A relfector, mini softbox and a off camera flash thingy

Matt Sayle

Matt Sayle

2017MSA Young Photographer of the Year(Motorsport)
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Matt Sayle
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Those three items in the thread title are apperantly what I need to take my photography further.

Is there a wireless of camera flash thing?

Can you get a softbox for a flash gun?

Is Ebay cheapest option for the reflector?

Thanks
Matt

:)
 
I bought a 5-in-1 reflector off eBay for £5.99. Sorted.

The off-camera lighting is where it gets expensive.

Ideally you'll want a 430EX II (£200) or a 580EX II (£300), but then you'll need a wireless trigger set. Pocket Wizards are like £250 but a lot of people use cheaper Cactus V4's which are about £35 delivered from America. You'll then need a lighting stand (£20) with a umbrella adapter (£20) and a umbrella (£20). If you want a softbox you'll be looking at over £50 in most cases. Gets it expensive, doesn't it? I have just done this 3 times over!

Apart from the flashgun, that's a very budget setup but it'll get you started nicely. You'll be able to buy cheaper flashes but if you're spending £100+ on modifiers, stands and triggers then I don't see any point in spending less than that on a flashgun personally.

I can link you to everything I've bought recently if it helps? I've asked a lot of questions on here and can basically relay everything in a single post.
 
I'm using a glued assortment of lunchboxes as a make-shift/not amazing softbox.
 
Actually Matt all you need something like a 430 ex, an off-camera cable and some sort of diffuser for the flash - about £140 all brand new. If you want to go down the manual flash route you could do the whole thing for about £70....
 
Matt Sayle said:
JESUS!!!! I didnt expect it to be that dear. I really have no idea :lol: Think I will get a wired one for the time being :lol: Bloodyhell.
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It's not, Kryptix is a camera gear whore.

Matt Sayle said:
Those three items in the thread title are apperantly what I need to take my photography further.

Is there a wireless of camera flash thing?

Can you get a softbox for a flash gun?

Is Ebay cheapest option for the reflector?

Thanks
Matt

:)
Click to expand...

Reflector - £5 - Ebay

Softbox for flashgun - white tupperware bowl with square hole cut into base, lined with tin-foil and white tshirt stretched over bowl opening - total cost £5

Wireless flash transmitters:
Either Ebay cactus triggers at around £40 or Elinchrom Skyport set (1 transmitter and 1 receiver) for £115 (receivers are £75 each)

Flashguns:
Ideally, as Kryptix said, 430ex's, since I've found them most easy to operate.
Alternatively Jessops 360afd flashguns are a nice cheap alternative.
If you're really on a budget, Vivitar and Sunpak do cheap flashguns, just prowl ebay. It doesn't really matter how old they are, just make sure you don't mount it on your camera, since it could potentially blow up the circuitry.

Need to budget for accessories such as adaptors/batteries.

If you're patient, I reckon on a complete budget you could get the whole lot (2 flashguns, reflector, softbox, off-camera-triggers) for under £100.
 
Well flash of camera can be just an arms length, moving it from the line of your lens. If you not got a lead there not that much. Or a radio triggger from eBay less then a £10er As for soft-box I use a simple to make yourself bound card see here for a copy on mine
 
How do you know that'll do what he's after?
 
A girl I know bought several £2 Ikea lights and gets impressive results from those. She said a lot of Photoshop is involved, but most people would think expensive lighting has been used.
 
Who said that this is what you require to take your photography further?


Unless you are outdoors and doing sports etc. (which I am assume you are not) then you could get away with some white lights, try some desk-style lamps, these can be positioned at angles. Apart from the fact that you cannot control a 'flash' of light, then these could be used to generate a lighting effect from a different angle.

Model might get hot though....
 
Right I am well and truly confused :lol:

I already have a flashgun, do I need another one?

How come a little softbox is so much?

Reflector is sorted lol.

Thanks very much so far, though :)
 
Why not have a look at using a stofen diffuser if you aren't already? A lot cheaper than a softbox.
 
I'd go for a white (shoot through) umbrella rather than a softbox to start with. I recently bought:

Lightstand - £10.99 7dayshop
Umbrella bracket - £16.99 - Speedgraphic
Umbrella - £16.99 - Speedgraphic
PC - Hotshoe connector & PC cable - £10 - eBay
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Actually Matt all you need something like a 430 ex, an off-camera cable and some sort of diffuser for the flash - about £140 all brand new. If you want to go down the manual flash route you could do the whole thing for about £70....
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(first post. Hello to everyone!)

I agree with that post. Depends on what you want to do but sort of money's easy enough going to get you started.
Some people get good results with a bigger set up from the start but a lot find even 2 lights is difficult to deal with at first.
Like I said depends on what you want to use it for but you can get amazing results from just 1 light and a reflector. Anyway good luck!
 
Craikeybaby said:
I'd go for a white (shoot through) umbrella rather than a softbox to start with. I recently bought:

Lightstand - £10.99 7dayshop
Umbrella bracket - £16.99 - Speedgraphic
Umbrella - £16.99 - Speedgraphic
PC - Hotshoe connector & PC cable - £10 - eBay
Click to expand...

or....

Lightstand - £8.49 -Jessops
Umbrella adapter £ 9.95 - Jessops
Umbrella £6 - Ebay
PC - Hotshoe connector & PC cable - £10 - eBay

Need to lose about a fiver somewhere, but I'm sure £30 is still do-able :D
 
psenior1 said:
I'm still interested to know what it is you need these three things for to take your photography further!
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Well, it's one way he can get in on the pit babes....I've never seen a motorsport photographer humping a soft box around ;)
 
Looks like the cheapest stands are all gone now, £15.57 for the LS2, so back to 7day for the cheapest ones now then :shrug:
 
wanna go super cheap?

tripod mounted flash bracket with manual optical trigger, ebay, £10.50 LINKY

same company has reflective umbrellas for a £10ish, or bracket and a dinky shoot through brolly for same price and they also have these...

mini softbox LINKY

Oh, and yes, I have some of that kits, the trigger, the brackets, brolly, very cheap and cheerful way to get started and they are reliable in my experience.

A reflector? whats wrong with tin foil wrapped around a piece of cardboard? :naughty:
 
I'm gonna get myself a couple of cheap flashes and umbrella set-ups for band portraits and stuff cus it's a pain in the ass lugging round lights.

Thanks from me too guys
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Or kill two budgies with the one brick and get yourself one of those silver car winscreen shields ;)
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:thumbs: yep, and they fold up to fit in a bag. See, I dont really believing in spending twice, unless the price differential is so great and the lower end option very cheap - in this case I think you can, bar the actual flashgun, the rest can be got from reliable and very very cheap fleabayers, worth doing to see if its what you really want to do, before splashing out in the really decent gear imo.
 
Yv said:
See, I dont really believing in spending twice, unless the price differential is so great and the lower end option very cheap - in this case I think you can, bar the actual flashgun, the rest can be got from reliable and very very cheap fleabayers, worth doing to see if its what you really want to do, before splashing out in the really decent gear imo.
Click to expand...


Like, for example, my new boom arm, made from an extendable Vileda mop handle (10p from B+Q :lol:) and the head off a Poundland mini tripod :D
 
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