New to lighting

[MrsAgnitude]

Look to set up a portable studio. I am thinking that 2 600EX-RT flashes, Speedlite ST-E3-RT radio transmitter and soft boxes/stands might be the best plan for me since I don have a set studio area and will be using on locations. I am totally new to this and looking for any input on if this would be effective, any other suggestions or additional equipment that I might need to consider. Will be taking anything from infant, children, families and full body shots ( pageant photos). I have a Canon 5d Mark II and mainly shoot with 85 mm 1.8 and looking to add he 24-70 pretty soon. Keeping under $2000.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Your plan is a rather expensive one. Those flashes are very expensive and I think the ST-E3 isn't cheap either.

Lets talk about the pros and cons. Firstly, they are very good flash units (if they are like the other Canon units). Plenty of power and all that.
If you get this system, they will communicate with the camera and give you the ability to use E-TTL (auto flash metering) with the remote flashes. You could control the power of the lights and control the ratio between the two. You could use other features, like High Speed Sync, just as if the flash was mounted on the camera. The new units (600EX RT) have the added ability that they use radio communication, which is much better than the previous system, which used light pulses (or IR). That system wasn't great, especially outdoors. But of course, the cost will be rather high,

Using E-TTL can be great, but it's not ideal for everyone. It is still an auto system, and as such, it will change based on the reflectivity (and other things) of the subject and the scene. As such, it can be unpredictable at times.

What most photographers use in this scenario, is separate radio flash triggers (mainly because before now, radio wasn't an option without extra gear). The industry standard product was the Pocket Wizard (the Plus II being very popular over the last 10 or more years). They weren't cheap at $160 each, but they work really well.
The big difference is that they are simple radio triggers that only tell the flash when to fire. So there is no E-TTL metering and you have to set the power manually on the flash and you likely had to use manual exposure on the camera. That wasn't a problem for photographers who know what their doing...in fact, they liked it better...simply because it's consistent and predictable. You just have to get it set up correct in the first place, then you don't have to worry about it changing because of the subject or scene.

Pocket Wizard does now have triggers than can talk to Canon flashes to give you E-TTL, they also have a better 'simple' trigger, the Plus III. There are many other brands as well, right down to $40 radio trigger sets (not recommended for professional work).

But here's a rather good reason to consider simple accessory radio triggers...you don't need to use expensive flash units. You could buy $120 flash units, rather than the EX600 (which are what, $600?).

 

[oneguywithacamera]

I have the 600EX-RT and ST-E3-RT and love it for it's simplicity. It just works.

I'll add to Mike's point. It really depends on how much access and time you have to mess with getting your flashes set up properly. What I love about the RT system is that you can choose to go with manual flash control without having to go around to each unit and change settings and power, like you would if you went with dumb triggers. You just set all functions right from the RT master. You can do everything: change modes, turn groups on and off, adjust power (except control the zoom head) from camera with the RT system. Also, when the 440EX-RT (or whatever they call it) comes out you'll have a cheaper, though less powerful, option for slave units as well.

So if you plan on mounting lights where they are hard to get to or putting them in a softbox like an Apollo or such the RT system is a dream.

If you want to go with legacy units like the 580EXII I hear the Phottix Odin system works great and has almost all the functionality of Canon's RT system. Also with the Odin, you can trigger dumb flashes or studio strobes within the system - even if your speed lights are in TTL.

The only way do this with the Canon RT system is to add Phottix's Strato triggers to run in tandem with the Canon system (this is what I use).

 

[Derrel]

Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT 5296B002 B&H Photo Video

Huh...seems like a lot of money for the level of power they put out...you could get HIGHER flash power AND much broader coverage with any number of portable monolight flashes that have a DC power option, OR by using any n umber of different brands and model of monolight flashes powered on-location by a portable sine wave inverter+battery device like the Paul C. Buff.com Mini-Vagabond or one of the various Explorer sine-wave rigs from Innovatronix. What you actually need and what you want might be something only you can determine, exactly; the problem with speedlights, as I see it, is that they are limited in terms of long shooting sessions...they really are NOT designed to shoot more than about 10 frames in a row without a rest period. AND, their recycle times are kind of slow unless they are being powered by external battery power supplies. RIGHT NOW, Adorama has a portable, 400 Watt-second small-head-big battery portable flash unit for $199, normally $250...I have been eyeing one of those for a HIGH-output, battery-powered flash that would work well with umbrellas or umbrella box style umbrellas or a small to medium softbox OR as a light for use behind a 48 x 72 inch panel frame with white ripstop nylon cover.

IMHO, $567 each for those Canon speedlights is too much money for NOT enough output...BUT, they are sexy..and they are very SMALL, light, and easy to pack, and quick to set up.

 

[MrsAgnitude]

Thank you for all the info. I really appreciate it. I have been going back and forth on what would be my best route. Thinking about holding off on that set up for the time being until i am 100% sure. So glad I have discovered this site! Learning so much already and spending way too much time on here.

Thanks again!

 

[Village Idiot]

Thank you for all the info. I really appreciate it. I have been going back and forth on what would be my best route. Thinking about holding off on that set up for the time being until i am 100% sure. So glad I have discovered this site! Learning so much already and spending way too much time on here.

Thanks again!

If you're going to spend that much money, get something worth it. A Dynalite kit or Elinchrom kit with a battery to power the strobes will give you a lot more power to work with if you need it. It may be heavier than speedlights, but I couldn't see spending $600 on a single speedlight. It's great to have at least one TTL capable hot shoe strobe, but unless you need and you're going to use multiple ones together, it's a waster of money.