Buying Studio : Help / Advice Please

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andantesash

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Well I have a Canon 350D and I am looking to buying a studio from Jessops or someone a like, I have seen 2 that I quite like the look of, but advice would be really helpful, do you think either of these are good value for money? and which one would you recommend? or are there any others under £300.

1) http://www.jessops.com/Store/s46758/1-132-262-316/Home/Accessories/Studio/Studio-Kits/Portaflash/Digital-Studio-Kit/details.aspx

2) http://www.interfitphotographic.com/Featured Product/Home Studio EX150 flash Jan 07.php


ALSO!! - Will I have to buy anything else for my camera to work the studio etc?

Thanks for any advice
 
Of the 2, the interfit is the much better buy but personally I would avoid both, you can do a lot better for a little more money.

In ascending order of price, you might want to look at
Lencarta, Bowens & Elinchrom. You may need to spend a bit more than £300 but it's a good idea to spend a little more and get a lot more.

Alternatively, it's perfectly OK to spend less and get just one lighting head and a reflector.

As for accessories, the Lencarta includes a range of accessories with their 3 head kit, Bowens & Elinchrom vary their offers but generally include some accessories.

You will need other bits and bobs as you try different things, but a lot of non-photographic items can be used - a bit of enginuity can go long way!
 
I think I am the only one who has purchased one of these but even though I have very limited knowledge it was recommended and to quote Neil Larkman of Blue Ribband Film & Television Productions...

'Used the equipment on location last night and all day yesterday, the day shoot was all day and we took 400 pics in one session, the model was knackered and so was I nine in the morning till six at night, the flash never stuttered, missed or got hot, it just kept on going'

Stable Imaging 3 x 180W Lighting Kit

Great for a full setup on a budget and plenty to play with until you want to spend a fortune on Bowens kit... mmmm one day... and then you have some extra lights for background lighting or portable use.

Mel:love:
 
Good quality lighting from a long established maker, and reasonable prices :)
 
I have the EX150 interfit kit and im no pro but it works fine. Have just bought some catcus triggers for it and they work marvelously.
Easy to use. Only problem is it didnt come with a bag so i have to keep packing it up into a box and its a pain :LOL: other than its a good piece of kit.
 
I've been contemplating the Lencarta kit for a while now.

A little bit more than £300, but it's 3 heads, and you get 2 softboxes (I think) and lots of other accessories too.

Plus, if Mr Edwards recommends them (and he knows his stuff about lighting) then that's good enough for me.

Steve
 
I bought the lencarta kit a while back and used it for a series of graduation photographs:

http://www.westwalesphotography.co.uk/AberystwythGraduation

The kit performed well, the adapter for the wireless trigger is pants, thankfully my ebay trigger worked fine.

A few niggles as its cheap stuff, the modelling-light bulbs stick out a bit too far and can burn gels if you dont trim them back a little, the barn doors are a bit weak but the stands are good, so far the softboxes have held up well.

The optical triggering is fine but beware of too much ambient light which will mess them up. The kit did come with enough spares and cables to manage triggering problems like that.

All in all I'm very pleased with the setup. It also packs down well (I can fit the whole studio in the boot of my wifes micra)
 
mattchewone said:
I have the EX150 interfit kit and im no pro but it works fine. Have just bought some catcus triggers for it and they work marvelously.
Easy to use. Only problem is it didnt come with a bag so i have to keep packing it up into a box and its a pain :LOL: other than its a good piece of kit.
Click to expand...

Have a look at the interfit website or try ebay, you can buy bags for them which are pretty good.
 
Lencarta PF-200Ws Tri-Head Home Studio Kit

3 identical Lencarta PHOTO FLASH 200Ws flash heads

Fitted with 100w Quartz Halogen modelling lamps

3 Air cushioned 90cm-300cm adjustable light stands - These ultra safe, secure stands are the best you'll find

2 70cm x 50cm softboxes with speedrings

105cm (42") silver/gold reflective umbrella

80cm gold/silver double sided reflector

80cm blue/grey background/chromakey, can also be used as a grey card

Radio flash trigger (15m range) for hassle-free, wireless connection

Set of metal barn doors

30º Honeycomb grid (ideal for hair light)

Metal snoot with honeycomb grid

Red, blue, green and yellow coloured gels for colouring the background

2 Nylon softbox bags

3 Mains power leads

Instruction booklet


£380 is this good enough or do i have to spend more :bang:

Regards Mark
 
Mark,

Whether you need to buy more or not depends on your style of photography and the amount of space you have, so there isn't really an answer...

But for now, I feel that there is everything you need - perhaps too much, I strongly recommend the KISS approach (keep it simple stupid) and that you use the minimum possible at first. The reason for this is simple, every time you add a another light or modify it in some way it affects the whole shot, not just the bit you're trying to change.

In time, you might want to add a shoot through umbrella (the umbrella supplied is reflective, ideal for producing a semi soft light and as a hairlight but not capable of producing really soft light) and you might also want to get more lighting gels (very cheap)
 
Reflctors don't cost much and can be used as extra lights - even soften the one you are using by bouncing the light onto the reflector.

Much good portraiture is done using one light and a reflector or two.

If you want to light the background you don't need an expensive studio light to do that - a cheap and cheerful Metz 45 will be plenty powerful enough. Trigger it using a £3 optical slave and plug the wire into the slave - the flash can be totally hidden and provided the slave can pick up the light pulse (even a reflection off the wall or ceiling is enough) the flash will fire - you could even get away with a hotshoe flash mounted onto the slave hotshoe in the same way. A block of wood with a 1/4" bolt through will hold the slave and flash mounted.

Good pictures come from the head, not a bag of goodies.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Mark,

Whether you need to buy more or not depends on your style of photography and the amount of space you have, so there isn't really an answer...

But for now, I feel that there is everything you need - perhaps too much, I strongly recommend the KISS approach (keep it simple stupid) and that you use the minimum possible at first. The reason for this is simple, every time you add a another light or modify it in some way it affects the whole shot, not just the bit you're trying to change.

In time, you might want to add a shoot through umbrella (the umbrella supplied is reflective, ideal for producing a semi soft light and as a hairlight but not capable of producing really soft light) and you might also want to get more lighting gels (very cheap)
Click to expand...

Hi many thanks i am not hijacking this thread but viewing two units today/ 630 odd sq feet and 550 sq feet i am hoping to be using around 260 sq feet for the studio, which will include a stores area, prop area, dressing room etc
and two different shoot areas, reception and other rooms in the other 200+odd sq feet, if all goes well i will start another thread, many thanks

Regards Mark
 
I have an Interfit stellar kit I use for occational familly studio shots. Budget manufacturer, quality is OK for occational use, good value for money.
 
I am interested in purchasing some studio lights to use with the lastolite hilite background. I am new to all this and would welcome any suggestions on the lights to purchase. I visited my local Jessops and the guy there who seemed to know what he was talking about recommended Bowens lights.
These lights are a little out of my budget at present but would wait and save if it is worth it.
 
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