opinions on this beginner studio set?

[HoppyUK]

Being behind the flash tube isn't the issue it is that the inbuilt reflector is shrouding the tube to the sides and thus already modifying the light. As a consequence putting another reflector on the front is just that putting one reflector over another - obviously not a problem with snoots, barndoors and the like.

Paul

To criticise these lights on the integral reflector is rather clutching at straws I think. All lights used with a single-diffuser softbox will have a hot-spot. Uusally not a problem really, but a double-diffuser fixes it.

That S-fit adapter opens things up a bit

 

[Garry Edwards]

To criticise these lights on the integral reflector is rather clutching at straws I think. All lights used with a single-diffuser softbox will have a hot-spot. Uusally not a problem really, but a double-diffuser fixes it.

That S-fit adapter opens things up a bit

I wouldn't say it fixes it, but fitting a bit of frosted gel to the front of the light does help - just as putting a stofen onto the front of a hotshoe flash when used with a softbox helps.

 

[paul williams]

To criticise these lights on the integral reflector is rather clutching at straws I think. All lights used with a single-diffuser softbox will have a hot-spot. Uusally not a problem really, but a double-diffuser fixes it.

That S-fit adapter opens things up a bit

No criticism from me, "they are what they are" end of story.

Last evening was spent in a studio with Elinchrom Style lights which are OK, but wouldn't be my top choice, but neither would be Bowens, Lencarta....but you use what is available and work around their limitations

Paul

 

[Simon photo]

yeah the softboxes i have use an internal diffuser and i sometimes use a white frosty gel but that all depends, well ive just spent the last two hours arranging my next still life!!! so enough talking.....lets get them crap lights out and bang away

 

[Steve T]

Crap lights, do they come with poop snoots...

Special lights for excrement... whatever next

Must be a pun about being a shi£ photographer there somewhere...

 

[Alan_T]

Just so you know, i ended up going for this kit, will hopefully do the job nicely!

http://www.lencarta.com/lighting-st...ads-1/twin-head-mains-powered-starter-kit-502

Thanks for all the input everyone

Alan

 

[Blasted]

After all that has been said in this thread it would be nice to get some feedack on the kit you chose.

 

[Alan_T]

yeah i will do, and in this thread so its all in one place.

I'm not sure how good it will be though as this is my first go as studio flash work!

 

[Garry Edwards]

yeah i will do, and in this thread so its all in one place.

I'm not sure how good it will be though as this is my first go as studio flash work!

Well, you know who to phone if you need any advice...

And BTW, you bought the last of the SmartFlash stock New stock is landing tomorrow though, it won't take long to clear customs and get delivered to the warehouse.

 

[wblati]

what kit would people recommend for a beginner on a small budget?

 

[Alan_T]

Yes Gary, i called this morning to check a couple of things, and the nice chap i spoke to explained a couple of things and told me there was only two heads left, so i got straight off the phone and ordered them!

 

[Michael Sewell]

Yes Gary, i called this morning to check a couple of things, and the nice chap i spoke to explained a couple of things and told me there was only two heads left, so i got straight off the phone and ordered them!

That nice chap would have been [user]Garry Edwards[/user]

 

[Alan_T]

Lol i didn't realise it was him on the phone! thought i't would have just been someone to do with sales etc! haha!

sorry Garry!

 

[Michael Sewell]

Lol i didn't realise it was him on the phone! thought i't would have just been someone to do with sales etc! haha!

sorry Garry!

Nope, with Lencarta, you speak to experienced photographers rather than sales people. It helps when you have something more substantial to ask rather than "How much?"

 

[Garry Edwards]

That nice chap would have been Garry Edwards

No, that wasn't a nice chap, it was Garry Edwards.
And the other advantage is that if you ask stupid questions you get to learn a few more swearwords too

 

[Alan_T]

Well thanks again then Garry for the quick chat and the explanation on the differences between shoot through and reflective umbrella's.

Alan

 

[cameradaft]

Well thanks again then Garry for the quick chat and the explanation on the differences between shoot through and reflective umbrella's.

Alan

Hi Alan would you give us a brief summary re the differences between shoot through etc, cheers

Or if Gary wants to for that matter.

Gary, totally getting converted to lencarta will be moving from a n other flash to lencarta shortly, looks great kit and I like the way you really give honest comments despite a few on here being on a wind up. Really finding your stuff use full, cheers

 

[XD2]

Yes Gary, i called this morning to check a couple of things, and the nice chap i spoke to explained a couple of things and told me there was only two heads left, so i got straight off the phone and ordered them!

That explains why they were not in stock when I checked today would be interested in your thoughts on them too, I am torn between these and the 300's

 

[Michael Sewell]

There's an evaluation of the SmartFlash kit here, on the Lencarta blog

 

[Garry Edwards]

Hi Alan would you give us a brief summary re the differences between shoot through etc, cheers

Or if Gary wants to for that matter.

Gary, totally getting converted to lencarta will be moving from a n other flash to lencarta shortly, looks great kit and I like the way you really give honest comments despite a few on here being on a wind up. Really finding your stuff use full, cheers

Shoot through - the flash is fired through the umbrella onto the subject. Because of this the umbrella can be placed as close as you wish to the subject, which makes the light source effectively large, and so can produce very soft light if required. Problem is, about 60% of the light goes through the umbrella but the remaining 40% or so bounces off of it, this goes everywhere and basically destroys lighting control. It can also contribute to lens flare. The big advantage of a shoot through is when used behind the camera, as a fill light.

Reflective - the light bounces off of the umbrella. The flash head is between the umbrella and the subject and this prevents the light source from being placed close to the subject, which means that it is effectively smaller and so can't produce very soft lighting.The advantage is that the light is much more controlled than the light from a shoot through umbrella.

A lot of people use softboxes. Softboxes combine the qualities of both types of umbrella, but are more expensive and more bulky.

BTW, it's Garry not Gary

 

[cameradaft]

Shoot through - the flash is fired through the umbrella onto the subject. Because of this the umbrella can be placed as close as you wish to the subject, which makes the light source effectively large, and so can produce very soft light if required. Problem is, about 60% of the light goes through the umbrella but the remaining 40% or so bounces off of it, this goes everywhere and basically destroys lighting control. It can also contribute to lens flare. The big advantage of a shoot through is when used behind the camera, as a fill light.

Reflective - the light bounces off of the umbrella. The flash head is between the umbrella and the subject and this prevents the light source from being placed close to the subject, which means that it is effectively smaller and so can't produce very soft lighting.The advantage is that the light is much more controlled than the light from a shoot through umbrella.

A lot of people use softboxes. Softboxes combine the qualities of both types of umbrella, but are more expensive and more bulky.

BTW, it's Garry not Gary

Hi Garry, my Scottish predictive text didn't like your other spelling if your name

Thanks for the advice cheers

 

[Garry Edwards]

Hi Garry, my Scottish predictive text didn't like your other spelling if your name

Thanks for the advice cheers

Why am I not surprised? The Scots never did like the Welsh

 

[cameradaft]

Why am I not surprised? The Scots never did like the Welsh

Lol.
On a serious note, I'm going to be purchasing a few heads this week I could do with a chat with someone from lcarta, who's the best person to talk too?
Cheers Garry

 

[cameradaft]

Lol.
On a serious note, I'm going to be purchasing a few heads this week I could do with a chat with someone from lcarta, who's the best person to talk too?
Cheers Garry

Erm by the way the Scots love the welsh n Irish

 

[Michael Sewell]

Erm by the way the Scots love the welsh n Irish

Aye, it's just us they can't stand

If you phone Lencarta, you'll be talking to [user]Garry Edwards[/user], so it's a good job you declared your love for the Welsh

 

[cameradaft]

Aye, it's just us they can't stand

If you phone Lencarta, you'll be talking to [user]Garry Edwards[/user], so it's a good job you declared your love for the Welsh

Lol Michael, I never said that was my opinion, more a global opinion lol, I spent 10 years in England and had a great time. Thanks for replying

 

[Michael Sewell]

Lol Michael, I never said that was my opinion, more a global opinion lol, I spent 10 years in England and had a great time. Thanks for replying

To be honest, if my tongue were any further into my cheek, I'd have bitten the damned thing off!

 

[Simon photo]

Don't take this the wrong way but why does this section seem to be a bit of an advertisement for lencarter? Obviously, some members are biased for obvious reasons and that's fine, this day and age we have to hold our own corners but can anyone else see this or is it just me?

 

[Michael Sewell]

It may well have something to do with the fact that Lencarta are one of the few companies that pay to legitimately advertise on the forum. They are the only lighting company that pays to legitimately advertise on the forum.
Advertisers tend to select specific forums to sponsor, and Lencarta chose the lighting and studio forum.
[user]Garry Edwards[/user] gives a lot of his time over to supporting Lencarta on this forum, and doesn't only give advice on Lencarta products. He has also recommended other manufacturers equipment when that would be better suited.

 

[Simon photo]

Totally fair and valid! Adds some transparency to it all now thanks. But without that insight, on the surface, it did seem a little like product placement.
It is quite a clever marketing tool though hats off to that

 

[Garry Edwards]

Don't take this the wrong way but why does this section seem to be a bit of an advertisement for lencarter? Obviously, some members are biased for obvious reasons and that's fine, this day and age we have to hold our own corners but can anyone else see this or is it just me?

To add to Michael's reply...

Both Lencarta and I are advertisers on this forum. Lencarta has its own username and the MD posts with it from time to time. Most 'Lencarta' posts are from me, and I am promoting my Photolearn tutorials and videos in my signature which, at the request of the admins, also points out that I'm involved with Lencarta.

The 'Advertiser' status provides a clickable advert, at the top of the forum and also allows a signature that links to the website - nothing more.

Various other people have affiliations to Lencarta - Jonathan Ryan, Michael Sewell and Jeremy Nako all post on this forum and will be working on the Lencarta stand at Focus 4th- 7th March, and Jonathan also hosts lighting workshops for Lencarta. Obviously they are paid for their work. None of them are employed by Lencarta or paid to promote Lencarta. Jonathan has links with other lighting Companies too, which he is completely open about, and that's fine. I'm not employed by Lencarta either, although I am paid. They are clients, albeit major ones.

I believe that the reason that so many people on here recommend Lencarta is that they are happy customers - nothing more.

The admins have made it clear that Lencarta doesn't have any exclusivity - if other lighting Companies want to be advertisers then they are welcome to apply, but AFAIK (and I could be wrong) none have. Instead, there are occasional spam posts by people who presumably want to promote their own brand but who aren't prepared to pay to be an advertiser (I know of 4 yesterday) but they are pretty easy to spot and don't usually last long.

 

[jonesy_ni]

Don't take this the wrong way but why does this section seem to be a bit of an advertisement for lencarter? Obviously, some members are biased for obvious reasons and that's fine, this day and age we have to hold our own corners but can anyone else see this or is it just me?

Totally fair and valid! Adds some transparency to it all now thanks. But without that insight, on the surface, it did seem a little like product placement.
It is quite a clever marketing tool though hats off to that

It does seem to come across that way to some people and comes up from time to time. First time it came up for me was after I had bought some lights off ebay along with a friend, someone had put a post up looking to buy some lights within a certain budget and after my friend had recommended the ones we bought the lights got ripped to shreds for no real proper reason. Although that was over 2 years ago, the seller we bought from still seems to be going strong and so are our lights. It had put me off using this section of the forum though as personally it comes across to me as it does to you and I am sure to others.

Saying that, I think Lencarta is a great product if it is within someones budget and I also think the forum is lucky to have the knowledge and input from Garry. If you buy Lencarta you will have a good set-up and also someone who knows what they are talking about at the end of a phone. I would buy Lencarta products but feel that sometimes people get a bit of a nudge.

 

[Simon photo]

Yeah Im totally cool with the whole thing and as mentioned some of us with a lesser knowledge but expanding skillset regarding studio lighting are lucky to have experts in the field on hand, how could that happen before the internet!?
But i do see some snobbery and the lesser brands or cheaper model lights get a bit pulled apart, i don't really care, like i said before, i don't make a living from them, its only a hobby and they are at least 100% better than no lights at all!
I think its the "fleabay" comments and the whole "limited with the cheaper lights" thing that may put the keen amateur on a tight budget off buying such equipment.

 

[Garry Edwards]

I think its the "fleabay" comments and the whole "limited with the cheaper lights" thing that may put the keen amateur on a tight budget off buying such equipment.

I accept that. Personally I tend to say 'fleabay' partly because the place is a dumping ground for rubbish of all kinds (not just lighting) and partly because I hate those green links that we get whenever we write Ebay on a forum post. The simple fact of the matter is that cheap lights are limited, and can make the learning process more difficult for people, which isn't good as they are marketed at beginners who really don't need things to be any more difficult than they need to be.

Tell you what though, if you look back through my posts you'll find plenty of answers to people with cheap lights who have asked 'how to' questions - the answers are there for everyone, regardless of the make or quality of the lights.

 

[Simon photo]

Spoken like a true gentleman.

 

[cameradaft]

plus one

 

[cameradaft]

Garry,
As I said in a previous post I am nearly at the point where I am going to purchase a new head kit.
I have a few questions for you regards smartflash 200:
I am not in a position to purchased a 4 head set, just 2 for now, as you prob know as you commented on a post I made a few months ago I have a interfit ex150mk11 kit.
My thinking is this, if i but a 2 head sflash 200 kit, would this work along side my ex150kit, I want to demote the ex150 kit to just background reflect onto the beackground and my new smartflash heads for the subjects.... would i have any problems with this?
I at the moment have a wireless trigger kit 4 triggers with 1 hotshoe tx, would I have any issues triggering 2 different sets of flash heads?

My dream would be 2 have a 4 head lencarta kit, with 2 heads dedicated to lighting my white background with background relectors fitted, but for now, babay steps are required.

I would be gratefull for your input on this considered purchase

cheers
Kenny

 

[vaizki]

Shouldn't be any issues in mixing flash heads as long as the color temperature is the same. And if it's consistently off, you can gel the bg lights probably...

 

[Garry Edwards]

As above. I think that the main problem will be variable power output rather than wildly variable colour output, but it's unlikely to be a real problem if the variations are just on the background.