Lighting Equipment Question

[oCyrus55]

Well, I am a pretty big noob when it comes to studio lighting, and several people have asked me to take their pictures. I have done some research, and I do not want to spend more than $400. I was wondering if I should go with continuous lighting like this? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=312171&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Or some monolights like these?http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=429677&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

I would be shooting in my basement with no windows and with some different backdrops.
Any comments would be appreciated! Thank you

 

[ladyphotog]

I would go with the monolights, you have alot more options.

 

[oCyrus55]

Alright, thank you! But can you now explain the "more options?"

 

[fido dog]

Try Alien Bee's. They are made well. We in the horse industry find them indestructable and VERY cost effective. If you start out with 400's they'll upgrade them as you need. LOVE 'EM!!!!!:heart:

www.alienbees.com

 

[Big Mike]

Alright, thank you! But can you now explain the "more options?"

There have been several recent threads that deal specifically with Strobes vs Continuous lights.

 

[benhasajeep]

It deppends on what type of shooting you are going to do. The stobes you have chosen are low on the power end. The continious lights will be hot (generate heat, in the area and on subject). Going by the previous threads here lately I think most people preffer or at least reccommend monolights. The advantage for continious lights are cost, easier to use (shot setup, metering). The disadvantage to continious lights are they are hot (to the touch and on the subject).

 

[fmw]

I would go with the monolights, you have alot more options.

+1. The main option iis the ability to dial in the exact amount of illumination you want so that you can set lighting ratios. There a passle of other advantages, the most important one is that they only illuminate for a fraction of a second and don't generate a meaningful amount of heat.

If you go to a professional studio you aren't likely to find any hot lights at all. Only strobes. If you can get flash for the same price as hot lights then hot lights shouldn't even be a consideration.

 

[mysteryscribe]

If you are paying the same thing for continuous lights as strobe you definitely should buy the strobe. A lot of the previous advantages of strobe are pretty much gone now with digital and the ability to change the color balance post production.

Since I shoot film and then digitalize it I like the continuous lights. But I am in the tiny tiny minority.

 

[oCyrus55]

Thanks everyone!

 

[blooper]

i use continuous lighting and i dont really regret any of it. it does get warm after a couple minutes of shooting. but since the weather is getting colder and most my models wear close to little, i dont find it too much of my concern. i wouldnt mind experiementing with strobes some more, but the cost of my lamps were too hard to resist as a beginner, so i jsut stuck with it.