Studio lighting equipment? Help me shop!
Photog
If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to solicit your advice on which
studio lighting equipment I should consider purchasing. I've done a lot
of research, but I'm still really confused.
I'm an amateur/hobbiest photographer looking to learn more about studio
lighting. I've taken a studio portraiture course, and now I'd like to
purchase my own lights for home use. I am willing to start small (I
have a small space!) and expand my studio as I gain experience.
I'd like to go with strobe units, and I'm trying to stay around $750 -
1000 to start with. If that means I only end up with one light, fine.
My main concern is that I'd like to do some casual portraits, but also
some still-life/product shots. I am shooting with a Canon 20D. What
kind of power should I be looking at so that I don't sacrifice either
area? Seeing as how I need a lightstand or two, umbrella(s) and/or a
softbox and maybe a boom arm, I may only have enough money for a
monolight instead of a head unit and separate power unit, huh? Is that
a bad idea? Does that make it difficult to straddle the power between
my interests of portraits and products?
Thank you SO much for your thoughts! I know this question is asked a
lot, and I did read a lot of the other threads, but I am still lost in
my own situation.
Cheers!
Susan
Steve Wolfe
> 1000 to start with. If that means I only end up with one light, fine.
>
> My main concern is that I'd like to do some casual portraits, but also
> some still-life/product shots. I am shooting with a Canon 20D. What
> kind of power should I be looking at so that I don't sacrifice either
> area? Seeing as how I need a lightstand or two, umbrella(s) and/or a
> softbox and maybe a boom arm, I may only have enough money for a
> monolight instead of a head unit and separate power unit, huh? Is that
> a bad idea? Does that make it difficult to straddle the power between
> my interests of portraits and products?
I don't think that it does. Given your budget, look at Alien Bees. For
the price, they're a tremendous bargain. Through a 3' softbox in a
single-light portrait, I usually have to drop my AB400 down to about 1/4
power to keep an aperture of f/8, so unless you're stopping down quite a bit
for DOF reasons (which you might be on closeups of the products), there's
plenty of power even in the "weak" model. They give pretty accurate guide
number figures on their site, so you can do calculations yourself.
Boom arms get very expensive, but cheap ones do exist. I got one from
Adorama that isn't as convenient as some, but cost less than $45. The setup
would lean and shake like a willow on the cheap light stand I bought, so I
picked up a Bogen Century stand, which is VERY solid. You don't need a boom
for all of your lights, though, just one would probably be plenty. Your
budget could probably get you one strobe with a stand and boom, another on a
stand, a softbx, and umbrella if you shop around.
steve
Randall Ainsworth
Photog <phot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to solicit your advice on which
> studio lighting equipment I should consider purchasing. I've done a lot
> of research, but I'm still really confused.
Avoid Novatron. I've always used Photogenic in the studio and Norman
for portable.
Photog
Steve Wolfe wrote:
> > I'd like to go with strobe units, and I'm trying to stay around $750 -
> > 1000 to start with. If that means I only end up with one light, fine.
> >
> > My main concern is that I'd like to do some casual portraits, but also
> > some still-life/product shots. I am shooting with a Canon 20D. What
> > kind of power should I be looking at so that I don't sacrifice either
> > area? Seeing as how I need a lightstand or two, umbrella(s) and/or a
> > softbox and maybe a boom arm, I may only have enough money for a
> > monolight instead of a head unit and separate power unit, huh? Is that
> > a bad idea? Does that make it difficult to straddle the power between
> > my interests of portraits and products?
>
> I don't think that it does. Given your budget, look at Alien Bees. For
> the price, they're a tremendous bargain. Through a 3' softbox in a
> single-light portrait, I usually have to drop my AB400 down to about 1/4
> power to keep an aperture of f/8, so unless you're stopping down quite a bit
> for DOF reasons (which you might be on closeups of the products), there's
> plenty of power even in the "weak" model. They give pretty accurate guide
> number figures on their site, so you can do calculations yourself.
Yes! I do think I'd really like the Alien Bees - I've read a lot of
good things about them and I've been leaning towards getting one or two
of their units. I have a question though, what is the difference
between producing "true" wattseconds and "effective" wattseconds of
power? The B400 is claiming to have 160 true wattseconds and 400
effective wattseconds of power, so I was wondering what that means.
Also, when considering lightstands, is there a certain brand or
specification to look for? Obviously I need to consider the weight of
my flash unit and umbrella or softbox, but stands seem to range from
$20 - $200! Any tips?
Thanks again!
Photog
Thanks Randall! I'll keep that in mind - I actually looked at both
Photogenic and Norman as well. I have my eye on a couple of things
already if/when my budget increases. : )
Steve Wolfe
> good things about them and I've been leaning towards getting one or two
> of their units. I have a question though, what is the difference
> between producing "true" wattseconds and "effective" wattseconds of
> power? The B400 is claiming to have 160 true wattseconds and 400
> effective wattseconds of power, so I was wondering what that means.
They explain it all on their web site, but here's a rehash:
In a traditional pack-and-head setup, the capacitors are in the pack, and
have to discharge along the cables to the heads. The rate at which power is
delivered during a strobe flash is very large - for a brief moment, you are
delivering power at a rate of up to (or OVER) 1,000,000 watts (yes, a
*million* watts). Because of that, you lose a very significant amount of
power along the cables, before it even gets to the heads. With a monolight,
the transmission distance is measured in millimeters, or at most a couple of
inches - not dozens of feet, so you lose far less power.
So... their "400" unit, with 400 "effective" watt-seconds delivers about
the same amount of light as you get from a 400 watt-second pack-and-head
design. Now that's not absolute, some 400 WS pack-and-head setups may
deliver more, some less. Many (perhaps most) strobe manufacturers either
don't give actual light output (the guide number), don't specify how they
measure the guide number, or flat-out misrepresent the guide number. Alien
Bees are exemplary, they give actual guide-number outputs through each of
their light modifiers, and those with calibrated light meters have said that
the numbers are either spot-on, or so close that it makes no difference.
> Also, when considering lightstands, is there a certain brand or
> specification to look for? Obviously I need to consider the weight of
> my flash unit and umbrella or softbox, but stands seem to range from
> $20 - $200! Any tips?
Alien Bees are very light for monolights. Umbrellas aren't heavy,
either - but they present a long moment-arm, creating a lot of torque. The
best thing for that is a stand with a wide base, but you don't have to go
crazy looking for ultra-wide stands, most any will work just fine. For
stands where you're not using a boom arm, I don't find a terrible amount of
difference other than the speed and convenience of adjustment and whether
they're air-cushioned or not. For those, a cheap stand works fine. For a
stand with a boom arm, you need a solid base and a stiff stand, the boom
arm, light, modifier, and counter-weight are a lot of weight. It's not
uncommon to use 10, 15, 20 pounds (or even more) just in the counterweight.
The heavier your counterweight, the more you can extend that strobe!
(That's another area where the light weight of the Alien Bees is handy.)
steve
wilt
Steve Wolfe wrote:
> > Yes! I do think I'd really like the Alien Bees - I've read a lot of
> > good things about them and I've been leaning towards getting one or two
> > of their units. I have a question though, what is the difference
> > between producing "true" wattseconds and "effective" wattseconds of
> > power? The B400 is claiming to have 160 true wattseconds and 400
> > effective wattseconds of power, so I was wondering what that means.
>
> They explain it all on their web site, but here's a rehash:
>
> In a traditional pack-and-head setup, the capacitors are in the pack, and
> have to discharge along the cables to the heads. The rate at which power is
> delivered during a strobe flash is very large - for a brief moment, you are
> delivering power at a rate of up to (or OVER) 1,000,000 watts (yes, a
> *million* watts). Because of that, you lose a very significant amount of
> power along the cables, before it even gets to the heads. With a monolight,
> the transmission distance is measured in millimeters, or at most a couple of
> inches - not dozens of feet, so you lose far less power.
The 'effective watt seconds' doesn't have the value of a hill of beans!
The reflector you have or the softbox you use renders direct
comparison absurd unless you are using exactly the same criteria...bare
tube on both, or both in same softbox. The only way you can compare
two light units is to measure with a flash meter! Chimera makes
softboxes, and their brochure is very revealing in how 'same power'
(watt second) claims amount to very different results as measured!
> So... their "400" unit, with 400 "effective" watt-seconds delivers about
> the same amount of light as you get from a 400 watt-second pack-and-head
> design. Now that's not absolute, some 400 WS pack-and-head setups may
> deliver more, some less. Many (perhaps most) strobe manufacturers either
> don't give actual light output (the guide number), don't specify how they
> measure the guide number, or flat-out misrepresent the guide number. Alien
> Bees are exemplary, they give actual guide-number outputs through each of
> their light modifiers, and those with calibrated light meters have said that
> the numbers are either spot-on, or so close that it makes no difference.
Years ago I saw a 'shoot out' at a trade show, comparing White Lighting
1500 (1500 watt second equivalent) to Photogenic Powelight 750, and the
Photogenic won EVERY comparison in light output! (Buff makes both WL
and AB)
Photog
This makes sense now, thanks for explaining it. I had tried to read it
on the website and got a little lost.
> > Also, when considering lightstands, is there a certain brand or
> > specification to look for? Obviously I need to consider the weight of
> > my flash unit and umbrella or softbox, but stands seem to range from
> > $20 - $200! Any tips?
>
> Alien Bees are very light for monolights. Umbrellas aren't heavy,
> either - but they present a long moment-arm, creating a lot of torque. The
> best thing for that is a stand with a wide base, but you don't have to go
> crazy looking for ultra-wide stands, most any will work just fine. For
> stands where you're not using a boom arm, I don't find a terrible amount of
> difference other than the speed and convenience of adjustment and whether
> they're air-cushioned or not. For those, a cheap stand works fine. For a
> stand with a boom arm, you need a solid base and a stiff stand, the boom
> arm, light, modifier, and counter-weight are a lot of weight. It's not
> uncommon to use 10, 15, 20 pounds (or even more) just in the counterweight.
> The heavier your counterweight, the more you can extend that strobe!
> (That's another area where the light weight of the Alien Bees is handy.)
>
> steve
Thanks so much for your help Steve! I went ahead and ordered an Alien
Bees unit - the B800 for now to get started, and I'll add one more (and
another stand and an umbrella) when I get my next pay check. I have a
stand, boom arm, and soft box, on the way from bhphoto.com. : ) I can't
wait to play!
Susan