need help setting up lighting in studio

06/05/2010 06:33:15 PM · #1

I have acquired a studio space and just placed an order at B&H for some basic, getting started, studio set-up lighting and backdrops. I got the Impact 2 umbrella kit with stands and flash brackets (link) and the Savage background stand with a roll of white paper (link) and I ordered some black paper also.

I have a sb800, sb600, an older vivitar flash and flash adapter. I also have a blow up diffuser thing that fits over a flash. I have tried to set these up on a table, link them to flash all at once, and it worked.. so I'm hoping I can use all 3 flashes with the equipment I bought. I think I need to buy a sync cable also so there is no lag?? correct? or else I would have to trigger the flashes with my pop up?

I am looking for website links, something like "lighting for dummies". A site that has different set-ups, with a photo showing what each set up can produce. I'd like to see something that has photos with the explanations, like so:

I spent all my money painting, adding a/c and decorating the space... not to mention the equipment.. so I was thinking the best thing would be to find the perfect web site and print it out, make a binder with the info so I can grab and read it easily while setting up or shooting.

Thanks in advance for the help ;)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/05/2010 06:42:13 PM · #2

also looking for your opinion of the best program that allows instant transfer of images from camera to laptop during shooting. :)

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

06/05/2010 08:14:00 PM · #3

* Try this flickr group => //www.flickr.com/groups/552101@N22/
* The beta version of LightRoom does tethered shooting. I believe the Nikon util does as well but I know it's not cheap.
* The sb800 has an optical slave that would work but don't think the 600 or the vivatar does. Check flashzebra.com for good cheaper sync & optical slaves e.t.c.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

06/05/2010 08:26:58 PM · #4

Originally posted by robs:

* The beta version of LightRoom does tethered shooting. I believe the Nikon util does as well but I know it's not cheap.

I have Lightroom 2.7 but I haven't used it much. I guess I need to google how to do that, thanks :)

I read that Aperture also allows tethering and is very fast.

MattO

Nikon D4

06/05/2010 08:34:14 PM · #5

link

linky

I have some more bookmarked somewhere but can't find them right now

Matt

LVicari

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/05/2010 08:35:35 PM · #6

Lighting 101 and MORE!!

Look at the drop downs on the right side of the page.

Message edited by author 2010-06-05 20:37:03.

cdrice

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

06/06/2010 12:07:44 AM · #7

Your SB-800 and SB-600 can be controlled via the CLS commander in your camera body / builtin flash, or by an add-on SU-800 infrared CLS command unit. Don't know the Vivitar flash. It might require additional hardware, such as a hotshoe optical slave or any number of wireless triggers. You could also slave the Vivitar off the SB-800's PC connection, so the SB-800 is fired by CLS, and the vivitar is fired via PC.

If you don't want to use CLS, the SB-800 can be used as a "dumb"/optical-trigger slave (SU-4 mode), but the SB-600 cannot without additional hardware (see this thread).

For free cabled tethering software to laptop, see this thread.

For wireless tethering to laptop (my personal pref), see the latest posts in this thread.

In either case above, you can set up LR 2.x to watch a tethered import folder and automatically import files. The tethering in LR3 would only work cabled.

Message edited by author 2010-06-06 00:11:49.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/06/2010 01:11:05 AM · #8

Originally posted by aerogurl:

I have a sb800, sb600, an older vivitar flash and flash adapter. I also have a blow up diffuser thing that fits over a flash. I have tried to set these up on a table, link them to flash all at once, and it worked.. so I'm hoping I can use all 3 flashes with the equipment I bought. I think I need to buy a sync cable also so there is no lag?? correct? or else I would have to trigger the flashes with my pop up?

My Lightweight set up consists of putting an old Fiji film canister (the milky clear ones) with a slit down the side over my pop up flash to act like an omnibounce diffuser. i use that to trigger my various flashes, a motley collection of Sigmas, and Vivtars.
If you want to set any old flash to become an optical slave, $8 optical slave or the Wein Peanut at $14 if you have a PC socket is a better option.