I'm ready to buy some lights

greybeard

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Like a lot of people I have a collection of battery powered hotshoe strobes but no real studio lights. I'm ready to get some descent lights but I don't have clue as to where to start or just exactly what I need. I would assume that I would need 2 or 3 light stands, a background, a flash meter, some monolite type strobes, and either some umbrellas or softboxes. I want descent stuff that I can build on and not start out with something cheap I'll either have to sell or trash once I find out it isn't any good. What is good solid stuff I can start with and grow with?
 
You'll get a lot of differing views on lighting kits that you can grow on. But I think everyone will agree that you can't go wrong with the Alien Bee monolights. There are plenty of light modifiers and you can buy adapters to add additional third party modifiers. All in all, good bang for the buck. And yes, a light meter is a big plus. Again...that's another hot topic but if you're planning on a three light set-up, there is no better way to visualize and learn ratios than a meter (doesn't have to be expensive, either).
 
Buying lights is fun! I've had great luck with both ebay and craigslist for uber-cheap elinchroms, and a huge favor for a fashion photographer I'm second shooter for on a profoto gig =)
 
Speedotron makes very decent gear that will last for,literally, DECADES. As in "decades". Made right here in the USA as well....not made offhsore and then partially assembled in Florida so people "think" it's American-made....cough,cough.

Dynalite is very well-made, and smallish, and yet rugged and powerful.

In monolights, you can spend very,very little, like the Adorama Flashpoint 320M, made I believe by Mettle, in China, but surprisingly reliable, and very low-cost.

Calumet Photographic Inc. sells its own "Genesis" line, that's low-cost and decently-made.

IMO, what a guy wants are MORE flashes rather than a "lot of power" at the expense of number of units. Today's d-slr's shoot great at ISO 200, so the "old days" need for a 1,600 Watt-second pack has been eliminated by no longer needing ISO 25 or ISO 64 slide film to make a great image...today, you can shoot at ISO 200 and get a GREAT image...or even go up to ISO 1,600 and get a good image when it's lighted by studio type flash. I would say buy 3, or 4, 150 Watt-second flash units, rather than one, or two, 800 Watt-second type units.

Get a 10/20/30 degree honeycomb grid set, a barn door set, and one light to use those things with. Then, get one light as a main light. Buy a third light as a hair light. Buy a 4th light as a background light.

Get four decent light stands, a bunch of A-clamps, and some other miscellaneous accessories, like a LARGE reflector that's 42x72 inches or so.

Umbrellas are affordable. Buy two identical ones. Photek Softlighter II for example, an umbrella box type umbrella that's a lovely light.
 
Thanks, now I have a start
 

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