Lighting on a Budget?

[TylerF]

Hello,

recently, I have been looking into getting some better lighting for portraits and band promo shoots. Though, i dont have a lot of cash. I have been looking on ebay for some kits. I'm not picky and don't need the best of the best or anything. I have looked at alien bees and they are a bit out of my price range. here are a few things im looking at. I have a sb600 but my d40 doesn't support the wireless. So I'm guessing I need a slave as well.

1000 w Photography Studio Video Film Lighting Kit DK4 - eBay (item 330392398431 end time Jan-09-10 16:14:21 PST)

Photography Lights Photo Studio Lighting Softbox Kit - eBay (item 370317934505 end time Jan-09-10 18:34:14 PST)

or making it all by myself.

any suggestions? i dont need anything amazing, just need SOMETHING.

thank you

 

[Darkhunter139]

DealExtreme: $29.99 RF-602 Remote Shutter Switch for Nikon D90/D5000 DSLR Cameras

That will let you trigger the SB600 wireless with your D40. A lot of people on the strobist flickr group recommend that.

 

[TylerF]

Thanks, I will look into that

I think the secon kit I posted says it has a trigger for the lights or something. Would my sb600 work with that? I don't feel that a sb600 with a soft box will be able to do much. I could be wrong though

 

[TylerF]

No more input?

 

[Derrel]

Tyler,
There are a lot of threads on lighting kits for beginners, Strobist kits, and getting started in studio lighting threads. The first kit, the $299 one, has two very low-cost monolights and a low-cost "slave flash" unit of the type the Morris Company has been making for many years. All these lights have slave triggers built in so a remote triggering system is not 100% required, but one for $29 would be a nice added bonus to have. This is low-powered stuff of low quality and lower life expectancy, but it is a lot of stuff for $299.

The $109 kit with the four light stands, two 7 footers and two shorter stands, plus two umbrellas, and the 35 watt>250 watt-equivalent light bulbs is a continuous lighting setup.

I'm not a fan of continuous lighting--BUT you get four lights for a little over a C-note. I think any type of three-light flash system would be far betetr than nothing, and it is possible to use the small, lower powered monolights and the simple Morris-style slave flashes to do decent portraits. Considering how very little $300 buys any more, I'd say go for the flash kit, get it, try it, and use it,and see what it's like to have small monolights to work with. I think you'd find it easier to work with small monolights and umbrellas, as well as the barn doors and the grid. Go to portrailightingdotnet and look at some simple two- and three-flash setups and get on it! You should be able to produce a shot like this one Example
within a few days of trying.

 

[TylerF]

Thanks a lot! I think I'm going to get the flash kit becauseit seems like a lot of stuff for 300 dollars. I think its a good kit to at least leanr how to light properly.

Thanks again!

 

[zeto88]

Sell me your SB-600 so you have some more money for your lighting equip.
PM me.

 

[TylerF]

Haha no can do. Sorry. I still need something for out and about shooting. I can't lug around studio type lighting all the time haha