Which system

C

Charles B

Messages
52
Name
Charles
Edit My Images
Yes
I am planning to take portraits of individual members of my family. These will be informal and having them set in a context of being amongst or doing something that reflects their interests/hobbies/lifestyle. I was inspired by seeing an exhibition in Bradford Cathedral a couple of years ago by Kate Abbey showing people of various faiths in their domestic environments.
I have a Nikon Z6ii and a few lenses but it’s the lighting I don’t have and may need for some of the situations, hoping mainly to use natural light whenever possible. Any guidance on which lighting set up to use would be gratefully received. Ideally, I wouldn’t want to spend more than £250.
 
I'd go for this.

I have the 200 w/s versions which are ample for my needs.

You won't get a decent twin light kit for £250 unless you go for 2nd hand.

www.lencarta.com

Lencarta Smartflash 4 Studio Flash Head, Umbrella and Softbox Twin Lighting Kit | 600w | Studio Flash Lighting Kit

<div class="DescCol"> <h3>An Overview</h3> <p>Created as an adaptable kit suitable for a large variety of photographic industries, the <strong>SmartFlash 4 Studio Flash Head, Umbrella and Softbox Twin Lighting Kit</strong> from <strong>Lencarta</strong> is the perfect fit. The kit includes a...
www.lencarta.com www.lencarta.com
 
If you’re in Bradford, you can maybe arrange to go to Lencarta to choose some kit.
I’d generally recommend upgrading from the cheap softbox to a brolly type, particularly for only occasional use.

Or for real versatility one of their collapsible ‘beauty dish’s
 
This would be a good basic kit:

1 x 300Ws Godox mains flash with a built in receiver from Pixapro or Lencarta. Make sure it goes to a low enough power level for your use; some of the cheaper 600Ws models can be too bright at minimum power
1 x folding softbox, something like 120x90cm, with a honeycomb grid. The new Pixapro FlatPak range are ideal for occasional use.
1 x transmitter, something like the XT3-N
2 x decent air-damped stands which aren't too tall for your space. DO NOT SCRIMP ON STANDS. IME Pixapro's are far better made than Lencarta's but Lencarta's may have improved since I last bought one from them.
1 x sandbag
1 x 180x120cm 5-in-1 pop up reflector/diffuser/flag
1 x metal A clamp to attach the large reflector to a stand
1 x 60cm 5-in-1 pop up reflector
 
Juggler,
Many thanks for your suggestions - that all looks fantastic but somewhat beyond my budget, I'm afraid.
 
I'm using the 400w version of this..
(Started out almost as juggler listed above - Simon also made a good point about power range for intended use)

www.essentialphoto.co.uk

Godox SK300II-V 300Ws Studio Strobe Light Anti-Preflash

Godox SK300II-V is ideal for entry-level home studio use with a fast recycling time & 5-stop power range. UK Warranty | Trusted Shop Guarantee | 28-Day Return Policy | UK Stock | Expert service & advice | Next-day delivery
www.essentialphoto.co.uk www.essentialphoto.co.uk
 
Last edited:
juggler said:
This would be a good basic kit:

1 x 300Ws Godox mains flash with a built in receiver from Pixapro or Lencarta. Make sure it goes to a low enough power level for your use; some of the cheaper 600Ws models can be too bright at minimum power
1 x folding softbox, something like 120x90cm, with a honeycomb grid. The new Pixapro FlatPak range are ideal for occasional use.
1 x transmitter, something like the XT3-N
2 x decent air-damped stands which aren't too tall for your space. DO NOT SCRIMP ON STANDS. IME Pixapro's are far better made than Lencarta's but Lencarta's may have improved since I last bought one from them.
1 x sandbag
1 x 180x120cm 5-in-1 pop up reflector/diffuser/flag
1 x metal A clamp to attach the large reflector to a stand
1 x 60cm 5-in-1 pop up reflector
Click to expand...
I agree, but you can start with much less . . .

A single SmartFlash flash head, a folding softbox (or folding beauty dish), radio trigger and some kind of reflector will be fine, you can always add to it later, the big advantage of Godox products is that everything works together.

As for the comment about the air damped stand, like everyone else, Lencarta offers different products for different needs and for different budgets, but this one https://www.lencarta.com/lencarta-light-stand-265cm-pneumatic-air-damped is unique to Lencarta, it's been around since I designed it in 2011 and it hasn't been updated because, IMO, it's perfect.

More about stands here https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/tutorials/which-lighting-stand.155/
 
Garry Edwards said:
As for the comment about the air damped stand, like everyone else, Lencarta offers different products for different needs and for different budgets, but this one https://www.lencarta.com/lencarta-light-stand-265cm-pneumatic-air-damped is unique to Lencarta, it's been around since I designed it in 2011 and it hasn't been updated because, IMO, it's perfect.
Click to expand...
I agree. I have 5 of these (and one lightweight and one low) and they are without doubt the best stands I've ever used. There's no collar (this is the bit that breaks when people over-tighten them) and they go from fully loose to fully tight in a quarter of a turn.
 
Firstly - those lightstands are worth every penny and you'll never regret the spend (indeed, you can spend much more for a worse stand).

But £250 isn't enough for a 2 light setup, so you can choose to start with a single light, or adjust the budget upwards.

There are currently 2 Godox DE300's on ebay for £75 and £85, but that makes £250 with the stands and without anything else.

Another £100 will get you a softbox, brollie and a reflector if you shop around
 
Charles B said:
Juggler,
Many thanks for your suggestions - that all looks fantastic but somewhat beyond my budget, I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
Studio photography is not a cheap hobby.

Garry says you could start with much less but his list is basically the same as mine, minus a stand, reflector, clamp and sandbag.

The next step down is to go for something like a Yongnuo speedlite & a brolly. Plus stand, umbrella clamp, trigger & rechargeable batteries. That will be making life much more difficult for yourself then necessary. And tbh you won't save much by doing that: a mains studio head is very little more expensive than a basic speedlite.
 
juggler said:
Studio photography is not a cheap hobby.

Garry says you could start with much less but his list is basically the same as mine, minus a stand, reflector, clamp and sandbag.

The next step down is to go for something like a Yongnuo speedlite & a brolly. Plus stand, umbrella clamp, trigger & rechargeable batteries. That will be making life much more difficult for yourself then necessary. And tbh you won't save much by doing that: a mains studio head is very little more expensive than a basic speedlite.
Click to expand...
And much easier to use.

Not many speedlites have a modelling light bright enough to be of use. Certainly not in the OP's budget.
 
juggler said:
Studio photography is not a cheap hobby.

Garry says you could start with much less but his list is basically the same as mine, minus a stand, reflector, clamp and sandbag.
Click to expand...
Studio photography isn't cheap, unless we compare it to other specialities, for example wildlife photography, where people spend unbelievable amounts on equipment:(

The point that I was trying to make (but badly) was that very little equipment is actually needed to get started. There are costs benefits in minimising the equipment but, more importantly, there are major benefits in adopting the KISS principle (Keep it simple, stupid) because every extra bit of gear works against the other bits of gear and also needs a much higher level of both knowledge and experience.

I'm a bit of an inverse snob when it comes to gear - a very long time ago I had to manage with almost nothing, and had to use imagination, skill and experience to get pro results. As time went on I ended up with a very large pro studio, equipped with everything that I could possibly need, all paid for by other people, so have seen both sides of the argument, but I still believe in using care and thought rather than gear, so I strongly advocate a minimalist approach to gear.
juggler said:
Studio photography is not a cheap hobby.

Garry says you could start with much less but his list is basically the same as mine, minus a stand, reflector, clamp and sandbag.

The next step down is to go for something like a Yongnuo speedlite & a brolly. Plus stand, umbrella clamp, trigger & rechargeable batteries. That will be making life much more difficult for yourself then necessary. And tbh you won't save much by doing that: a mains studio head is very little more expensive than a basic speedlite.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Flashguns are much slower, more complicated, and less good than studio flashes.

Scooter said:
I agree. I have 5 of these (and one lightweight and one low) and they are without doubt the best stands I've ever used. There's no collar (this is the bit that breaks when people over-tighten them) and they go from fully loose to fully tight in a quarter of a turn.
Click to expand...
It's weird, but a lot of people pay far too much for inferior products, they insist on choice and then make the wrong choices:) I was shown the stand, or at least the locking mechanism, on a visit to a factory in China. We had a language problem, but the factory owner didn't need English and I didn't need Mandarin, he gave me the part, a great big lump hammer and pointed to the concrete floor. I couldn't break it, I couldn't even scratch it, and then with an interpreter we designed the actual stand over the next few months, and later added the bigger one, the low level one and, finally, the lightweight one - but a lot of people still buy the useless legacy designs:( The mechanism is patented and is so the stands are unique to Lencarta, I think it strange that anyone buys anything else!

The one I originally linked to, the 265cm one, is the bog-standard and most useful size for most people. The low-level one is perfect for strip softboxes and for when the flash head needs to be on or just above the ground and the 360cm one is massive, and only needed where there is loads of headroom. The lightweight one is really just for flashguns although inevitably some people use studio flash heads on them.
 
AndrewC,
My idea is to take each member of my family in a context/situation where they feel comfortable and which says something about them. I was inspired to do this following a visit to Bradford a couple of years ago during which we visited a photo exhibition in the cathedral by the he photographer, Kate Abbey. She had taken a series of portraits of people in a setting/context of their choosing and which reflected their faith.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Studio photography isn't cheap, unless we compare it to other specialities, for example wildlife photography, where people spend unbelievable amounts on equipment:(

The point that I was trying to make (but badly) was that very little equipment is actually needed to get started. There are costs benefits in minimising the equipment but, more importantly, there are major benefits in adopting the KISS principle (Keep it simple, stupid) because every extra bit of gear works against the other bits of gear and also needs a much higher level of both knowledge and experience.

I'm a bit of an inverse snob when it comes to gear - a very long time ago I had to manage with almost nothing, and had to use imagination, skill and experience to get pro results. As time went on I ended up with a very large pro studio, equipped with everything that I could possibly need, all paid for by other people, so have seen both sides of the argument, but I still believe in using care and thought rather than gear, so I strongly advocate a minimalist approach to gear.


Agreed. Flashguns are much slower, more complicated, and less good than studio flashes.


It's weird, but a lot of people pay far too much for inferior products, they insist on choice and then make the wrong choices:) I was shown the stand, or at least the locking mechanism, on a visit to a factory in China. We had a language problem, but the factory owner didn't need English and I didn't need Mandarin, he gave me the part, a great big lump hammer and pointed to the concrete floor. I couldn't break it, I couldn't even scratch it, and then with an interpreter we designed the actual stand over the next few months, and later added the bigger one, the low level one and, finally, the lightweight one - but a lot of people still buy the useless legacy designs:( The mechanism is patented and is so the stands are unique to Lencarta, I think it strange that anyone buys anything else!

The one I originally linked to, the 265cm one, is the bog-standard and most useful size for most people. The low-level one is perfect for strip softboxes and for when the flash head needs to be on or just above the ground and the 360cm one is massive, and only needed where there is loads of headroom. The lightweight one is really just for flashguns although inevitably some people use studio flash heads on them.
Click to expand...
Given your development efforts I do wonder why my two Lencarta stands broke. I can't remember what size they were - probably 360. Certainly not lightweight. The air damping failed on one. Then the head came down very fast & sheared the bolt which holds one of the tube ends in place - the bolt just below the red thumbscrew.

I can't remember what happened to the other.
 
Charles B said:
AndrewC,
My idea is to take each member of my family in a context/situation where they feel comfortable and which says something about them. I was inspired to do this following a visit to Bradford a couple of years ago during which we visited a photo exhibition in the cathedral by the he photographer, Kate Abbey. She had taken a series of portraits of people in a setting/context of their choosing and which reflected their faith.
Click to expand...
I read the original message, so no need to repeat it. Are you going to be doing these photos in places where there is mains electricity or could these places possibly be in areas where you may not have access to electricity?

If the former is true, the advice given above is all good. If the latter, then look at Speedlights, the 'strobist' techniques or something like Godox ADxxx range of battery powered system, possibly having to buy secondhand.
 
Last edited:
Garry Edwards said:
Studio photography isn't cheap, unless we compare it to other specialities, for example wildlife photography, where people spend unbelievable amounts on equipment:(
Click to expand...
Genuinely I think studio photography is 'cheap', Not a dig at the OP but £250 is nothing in photography terms, when a decent quality standard zoom is at least £1000and possibly twice that.

Sports, aviation, wildlife, landscape, look at the typical advice for kit needed, and you'll see nothing under £500

Here's the gear used in the top image (I could get exif for) in each sharing section:

Landscape RF24-105 f4L
Architecture TSE 17mm
Nature Z180-600
Birds M300f4+MC14
Macro EF-S 60mm
Sports FE400mm 2.8

I got bored, but the top 'studio' portrait was shot with a 50mm lens and maybe £500 worth of lighting @Gav. will confirm? I reckon that's cheaper than all the above except the Macro.

Lets be honest, a decent tripod is more than a beginner lighting set, I'm looking at my first L series std zoom, and it's approx £2k
 
Phil V said:
Genuinely I think studio photography is 'cheap', Not a dig at the OP but £250 is nothing in photography terms, when a decent quality standard zoom is at least £1000and possibly twice that.

Sports, aviation, wildlife, landscape, look at the typical advice for kit needed, and you'll see nothing under £500

Here's the gear used in the top image (I could get exif for) in each sharing section:

Landscape RF24-105 f4L
Architecture TSE 17mm
Nature Z180-600
Birds M300f4+MC14
Macro EF-S 60mm
Sports FE400mm 2.8

I got bored, but the top 'studio' portrait was shot with a 50mm lens and maybe £500 worth of lighting @Gav. will confirm? I reckon that's cheaper than all the above except the Macro.

Lets be honest, a decent tripod is more than a beginner lighting set, I'm looking at my first L series std zoom, and it's approx £2k
Click to expand...
FWIW, 20 years ago studio flash equipment not only cost about the same as it does today (despite inflation) but was also far inferior in terms of performance and spec, so in real terms it's now very good VFM, even though the prices are now rising steeply due to the monopoly situation.

But maybe the OP doesn't think it's expensive but just doesn't have the money or isn't prepared to spend it on a new approach to his photography? A friend has a new Porsche, costing £180K. I have a VW Golf shopping trolley, which does exactly what I need it to do and I wouldn't spend anything near to £180K on a car even if I was a billionaire. My car is easier to drive and according to the manual it can exceed the national speed limit by 50 MPH, so why would I spend that much? We're all different, and all views are equally valid.
 
@Garry Edwards My first studio lighting were 2 Jessops 'Powerflash' units, IIRC the cheapest unit was around £150 (around 1990), the softbox weighed a ton and took about 10 mins to construct (a great idea for my first 'mobile studio').

Next up were some v cheap speedlights, strung together with PC sync cables using a block of PC (4 into 1).

In the early noughties I started back again with Canon's near IR system, before moving to radio with PocketWizard, then Yongnuo, but now Godox.

And we always have to remember that some people insist on using camera brand speedlights, which are inferior and loads of money (top of the range Canon is over a grand now)

So a £120 studio flash in 2024 is a bargain no matter what you compare it to.
 
juggler said:
Given your development efforts I do wonder why my two Lencarta stands broke. I can't remember what size they were - probably 360. Certainly not lightweight. The air damping failed on one. Then the head came down very fast & sheared the bolt which holds one of the tube ends in place - the bolt just below the red thumbscrew.

I can't remember what happened to the other.
Click to expand...
I should follow up.. I've just had a PixaPro stand fail on me too. Plastic(!) bung came out of the bottom. Might be fixable, might not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top