Bowens triggers accessory help please?

David Jones

David Jones

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Dave
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Hi everyone,

I have purchased 3 very cheap Bowens 750 lights in great condition apart from 1 circular bulb broken on delivery which the seller (not on here AFAIK) is replacing.

The deal was just for the lights, so i now need some advice as to triggers, stands etc to be able to set up a small studio.

Any help gratefully received.
Best
Dave
 
I'm guessing that they're pretty old. It's possible that they may have the "old" standard jack socket of 6mm rather than the later one of 3.5mm, so in order to answer your question, do you have a link to your lights?
 
If they are anything like the GM400's I had, I used an in-line power supply receiver with very cheap transmitters. Worked a treat.

Something like this: Amazon link

If you're not an Amazon fan, then a search for "in-line power supply receiver" will get you close. The power cable to the light plugs into the receiver and the receiver has a power cable to go into the light. Set the transmitter to the same channel and you're away..

Downside is that the transmitters are really cheap and low quality and you can't replace the battery. I'm sure Garry will be able to offer you better quality advice once you let him know what you've got (and any budget you have in mind!!)

If they are GM750s then I wouldn't put them on cheap stands. It's like someone putting a £1k DSLR on a £20 tripod. Once you add a modifier, the weight and balance builds up, so getting something a bit sturdier (second hand is good) is a sound investment.
 
David Jones said:
yes, they are the wider phono type sized sockets.
Click to expand...
OK. The triggers linked by @Harlequin565 will do the job but, as he says. they are poor. These should be a lot better https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/33482778...UNGRmj0tFuuGrwhuOpqokxQkLE|tkp:Bk9SR7bBmaOgYg but they don't seem to have the old 6mm jack plug fitting and you may need to buy an adapter. But there should be plenty of listings for these triggers and some are likely to have the correct fitting.

Flashes on their own aren't enough, you'll need modifiers such as softboxes at least. Cheap ones are a waste of money, see this article https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/tutorials/which-is-the-right-softbox-for-you.154/ The fitting you need is S-fit, which is the most common.

And you'll need decent stands for any flashes, Bowens ones in particular are heavy, see this article https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/tutorials/which-lighting-stand.155/
 
thanks mate,
I'll get some Bowens stands and some soft box4s.
I already have some of varying sizes but not great ones.
Best
Dave
 
Harlequin565 said:
If they are anything like the GM400's I had, I used an in-line power supply receiver with very cheap transmitters. Worked a treat.

Something like this: Amazon link

If you're not an Amazon fan, then a search for "in-line power supply receiver" will get you close. The power cable to the light plugs into the receiver and the receiver has a power cable to go into the light. Set the transmitter to the same channel and you're away..

Downside is that the transmitters are really cheap and low quality and you can't replace the battery. I'm sure Garry will be able to offer you better quality advice once you let him know what you've got (and any budget you have in mind!!)

If they are GM750s then I wouldn't put them on cheap stands. It's like someone putting a £1k DSLR on a £20 tripod. Once you add a modifier, the weight and balance builds up, so getting something a bit sturdier (second hand is good) is a sound investment.
Click to expand...
Yep these are bulletproof and ideal for older studio heads. They usually come with the larger jack plug, and a step-down adapter. You can absolutely replace the battery in the transmitter - it's a 12v MN21 (or 23A is another name for the same battery)
 
I meant to add, but forgot, that ideally you should have a receiver for each flash head.
You can manage with just the one, with the other flash heads set to slave mode, but there are conditions in which slave mode can be unreliable.
 
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