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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Thoughts on Starter Lighting Setup??
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 08/26/2012 10:47:49 AM · #1
I keep finding that I could really use lighting! I am a little lost in this space. Any recommendations for a cheap lighting setup for a relative newbie?

I am thinking continuous lightning to allow versatility for video or stills. As a hobbiest, I don't want to spend thousands, but thinking little kits that I see for around $200 might be too cheap and flimsy.
Soft box or umbrellas? Tungsten or flourescent? Accesories? Minimum acceptable setup?
Looking for versatility and economy. Portraits, still lifes, etc. Thinking under $500.

Anyone have suggestions on where I should start?
 08/26/2012 11:12:21 AM · #2
Really happy with my paul c buff products (AKA 'alien' 'bees')

Link

You should be able to get something decent for under $500.
 08/26/2012 11:46:16 AM · #3
I bought a couple of these:
cowboy studio 400 watt strobes

and then you will also need these:

strobe stands

And two of these they will be large enough to do full body and group shots:

large soft boxes

Later you can add another strobe to light your background but this will give you a good start. Total comes to $460 before shipping and tax. This is the exact set up I have except I have another strobe for the background. I love it! I have had no problems and learning to use it was really simple. I need good lighting because for stock you must shoot at ISO 100 and usually an f-stop of around 7-13 I always have plenty of light to do whatever I need.

08/26/2012 11:51:03 AM · #4
what is a good choice for an external flash? SB900?
 08/26/2012 11:53:06 AM · #5
Originally posted by Ja-9:
what is a good choice for an external flash? SB900?


If you don't mind spending $500 for a hotshoe flash, it's a great choice.
 08/26/2012 11:58:06 AM · #6
Originally posted by brucedgates:
I keep finding that I could really use lighting! I am a little lost in this space. Any recommendations for a cheap lighting setup for a relative newbie?

I am thinking continuous lightning to allow versatility for video or stills. As a hobbiest, I don't want to spend thousands, but thinking little kits that I see for around $200 might be too cheap and flimsy.
Soft box or umbrellas? Tungsten or flourescent? Accesories? Minimum acceptable setup?
Looking for versatility and economy. Portraits, still lifes, etc. Thinking under $500.

Anyone have suggestions on where I should start?


Go over to www.strobist.com and read through Lighting 101 and Lighting 102.

Continuous will work, but you really need a lot of power to get good exposures with raising ISO, or encountering slow shutter speeds.

Message edited by author 2012-08-26 11:58:18.
 08/26/2012 06:42:38 PM · #7
There are a couple of ways you can start out with this and both have advantages and disadvantages. I would stay away from continuous lighting to start with unless you never go on location. So you can go with a speedlite, light stand and diffuser (softbox etc..) and a way to trigger it, either radio or tethered. You can do so much with just one light and as you learn you can start adding more lights. If you want a bit more power you can go with something like an 'Alien' Bee with stand, diffuser and trigger. Either way you are looking at $500-$800. A 430ex with stand, umbrella and tethered trigger can probably be had for just under $500. Big thing is what do you shoot, where do you shoot and why do you want to add an external light?
 08/27/2012 01:20:30 AM · #8
Originally posted by Ja-9:
what is a good choice for an external flash? SB900?


As with the OP, it's difficult to answer this question unless we know what you're intending to use it for. The SB900 is great in many ways, but it may also be much more expensive than what you could get by fine with. What sorts of subject matter are you both looking to shoot?
 08/27/2012 02:17:45 AM · #9
This one is kinda cheap and junky but good for beginners....
 08/27/2012 02:18:55 AM · #10
Thanks for getting me all excited at that prospect :-)
 08/28/2012 11:29:29 AM · #11
Originally posted by smardaz:
This one is kinda cheap and junky but good for beginners....


Haha
 08/28/2012 01:07:06 PM · #12
i currently use 2 hotshoe flashes (i got the canon 580exii's but have since grown to like much..much cheaper options) and the abr800. In additional i have 1 24inch softbox, a decent sizes reflector, and a moonlight attachment. I also use a pringle box as a snoot, and a small flag (black foam)on my flashes with some hand cut color filters. So far, i like the results i get and i think if you went on the inexpensive side with a setup where you have one mid range and two light-mid power lights, youd be well on your way with a usable versatile system at about $700-$800. I rarely need more light than this, and when i do i do one of two things. Adapt the settings to use the smaller amount of light, or invite the subjects to a $15,000 studio i rent at about $15 an hour.

What i hope to share is that you can certainly get a fully usable light system under a $1000 that will work in most scenarios, and if you can't - you can rent space on an hourly basis.
edit forgot my stands. I have one boomstand, one small stand and my tripod doubles as a stand for one of the flashes when needed. I have hairbands and a bungee cord for some odd spaces too.

Message edited by author 2012-08-28 13:16:55.
 08/28/2012 01:59:47 PM · #13
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:
Originally posted by Ja-9:
what is a good choice for an external flash? SB900?


As with the OP, it's difficult to answer this question unless we know what you're intending to use it for. The SB900 is great in many ways, but it may also be much more expensive than what you could get by fine with. What sorts of subject matter are you both looking to shoot?


Well, that's a good question...I shy away from most if not all portraits because I really feel that to do them right/justice in ONLY natural light or my built in flash (ugh!!!)...at the time I have nothing for external lighting. But now that I have my grandson I want to try wking with some of it...but I don't have a bottomless wallet...YET I don't want to waste my $$ on cheap/totally out of date equipment...and on the other hand I don't need off the charts equipment...good basic equipment in at a "reasonable" cost...you know middle of the road...I'm glad the OP started this thread as I've been curious what to look for in the line of "basic building blocks". A place to start...
 08/28/2012 10:15:21 PM · #14
Originally posted by Ja-9:


Well, that's a good question...I shy away from most if not all portraits because I really feel that to do them right/justice in ONLY natural light or my built in flash (ugh!!!)...


I have expanded this and made a generalized answer for many of the questions that come up about this that have been answered over the years, with some suggested routes for gear. I encourage others to share their experiences and suggestions too, this is not intended to be authoritative but simply put out there to have a huge amount of information in one spot that is readily accessible.

This is going to be pretty long, but bear with me. This first post describes why the SB900/SB910/SB800 is a good choice (and keep in mind, whenever I mention a Nikon Flagship flash, the same usually goes for Canon flagship (580 II) except that Canon flashes typically have fewer built in trigger options). Some of the features of the SB900/910 are not found in the 800, but most of them are, and the 800 is a good bit cheaper and still allows full CLS functionality. The SB700 will also support this, but will have less power and perhaps lack some of the features, but I honestly don't remember all the specs on it. In general, with Nikon, a flash either has commander mode and can function as a slave or it doesn't, so most of this stuff should apply.

The second post will address the strengths and weaknesses of lights like sjhuls posted as well as a more detailed look at manual flashes, the strengths and weaknesses.

The third will list some suggestions for stands, triggers, starter modifiers etc.

At it's heart, all you need to get started is a light and a light stand. A light modifier helps but strictly speaking, you need a light and a way to hold it and that's it. I've included some suggestions for gear at the end, but don't think that lighting requires a ridiculous amount of gear, either.

The first part of this reply is mostly for you, but the basic premise will apply to the OP with the caveat that to do off camera triggering with the 580ex he will need some additional things. You would be set using Commander mode on your d7000, enabling full CLS control off camera via optical triggering. There are some caveats to optical triggering, but it works pretty well overall. It will NOT work in a softbox, but with umbrellas you can usually figure out a way to position them either as shoot through or bounce that will work. For the OP, he went the route of an 580, he would need a hotshoe adapter and an optical slave or an ST-E2 for using Canon's commander system. What follows next is a reply that I sent somebody who was asking me the same question (Should I get an SB900 as a first flash?)

You gotta look at what you'll be doing. There are things that the SB900 will do that other options won't, but they aren't worth a damn if you don't intend to use them.
Couple things that are advantages of the SB900-
High Speed sync- You can use this flash with your 7000 at "simulated" sync speeds up to 1/8000 when mounted on camera (off camera, unless you use the SU-800 or another SB900 you can sync to 1/320). Power does drop quite a bit, but that's okay if you just want some fill flash for an action shot.
Full CLS functionality- You can control the SB900 remotely using your pop-up flash as a commander, setting the power without having to walk over to it. (This system is light based, so there are vulnerabilities- line of sight is a must and you may encounter issues with bright sunlight in the form of decreased range). This also means you can use i-TTL off camera (meaning... you set the SB900 via your pop-up flash to use i-TTL remotely, it then selects the proper amount of light). This can be really good for some situations, but don't be afraid to go manual.
When not using CLS, the slave on the SB900 is VERY sensitive (dumb slave mode is enabled through SU-4 mode... it's common that people don't know that one exists but it's super useful).
I'd also argue that the controls on the SB900 are very very nice and easy to use compared to many others.
Motorized zoom- this is more hand if you're shooting with your flash on camera- it will automatically zoom with your lens as you go (if you want it to).
Multiple flash distribution patterns- you can set the SB900 to provide even, normal, or center weighted distribution, which sounds minor but does effect the look.
One other small nice thing about the 900 is that it comes with some gels and a way to attach them so it's super easy to experiment with that without having to purchase velcro and your own Rosco strips. This is a pretty minor perk but it's there.

So- yeah, there are a lot of nice things about the SB900, and that's why it's the flagship flash, and why it costs as much as it does. It's also goddamn big. Recycle time is pretty good too (I use NiMh). You'll see some people whine about the thermal cut off (which prevents the flash from overheating itself) but in practice, I've not really had it get triggered except when I was purposefully trying to out of curiosity and maybe one other time. It's pretty overhyped as a "problem" in my opinion unless you're constantly firing at full power (which means you might want to reconsider using speedlights anyway... see post #2).

But then, all of this isn't worth a damn (or your money) if you don't figure you'd use it. There are a lot of cheaper options, but they\'re cheaper because they lack some of the features. If you do look for a more manual flash, make sure it has an optical slave, or you'll have to purchase a trigger method separately (and if it doesn\'t have an optical slave, make sure it has a PC-Sync or some sort of plug so you can connect your trigger method, be it optical slave or remote). I'll discuss triggering a bit more in post 3.

With one SB900, you can trigger that off camera for a lot of different situations, but you'll notice how much underpowered your pop-up is for fill pretty quick. You can do a good deal with just one light, but be aware of the limitations. Check out Zack Arias for some one light inspiration; that's how he made his name, even if he does multi-light setups now.

From my view, it makes good sense to follow either option, and the deciding factor is more what you intend to do. Getting multiple all manual flashes that are cheaper works great if they fit your needs. For me, I bought an SB900 first, not really knowing what I was going to do with it or what direction I wanted to go. It was expensive, but it also enables me to do some cool things that I couldn't have with other flashes (one example is I can hold one of my 900's in my left hand off to the side, or above, or even below to some extent, and trigger it using my pop-up flash as an iTTL or manual fill, wirelessly, or use a ttl cord and not even worry about line of sight. It boils down to whether you want more flashes that are flexible because there are more of them or one flash that is flexible on its own. They are both useful in their own right.

Message edited by author 2012-10-18 06:57:02.
 08/28/2012 11:23:14 PM · #15
Wow...Derek!!! Amazing information!!! Now this is what this site is all about (or should be)...amazing advice...mind you a lot of it doesn't make a lick of sense to me but that's because I haven't done a thing with flash, but you've given me ALOT to think about... I now have a new goal (SB900)...I had thought that was the way to START...but now I have a direction to go...thank you for you sage advice...I'm marking this thread for sure
 08/28/2012 11:38:03 PM · #16
Other Flash Options:

So everybody knows about the SB900 and what it can do now. Let's look at other options, their prices, and what they can and can't do.

First, we'll talk about other speedlight options. When I say speedlight, I'm referring to a hotshoe mount flash. Some people call them strobes, some people only call monoblocs/studio lights strobes blah blah blah. Here, speedlight means hotshoe flash (like an SB900) and I'll just use "studio light" to reference those other kinds (I don't intend to really differentiate between the advantages and disadvantages of a pack and head vs monoblock setup here, that's more complex than we need, so they'll all be considered studio lights for brevity (ha!)).

The other option in speedlights is what are normally just called manual speedlights. They may be on brand or off, and there are many options out there. Some commonly used examples are the Vivitar 285, Nikon SB80/80dx, SB28/28DX, SB24, Lumopro LP160, and the various offerings from Yongnuo.
Obviously, each one of these has different specifications, but the main thing that differentiates them is price and the fact that they lack communication with your camera, so they cannot do any iTTL/eTTL. What that ultimately means is that they cannot control their own power, it's all set manually by you for each exposure. If you move closer and don't change your power, you will then overexpose, likewise, if you move further and neglect to, you'll underexpose. Most manual flashes do have a zoom function, which is useful for directing the light but doesn't do much if you're using most modifiers. The power on theses flashes varies, but is typically similar to the equivalent iTTL/eTTL flashes. The important thing to determine if you're going to get a manual flash is if it has a slave. This is important because it can really save you money down the road. Even if you find you need to use a trigger or two down the road, if you were to hypothetically use all units that have an optical slave and you were shooting a 5 light setup, it's reasonably likely that you wouldn't have to use a trigger on every flash to get them to all function. The more flashes together, the more effective optical slaves are. If your flash does not have an optical slave, you can always try adding one, but there are mixed reports on how well they work and the one I personally tried was borderline worthless with an SB28 or a SB900 despite being one of the more expensive Wein models on the market. Which brings us to the next point- if the flash you are looking at doesn't have an optical slave, having a PC sync port makes it easier to slave since many of the stand-alone slaves you can buy attach via this port. There are also hotshoe adapters with a PC Sync, but that means you'd have to buy the adapter as well as trigger, so it's an additional cost and an additional thing to fail. Keep things as simple as you can and you'll be way happier since less can go wrong. Also remember, you can use a Nikon flash on a Canon and vice versa as a manual flash. I would frankly recommend Nikon flashes like the SB80 for Canon users who are looking for a quality manual flash since it has better sync options. The only thing to be careful of is some of the older flashes were made for film cameras that had extremely high sync voltages, which means they CAN FRY YOUR DSLR. Canon's have the lowest voltage tolerance of the manufacturers, Nikon is a bit higher, and Fuji's are apparently the highest. Here's a chart of triggering voltages for many flashes. Some investigation and care and you'll be fine, but be aware of the potential.

There are also off-brand iTTL/eTTL flashes that are made. The first that comes to mind is the Sigma EF 500 DG, but there are others. These are basically third party flashes that are made to work within Canon or Nikon proprietary systems so the flashes can be controlled from the camera. These flashes are generally somewhere between the cost of a manual flash and a Canon or Nikon flash that supports iTTL/eTTL. They often support many off camera functions and can do some cool stuff, but do your research carefully, as they often have some...quirks in operation like having to turn them on and off or any number of other odd things in order to make them cooperate, and it isn't necessarily a nicely integrated system since it's one company trying to reverse engineer cooperation with another way of doing things. On the other hand, they typically can be used as a great manual flash anyway with some possible applications using iTTL/eTTL, which is useful. Just be aware of the potential for quirks and research them and perhaps read the manuals before you purchase so you know what you're getting into.

Next we have studio lights, which are bigger, heavier, and more powerful. They are especially powerful if you look at their cost relative to power, since they are often as powerful as 4+ speedlights (that's two stops of light more than using a single speedlight). They also do not run on traditional batteries and must typically use AC power from a powercord. If you use large modifiers, these will work MUCH better. Also consider that their light will be inherently softer bare bulb given equal light to subject distance because their light source is MUCH bigger than the head of a speedlight. They also allow you to place your lights much further from your subject. The Cowboy kit that sjhuls mentioned is in this category, as are the 'Alien' 'Bees' that people often mention. Also included are kits like Broncolor, ProPhoto, and Elinchrom, but if you're looking at your first lights, they are probably not the best decision unless you've got lots of money to dispose of. They have replaceable bulbs, often use special "speedrings" to mount to modifiers, and are fan cooled to dissipate their heat. They also often have a modeling lamp, which means you can see how the light will fall with the light in a given position without triggering the flash. These flashes will not support iTTL/eTTL, so think of them as giant manual flashes on steroids. Some have an optical slave, some don't, and they use a variety of different plugs to trigger them using a radio trigger, so check before you buy to see if you need a cord for syncing as well. They also differ in terms of their flash duration typically, but talking about flash duration of studio lights/speedlights is a bit specialized and I'll only discuss that if there's specific interest. More on triggering in post 3.

Which is best for you and which situations is one system better?

Do I really need iTTL/eTTL?
No, not necessarily. It can be great or horrible, just depends. iTTL/eTTL are your friend if you are shooting in a changing environment where your subject to flash distances changes a lot or if your lighting is changing a lot. A great example of this is if you're photographing a variety of subjects, some in shade, some not. Think something like event photography, where your subjects are in a variety of positions, places, and situations. iTTL/eTTL is also great if you don't want to futz around with power and you want the camera to do the thinking for you. The flashes that that can be used in the lighting systems can have their power controlled from the camera, assuming the flash has line of sight with the pop-up flash on your camera. You control their power via the menu on your camera. Line of sight isn't just line of sight- sometimes you'll get away with around corners and such, but don't bet on it.

Okay, sounds great! Is there a downside?
Yup. Since the camera decides, your exposure may change from shot to shot even if nothing in the scene actually does. It's really complex how the camera decides, so lots of different things influence it. Just keep in mind it changes. This might be a problem for you. It also increases battery consumption, since your flash actually fires several times each time you take a picture, since it basically takes a "test" picture and thinks about the results to determine if more or less power is needed. This is important, since it means your recycle time goes down as well. Flashes that integrate into lighting systems like Nikon's CLS have variable range that depends upon the ambient conditions. If you're outside and shooting with the flash off camera, your range will be decreased due to the bright light. How decreased? Who knows, it just depends. It usually works well enough for me, but not always. Be prepared for it not working (that's where we get into using radio triggers, discussed in post 3).

So are there downsides to the manual flashes?
They're basically exactly what you think they are. They must have their power set manually on camera or off. Some will have an antiquated iTTL/eTTL system that might work with your camera (Nikon w/ Nikon, Canon w/ Canon), but others won't, so just assume they won't generally. Otherwise, it's just like the other speedlights. They're small, simple, and lightweight just like the other speedlights, you just have to manually set their power. This means the situations where I pointed out that iTTL/eTTL would work great, will work HORRIBLE for a manual flash since every little change in lighting you'll have to visually consider how much light you need and set your flash power appropriately. Meanwhile, you're screwing with your power on your flash and your shortlived moment is gone (indoors, there are ways to deal with this- you can set a flash to a default manual power and point it at the ceiling or the wall behind you or something and the light that falls on your subject will be more consistent. This will also soften your light as well. Just remember, it won't work outside unless you hug a wall all day). Manual flashes will work very well for you if you do in the studio shooting or shoot scenes that are under your control, but if you're not controlling things so closely or things change quickly and you'll be struggling.

I see. Then what's the point of studio lights?
POWER! Those suckers have lots of power. And modeling lights, those modeling lights often make setup much easier. Not all modeling lights are borne equal though, some are pretty dim and worthless.

Oh, then why wouldn't I want to just get the most power for the least money?
Because it's not that simple. First, when you buy those studio lights, you're often buying into a SYSTEM like when you bought your camera body. This is due to how they mount, so you'll either have to be limited on your modifiers or get a little creative with modifying how they mount. Next, they're big. And heavy. You won't want to lug them as far. It also means your light stands must be beefier, and need to be weighted better, since it means more weight up high. They also require powercords and an outlet or a big honking battery (think something more like a car battery, more about this in post 3). Also, in some cases, you'll find you have TOO MUCH power, because not all of them have super small incremental control, so you're forced to stop down or use an ND filter which are their own issues. If you're using a speedlight and are constantly firing at full power, consider using at least one of these for your key because you're trying to use a speedlight where it doesn't excel, which is power. Speedlights work well on the go, up close.

My general advice and take on all your choices:
Think about if you want/need iTTL/eTTL. It's very expensive for what it is, so make sure you'll be using it a good deal to make it worth your while. Shooting on the fly a lot, doing events, stuff like that, they work pretty well for. I also think getting a "flagship" type flash has benefits because it simplifies things and lets you just think about the nature of how the light is falling instead of the power too. It simplifies things so your head doesn't spin so much. You'll likely be using modifiers on your speedlights because they're pretty harsh, so keep in mind that all modifiers swallow some of your light. They're also great because they play nice with your camera and enable simple off camera lighting out of the box in many cases (unless you shoot Canon. To do out of the box commander with Canon you have to shoot with a small handful of cameras or get an ST-E2). If you're shooting indoors and are going to do more like studio stuff, you can get either manual flashes or studio type lights, the only thing you should look at is what you want to spend and how much power you want. If you go the route of speedlights, definitely definitely budget in money for rechargeable AA batteries.

One last bit- Don't be afraid to buy used. Flashes last a long time and you can cut a lot of your cost by buying used. They're pretty sturdy and the tubes last a very long time. KEH.com is great, as is Adorama and B&H, but you can also find stellar deals locally on Craigslist or Ebay, or on Fred Miranda's forums.

Message edited by author 2012-09-11 02:23:11.
 08/29/2012 04:51:02 AM · #17
So, at this point, you've either purchased a light or you have a good idea what will fit your needs and you're curious what else you might also need to compliment that light you've settled on.

First things first- Let's get that thing off camera-
If you've purchased a flash that supports commander mode and your camera body supports it, you're ready to go. Consult your camera manual and your flash manual and go crazy and see what you can do. If you have more specific questions, you can ask me and I'll try to troubleshoot for you. If you find that the limits of optical triggering are frustrating you, but you still want TTL, get ready to spend some money, because you have two options that I know of without modifying your flashes (if you want a DIY method, I'll send it to you, but you have to do some soldering and such); Radio Poppers PX and Pocket Wizard Flex and Mini. If you don't care about TTL, then you can check out the other options below, they'll work just fine for you, too.

If you've purchased a manual flash or a studio light that didn't include its own proprietary triggers, you've got a few options, which I'll address in order of cost, from cheapest to most expensive. This will be a general response and may gloss over some specifics, so ask about on specific models of lights etc if you're confused about what you need.

Option 1. If your flash has an optical slave built in and you have a pop-up flash, you're set! To use it, you'll have to manually set the power on your pop-up flash because any of the preflashes associated with the TTL your camera uses for the flash will trigger the off camera flash before the exposure happens. So, if you don't want your flash to influence the scene, set it very low, like 1/64 or 1/128 and go to town. This approach requires the same sort of line of sight I mentioned earlier, and it may work better or worse under different lighting conditions.

Option 2. Get a long PC-Sync (or other... like miniphone) cord. You can get 5m cords for $9 over at Flash Zebra. He's great to work with, ships super fast and his prices can't be beat. With this setup, you will be physically wired to your flash, so be careful! Make sure your camera and your flash have sync ports. If your flash is missing a sync port, you can get one of these, and if your camera doesn't have one, you can get one of these. Pick the one that is appropriate for the type of cord you intend to use.

Option 3. Get an optical slave and hook it up to your flash.
Some folks have had great luck with these, and some have had pure frustration with them. Various models work better, and from what I've understood, it generally does you well to get a midgrade model not a low end one. They will require some sort of a sync port to be mounted to and they plug right into your flash/hotshoe adapter if you don't have a sync port. The cost of these can be enough that if you wanted to do this, you would've been better served padding the cost of your flash purchase to get a flash that has its own built in.

Option 4. Radio triggers! (of the cheap variety)
Yongnuo makes a whole ton of these, and there are plenty of other random Hong Kong companies that do the same. There's no point in me naming models because they'll probably have a new one out in a few weeks anyway. You may have heard of Cactus Triggers- That's basically what these are. In discussing cheap radio triggers, I feel the best way to sum them up is like this-
The Good- CHEAP!
The Bad- CHEAP! Meaning, build isn't not as good, manuals may be...interesting, support may be nonexistent, or it might not be. In other words, there are a lot of random factors that may or may not effect you.
The Ugly- Quality control on these can be very hit or miss, so you may go through a few before they work. Or maybe you won't. Who knows. More importantly, as they upgrade them, they do not necessarily use the same frequencies. What does that mean? It means if you buy 4 triggers today, and later on you want a 5th, you may have to re-buy 5 of them due to the new ones being a different frequency and that you may have a nightmare on your hands determining which make exactly you got and where to get some now that they're old. Backwards compatibility is not a strong suit, so be aware of that.

Option 5. Radio Triggers! (of the medium priced range)
I would group Cybersyncs into this category as well as the Radio Popper Jx system. These are both reliable systems with good range and good customer relations and multiple channels so if you're around other photographers or you have environmental interference you can find a clear channel. They also are backwards compatible. The Jx system has the potential to control the power on some flashes remotely with some caveats, and is a bit more expensive than the Cybersyncs. I admittedly don't know a ton about how they work or any drawbacks. I will also note that Cybersyncs, as a Paul C. Buff product, have exceptional customer service which I have dealt with. Cybersyncs are what I use and they have worked great under all but the most long range of applications. Cybersyncs have a shorter claimed distance than the Jx system. I also know that Cybersyncs come with a variety of sync cords so you don't have to buy them separately, which is nice. Drawbacks: These are not a transceiver type system, so you have a dedicated transmitter and dedicated receivers. If your transmitter goes out, you have to have a backup transmitter on hand or wait for one to be shipped. There are some other problems with not being a transceiver too, but they're a bit beyond the scope here. If you use 'Alien' 'Bees' or other Paul C Buff products, I suggest using Cybersyncs as they are integrated into the whole system.

Option 5. Radio triggers! (of the expensive variety)
This includes Pocketwizards of all varieties and RadioPopper Px.
These products have excellent reputations and excellent functionality, and if your flash has TTL, you can maintain functionality by purchasing the PW Flex/Mini or the Px. Keep in mind there were some issues for Canon flashes with the PW varieties and interference, but that has been improved somewhat. RESEARCH IT BEFORE YOU BUY if you go that route. PW Plus II and the new Plus III are also included in this category. They are transceivers, meaning they can function as transmitter and receiver interchangeably. They have exceptional range and exceptional reliability. They also have multiple channels. Drawbacks: Cost, but they last forever and hold value excellently.

Okay, triggers are covered. What else is there to know?

Caveat-
I'm going to go through some modifiers for you. The list is BY NO MEANS EXHAUSTIVE OR EVEN CLOSE TO IT, both regarding the plethora of products as well as the types of modifiers. This is just some basic stuff. Also, I don't want you to think you HAVE to get all this stuff. I'm putting it all together so it's there as you progress and to give you a bit of knowledge about stuff in general. I also don't want you to think that you HAVE to buy this stuff. Some ingenuity can build a lot of things, actually. Here's a post from Strobist compiling many DIY methods. The internet is flooded with others solutions, too, so if the prices are steep, look around and see if you think you could make it instead. Light is just light at the end of the day.

Diffusers
I wish I had good news for you, but the general truth is that every modifier gives a different look. If you're curious what I mean, check out this awesome modifier comparison. You can select tons of options to see how they look side by side with the same subject.

Having said that, there's a general path that people follow and one which will give you a good start, and from which you can go crazy with modifiers later. Remember that ALL MODIFIERS THAT DIFFUSE (soften) YOUR LIGHT CONSUME IT. Meaning, your full power just got lowered because your modifier is eating some of it. Some mods, particularly for studio lights, will boost power by reflecting it in a more concentrated fashion, but this makes the light harsher.

Starting out, I think that something like a 43 inch or so umbrella is a good, all around solution. I like these Westcott Reversible ones for a few reasons. They have a black cover that can be taken off, so you can use it as a shoot through or a reflect. This does change the nature of the light. You can also partially detach the cover and make it reflect different amounts, which is useful. Using it as a shoot through means you can get it closer to your subject, which means softer light. It's also a bit less controlled, with lots of spill, so having the flexibility is nice. They are made lightweight, and that means they aren't super durable. Mine have taken falls, but BE CAREFUL with them. Umbrellas love to get airborne, so if you're outside or have a window open, sandbag that stand or stake it down! You can also use tent stakes and Nite Ize Figure 9's to very quickly and easily guy out the stand without knowing anything about knots. They're also small and superlight. In general, exercise caution. You can look for sturdier umbrellas, which will be a bit more expensive, be a bit larger, and a bit heavier.

An umbrella of this size will light one person from head to toe but ideally works for headshots. More people and I'd suggest something bigger like the Photek Softlighter II 60 inch or a Paul C Buff PLM. The Softlighter controls light and behaves kinda sorta like a softbox but not quite, as does the PLM, which focuses the light. Actual softboxes are generally a bit more friendly when it comes to wind, meaning they resist taking flight a bit better. Which brings us to....

Softboxes.
Softboxes provide nice even lighting like umbrellas, but they're more controlled. They have less spill, which means they're more directional. So, if you aim it at somebody, it will fall outside of where you aim it less. They can be made even more directional by adding a grid to them. Most quality softboxes have a grid that is made to fit into their front to make the light even more directional and decrease spill further, but this often needs to be purchased separately.
There are tons of options out there, some of which are very discount. What that discount can mean is fabric that isn't white, fabric that changes color over time, build quality, ease of setup, or any number of other potential issues. Some of them are fine and work great. Evaluate your purchase and read as many reviews as you can.
For a reasonably priced softbox, I'd recommend the Apollo's from Westcott. Get one as big as you want, remember that the bigger the light source relative to the subject, the softer it is. This means that a 28 inch right up next to your subject will be softer than a 50 inch 10 feet away. The good- These softboxes work pretty well with speedlights but can also be used with studio lights. The bad- your light is physically inside the softbox, whereas many others have the light sorta stuck on the back. This means power changes are done by opening the side. Some hate this, most don't seem to be bothered terribly. Also, because they mount on an umbrella shaft, your tilt is limited by the size of the softbox, because it will hit your lightstand once a certain degree of downtilt is achieved. There are ways to avoid this with other gear, but be aware of the limitation.

Grids/Snoots
These are not the same thing, but grouping them together makes sense. They both effectively decrease the spread of light and are very useful. If you have a speedlight with zoom, that's the same principle too. You can zoom that sucker down so it only lights somebody's face. They all have a slightly different look, but the premise is the same. There are a ton of these out there too, but lots of folks love the Honl Grids due to their indestructability and their reasonable price point (this is for speedlights). The 1/4 has a wider beam than the 1/8. Also, you'll need either a Honl Speed Strap (which can be used with tons of other Honl accessories) or make your own elastic strap. Honl also makes good Snoots. Gold will warm your light.

Gels!
I've bolded this because you really NEED to understand why people use gels and the concept of White Balance once you start doing flash photography. It's REALLY important because you'll be dealing with different temperatures of light often, and you need to know why your subject looks goofy or not. To cover this in depth topic, I'm just going to link you to Strobist again because his discussion of gels is really spot on and should be required reading.

Light Stands
The lighter weight stand you get, the less it can support and the more unstable it is. When considering a light stand, first think about its maximum weight, next, look at how wide its footprint is, how many sections it is (more sections mean the diameter of the final section will be thinner and more flexible), it's collapsed length (to know portability), and it's weight, if you intend to lug it around. Remember, the maximum weight is the weight of your flash (speedlights are light, studio lights are not), the weight of whatever you're using to mount the flash to the stand (I'll get to that next, speedlight people!), and the modifier of your choice. Big stuff is NOT light and you'll quickly discover that when you try and put that 60" umbrella up there. One other feature of light stands that you'll see is whether they are Air Cushioned. What that means is whether or not your stand traps air to cushion the shaft as it collapses. This seems silly until your clamp slips or something and your whole setup telescopes down at Mach 8 and then falls over. Air cushioning means it's a slow descent. I've got a few different stands, but the ones I'd suggest taking a look at if you're using a relatively lightweight setup and want portability are this Air Cushioned Manfrotto, this non cushioned Manfrotto, and this LumoPro. Of them, I prefer the Air Cushioned Manfrotto by a good deal. It's the most stable, has AC, is extremely light (lighter than the LumoPro and only .2 lbs heavier than the other Manfrotto while being a good bit taller), while still being pretty tall. If you have more than one of them, they also stack together, which is handy. A bit heavier duty but still pretty portable (though long when collapsed) is this Manfrotto. If you have a bit of a heavier setup or are not as keen on portability, definitely look at the Paul C Buff stands, which are very reasonable and pretty sturdy.

Umbrella Adapter
If you went with studio lights, you don't need this, as it should be part of the mount for your light. I use these Photek ones, and don't have any complaints. There are tons of other options, but these have a shoe to mount to, have teeth in them so they lock very securely, are lightweight, small, and pretty reasonable cost wise.

Studio Miscellany
I briefly mentioned batteries earlier. They can be used for a variety of things, from turbo-powering certain flashes like the SB900/910/800 with a Quantum power pack, for instance to powering your studio flashes on site. There is a HUGE variety here, everything generators to lead acid batteries (car batteries). One great option on the market that's worth considering if you want to go this route is the Vagabond Mini. It's comparably small and light and provides great power at a great price. If you use any of these batteries with hotshoe flashes BE CAREFUL as you are pumping a ton of power through an air cooled flash. Studio flashes have fans (usually) and can dissipate that heat. Your hotshoe can't, and there's a real chance of overheating and destroying it if you aren't careful about higher powered use. Like I said, if you're always pushing their power, you should consider something else.

For further reading on lighting technique, I STRONGLY urge people to check out the full Strobist Lighting 101 at the very least, and preferably Lighting 102 as well.

Another very good resource that I'd recommend is Joe McNally's Hotshoe Diaries. It's got some Nikon specific stuff, but it's largely just lighting theory.
Also Zack Arias' One Light Field Guide. You have to kinda understand stuff a bit to get much out of this one, but it shows some great ideas and some great ways to do things nicely with just one light. He has a DVD set that goes with it as well, but the book is worthwhile on its own.

If you're a Canon dedicated shooter, the place to go for Canon flash is, in my opinion, //pixsylated.com/blog/. Syl Arenas is great at talking about how they work and specifically the variety of eTTL stuff. He has a book out that I've not picked up yet, but if it's like his other stuff, it will be solid.

At the end of the day, just remember-
Light is light. It's not rocket science. Play around, don't be too intimidated. Have fun.

Any thoughts/questions etc encouraged, and remember, this is just a primer. If you have further gear suggestions, please include them so others can learn and get an idea of what you found worked and didn't.

Message edited by author 2012-09-05 21:20:38.
 08/29/2012 01:01:45 PM · #18
This should be published in the tutorial section. Great information, thanks for taking the time to post it.
 08/29/2012 01:57:21 PM · #19
Originally posted by bhuge:
This should be published in the tutorial section. Great information, thanks for taking the time to post it.

My thoughts exactly. I have bookmarked it here for now. Great stuff, Derek!
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