1st Studio kit recommendations

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johnny8977

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Paul
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Hi guys. I'm new here and came across the forum after looking for some advice. However I'll stay awhile as it looks like a really helpful and active forum.

Basically, I've enjoyed photography for the last few years but never taken that next step so to speak. I've currently got a Canon EOS 350D which suited me fine until we had our first child a few months ago and I started to take 1000's of photos of her, as I'm sure most new dads do.

Well, I've wanted a new camera for a while so I'm using this as my excuse. But I'm also thinking of getting a bit of a home studio kit - just a couple of lighting rigs and perhaps a background, as I've seen what a difference it can make and currently almost all our friends have new babies or children, so I'd like to do some stuff for them.

I was thinking of keeping with a Canon as I have a nice 50mm 1.8f prime lens which I can obviously keep using. I was thinking of a 500d or 550d, that's about my price range. Although the lens was 'only' £90 so if a Nikon would offer something more I would definitely consider one.

As the the lighting setup - I have no idea. Do I get lights that are on all the time (hot lights???). Or do I just get separate flash setups? If so, do I just need to buy a module that would activate a remote flash.

I was looking at something like this:
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/74367/show.html

Any advice very gratefully received.
 
Welcome to TP.

You want to get flash units, rather than continuous lighting.

depending on your budget and what you want to shoot will affect what is recommended.

I have 4 flashguns (non cost more than £25, and 3 were 2nd hand) and use optical triggers to fire them. I have a popup black and white background, and also use other things as a background - a blanket for example.

You can spend a little on this, or you can spend alot.

How often will you use it and is it just for home use?
 
It'll just be for home/friend use, so if it's portable that would help.

Do the cameras at the 500/550D price point need add on's in order to use these optical triggers? Do they just react to the flash from the camera itself?
 
The Elemental stuff looks great but a bit too expensive for me at the moment I think.
 
What are people's views - for the above should I be getting a 550d (don;t really need the HD video function) or a 3100? Or something entirely different?
 
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