Best place to buy second hand lighting equipment?

Ellen

Ellen

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Ellen
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Hello, I'm interested in buying a soft-box for simple portraits at home but, I'm looking for second hand equipment to start off with. Can anyone suggest a reliable website for second hand equipment in the UK?
 
This one?

MPB often have gear.

There's loads on eBay.
 
Ellen said:
Hello, I'm interested in buying a soft-box for simple portraits at home but, I'm looking for second hand equipment to start off with. Can anyone suggest a reliable website for second hand equipment in the UK?
Click to expand...

Phil V said:
This one?

MPB often have gear.

There's loads on eBay.
Click to expand...
Ellen,

Phil is very knowledgeable when it comes to lighting and more so if you are on a budget.

If you give some more details on what exactly you are after I bet he would be more than happy to steer you in the right direction..
 
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Not looked at one for several months but there used to be several full page ads in the back of Amateur Photographer magazine for companies that are reliable. There might be ads on the AP website, could be worth checking.

I just did a search on Google "used photographic studio equipment" and it brought up the names of reputable companies - try

The Flash Centre - Used Equipment
www.theflashcentre.com/used-equipment-c22.html

Used Lighting Equipment - Wex Photographic
www.wexphotographic.com/used-lighting-equipment/b3246

Used Equipment | Cameraworld
https://www.cameraworld.co.uk/used-equipment.html

Lighting Lighting & Studio Equipment Range - Ffordes Photographic
www.ffordes.com/category/Lighting...Studio_Equipment/Lighting


All well known companies. For new, well priced stuff try
Lencarta
https://www.lencarta.com (Garry who posts on here works with them)

Bessell
http://www.bessel.co.uk

Amazon and Calumet UK also have some good prices. Calumet do a 30% own brand discount several times a year, sign up for their newsletter.
 
It might also help members on here to know if you are planning to use small flash units / speedlights (mostly run off AA batteries) or if you are intending to get full size studio flash units that plug in the mains or run off a power pack.

If you are looking at small units, Strobist web site may help you decide what you need to start with.

People are usually advised when starting lighting to put the book "Light, Science and Magic" on their Xmas or birthday list.

B and H photo also do some very good recorded seminars usually labelled "Event Space" on their YouTube channel.
 
Yongnuo (sold on Amazon and other places) do very well regarded small flash and remote triggers (which work on studio flash as well) and are very very reasonably priced. Do a forum search and you will find how popular this brand is.

http://www.yongnuo.eu
 
Hi Ellen
Id be interested to know what it is you're wanting to achieve?

You might be aware studio heads vary massively in price due to power, features and brand.

For £100 you can buy a perfectly decent brand new head or a 1/4 of a big brand one 2nd hand.
 
Ellen said:
Hello, I'm interested in buying a soft-box for simple portraits at home but, I'm looking for second hand equipment to start off with. Can anyone suggest a reliable website for second hand equipment in the UK?
Click to expand...

Do you already have the light source as there is very little to be saved on second hand soft boxes.

Mike
 
Phil V said:
Hi Ellen
Id be interested to know what it is you're wanting to achieve?

You might be aware studio heads vary massively in price due to power, features and brand.

For £100 you can buy a perfectly decent brand new head or a 1/4 of a big brand one 2nd hand.
Click to expand...

Hi Phil, I'm just wanting a simple light set up, I've been relying on daylight for most of my photography at the moment. I'm feeling very limited with it being winter. I'm looking to spend under £100, it's mainly for practice and i'm doing a photography course and my next assignment is portraits and I have to experiment with different lighting setups. I have a flash gun for my camera but I thought having a light box might give me more options to work with. I'm no where near in a position to charge for my photography so my setup doesn't have to look awesome or anything.
 
MidnightUK said:
Not looked at one for several months but there used to be several full page ads in the back of Amateur Photographer magazine for companies that are reliable. There might be ads on the AP website, could be worth checking.

I just did a search on Google "used photographic studio equipment" and it brought up the names of reputable companies - try

The Flash Centre - Used Equipment
www.theflashcentre.com/used-equipment-c22.html

Used Lighting Equipment - Wex Photographic
www.wexphotographic.com/used-lighting-equipment/b3246

Used Equipment | Cameraworld
https://www.cameraworld.co.uk/used-equipment.html

Lighting Lighting & Studio Equipment Range - Ffordes Photographic
www.ffordes.com/category/Lighting...Studio_Equipment/Lighting


All well known companies. For new, well priced stuff try
Lencarta
https://www.lencarta.com (Garry who posts on here works with them)

Bessell


http://www.bessel.co.uk

Amazon and Calumet UK also have some good prices. Calumet do a 30% own brand discount several times a year, sign up for their newsletter.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I will have a look at the different websites you have suggested.
 
MidnightUK said:
It might also help members on here to know if you are planning to use small flash units / speedlights (mostly run off AA batteries) or if you are intending to get full size studio flash units that plug in the mains or run off a power pack.

If you are looking at small units, Strobist web site may help you decide what you need to start with.

People are usually advised when starting lighting to put the book "Light, Science and Magic" on their Xmas or birthday list.

B and H photo also do some very good recorded seminars usually labelled "Event Space" on their YouTube channel.
Click to expand...

I'm a beginner so I'm not sure where to start when it comes to lighting, I just want something to practice with, a good starting point, I have an external flash gun for my camera but not sure where to go from there.
 
mike weeks said:
Do you already have the light source as there is very little to be saved on second hand soft boxes.

Mike
Click to expand...

I only have an external flash gun for my camera and been relying on daylight for most of my photography.
 
Ellen said:
I only have an external flash gun for my camera and been relying on daylight for most of my photography.
Click to expand...

so the simplest thing is to move the flash off of the camera and I favour this as a starting point (other sizes available) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Godox-40x...158974?hash=item2112f7edfe:g:DNEAAOSwo0JWPau-

you will then need a trigger set this is for anon (Nikon available) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...790974?hash=item416f83ec7e:g:dFQAAOxyjLNSP0ih

and a cheap stand http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photograp...900664?hash=item25be9f4bf8:g:iywAAOSwZ8ZW-2zO

Of these the one that I would want a better version of is the light stand - you could always work with a voice activated light stand

Mike
 
Ellen said:
Hi Phil, I'm just wanting a simple light set up, I've been relying on daylight for most of my photography at the moment. I'm feeling very limited with it being winter. I'm looking to spend under £100, it's mainly for practice and i'm doing a photography course and my next assignment is portraits and I have to experiment with different lighting setups. I have a flash gun for my camera but I thought having a light box might give me more options to work with. I'm no where near in a position to charge for my photography so my setup doesn't have to look awesome or anything.
Click to expand...
What Mike said...

mike weeks said:
so the simplest thing is to move the flash off of the camera and I favour this as a starting point (other sizes available) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Godox-40x...158974?hash=item2112f7edfe:g:DNEAAOSwo0JWPau-

you will then need a trigger set this is for anon (Nikon available) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...790974?hash=item416f83ec7e:g:dFQAAOxyjLNSP0ih

and a cheap stand http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photograp...900664?hash=item25be9f4bf8:g:iywAAOSwZ8ZW-2zO

Of these the one that I would want a better version of is the light stand - you could always work with a voice activated light stand

Mike
Click to expand...

If you already have a speedlight £100 will get you up and running.

But I'd recommend the 80cm version of that softbox.
 
Phil V said:
Pick up the book
A speedlighters handbook by Syl Arena.

Worth every penny.
Click to expand...
Phil

Mine is well worn and regularly used. It is getting tatty but, IMHO, the best of it's kind!

Should be called the Speedlighters Bible!

Steve
 
The world of lighting does not start and end with softboxes, you can have a lot of fun without them, until you become sure of what you want to achive from your portraits. .

As you will have realised, we are all going to tell you different things, as each person has a different style and different equipment. There is no definitive way.

My take on this, as you are just starting and on a budget is to get a 2nd flash, a couple of cheapish lightstands and adaptors to attach the flash to them and some radio triggers.
You can at this early stage get away without a softbox - you can add that later when you know more about what you want.

Alternatives to softboxes to get a large soft lightspread - bounce light off a pale wall or door, shoot through a piece of white fabric or a bit of shower cutain, a piece of tracing paper, bounce off a white or silver reflector, use a bit of crumpled and then straightened out kitchen foil to bounce the light from. Use a bit of foam core or a sheet of cardboard painted white or silver or covered in kitchen foil.

Photographers have used scrims and silks for years. Also look into gobos.

People also forget the glories of hard light in portraits. Make a cardboard snoot to put over your flashgun to narrow the beam rather than widen it. Remember that you can also control flash beam width by choosing the angle setting for your flashgun (settings will be equated to lens length on the gun - 34mm, 50mm etc). Look at some of the interesting hard light portraits from film noir style or seach film noir on Google Images
https://uk.pinterest.com/narmstrong711/film-noir/

Placeing objects, bits of card cut into shapes, twigs from the garden, between your subject and the light cast enticing shadows and emphasise different aspects of the face or body.
Look up some of the old black and white hollywood film star images to see how object shadows were used for emphasis.

Check out Robert Harrington on B and H photo youtube channel, he has several videos on using small flash. People sometimes make grids/honeycombs for small flash by cutting bunches of drinking straws down and tying or gluing them together then taping them in front of the flash with gaffer tape or some other means.

The '40s Glamour Portrait (I hate the final post processing, but the lighting is good info)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPBO9paDGmA

Bringing Your Portraits to Another Level with Grids
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIZMcm6ZRFY


Hope you have lots of fun!
 
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After thought - If you buy lightstands, see if they quote the weight they can take. The first onces I got for small flash are also solid enough to cope with studio flash with softboxes on, so I did not have to buy another lot of stands later. Also ones that are 'damped' in some way are better as there is less risk to your flashes if you or a friend fail to tighten the stands up adequately. Never underestimate how careless others will be if they come into contact with your photo gear.

Yognuo brand is your friend for everything else.

Flashes can be fully manual if you want to save money and skip TTL etc, studio portraits are always done on manual settings.
 
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mike weeks said:
so the simplest thing is to move the flash off of the camera and I favour this as a starting point (other sizes available) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Godox-40x...158974?hash=item2112f7edfe:g:DNEAAOSwo0JWPau-

you will then need a trigger set this is for anon (Nikon available) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...790974?hash=item416f83ec7e:g:dFQAAOxyjLNSP0ih

and a cheap stand http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photograp...900664?hash=item25be9f4bf8:g:iywAAOSwZ8ZW-2zO

Of these the one that I would want a better version of is the light stand - you could always work with a voice activated light stand

Mike
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike, this makes sense and is affordable and would be great starting point.
 
Phil V said:
Pick up the book
A speedlighters handbook by Syl Arena.

Worth every penny.
Click to expand...

Thanks Phil, I will have a look and make a purchase, my knowledge on lighting techniques is very basic so this sounds great.
 
MidnightUK said:
The world of lighting does not start and end with softboxes, you can have a lot of fun without them, until you become sure of what you want to achive from your portraits. .

As you will have realised, we are all going to tell you different things, as each person has a different style and different equipment. There is no definitive way.

My take on this, as you are just starting and on a budget is to get a 2nd flash, a couple of cheapish lightstands and adaptors to attach the flash to them and some radio triggers.
You can at this early stage get away without a softbox - you can add that later when you know more about what you want.

Alternatives to softboxes to get a large soft lightspread - bounce light off a pale wall or door, shoot through a piece of white fabric or a bit of shower cutain, a piece of tracing paper, bounce off a white or silver reflector, use a bit of crumpled and then straightened out kitchen foil to bounce the light from. Use a bit of foam core or a sheet of cardboard painted white or silver or covered in kitchen foil.

Photographers have used scrims and silks for years. Also look into gobos.

People also forget the glories of hard light in portraits. Make a cardboard snoot to put over your flashgun to narrow the beam rather than widen it. Remember that you can also control flash beam width by choosing the angle setting for your flashgun (settings will be equated to lens length on the gun - 34mm, 50mm etc). Look at some of the interesting hard light portraits from film noir style or seach film noir on Google Images
https://uk.pinterest.com/narmstrong711/film-noir/

Placeing objects, bits of card cut into shapes, twigs from the garden, between your subject and the light cast enticing shadows and emphasise different aspects of the face or body.
Look up some of the old black and white hollywood film star images to see how object shadows were used for emphasis.

Check out Robert Harrington on B and H photo youtube channel, he has several videos on using small flash. People sometimes make grids/honeycombs for small flash by cutting bunches of drinking straws down and tying or gluing them together then taping them in front of the flash with gaffer tape or some other means.

The '40s Glamour Portrait (I hate the final post processing, but the lighting is good info)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPBO9paDGmA

Bringing Your Portraits to Another Level with Grids
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIZMcm6ZRFY


Hope you have lots of fun!
Click to expand...

Wow thank you for all this information. I will have a look at the links you have sent me and make some notes and put them into practice.
 
Ellen, it would be really nice to see some of your images when you feel ready to share.

I try to post stuff I wish people had told me.

Its very easy to not know where to start, as there is so much info about - some of it good, some of it rubbish. Its very hard to tell which is which, especially as a lot of people are making a lot of money selling 'teaching' and sponsored equipment as the 'rockstar' photographers do. I found it all very overwhelming and intimidating when I started working with artificial light - but thats perfectly normal and you may be much more confident than I was. I am still feeling my way, still getting my kit together a bit at a time.. As with IT there is always more to learn, more stuff coming out, good ideas from the past forgotten in the move forward. It can be intimidating and to start with its easy to end up mentally running to keep up, while worrying about the big financial investments and wondering if they are the right ones for you or if it will be a horrid mistake, esp if like me you are on a tight budget.,

Learning and creating work arounds, being inventive, is fun.

There are some weird and wonderful work arounds here
http://www.diyphotography.net/category/diy/

I also like the posts of this advertising photographer as he makes quite a bit of own designed kit to get the effects he wants, though he does also try to flog his business program, but I just ignore that bit! He also does big and complex lighting and not many people show you that sort of material - its really interestig to see how bigger shoots are done, much more interesting than the straight portrait model shoots.
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSlantedLens/videos

Jared Platt on the Profoto B and H youtube channel also does some technical shoots worth a look, his background lighting in the boxing ring one and his explanations of why he puts lights there is less complex than Slanted Lens, but still very helpful.


Happy shooting :)
 
1. Something else crossed my mind. If you do some of your portraits in black and white, you can use pretty much any old light source or a mixed batch of lights (worklamps, torches, LEDs, anglepoise), as colour temperature and colour casts will not matter. The only issue will be balancing how high an ISO you want to go to, the amount of light you can get from your lamp assortments or if you want to rely on tripod mounting your camera.

I did a still life a while back (movement not an issue!) using an incandescent table lamp as ambient fill and an IKEA flexible desk LED lamp to do the highlighting of the area I wanted brighter. The reason wedding photographers go to black and white for some shots is not just to disguise the downsides of high ISO, but to even out the many varieties of colour temperatures and casts you can get in a single room.

2. You may also want to experiment with coloured gels over your light source, not to white balance, but to intentionally put in colour highlights. If you are not trying to colour balance then any old bit of plastic or similar that lets light through will do. Keep an eye on stuff though as you need to be aware of stuff overheating or melting if you have a warm light source and the gel too close to it. Dont want the fire brigade out!
 
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