Lighting Kit

[silver163]

I was wanting to buy this lighting kit:

INT182 Interfit Photographic EX150 MKII Kit with Two 150 watt Second Monolight Flashes, with Umbrella, Softbox, Bulbs and Stands

But it says there are two flahses. I wanted to know how they work. Do they operate the same as the flash on the camera? If so how do I sync it with my camera?

 

[Village Idiot]

Better deal imo.

Calumet Genesis 200 2-Light Kit - CF0502K1 -

You can use a sync cable or your pop up flash. They have optical slaves that will pick up the camera flash and fire them. That or radio triggers. The two listed in this thread so far are 150w/s and 200w/s. The pop up flash is something like 15w/s, so it'll be very easy to over power.

 

[silver163]

Better deal imo.

Calumet Genesis 200 2-Light Kit - CF0502K1 -

You can use a sync cable or your pop up flash. They have optical slaves that will pick up the camera flash and fire them. That or radio triggers. The two listed in this thread so far are 150w/s and 200w/s. The pop up flash is something like 15w/s, so it'll be very easy to over power.

are they brighter than the first lighting kit i proposed?

 

[Big Mike]

are they brighter than the first lighting kit i proposed?

200 Ws is more than 150 Ws...so yes.

 

[JerryPH]

200 Ws is more than 150 Ws...so yes.

But very little. You have to double the power to increase 1 stop (150 to 300 = 1 stop increase)... so even though going from 150 to 200 is more, its less than a 1/2 stop and barely noticeable. Still, more will give you the ability to not so much light brighter as the chance to successfully light wider with the proper modifiers.

 

[Village Idiot]

But very little. You have to double the power to increase 1 stop (150 to 300 = 1 stop increase)... so even though going from 150 to 200 is more, its less than a 1/2 stop and barely noticeable. Still, more will give you the ability to not so much light brighter as the chance to successfully light wider with the proper modifiers.

But for the extra money you get strobes with digital controls which you can make much more reliable adjustments on rather than using a turn knob. Plus the Genesis lights can use Elinchrom modifiers, which are...nice.

 

[silver163]

But for the extra money you get strobes with digital controls which you can make much more reliable adjustments on rather than using a turn knob. Plus the Genesis lights can use Elinchrom modifiers, which are...nice.

which lighting kit is the best for $300?

can't i just put in better bulbs for higher power?

 

[Village Idiot]

which lighting kit is the best for $300?

can't i just put in better bulbs for higher power?

No. It's probably limited by what the capacitors store and can fire in one burst since 300w/s is not equal to a 300 watt bulb.

But as mentioned 200w/s isn't much more than 150w/s, it's just the Genesis lights are a much better light imo and they give you something to really build off of.

 

[silver163]

No. It's probably limited by what the capacitors store and can fire in one burst since 300w/s is not equal to a 300 watt bulb.

But as mentioned 200w/s isn't much more than 150w/s, it's just the Genesis lights are a much better light imo and they give you something to really build off of.

yeah but there is a $100 difference and i am tight on money as is.

how are they better?

also cant i just upgrade the capacitators?

 

[Village Idiot]

yeah but there is a $100 difference and i am tight on money as is.

how are they better?

also cant i just upgrade the capacitators?

Maybe if you're an electrical engineer and know what other components you'd have to replace after you crack open the case...

Digital controls in 1/10 stop adjustments versus a knob you turn to adjust the power is the biggest thing. That means if you want to turn the power down 4/10 of a stop you press the button until the digital read out shows you where you want to be. On the other lights you turn the knob and hope you get some where close. Unless you have a light meter, you'll never know.

 

[silver163]

Maybe if you're an electrical engineer and know what other components you'd have to replace after you crack open the case...

Digital controls in 1/10 stop adjustments versus a knob you turn to adjust the power is the biggest thing. That means if you want to turn the power down 4/10 of a stop you press the button until the digital read out shows you where you want to be. On the other lights you turn the knob and hope you get some where close. Unless you have a light meter, you'll never know.

i heard someone tell me that 150 and 200 is a big difference for the camera, my camera is a pentax k100d, will it make a difference?

 

[JerryPH]

Where are you getting yoiur info from? (lol). Light doesn't change by camera mode (you control the amount of light that comes into a camera using ISO, shutter speed and aperture the same in ALL cameras). Maybe he meant something else... but who knows.

And no, in the end the lighting difference at a picture at 150 vs 200 will be barely visible... you will have to justify the extra cost on other items. VI stated a good example... greater adjustability or greater features, becuase the power diffference between 150 to 200 will be a bit more than a 1/4 stop of light, and thats near not visible.

 

[silver163]

i am not sure which light would be better for its money, if there is really little difference how is the gensis any better?

 

[Village Idiot]

i am not sure which light would be better for its money, if there is really little difference how is the gensis any better?

That question has been answered here:

Maybe if you're an electrical engineer and know what other components you'd have to replace after you crack open the case...

Digital controls in 1/10 stop adjustments versus a knob you turn to adjust the power is the biggest thing. That means if you want to turn the power down 4/10 of a stop you press the button until the digital read out shows you where you want to be. On the other lights you turn the knob and hope you get some where close. Unless you have a light meter, you'll never know.

and here:

But for the extra money you get strobes with digital controls which you can make much more reliable adjustments on rather than using a turn knob. Plus the Genesis lights can use Elinchrom modifiers, which are...nice.

Buy whatever you want.

Joe McNally, Scott Kelby, or Zack Arias (maybe it was all three) once said that it's better to buy the best gear you can instead of selling it and buying all over again.

For your budget I'm tempted to say one Genesis 400, a stand and umbrella. That should be about $300.

I mean, there's monolight kits you could probably find for $200, but it's not something I'd even think about buying.

 

[silver163]

ok i will buy the calumet kit seems better.

but is it possible to change the liths themselves without buying a whole kit over again?

but also what is the other kit with pretty good (not omfg the best) but decent, good enough for most if not all photographers?