Invoice from company to build studio (your thoughts?)

[table1349]

I have never seen a kit that doesn't come with some useful items, some so-so items and some crap. Did you decide on what was on the list or did the dealer. If it was the dealer do you know how to use every item on that list and do you actually have a need for every item on the list?

 

[Derrel]

I think you are missing umbrellas, and have only ONE set of grids, a total of three pieces, for the standard reflectors, and have no mylar diffusers and no scrims and no reflective or subtractive fabrics for the scrim panels...you need more grids, like at least two each in 10 and 20 degree grids, for the standard reflectors. You have only four total lights in a MASSIVE studio! You will need TWO lights just to light up a big gray seamless to lift it up to pure white: so you'll be left to light ther entire rest of the set with...two lights. One key light, one fill light...and then..no hair light, no kicker light! There needs to be a bunch oif smaller stuff too: A-clamps, grip arms and heads, a smaller boom stand, and a handful of other types of grip accessories.

Personally: I think that for studio work, monolights are the wrong solution....a pack and head system is better, and more-efficient and costs less. Let's take an older Speedotron 2401 Watt-second black-line power supply system, which I own two idental units of. Each pack can power SIX flash heads on instant-connect cable plug-ins, split into three channels, with 1/3 stop clicks over a three-stop range....so....If I NEED 1200 Watt-seconds, I have that much power--plus, I have 1,200 W-s left over to distrubute through up to as many as five more outlets! If I need SIX lights, each at 400 Wat-seconds, no worries. If I need an 800 W-S and another 800 W-S, I have that...and have another 800 W-S left over, which I could channel through an additional 1,2,3,or 4 flash units!

If I absolutely NEED 2,400 Watt-seconds, I can use one, single flash unit to deliver that much flash power, and then use the second power supply unit to deliver another 2,400 W-S through up to six flash heads....and flash "Heads" are much less expensive than monolights are.

Add up the cost of one power pack and six flash heads, and it will be far less than six self-contained BR Siros 800 units. But the real issue comes in the fact that you have just one "type" of expensive, complete, 800 W-s top-end limited flash unit with each monolight, and it is rather large and heavy: some flash brands like DynaLight, have very small,light flash heads AND offer also some small,light power supplies. Norman has decent pack-and-head systems, as do other brands. Consider just how cosrtly it is to go above 800-Watt-seconds with a monolight system! If you need 1,600 W-s you need two entire monolights! 2,400 Watt-seonconds requires three, entire, complete monolights, synchronized--and HOW do you mount them into a single modifier?

Your studio is a large one: you need to move past the idea of 800 Watt-seconds being the right base power level for each light: that is not the right power size! it is wayyyyyy too expensive for hairlights and accent lights! You WANT the ability to have low-priced, small, plentiful 150- to 200-Watt-second lights, and at least five of them, or better yet, six lights.

Price ranges and outlet numbers vary a LOT: Speedotron makes affordable, 6-outlet and 4-outlet packs; some companioes offer VERY expensive power packs with few outlets for high dollars (Profoto); somne are in-between. Information of studio flash systems can be hard to come by these days. Speedotron just updated their web offereings this year for the first time in a long while. Look into Norman and DynaLight, and other brands through the B&H Photo website.

Consider having a very experienced person help you on an equiupment list.

 

[tirediron]

Your studio is similar in size to mine, and I rarely use more than a total of 400 w/s spread over 2-3 lights (I use a pack and head system as Derrel recommends above). Rarely, and I do mean RARELY, I have gone to an 800 w/s pack and spread it out over 4-5 lights. The other big issue IMO is that you're only getting 4 lights on that list. 5 is the bare minimum; key, fill, hair, background and spare.

You could easily get a MUCH better-suited system for 1/10 the cost.

 

[vintagesnaps]

If you're planning to set up a studio to go into business you should know what you need. If you don't yet it seems like you still have learning to do.

Why not get some basics to start with? get the items you're familiar with and know you'll use, then go from there.

That's a lot of equipment and a lot of money and yes you have the budget for it but do you have to spend your entire budget (at least all at once)? I'd get your business plan done before you spend it all on equipment - and then what? How will you find clients and/or market to photographers if you want to rent the studio space? Have you been doing portraits and already have a good reputation as a photographer or just getting started? Lots to consider I think.

 

[480sparky]

If you're going to rent this studio out, I'd ask potential clients what THEY would like to have available. Nothing will sink your ship faster than not providing what people are willing to pay for.

 

[Designer]

If you're planning to set up a studio to go into business you should know what you need. If you don't yet it seems like you still have learning to do.

He has said he is not a photographer. He is a developer.

 

[table1349]

If you're planning to set up a studio to go into business you should know what you need. If you don't yet it seems like you still have learning to do.

He has said he is not a photographer. He is a developer.

What, and developers don't have to know what it takes to set up a studio if he wants to develop a studio business?

 

[Designer]

If you're planning to set up a studio to go into business you should know what you need. If you don't yet it seems like you still have learning to do.

He has said he is not a photographer. He is a developer.

What, and developers don't have to know what it takes to set up a studio if he wants to develop a studio business?

It's pretty obvious that he asked a supplier for their recommendation. Obvious to me, at least.

 

[table1349]

If you're planning to set up a studio to go into business you should know what you need. If you don't yet it seems like you still have learning to do.

He has said he is not a photographer. He is a developer.

What, and developers don't have to know what it takes to set up a studio if he wants to develop a studio business?

It's pretty obvious that he asked a supplier for their recommendation. Obvious to me, at least.

on Which is scary.

The guy that built our house knew exactly what materials were needed to construct, equip, and finish our house since we instructed him on what we wanted. We didn't go to some supplier and say "Hey, I'm building a house. What do I need to build it with."

As a result I have a house that was built with blue wood and green board drywall in all moisture prone areas that not only resists moisture but mold. The upstairs bathrooms and kitchen walls as well as the finished lower level were insulated with 2lb foam insulation as it is also moisture and mold resistant. The house was built with green sheathing so the framing was strengthened with steel brackets and the class 4 roof saves me 24.5% on our home owners insurance.

When they say "If you build it they will come", only tells part of the story. They left out the part, "If you build it right, they will come back."

 

[Derrel]

I would also consider what "types" of work you anticipate shooting in this studio. People/family/portraiture would likely have some needed equipment pieces that would be different from what one would likely use for larger products like bicycles or washer/dryer stuff for catalog/circulars/advertisement photos.

Just for the record: brand-new lighting equipment is very expensive. USED lighting equipment of all types (lighting/grip/modifiers) is very inexpensive. Your lighting kit here is $13,500; on the used market for hardware, I think this entire setup or something like it could be assembled for wayyyyyyyyyyy fewer Euro.

The four x 800 Watt-second lights at 4,640 Euro...my gosh, that is VERY expensive...much higher a cost than it is worth, in my opinion and it is **just four** light units. ALso, the cost per Watt-second is very high, and the number of lights is so few. What about the need for low-powered accent lights of say 200 Watt-seconds, or 100-Watt-seconds, or even in real-world situations, something in the 25-,50,or even 75-Watt-second range?

Again...the monolight of 800 Watt-seconds is, IMHO, not quite the right "building block" for light units, unless you are shooting large-format film and need small f/stops like f/45,f/64,etc.. We've moved to digital systems where Base ISO is now 100 or so.In MANY close-in situations, an 800 W-s light will need to be turned way,way down, to 1/4, or 1/6. or 1/8 power, or even 1/16 power; this is one reason that lower-powered lights in the 25-,50,75-,100-,150- or 200-Watt-second power range are so useful.

Lighting is MOSTLY about simple ratios of light amounts: 1:2,1:4,1:8, 1:16 and so on. The building blocks are based on base units....and their fractional values....1:1 is full power, 1:2 is half power and one f/stopless; 1:4 is quarter power and two stops less: 1:8 is eighth power and three stops down from max; 1:16 is yet another stop down, and 1:32 power is yet another stop down.

On pack-and-head systems, base power levels start high, like 2,400 Watt-seconds, and go down in simple fractions (and are not "always" equal down-steps!!!) like 2400,1600,1200,800,600,400,200,100,50,25 Watt-seconds. From 2,400 to 25 Watt-seconds is an Eight-Stop power range.

It is possible to buy low-cost packs that fit in easily, like a 2400 pack and a 1200 pack and a 800 pack and a 400 pack. These packs, bought used, are less-expensive than ANY BR800 monolight!!!

I have used Speedotron Black Line with 2,400 W-s,800 W-s, and 400 Watt-second packs with 102,103,and 202 VF ( Variable Focusing) lamp heads, Speedotron Brown Line packs in 1600, 600,400 and 200 Watt-second size with MW3,MW3U,M90,M11,and M11-Q flash heads, Photogenic Studio Master, Photogenic Porta Master, Norman B-2000 and their LH blower lamp heads, DynaLight M-series pack and head,and in monolights, Alien Bee 400's, Sunpak MS-4000, White Lightning Ultra 3200 and WL Ultra 1600's, and JTL 300 monolights. Those flash systems cover the 1970's to the mid-2000's, some are still currently made. I think you could EASILY buy lower-cost yet comparable, or better, flash gear, for less money.

 

[thomsoxon]

Hello. I hate complicated documentation. With all these taxes, additional deductions and extra charges, it's so hard to understand!

 

[Space Face]

Ah weel, they've had 4 years to work it out.

 

[Rickbb]

We should have a contest to see who can revive the oldest thread possible. lol

 

[Space Face]