Suggest Compact Lighting Ideas

gothgirl

gothgirl

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I have some interfit continuous lights that were kindly given to me ... I love shooting with lights , so much better than flash
But they're so big it's becoming a problem
ImageUploadedByTalk Photography Forums1449193084.386731.jpg

But .... I have a very small house and the only space I have to store these big lights is an under the stairs cupboard , in my utility room

Which means I have to pull loads of stuff out to get to them , and drag them all through the house to use them , which means I'm using them less than I'd like .
they're also not the easiest things to transport

Can anyone suggest some reliable yet more compact lighting systems that won't break the bank, for some basic indoor shooting ?

Mainly for indoor shots of dogs and other small animals in a light tent or against a backdrop
 
gothgirl said:
I have some interfit continuous lights that were kindly given to me ... I love shooting with lights , so much better than flash
But they're so big it's becoming a problem
View attachment 51772

But .... I have a very small house and the only space I have to store these big lights is an under the stairs cupboard , in my utility room

Which means I have to pull loads of stuff out to get to them , and drag them all through the house to use them , which means I'm using them less than I'd like .
they're also not the easiest things to transport

Can anyone suggest some reliable yet more compact lighting systems that won't break the bank, for some basic indoor shooting ?

Mainly for indoor shots of dogs and other small animals in a light tent or against a backdrop
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, lights aren't really big.
It's softboxes, stands and all the other paraphernalia that creates the hassle. Speedlights are about the smallest light source, but once we've added modifiers, triggers and stands, it's still not a 'compact' solution.
 
Phil V said:
Unfortunately, lights aren't really big.
It's softboxes, stands and all the other paraphernalia that creates the hassle. Speedlights are about the smallest light source, but once we've added modifiers, triggers and stands, it's still not a 'compact' solution.
Click to expand...

So taking out the stands and other paraphernalia (as I usually use umbrellas a and tripods)

There are no lights smaller than mine ?
 
You could get hotshoe flashguns, which are a much better choice anyway, and which are smaller than your existing lights. But, as Phil said, you need to modify the light to get decent results, and the modifiers are much larger than the lights. But, if your idea of lighting is to stick things in a light tent then you can manage without modifiers, as the light tent is acting as a modifier.
 
OCF or something like Elinchrom D lites are fairly compact and work well in a confined space
 
gothgirl said:
So taking out the stands and other paraphernalia (as I usually use umbrellas a and tripods)

There are no lights smaller than mine ?
Click to expand...

That old Interfit head is pretty small already, half the size is taken up by the bulb. There are of course options like speedlights which are the smallest, a D-lite RX One which is a baby flash head but still pretty nice, most continuous heads are going to be a similar kind of size though and the only thing I can think of that's noticeable smaller would be LED but I doubt you'll find something competent cheap.
 
gothgirl said:
So taking out the stands and other paraphernalia (as I usually use umbrellas a and tripods)

There are no lights smaller than mine ?
Click to expand...
As above really, speedlights are smaller, but once you've attached a bracket and a trigger - not a great deal. The tripods and umbrellas are still taking up a significant amount of space in comparison.

There are some small LED units (a post earlier in the week) but the price was eye watering IMHO compared to small flashes.
 
Speedyflash said:
Are you seeking advice for a system that is compact to store away or one that is compact in use?
Click to expand...

Store away

Don't mind it taking space once it's up

It's the storing it and getting it in and out that's the hassle
 
gothgirl said:
Store away

Don't mind it taking space once it's up

It's the storing it and getting it in and out that's the hassle
Click to expand...
If you're using brollies or easy up softboxes, you've got it about as easy as it gets I'm afraid.

It's why I don't 'play' more often :(
 
You could bounce your lights off of the walls and ceilings, perhaps.
 
why not one or more of these, small easy to carry and provide a good light. free mount or on a camera as in photo. Cost around £25

 
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If you want really compact lights but with the advantages of studio lights then bare bulb speedlites are worth looking at, in fact you can mix and match and use regular speedlites as background & side fill with a bare bulb unit for the main light, this is what I've decided to do myself.

I went for the Godox Witstro AD 180 bare bulb unit for the main light and two Godox V850's for background and side fill/hair light, all have their own dedicated wireless trigger system that also allows you to remotely adjust the power, the other bonus is they all use lithium batteries that are good for 650 pops between charges and of course you could fit the whole lot in a small camera bag/case, just add stands, soft box and maybe a strobo grid for the side light and your sorted.
The AD 180 has a guide no of 60, the V850's a guide no of 58 but they also do the more powerful AD 360 bare bulb flash which has a guide no of 80.
Ok the recycle times won't be as fast as studio lights but its still respectable and the 180watts or 360 watts depending on which you choose is really quite impressive for something the size of a speedlite.

Witstro 180 inc triggers £199
V850 inc triggers £ 99

£397 for a 3 light rig is pretty good, oh and the seller is top notch, fast delivery and excellent customer service.
 
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