Lighting starter package

[tank121]

I've now purchased the large Rogue Lightbender and looking to get the diffuser too. I now need a cheap stand and shoe to mount my sb700 on. This will be used for friends, family portraits etc inside.

Are the below items any good?

Phot-R 2 m Professional Photography Aluminium Light Amazon.co.uk Camera Photo

Phot-R Professional Swivel Cold Shoe Flash and Amazon.co.uk Electronics

Are there slightly more expensive superior alternatives?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tirediron]

It's an almost universal truth, especially as related to photographic equipment that anything that calls itself 'professional' most certainly is not. I don't have any first-hand knowlege with those specific items, but I can say based on experience that they're almost certain to be junk. Does it really make sense to trust $20 worth of cold shoe & light stand to support $350+ worth of speedlight & modifier? Look for good quality light-stands with a recognizable brand name. I prefer Manfrotto, but there are lots of others. If money is a concern, look on the used market; Craig's List or your local equivalent is likely to have some good deals on things like that. I would expect to spend at least $50-75 for a stand that was of suitable quality and $25-40 for an all aluminum cold-shoe swivel bracket. You can save up and buy good once, or cheap many times. In the long run...

 

[Derrel]

I've now purchased the large Rogue Lightbender and looking to get the diffuser too. I now need a cheap stand and shoe to mount my sb700 on. This will be used for friends, family portraits etc inside.

Are the below items any good?

Phot-R 2 m Professional Photography Aluminium Light Amazon.co.uk Camera Photo

Phot-R Professional Swivel Cold Shoe Flash and Amazon.co.uk Electronics

Are there slightly more expensive superior alternatives?

Thanks in advance.

The stand is a going to be a very compact, portable stand, since it is only a 2-meter stand...the "standard" short regular stand is a 7-footer, then 9 is common. But a 4-section, 6 footer....hmmm...the price is low at 14 pounds...the cold shoe umbrella adapter is very small, a verrrrrrry minimalist design, and does not appeal to me,personally. I have the taller types, with longer sections. However, the price is very low. I think this stuff is probably okay for light-duty, careful use. I don't think it can take much abuse or accidental "oopsie!" kind of falls or knock-overs, but then again, the prices are so,so low...one could buy spares very affordably, and if it's lost, unused, stolen, breaks, no big deal. I think it will do the job in light use, no major issues. I doubt that umbrella stand adapter's screws/tighteners will be easy to tighten enough to use a really large umbrella, like say a 60-inch umbrella box....but then, you'd probably be using a more normal; 32-inch or 40-inch umbrella anyway, and it would handle that.

 

[medic2230]

I have been using these for a while and they are very secure with my SB-910 on them.

Amazon.com RPS Studio 3 Section 10 ft. Aluminum Light Stand Photographic Lighting Booms And Stands Camera Photo

As far as umbrella adapters I've been using this one and it works well with everything I have up to a 7' umbrella. I used one of the cheap ones before that had the ball mount on it and it was all it could do to hold the SB-910 and a regular umbrella.

Manfrotto 026 Swivel Umbrella Adapter Lite-Tite 026 B H Photo

You will also need one of these to mount the flash on.

Vello Universal Accessory Shoe Mount CS B H Photo Video

They are a bit more than what you are looking at but they will be there for a long time and are very solid.

This also holds my Flashpoint 320m flash securely with the big umbrella.