Continuous Lighting

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I am starting to get into Portraits now and wish to move away from the twin flash kit with radio Triggers/Receivers I presently use, did think about moving on to a continuous lighting kit with Softboxes & brollies etc - although my budget will be around the £250 -£300 mark

Not really sure which one and I am open to suggestions for more knowledgeable photographer, also do I shoot Tungsten or Fluorescent, are there any benefits from either?

The thought of continuous light appeals as what you see is what you get lol


Thanks in advance


Les ;)
 
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•

Continuous lighting has advantages and drawbacks like
anything else in photography.

New LED heads would be a great idea as they are small,
stay cool, last very long and, sometimes, colour corrected.
 
simonbarker said:
How affordable is a halfway decent LED kit?
Click to expand...

This, Simon, I got no idea as I work with flash.

I am sure a quick quest by a dealer would inform you
or some members will ring a bell.

I know they exist and tried some… not all worth it but
some units are darn clever. This is the new way in con-
tenuous lighting!
 
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Lez325 said:
I am starting to get into Portraits now and wish to move away from the twin flash kit with radio Triggers/Receivers I presently use, did think about moving on to a continuous lighting kit with Softboxes & brollies etc - although my budget will be around the £250 -£300 mark

Not really sure which one and I am open to suggestions for more knowledgeable photographer, also do I shoot Tungsten or Fluorescent, are there any benefits from either?

The thought of continuous light appeals as what you see is what you get lol


Thanks in advance


Les ;)
Click to expand...

Have you been using speedlight flashguns? Studio heads have bright modelling lamps so you can see what you're getting, and are within budget. Check out the Lencarta Smartflash-2.

Strongly advise against continuous lights. Anything affordable will be of marginal brightness and cumbersome. Forget tungsten - they're not very bright either and get incredibly hot.

Scroll down this forum for numerous relevant threads, though you'll end up with the same answer ;)
 
HoppyUK said:
Have you been using speedlight flashguns? Studio heads have bright modelling lamps so you can see what you're getting, and are within budget. Check out the Lencarta Smartflash-2.

Strongly advise against continuous lights. Anything affordable will be of marginal brightness and cumbersome. Forget tungsten - they're not very bright either and get incredibly hot.

Scroll down this forum for numerous relevant threads, though you'll end up with the same answer ;)
Click to expand...
This^

Continuous lighting is rubbish for your budget, whereas you can afford a decent studio flash kit.
 
I tried a mates expensive Aputure light panels a couple of weeks ago and will not be investing myself, even though they are supposed to be light balanced they are not, as above stick with flash.
 
I keep banging on about them but I think they're a bargain.

A set of Lencarta Smartflash 2's will sort you out.

£320 for a set of 2 with a brolly, softbox 2 x lighting stands and radio triggers.

You really can't go wrong and the quality is superb.

Plus a 3 year UK warranty.

(No I don't work for them, I own this kit and it's great)


Terry.
 
GreenNinja67 said:
I keep banging on about them but I think they're a bargain.

A set of Lencarta Smartflash 2's will sort you out.

£320 for a set of 2 with a brolly, softbox 2 x lighting stands and radio triggers.

You really can't go wrong and the quality is superb.

Plus a 3 year UK warranty.

(No I don't work for them, I own this kit and it's great)


Terry.
Click to expand...

^This
 
Phil V said:
This^

Continuous lighting is rubbish for your budget, whereas you can afford a decent studio flash kit.
Click to expand...

GreenNinja67 said:
I keep banging on about them but I think they're a bargain.

A set of Lencarta Smartflash 2's will sort you out.

£320 for a set of 2 with a brolly, softbox 2 x lighting stands and radio triggers.

You really can't go wrong and the quality is superb.

Plus a 3 year UK warranty.

(No I don't work for them, I own this kit and it's great)


Terry.
Click to expand...

Thank you gents-will look into that- anyone have a link???

I have 2 x speedlights & triggers etc Oh and a brolly or 3 - batteries don't seem to last long enough

hence my change of system

can't wait to get into it

Les
 
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Garry Edwards said:
Yes, now upgraded to the SmartFlash 3, but at almost the same price as the SmartFlash 2 - I photographed it for them a couple of weeks ago, it seems to be an impressive unit.
Click to expand...
I've ordered 2 heads which should be here on Monday.

I've watched a few of your videos too, very useful.
 
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rick448 said:
I think this is the sort of kit mentioned.

https://www.lencarta.com/smartflash-3-softbox-umbrella-lighting-kit-600w
Click to expand...

Garry Edwards said:
Yes, now upgraded to the SmartFlash 3, but at almost the same price as the SmartFlash 2 - I photographed it for them a couple of weeks ago, it seems to be an impressive unit.
Click to expand...

That's the sort of thing and around the right price range for my budget. Just a newbie question. Are the heads powered all the time .ie plugged in. Or are they charged like a speedlight?

Thanks guys

Les
 
Lez325 said:
That's the sort of thing and around the right price range for my budget. Just a newbie question. Are the heads powered all the time .ie plugged in. Or are they charged like a speedlight?

Thanks guys

Les
Click to expand...
When both plugged in and switched on, they recharge just like a speedlight, but with two important differences.
1. They recharge much more quickly
2. They have a modelling lamp, which is fully adjustable for power and which can be switched off if not required.
 
Garry Edwards said:
When both plugged in and switched on, they recharge just like a speedlight, but with two important differences.
1. They recharge much more quickly
2. They have a modelling lamp, which is fully adjustable for power and which can be switched off if not required.
Click to expand...

Thank you Gary, do they have a trigger that will fit a Sony a77 Mk2- (I have 2 of them), also which would you say is better for a smaller studio, the smart flash 3 soft box and Umbrella kit or smart flash 3 dual soft box kit?

Not much difference in price I see looking at the web site

Les
 
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Lez325 said:
Thank you Gary, do they have a trigger that will fit a Sony a77 Mk2- (I have 2 of them), also which would you say is better for a smaller studio, the smart flash 3 soft box and Umbrella kit or smart flash 3 dual soft box kit?

Not much difference in price I see looking at the web site

Les
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If you buy a kit then it comes with a trigger kit, which also provides full remote control.
 
Lez325 said:
Thanks Gary- I sort of got that, my question was does the trigger kit fit a Sony a77Mk2 ?

Les
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Lez if the Sony has a standard shaped hot shoe then yes it will fit - the lencarta triggers only need the "firing" pin to line up - I think that is the pin in the middle of the shoe but am not not 100% sure.
 
PaulButler said:
Meant to add ... if you are near to north devon you can try mine ....
Click to expand...

Thank Paul, you - I'm based just outside Taunton

here's a quick snap ( iPhone) of my a77 Mk2 hot shoe

would you recommend soft box kit over Brolly kit???

AQjKErG.jpg


Lesc
 
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The pin on the lencarta tx (the bit that fits on the camera) is 8mm from the front of the shoe. Looking at your hot shoe it looks fine, but may be worth a quick measure ... it is the centre bit that is important (basically it makes/breaks a circuit to tell it to trigger).

Taunton is about an hour and quarter away from me (Bidefrord).
 
PaulButler said:
The pin on the lencarta tx (the bit that fits on the camera) is 8mm from the front of the shoe. Looking at your hot shoe it looks fine, but may be worth a quick measure ... it is the centre bit that is important (basically it makes/breaks a circuit to tell it to trigger).

Taunton is about an hour and quarter away from me (Bidefrord).
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure he'll need a hot shoe adapter, perhaps something like this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Converts-hotshoe-industry-standard/dp/B00B00AVAS
 
Les - the Sony shoe on the A77 II is similar to a 'standard' shoe, but has a set of tiny extra pins at the front (hidden in the picture) - it's called the 'MIS shoe'.

A Canon / Nikon style standard trigger should work fine, but just take a little care when first fitting it to make sure (as already mentioned) the centre pin on the shoe lines up - sometimes you can push the trigger in further than on a Canon / Nikon (the front of the foot goes over the extra pins) and you'll end up with intermittent firing.
 
PaulButler said:
The pin on the lencarta tx (the bit that fits on the camera) is 8mm from the front of the shoe. Looking at your hot shoe it looks fine, but may be worth a quick measure ... it is the centre bit that is important (basically it makes/breaks a circuit to tell it to trigger).

Taunton is about an hour and quarter away from me (Bidefrord).
Click to expand...

Thanks again Paul - had a quick measure- the centre of the hot shoe pin is exactly 8mm :banana:

So just need to decide on a 2 x Brolly kit @ £319 or a 2x Softbox kit @ £349- I have 2 x speedlights ( Nissin ) and the radio trigger and receivers, I'm assuming the studio kit will work the same
with the option of adjusting the power out put from the trigger?
 
anyone have any thoughts on thew difference between the Brolly kit and the softbox kit>>>>?
 
I'd get the kit with 1 brolley and 1 softbox - that was the advice @Garry Edwards gave me (but I already had a brolley so got 1 softbox and 1 strip soft box).

The remote control aspect is brilliant, assuming you don't need the adapter - and looking at the comments on the amazon link you may not need it - you just plug the tx part in the hot shoe, the rx parts fit the lights and you control just about everything from the tx part. It is very obvious and easy - so much so I can do it :) The only thing you cannot control is the modelling lamp power, you can switch it on and off but have to set the power on the head itself (no big deal tbh).
 
Lez325 said:
anyone have any thoughts on thew difference between the Brolly kit and the softbox kit>>>>?
Click to expand...

From previous advice I've seen here, Lencarta are happy to switch bits in and out of the sets for you, so you can get a 2 head kit with 1 brolly & 1 soft-box if you want.
If you're going to pack the kit up regularly (rather than leaving it all out assembled most of hte time), it is also worth looking at upgrading to a profold soft-box (again you can do this as part of the kit), as these are much easier to assemble / disasemble.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will also step in to confirm what the best options for you are :)
 
Lez325 said:
Thanks Gary- I sort of got that, my question was does the trigger kit fit a Sony a77Mk2 ?

Les
Click to expand...
According to DP Review it has a standard ISO hotshoe, so no problems.
Sony seem finally to have ditched their own proprietory hotshoe, which wasn't compatible with anything.
Lez325 said:
Thank all- I have decided on this kit

https://www.lencarta.com/smartflash-3-softbox-umbrella-lighting-kit-600w

Les
Click to expand...
Good choice, it's always better to get a mix of umbrella/softbox, it increases the versatility. My tip would be to get both silver and white reflective umbrellas, to increase the versatility even more - the extra one will only cost you about £15
 
Garry Edwards said:
Sony seem finally to have ditched their own proprietary hotshoe, which wasn't compatible with anything.
Click to expand...

Being Sony, they couldn't quite go for the 'standard'.

The Sony MIS shoe has the regular centre pin, etc, so works with 90% of 'dumb' triggers, but they also added a row of pins along the front edge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi_Interface_Shoe

The inside needs to go deeper forward to accommodate this - and some triggers can end up sliding over the tops of these little pins, and as a result end up with only partial contact on the central pin.

Still, it's a lot closer to standard than the old iISO!
 
Garry Edwards said:
According to DP Review it has a standard ISO hotshoe, so no problems.
Sony seem finally to have ditched their own proprietory hotshoe, which wasn't compatible with anything.

Good choice, it's always better to get a mix of umbrella/softbox, it increases the versatility. My tip would be to get both silver and white reflective umbrellas, to increase the versatility even more - the extra one will only cost you about £15
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help Gary- appreciated

Les ;)
 
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