Beginner Advice please Interfit EX150 MrkII

[mercmanuk]

I want to take some photo's of my Watch collection, Sad innit, so I don't need anything top dollar but want to achieve some moody shot's without having to process to much maybe a bit of sharpening with a dollop of vignetting (the joys of FF)

So 2 questions please,

Not wanting to do anything professional will the ex150 MrkII be enough I think they are 150W max (clue is in the model number me thinks).
Will my speedlite 430exII fire them via slave if I bounce it off the ceiling, they are IR I know I can get transmitter, but trying to save costs.


I am not committed to interfit but as a handy budget set up for just my own pleasure it's a starting point, any recommendations for equipment will be taken on-board, but it's just for fun and \I don't like spending money.

Thanks all.


Am I better off buying 2 stands 2 brollys and the extra speedlight could work out the same cost

 

[Garry Edwards]

You really don't want to be using umbrellas for this, what you need is a small softbox.
It's always better value to buy a twin head kit, but if this is all that you're going to use it for you only need one head, plus a small, home-made reflector.
At 150Ws the Interfit 150 has more than enough power for your needs, but looking at the Interfit website, it seems that it only adjusts down to 1/8th power, so you might be better off with a flash head that adjusts down to the more normal 1/32nd power - like ours

But, if you can live with the lack of fan cooling and the dim modelling lamp, it will do the job - and you can always use a neutral density filter on your camera lens to reduce the effective power.

 

[mercmanuk]

Thanks Gary.

I have a ND filter in my box

I think cost wise the twin lamp set is my best option as you say, I get a soft box with it.
always best to ask here before you jump in, what a fantastic forum.

 

[simonbarker]

Those heads have an IR sensor on the back by the controls so your speedlight triggering it shouldn't be a problem.

The standard kit comes with a 60x60 softbox(which should be considered small) and uses the el-fit (Elinchrom but called something else by Interfit) fitting should you want to buy different modifiers in the future.

 

[mercmanuk]

Gone ahead and done the deal a set of Mrk II winging there way towards me as I type, if I want to trigger them remotely would any IR transmitter do the job.

 

[JennyGW]

I want to take some photo's of my Watch collection, Sad innit, so I don't need anything top dollar but want to achieve some moody shot's without having to process to much maybe a bit of sharpening with a dollop of vignetting (the joys of FF)

So 2 questions please,

Not wanting to do anything professional will the ex150 MrkII be enough I think they are 150W max (clue is in the model number me thinks).
Will my speedlite 430exII fire them via slave if I bounce it off the ceiling, they are IR I know I can get transmitter, but trying to save costs.


I am not committed to interfit but as a handy budget set up for just my own pleasure it's a starting point, any recommendations for equipment will be taken on-board, but it's just for fun and \I don't like spending money.

Thanks all.


Am I better off buying 2 stands 2 brollys and the extra speedlight could work out the same cost

I have a couple of Interfit Mark II's and they came with a trigger which I've tried a couple of times and it works fine. (Usually I fire them optically from my Elinchrom d-Lites as they have a more useful trigger.)

Edit: This is the trigger ... I'm not sure if it comes included in the set or has to be purchased separately.

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...=54652739529&gclid=ckqj1iuqhmicfqqtwwoduziatq

 

[mercmanuk]

I will have to have a look in the box, I know the mrk 1 did not have a trigger but I am unsure of the Mrk II's

Thanks

 

[simonbarker]

Gone ahead and done the deal a set of Mrk II winging there way towards me as I type, if I want to trigger them remotely would any IR transmitter do the job.

Yes but an IR trigger is not a great idea especially not that fat one which has a terrible recycle time, if you're dead set on one get this long one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171511231536 which is the Exan irx-12 but it's a generic unit that gets re-branded so you can find it under lots of different brands like Elinchrom, Prolinca or Hensel and the only difference is price. That unit should cost about half the other and has much better recycle times.

I'm not a fan of IR triggers in general but specifically for the MKII it's a bad idea as the sensor is on the rear of the unit so you'll need line of sight with that but if you're prepared to buy new you could just get any generic radio trigger for £10-20 which would do an even better job. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390382135048 would do the job well enough, you can pay more and get the same unit from the UK and not have to wait or you can get a more comprehensive unit like one of the Yongnuo's which could be useful if you want TTL for a speedlight but if that's no use I'd stick with the £10 option.

The second head (if you ever use it) will be triggered by the bounce of the first flash but if you have concerns about that you can always add another radio receiver.

 

[JennyGW]

I will have to have a look in the box, I know the mrk 1 did not have a trigger but I am unsure of the Mrk II's

Thanks

Mark 1 definitely didn't .. and my Mark II's definitely work with the Interfit trigger I have

 

[mercmanuk]

Yes but an IR trigger is not a great idea especially not that fat one which has a terrible recycle time, if you're dead set on one get this long one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171511231536 which is the Exan irx-12 but it's a generic unit that gets re-branded so you can find it under lots of different brands like Elinchrom, Prolinca or Hensel and the only difference is price. That unit should cost about half the other and has much better recycle times.

I'm not a fan of IR triggers in general but specifically for the MKII it's a bad idea as the sensor is on the rear of the unit so you'll need line of sight with that but if you're prepared to buy new you could just get any generic radio trigger for £10-20 which would do an even better job. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390382135048 would do the job well enough, you can pay more and get the same unit from the UK and not have to wait or you can get a more comprehensive unit like one of the Yongnuo's which could be useful if you want TTL for a speedlight but if that's no use I'd stick with the £10 option.

The second head (if you ever use it) will be triggered by the bounce of the first flash but if you have concerns about that you can always add another radio receiver.

Agghhhhhh the recycle time is a pain but having thought about it my subject don't move and I'm not catching any action + it has sync leads in the kit there's only me and the set up so no people to trip up, It's arrived last night and really for what I paid it should do the job, just waiting for a few more bit's to turn up then I can start.

Thanks for the two links very useful if I progress onto living things that move a bit LOL I think my Light tent may turn up today so not long to wait.