacturers have different standards of measurements for both these figures. I think just from seeing it used practically, the 400WS does have a higher Guide Number than a 5600 HSD. I’ve seen the 400WS used for groups of 10-12, and it seemed OK, but then you might consider your surroundings too whether it would absorb the light or help reflect it. I’d say to be comfortable, if you can afford it, get the 800WS, but like I said, I’ve seen 400WS used to get groups 10-12 people pretty comfortably.    Again, 400WS with a large(32” to 40”) Silver umbrella will give you quite a bit more light output compared to 400WS with a 36”x36” softbox. Hope that helps a little if there are any experts on this please do chime in. I’m no expert, just sharing my experiences.

edited for some spelling and grammatical errors. LOL!


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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: sooten
Date Posted: 26 April 2007 at 21:09
Thanks for the info Lionel!

I think you are right about jumping to the 800s. The price difference is not that bad, especially if you get 400s and realize you needed 800s!

I have been tasked with doing a wedding for a family friend and was thinking of using that as an excuse for getting some lights (especially since it is really my wife's friend!). I keep coming back to the Bees as a possible solution. Seems to be an economical solution and a quality product.

Thanks!!

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Scott
He who laughs last thinks slowest!


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 26 April 2007 at 23:39
You're welcome, Good luck on getting the Bees, I think they are cool, and good luck in that wedding. I always think Weddings are fun, but I've never been the contracted/"Pro" Photographer but once, and it still turned out OK. LOL!

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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: H20boy
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 02:01
After alot of reading, I didn't exactly go with the bees, getting separate stands, clips, etc. I went cheap, and bought http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=130103635912 - this setup . It just seemed to have everything that I needed. I bought a couple extra 42" umbrellas (black/silver) from bergerbrothers.com to swap with the soft boxes for those bigger groups, and it seemed like a good 'starter' kit without spending >$1000 for a 3-light setup.

I have read nothing but good comments from previuos buyers, and I'll find out myself in a few days if the quality is there or not.

I purchased a backdrop stand; now I am browsing the many muslins that are on ebay and I'll pick a few there to get my 'home business' off the ground.

thanks for all the sound advice so far guys!

Edited because I really MEANT $1000, not $100. oops

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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries


Posted By: brettania
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 02:38

Await your report -- the price looks right.

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http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/posting-images-and-links-faqs_topic28010.html - Posting Images and Links | http://tinyurl.com/oz62mfp - Posts awaiting answers


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 05:36
Matt, I've watched those several times, but never took the plunge. I too would be interested to hear how you like them. I'm about to splurge on a set myself as my previous set is down to one light. So, I've been OK with one person portraits using just one light and reflector, but I gotta get another strobe here soon in case I have to do some family shots.
Good luck with those.
Lionel

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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: jaje
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 05:50
Originally posted by sooten sooten wrote:

I have been looking at the Alien Bees for a while. They look like a good product. My first question is how do watt seconds translate to guide numbers? In other words, how does the 400ws Alien Bee compare in light output to the Sony 36/56? I have a Sony 56 that I use wirelessly into an umbrella. It seems to work OK, but sometimes I think I might need a little more power...then again, I might not be managing things properly either.

To ask another question, what do you think would be sufficient for shooting individuals up to small groups of 10-12 people? 2 400s, 2 800s?

Thanks in advance!
Scott


Hey Scott,

I tested the light output on my Sony 56 vs my alien bee b800's. At full power, the bee was 6 stops more light than the Sony --> that's 64 times more light output. A b400 would be 5 stops more light than the Sony. http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11141&KW= - Here is the thread where I posted my test.

The alien bees have a great reputation for reliability and efficiency. Their main drawback, I think, is longer recycle times than the higher end elinchroms, profotos, ....

Some people prefer 400's over 800's --> if you are shooting at larger apertures, the 800's can be too powerful, even at their lowest setting. With a 400, you can open your aperture 1 stop wider.


Matt,
I think you'll be happy with those lights. They are far more useful than hotlights for portraits. I used to shoot with three 500 watt photofloods behind a diffusion panel and it still required ISO 400+ to get 1/60th -1/125th shutter speeds. Do the modelling lamps on those strobes track with the power output of the strobes?


Jay


Posted By: H20boy
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 07:05
Jay, great thread that you linked. Makes me think that the Abees may have been too much power for what I was trying to do. I think the package that i am getting soon will be pretty decent. From the description, the stepless output power knob controls the strobe intensity and the modelling light together. pretty cool.

The seller has been selling that same package for a couple months, and when I went back into his feedbacks, there were many positive comments, not just about the transaction, but how well the lighting kit worked. Not one bad comment that I could find about it.

I'm sure I can get my nieces to be my first 'participans' and I'll post a small review of the setup with some sample pictures in a week or so. If it is as good as it appears, you can't beat the price of the package. I'll be sure to pay attention to the output used, shutter speed, etc to expose the photos at different f-stops. Wish me luck!

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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 15:56
Hey Thanks Jay for that link, I knew I'd seen that thread somewhere here, but couldn't find it. Thanks for sharing that.

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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: nigelbrooks
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 16:06
I found this useful little guide http://www.elinchrom.com/Downloads/Guides/Joe%20Craig/Craig_EN.pdf - (linky) from Elinchrom which I hope will help fellow Dyxumers.

Went searching for something as result of my son picking up 3 Elinchrom EL500's, umbrellas, soft lift stands, softboxes, IR triggers all cased and bagged for L200/$400. Came from a photostore closing down and the only fault we can find is that one of the protective covers has been very slightly heat damaged - presumably from being put back before the modelling lamps cooled sufficiently.

Anyway, hope the little guide is of use.

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I've been away!


Posted By: H20boy
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 16:38
Nigel, thanks for that link! That is going to be GREAT reference for me in the upcoming weeks! Now, off to print...

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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries


Posted By: LTTay
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 18:07
Same Thanks from me Nigel, that is very helpful!
Lionel

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A700 & VG. A700, 7D & VG,50/1.4, 50/1.7, 50/3.5 macro, Tam 17-50/2.8, 85/1.4, Tam 90/2.8 Macro, 70-210/4 Beercan, 80-200/2.8 APO "Black", the 300/2.8 HS APO G; and 5600 HS


Posted By: nigelbrooks
Date Posted: 27 April 2007 at 20:07
Gentlemen, my pleasure.

They're selling the same pamphlet on ebay for $6.00 :-).
No copying issues, Elinchrom have it as a free download.

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I've been away!


Posted By: sooten
Date Posted: 02 May 2007 at 17:26
Thanks Jaje for the info. That is exteremly useful. And I add my thank to Nigel for the link to the lighting booklet. Thanks!

Scott

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Scott
He who laughs last thinks slowest!


Posted By: H20boy
Date Posted: 02 May 2007 at 18:56
My lighting kit mentioned above is arriving today. I hope to have it setup this weekend and can take some pictures to test it's limit...otherwise it won't be for another week until I can comment on whether it is a good value or not. hopefully it will be. :)

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Matt - TX l Maxxum-m42 adapter - that's it   :(     l My http://matt.zenfolio.com - Galleries


Posted By: mudslinger
Date Posted: 02 May 2007 at 19:34
Hey Matt...thanks for posting the information on your soon to arrive lighting kit. Looking forward to reading your review of the kit and seeing some of your pics.

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A77 | HVL-F56AM | Tam 17-50/2.8 | 28-75/2.8 D | Tam 55-200/4-5.6 | 50/1.7 | 85/1.4 | 80-200/2.8 HS | Sony 70-300 G SSM | Tokina 400/5.6 | 100 Macro 2.8


Posted By: Pirate
Date Posted: 27 October 2009 at 10:11
Post deleted. Started separate thread.

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http://www.fluidr.com/photos/kopczewski - Fluidr http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photographer.php?p=4091 - Airplane-Pictures


Posted By: Alanbrowne
Date Posted: 14 April 2010 at 20:55
Originally posted by jaje jaje wrote:


I tested the light output on my Sony 56 vs my alien bee b800's. At full power, the bee was 6 stops more light than the Sony --> that's 64 times more light output. A b400 would be 5 stops more light than the Sony.

Jay


No. You've made some measurement error there - I have no idea what.

A properly controlled test between the 56 (or 58 for that matter) against the AB800 'bees shows at most 2 stops more power from the bees.

Don't forget that you have to set the "zoom" of the flash head to illuminate an area similar to the bees before making the measurement. Further, you have to set the flash to manual and 1/1 (full power) (same for the 'bees) and of course shoot over the same distance.

With the 5600 set at 35mm zoom I get (2 minutes ago in the studio).

AB800 (1/1):      f/10.2
5600HS (1/1):      f/ 5.0

About 2 stops less from the 5600 (about 1 less than the AB400).



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I have discovered photography. Now I can kill myself. I have nothing else to learn.- Pablo Picasso


Posted By: flyingscot4
Date Posted: 02 May 2010 at 05:47
First, what is the studio set-up to be used for? Is it solely for studio work or is going to be used on location, or both. Each has a separate solution. For studio work, you can get by with less power, but you need higher-quality strobes because the time between exposures is less and you need modeling lights in the strobe heads. Whether you use mono-lights or power pack units is up to you, but make sure that the units have cooling fans (or wait a full 30+ seconds between exposures). As far as I am concerned, a four light system is best - Main (key) light, fill light, background light, and hair light. Most people who use a three light system just eliminate the hair light, which I think is a mistake. Personally, I would use a reflector to replace the fill light because you have lots of different things that you can do with that hair light (personal choice).

Just for definition sake, the main light creates the illusion of a third dimension (depth), but most importantly, it creates the lighting ratio; the fill light (reflector) softens the shadows created by the main light and is the basis for the exposure; the background light provides separation between the background and the subject, besides illuminating the background; the hair light adds further separation and highlights the hair (it can also be used as a kick light when using split light or other more dramatic lighting.

Location lighting requires power. You really can't get by without it. Studios typically have ten or twelve foot white ceilings. Light is bouncing all over the place. Locations with lots a room eat light; it's hard to get enough. My minimum would be 1600WS in 3 or 4 heads for location settings (if you want to photograph a car or something large in a big location, you can easily triple that).

I have used primarily Photogenic Machine lights in my studio, but I have also used Norman Enterprises and Balcar lights as well. They're all great it you own a couple of oil wells. My portrait set-up today uses a lot of PVC pipe and about 14 Vivitar 283 and 285 strobes. That is only because I collected all those strobes (they are workhorses) through the years and didn't really know how many I had until I retired. I use Quantum 1 and 1+ power packs which are also excellent. The system works for me, but I think that if I were starting today I would look at the Alien Bee monolight units. They have good designs and are very adaptable. They also have good modeling lights and allow for moderately fast shooting. Good luck.

(Criticism is welcome)

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a77VG,a550VG,a700VG/Min28 2.8,Min 50-1.7, Min50-2.8M, Min 50-3.5M, Min100-2.8M D, Min135-2.8, CZ16-80, S16-105, Min 28-85, Min 28-135, Min35-70, Min35-105, Tok35-200, all beercans, Min100-300APO D,


Posted By: flyingscot4
Date Posted: 03 May 2010 at 03:36
Also, while going through web sites of some of my friends, teachers, etc, I tried YouTube. Surprise!!! Go to the sites of Dean Collins and Monte Zucker. They will teach you more about lighting than anyone I know. They are both dead, but in their time, unlike many professionals, they stayed on the cutting edge of our medium and embraced digital almost immediately. One time when I was visiting Monte I noticed that almost all of the magazines that he had on photography were amateur magazines. When I asked him about it he told me that the amateur magazines were years ahead of the professional tomes.

Before you decide on strobes, check out the new fluorescent tube lighting systems which make lighting truly WYSIWYG. Monte mentions it in one of his videos.

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a77VG,a550VG,a700VG/Min28 2.8,Min 50-1.7, Min50-2.8M, Min 50-3.5M, Min100-2.8M D, Min135-2.8, CZ16-80, S16-105, Min 28-85, Min 28-135, Min35-70, Min35-105, Tok35-200, all beercans, Min100-300APO D,


Posted By: Alanbrowne
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 20:14
Originally posted by flyingscot4 flyingscot4 wrote:



Before you decide on strobes, check out the new fluorescent tube lighting systems which make lighting truly WYSIWYG. Monte mentions it in one of his videos.


Before you decide on fluorescent tube lighting be sure to understand how it irretrievably (non-correctable) alters the light spectrum and the colour content of your images.

Not to mention that it requires longer exposure times, thereby increasing blur in your images from shutter release to subject nervousness. A couple banks of fluorescent lights will result in exposure times of about 1/15 to 1/30 at ISO 100 and f/8. This is also a shutter speed range where mirror slap manifests itself.

A flash exposure at full power takes place in 1/500 s; at lower power levels it could be as little as 1/20,000 s. No blur or movement.

I can't emphasize how much better flash is than continuous in the studio. You can get to higher shutter speeds, but you will need a lot of lights which gets big and cumbersome (and expensive) in the studio while continuously giving off heat - albeit much less than incandescent.



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I have discovered photography. Now I can kill myself. I have nothing else to learn.- Pablo Picasso


Posted By: tomiZG
Date Posted: 12 May 2010 at 01:06
Originally posted by Alanbrowne Alanbrowne wrote:


I can't emphasize how much better flash is than continuous in the studio. You can get to higher shutter speeds, but you will need a lot of lights which gets big and cumbersome (and expensive) in the studio while continuously giving off heat - albeit much less than incandescent.


Matt, I totally agree with Alan. I was in the same situation a few weeks ago (topic: http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/lumen-watts-wattsec-how-to-compare-light-output_topic60928_page1.html - Lumen/Watts/Wattseconds- how to compare light output ) and decided to get a cheap set of strobes and am actually very, very happy with the results. Check out my portfolio -> portraits, the last 9 of the photos are done in my new improvised studio, 2 light set-up.

Bought therefore a set of three cheapo Chinese 180Ws strobes, firing one by cable and the rest by integrated photocells, "Jinbei Delicacy Series (Promotion Kit) D-180 Kit (3x180Ws)", got them with two softboxes, tripods etc. for less than 500 Euros. Also got meself a used Minolta Flash/Lightmeter (the praised v4) for 200 Euros which helps a lot and now I'm ready to go! Once I will need them I will definitely get better Strobes, but these are great at this price! They do the job, at least for me. No explosions or smoke yet :-) The guy in the shop also said that they rock and that no one complains about failures, everybody is buying them like crazy.

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a900+VG, a850, Nex3n | Dynax500 | http://www.tomislavsebek.com - portfolio


Posted By: rpenmanparker
Date Posted: 26 March 2012 at 19:56
I have been doing studio type portaiture since the mid-1970s always on the cheap. Started with incandescents, and believe me that was no fun. Never enough light for the fine grain films and so hot. But I couldn't afford either strobes with modeling lights, a flash meter or a medium format camera with Polaroid back, so the WYSIWYG aspect of incandescents was my only choice.

Now everything is different. The grain-free, high ISO capability and instant feedback (even onto a high quality monitor)of modern digital photography makes the high power and modeling lights of professional type strobes totally unnecessary for occasional, non-paid work.

I have found a setup that I relly like, which I call "bright room and a main light". Using two and three light setups over the years, I was never really satisfied, but didn't want to spend lots for many more lights. Now I have 10 Vivitar 3500 (vintage early 80's) flashes all equipped with the variable power-slave modification. These cost less than $15 each for the flash unit and another $15 or less for the variable power-slave replacement for the dedicated camera type module all from ebay within the last couple of years. Oh and they only take two AA batteries each. I bounce as many of these as I need all around off my white ceiling and walls to make the "bright room". Then I set up one umbrella with my Sunpak 544 on a synch cord (adapted to the camera, up to now a KM 5D) or Sigma dedicated flash on a Minolta OS/OC-11 cord and shoe as the main light. The main triggers all the "bright room" slaves. I sometimes need a few of the Vivitars to fully light my background paper, but that is it. The light from the walls and ceiling illuniates hair beautifully and gives lovely, even skin illumination. Since it is coming from all over (like overcast sky), there are no harsh shadows on the faces and very little shadow on the background except from the single main light. It really does remind me of very well filled in sunlight. Easy to meter with a gray card, just meter all the Vivitars, then the main. No expensive add ons like soft boxes. And what I really like is that using only one umbrella, I get the much sought after single highlight in the models' eyes. Never could do that with a main and fill umbrella.

One more nice thing is that there is plenty of light when using ISO 400 to set all the strobes at 1/4 or less power so recycling is nearly instantaneous.

I have never seen anyone describe this before. Comments would be appreciated.

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Robert



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