Home Studio Lighting Equipment Question

[dandaluzphotography]

Hi,

Since the other thread I started got hijacked, I figured I would post this separately.

Any chance this strobe kit is worth the risk? Maybe one of you guys has used this before. I checked the reviews on Amazon and they are mixed. I'm new at this and wanted to start kind of small before investing on better gear.

Amazon.com: CowboyStudio 2 Photography Flash Strobe Studio Lighting Light Kit with Stands, Umbrella, Wireless Trigger, Receiver and Carrying Case: Camera & Photo

I plan to shoot portraits in a 10x14 space. Are these powerful enough? Any recommendation on something maybe a little better and inside the 200 dollar range?

Thanks,
Danny

 

[joealcantar]

Sorry someone Hijacked your thread and went off topic. Looking at this kit , know you will be disappointed as one cannot adjust the lighting at all. On another Thread I saw a kit recommended by Kmh I believe (around 400 bucks) that I know would do you more good. Save your money and will try to find a link to it. Give us some time to do some searching before you commit.
-
Shoot well, Joe

 

[dandaluzphotography]

Thanks Joe. I'm definitely going to look around before I commit to anything. I don't fully understand all the bells and whistles that the different systems have so I'm doing my due diligence.

Danny

 

[Derrel]

Got to FP320M Flashpoint II 320M, 150 Watt Second AC / DC Monolight Strobe.

 

[Village Idiot]

No. Cowboy studio is a ripoff. Besides that, they're marketing some of their equipment as Strobist equipment and the Strobist blog has nothing to do with them.

 

[dandaluzphotography]

Got to FP320M Flashpoint II 320M, 150 Watt Second AC / DC Monolight Strobe.

I checked this out and it looks good. Would just one of these be sufficient for the the space I'm shooting in? What else might I need to get to complete this set? I imagine I would need an umbrella.

Thanks,
Danny

 

[tirediron]

A modifier is not essential, but it does greatly increase the versatility of any light set. I would consider a combination umbrella (A reflector umbrella with a removable outer layer allowing it to conver to shoot through) to start. Note that is only a head, so you will need a light stand of some sort, and a way of triggering the light. Depending on your camera, you can go tethered with a PC sync cord, or use one of a host of inexpensive radio triggers, Cactus V4 are getting good reviews.

 

[Derrel]

Adorama often packages the 320 M series monolights with either a softbox or an umbrella, and a light stand, for the very fair price of around $139. Keep in mind, the M-series monolights like the 320M can be operated by a 15 ounce, DC battery pack that Adorama sells specifically for their own brand of lights, so that's one of the main reasons I suggest these low-cost monolights to people looking for low-cost monolights.

 

[dandaluzphotography]

Adorama often packages the 320 M series monolights with either a softbox or an umbrella, and a light stand, for the very fair price of around $139. Keep in mind, the M-series monolights like the 320M can be operated by a 15 ounce, DC battery pack that Adorama sells specifically for their own brand of lights, so that's one of the main reasons I suggest these low-cost monolights to people looking for low-cost monolights.

I've been doing some more research and I'm beginning to understand all the different parts that are needed. I saw the 320M kit you mentioned and I also noticed they sell a 620M kit. They are identical except for the wattage and the 620M is fan cooled (i guess because of the higher power). The 320M is 150 watts each lamp and 620M is 300 watts each lamp.

Now, for the size of the space I am shooting in (10x14) is 150 each sufficient or should I future-proof my investment and go for the 620M? How big of a space would 150 cover? Is this even measurable?

Thanks again for all your help with this!

Danny

 

[dandaluzphotography]

Adorama often packages the 320 M series monolights with either a softbox or an umbrella, and a light stand, for the very fair price of around $139. Keep in mind, the M-series monolights like the 320M can be operated by a 15 ounce, DC battery pack that Adorama sells specifically for their own brand of lights, so that's one of the main reasons I suggest these low-cost monolights to people looking for low-cost monolights.

I've been doing some more research and I'm beginning to understand all the different parts that are needed. I saw the 320M kit you mentioned and I also noticed they sell a 620M kit. They are identical except for the wattage and the 620M is fan cooled (i guess because of the higher power). The 320M is 150 watts each lamp and 620M is 300 watts each lamp.

Now, for the size of the space I am shooting in (10x14) is 150 each sufficient or should I future-proof my investment and go for the 620M? How big of a space would 150 cover? Is this even measurable?

Thanks again for all your help with this!

Danny

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Danny

 

[Village Idiot]

Adorama often packages the 320 M series monolights with either a softbox or an umbrella, and a light stand, for the very fair price of around $139. Keep in mind, the M-series monolights like the 320M can be operated by a 15 ounce, DC battery pack that Adorama sells specifically for their own brand of lights, so that's one of the main reasons I suggest these low-cost monolights to people looking for low-cost monolights.

I've been doing some more research and I'm beginning to understand all the different parts that are needed. I saw the 320M kit you mentioned and I also noticed they sell a 620M kit. They are identical except for the wattage and the 620M is fan cooled (i guess because of the higher power). The 320M is 150 watts each lamp and 620M is 300 watts each lamp.

Now, for the size of the space I am shooting in (10x14) is 150 each sufficient or should I future-proof my investment and go for the 620M? How big of a space would 150 cover? Is this even measurable?

Thanks again for all your help with this!

Danny

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Danny

You can always turn the power down, but you can't always turn the power up. The problem is, sometimes you have to do things that affect the photo quality in order to turn the power down. ND filters can have a tint to them requiring editing in post, pulling the lights farther back may alter your intended outcome and you may not have enough room. It totally depends where you're going to shoot. 150w/s will be enough for most smaller indoor areas. If you start shooting outside they won't be enough for sunny conditions, especially when you need larger modifiers.

Also, look at the mounts and the modifiers that can be purchased. I didn't see what mount they use. Mounts can be adapted for, but it can be expensive. I bought any Elinchrom to Speedotron adapter and it was $135 for just the adapter because I have a specific modifier I want to use.

 

[Derrel]

I think for portraiture in a SMALL room, like a 10x14 room, 150 watt-seconds per flash head is the right power level--especially now that so many cameras have a base ISO of 200. I've been shooting studio flash since 1986...150 watt-seconds is a reasonable amount of power; in fact, many times for a single person, I want 12.5 to 50 watt-seconds per head, spread across four lights...300 watt-seconds is not really future-proofing...you'll find out that 300 watt-seconds is too much flash power in many situations, especially with a camera with an ISO 200 base...also, the fan-cooled heads are less desirable for DC battery operation or sine wave inverter operation...because the FAN takes so much current to power...I have a 300 watt-second monolight,and the majority of the time, I end up using it at 1/4 or 1/8 power...these days, now that we're free of ISO 64 film speed, I often use 400 watt-seconds, split up between 3 or 4 light heads. It is better to have MORE lights, than it is to have more "power". I would MUCH rather own 3 x150 than 2x300 or 1x800.

 

[dandaluzphotography]

I think for portraiture in a SMALL room, like a 10x14 room, 150 watt-seconds per flash head is the right power level--especially now that so many cameras have a base ISO of 200. I've been shooting studio flash since 1986...150 watt-seconds is a reasonable amount of power; in fact, many times for a single person, I want 12.5 to 50 watt-seconds per head, spread across four lights...300 watt-seconds is not really future-proofing...you'll find out that 300 watt-seconds is too much flash power in many situations, especially with a camera with an ISO 200 base...also, the fan-cooled heads are less desirable for DC battery operation or sine wave inverter operation...because the FAN takes so much current to power...I have a 300 watt-second monolight,and the majority of the time, I end up using it at 1/4 or 1/8 power...these days, now that we're free of ISO 64 film speed, I often use 400 watt-seconds, split up between 3 or 4 light heads. It is better to have MORE lights, than it is to have more "power". I would MUCH rather own 3 x150 than 2x300 or 1x800.

Thanks! You've definitely helped me decide. I think that most of what I will be doing will be indoors. I was reading metering and using a strobe system. Will I need an external light meter?

Danny

 

[dandaluzphotography]

I've been doing some more research and I'm beginning to understand all the different parts that are needed. I saw the 320M kit you mentioned and I also noticed they sell a 620M kit. They are identical except for the wattage and the 620M is fan cooled (i guess because of the higher power). The 320M is 150 watts each lamp and 620M is 300 watts each lamp.

Now, for the size of the space I am shooting in (10x14) is 150 each sufficient or should I future-proof my investment and go for the 620M? How big of a space would 150 cover? Is this even measurable?

Thanks again for all your help with this!

Danny

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Danny

You can always turn the power down, but you can't always turn the power up. The problem is, sometimes you have to do things that affect the photo quality in order to turn the power down. ND filters can have a tint to them requiring editing in post, pulling the lights farther back may alter your intended outcome and you may not have enough room. It totally depends where you're going to shoot. 150w/s will be enough for most smaller indoor areas. If you start shooting outside they won't be enough for sunny conditions, especially when you need larger modifiers.

Also, look at the mounts and the modifiers that can be purchased. I didn't see what mount they use. Mounts can be adapted for, but it can be expensive. I bought any Elinchrom to Speedotron adapter and it was $135 for just the adapter because I have a specific modifier I want to use.

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

...Will I need an external light meter?

Danny

You don't need one, but it sure does make life a LOT easier. Have look at eBay; you can find models such as the Gossen Pro F (an analogue flash/ambient/reflected meter) for <$100; 30 years ago this was the high-end pro meter and still does an excellent job. For ~$200, you can pick up one of the Minolta Flash series. These are digital flash/ambient/reflected meters and deliver excellent results with all the features you need. There are of course a number of new models as well.