New toys arrived.. stands/umbrellas

[tinfish]

Congrats on the setup. I have a very similiar setup including the V2's and have been very happy. With the new toys you will find yourself getting more and more creative. Enjoy!

 

[zapman29]

Sounds nice i bought one for alot more

 

[K_Pugh]

Good stuff there! Good info for folk wanting to learn on a budget as reading other sites etc can seem like everything costs a fortune!

Looks like you're getting some nice light there as well. It doesn't have to cost a fortune to get good results.

 

[usayit]

So a bit more practice with the flashes and umbrellas to balance ambient. very basic stuff with a single umbrella. I am very pleased with the outcome... noticeably better than flash fill on my camera or even off on a cord at arms length. Much easier than I thought to bring to fill the shadows and control the highlights in the background.

Cons:
* Power.. Power.. Power. More than enough for small area but large groups would probably need more. Both lights could maybe do it for medium sized group. I shot at high noon in partially shaded areas. This was on purpose to practice balancing ambient with strong highlights and dark shadows. I was going between 1/2 power to full on a single set to properly bring the shadows up and be aware of subject distance. Case in point, the last photo (on the red scooter) was after we wandered pretty far from the light. I had to open the aperture a couple stops which started to blow out the highlights in the grass.
* Recycle time. I had to keep reminding my self to make each frame count as it would be a few seconds before I can get another flash.
* Batteries. Improved by radio shack rigging D-sized battery cells to my flashes. Not too bad though...


Pros:
* Freakin portable... I had to chase my son around with the umbrella/flash/stand and quickly relocate. Essentially "tossed" it around shot more... and tossed it again.
* Easy to pack... Carrying both sets is no more difficult than carrying a full size tripod.
* Fun... there's that aspect of accomplishing a lot with a bargain.
* A lot easier to setup than I thought.
* More natural looking than previous sessions with on-camera fill. Softer light more appealing light than bare flashes with some sort of diffuser (lumniquest in my case).
* No wires. Cactus V2s performed flawlessly. Would like to have an off switch on the transmitter. Scared another photographer who was taking a closer look at my light while I went off to chase my son. Snapped a photo while my son was running away and practically blinded the other photog... hehehe

Overall, I am really enjoying the lights and I can see the appeal of being a "Strobist" per say. I can honestly say that the kit I put together has very high bang-for-buck value and definitely can recommend it. If you can work within the limitations of the "Cons" above, you can do a lot with this kit and let the creativity flow. I also can more clearly understand the advantages of using high power strobes... especially for large groups.. professional assignments and studio. but honestly... this is probably more than I need for quite a while. Most amateurs could benefit from this basic setup.

 

[John_05]

Thanks for all the info about the stuff you bought. It was very helpful to me in making my decision on what to get.

I just have 1 question. Do the umbrella brackets come with a 3/8” and 1/4”-20 threaded female mount insert like in this photo?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/john13901/29d3802d.jpg

 

[usayit]

Yes... it includes the same threaded brass insert. The ones I have in my kit are Lumopro LP632.

 

[John_05]

Yes... it includes the same threaded brass insert. The ones I have in my kit are Lumopro LP632.

Excellent!

Thank you. :thumbup:

 

[Warren_G]

I am just getting into setting up a lighting setup as well, and now my only dilemma is radio triggers. I am tempted to try to cactus, or even the Smith-Victor ones on amazon, but I am worried that I am going to want pocket wizards anyway. I am ordering a couple vivitar 285HVs and want to have a reliable trigger system, although I cant see myself needing a lot of range. Are the bad reviews on these cheaper triggers really as bad as they sound, or are they just a small number of people getting duds or expecting them to work perfectly in all situations all the time?

So far, I have 2 10' air lift stands from adorama, 2 43" umbrellas with removable backs, flash/umbrella mounting heads, as well as a 430ex and a 580ex speedlight. I will likely add a small boom, and maybe a softbox, but the triggers are a major part of the expense so I dont want to buy more than once.

 

[usayit]

Mine have yet to miss a trigger but then again I am still learning and definitely not putting them through the rigors of professional use. Also, range should not be too much of an issue... remember you are dealing with relatively low powered flashes not high powered strobes.

Here me out on this...

1) It is silly to spend big bucks on a pocket wizards versus less expensive options if you are not a professional and still learning. We are not talking about $1000's per hour wasted on people/equipment/models if they mistrigger or fail. If your paycheck/reputation as a professional is on the line, by all means... buy the professional triggers.
2) The ol'argument that "I might need something better in the future" is driven purely by G.A.S. and not logic. You can always need something better in the future.... Basically can argue that I should buy a Ferrari over a Toyota just in case I end up on a track. Just be honest with yourself and understand you WANT those more expensive equipment. Then proceed to purchase them with that in mind... don't fool yourself.
3) The future use and growth is a BIG IF. You can either have the pocket wizards on a shelf collecting dust or you end up with the cheap triggers on a shelf after they served their educational purpose and purchase expensive triggers. That's SEVERAL HUNDRED $$s collecting dust OR what $50 (two slaves/one trans) collecting dust. Which makes any sense?
4) Pocket wizards and Cactus V2s do the EXACT same purpose. One just does it better. You will learn no more with the pocket wizards than with the V2s in terms of lighting. YOu want to put money where it counts... PUT IT IN THE STROBES. The biggest disadvantage to the "strobist" kit is the lack of power. If you have available $$$, put it where it counts.... get more power. A person can achieve a lot more using real strobes with trigger wires running on the ground than a person with nice radio triggers with small flashes.

Me.... I shoot with some of the nicest cameras and lenses (more than the value of my 2 cars). Why?? I know what I like and I have experience to push them. I enjoy them. As for lighting, I spent a measly $270 bucks.. Why? They are an investment to learn and I have no clue as to what I like in a lighting kit. That knowledge is only acquired after some practice.

Sorry for the long post...... just I see so many threads started asking "If I should get the better one.. just in case".

 

[usayit]

The other middle ground option to consider is cyber syncs from alien bees. They are probably better built than cactus and not as expensive as pocket wizards.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Oh yeah, i'm telling ya, these small pocket flashes are the way to go!

I use them all the time when i'm shooting people on location, you can take them anywhere and when there's enough power, make them look like anything! none of these were done in the studio

 

[Bifurcator]

Nice rim lighting on that 1st one! That's 2 lights right?

The pop-flash during the long exposure on the 2nd one is pretty awesome too.

 

[JerryPH]

You have to love "affordable" kits. I am up to 6 lightstands and several 120V and battery powered strobes. Just tons of fun!

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Even just playing around without any specific goals and you can have a lot of fun! I took these just on a whim while cleaning my equipment a little while ago.
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[JerryPH]

Gotcha! Makes perfect sense. No problem with these direct orders from Hong Kong?

That's where mine came from. Mine were from Gadget Infinity and I also right away modded the transmitter so that the range went from 30 feet to over 350 feet.

Amazing what a little wire and a few seconds of soldering did for me!

I'm sure I could have gone further, but I simply ran out of space or trespassed on to someone's front yard to get a few more feet. A little more info HERE.

 

[plentygood]

The other middle ground option to consider is cyber syncs from alien bees. They are probably better built than cactus and not as expensive as pocket wizards.

I don't get why nobody ever mentions Skyports. Everything I have seen about them points that they are almost as good as Pocket Wizards (let's be honest, most people will never need to use the PW's full potential) at half the price.