HELP NEEDED

[mattchewone]

I have borrowed a friends kit, two lamps 150w, soft box and umbrella, just want to know what sort of settings i should be using. At the minute im using manual and i have to have it on ISO 400, 1/6 and F5.6 does that seem right? As i get blury eyes.

How should i have them layed out and where should the subject be standing etc?

Thanks

Matt

[mattchewone]

Any help is much appreciated!! My 430ex seems to be lighting to subject more than the 150W lamps. Why is this?

[Toothie]

would help if people knew what you were doing with those settings. Also ISO 400 might give u noise depending on your camera i would use the lowest ISO you can all the time, and if you have studio lights you shouldn't need ISO 400?? (might be wrong never used studio lights)

[mattchewone]

Take a shot of the GF in front of a pop up background in a bedroom.
Well if i use ISO 100, they come out pitch black, unless i go really slow shutter speed. My 430 EX lights up my gf the lamps dont seem to do anything really. They flash but it doesnt seem to show on the picture!

[Garry Edwards]

From what you're saying I'm guessing that this is a continuous light, not flash.

They produce very little light, which is why you need a high ISO, large aperture and slow shutter speed. That's why people use studio flash instead.

As for where you place the lights, put them wherever they produce the effect you want.

[mattchewone]

Well its an interfit studio kit, they are flash lamp things! Would i be better with a few flashes and umbrellas?

[Keltic Ice Man]

sounds like your sync speed is too high.

Try under 1/200th

JUST REREAD - IGNORE THIS YOU HAVE IT AT 1/6th, which sounds too low to me.

[mattchewone]

sounds like your sync speed is too high.

Try under 1/200th

JUST REREAD - IGNORE THIS YOU HAVE IT AT 1/6th, which sounds too low to me.

other wise its too dark. I think maybe its not sync right. I am using the 430EX to ignite the other two flashes. Should i have the 430EX setup up to hsync?

[Garry Edwards]

Well, this is a bit of a guessing game as you haven't told us anything about these lights...

Knowing (now) that they have Interfit written on them doesn't help either, as both flash and tungsten lights are sold with Interfit labels on them.

So, they could be low powered tungsten lights, or they could be flash. If they are flash, maybe you're using them without connecting them to the camera, in which case you're only using the low powered modelling lights, not the flash.

[mattchewone]

Well they have a flash switch and a modelling switch, i have only the flash switch on. They both light up when i test the 430EX and when i take a picture but they both dont seem to make any affect on the outcome of the picture.
They have a 60w bulb and a halogen ring around the bulb.

They are being used wireless as i cannot connect them wired as the cable does not fit my camera.

[Garry Edwards]

So now we're starting to get somewhere... it gets a lot easier when you provide us with some info:)

When you say that 'They are being used wireless' are you using a radio trigger or are you using your hotshoe flash to trigger them?

If you're using your hotshoe flash, have you disabled the preflash?
If you haven't, the preflash will fire your Interfit flashes BEFORE the camera shutter opens, so the flash will APPEAR to work but will have no effect

[mattchewone]

Erm i am using hotshoe flash to trigger them. How do i turn off the preflash?

[Garry Edwards]

Erm i am using hotshoe flash to trigger them. How do i turn off the preflash?
Sorry, don't know. RTFM

[mattchewone]

lol okey ill fish it out and have a looky! Thanks for the help so far ill try again tomorrow and see what i get!

[mattchewone]

Need to hold the * (star) button down to prevent the preflash from firing.

[mattchewone]

One more quick question! It says its a 150W kit is this 150 each or both! Can the bulbs be upgraded?

[Keltic Ice Man]

prob each, and 150W would be ok for many portrait sessions.

If you upgrade bulbs you might find the heat is too much for the surrounds

[mattchewone]

Okey no problem the reason i ask is just the bulbs say 60W so i thought it may be 150 per pair.