Question about Redhead lighting kit

[redhenry]

Hey Guys,

I am on the lookout for a good lightning kit that can produce images like the following:

1.) Labrador retriever cream puppy | Royalty Free Stock Photo Image | iStockphoto.com

2.) Banana Bunch | Royalty Free Stock Photo Image | iStockphoto.com

3.) Attractive Casual Mature Woman | Royalty Free Stock Photo Image | iStockphoto.com

I really don't want to drop a load of cash on something that produces those grey dull isolated images.

I have my eye on these 2 kits:

1.) eBay.ie: 3x 800w Redhead Red Head Lighting + stand + bags w/gift (item 180486227191 end time 24-Jun-10 10:20:42 BST)

2.) eBay.ie: Continuous Lighting Digital + Video Redhead substitute (item 250374905792 end time 11-Jul-10 16:47:31 BST)

What would the pros recommend?

 

[Johnboy2978]

These are both continuous lighting kits. It will pass for product shots like the bananas, but for live subjects, they will be very uncomfortable and potentially a fire hazard.

You will probably want to look at strobe monolights for live portraiture. With the girl and the puppy, you generally set 1-2 lights for background and light it 2 stops higher than the subject. The subject is then lit with 1-2 strobes as well.

Google the difference between strobes and continuous lights. Strobes aren't cheap and you generally get what you pay for. Cry once, or everytime you use them. It's generally cheaper in the long run to get the right equipment at the outset. Many here use alien bee strobes. They are put together well, produce nice results and are fairly economical ~ $325 each. Check out AlienBees: Illuminating the Galaxy with Professional Photographic Lighting Equipment

 

[redhenry]

Thanks so much for the reply John, and the advice. I had no idea about the heat of the continuous lights and models :blushing:

Ok, so strobes aren't too expensive. How do they work exactly, do they connect to the camera?

And would you recommend the continuous kit for product photography? or strobes? Also does high wattage = more brightness (better isolation)?

Thanks again!

These are both continuous lighting kits. It will pass for product shots like the bananas, but for live subjects, they will be very uncomfortable and potentially a fire hazard.

You will probably want to look at strobe monolights for live portraiture. With the girl and the puppy, you generally set 1-2 lights for background and light it 2 stops higher than the subject. The subject is then lit with 1-2 strobes as well.

Google the difference between strobes and continuous lights. Strobes aren't cheap and you generally get what you pay for. Cry once, or everytime you use them. It's generally cheaper in the long run to get the right equipment at the outset. Many here use alien bee strobes. They are put together well, produce nice results and are fairly economical ~ $325 each. Check out AlienBees: Illuminating the Galaxy with Professional Photographic Lighting Equipment

 

[GeneralBenson]

I don't really know what "those gray dull isolated images" are, as if they are notorious. But Ican pretty much assure you that images that are gray or flat looking have a lot less to do with what lights were used, and a lot more to do with who was using them.

That being said, JohnnyBoy is right. Get the best lights you can afford. Which doesn't mean you have to gove by Elinchrom Rangers or ProFoto 7b's. It just means that whatever kind of lights you want, get a good version of that. Want really good all around studio lights? Check out the the Elinchrom BXRi kits. If you want beginner lights, then get good beginner lights. Maybe you could do what you need with 3-4 hot shoe flashes. Who knows. Just understand that you get what you pay for, and if you're at all serious about photography, it's worth it to pay once up front, then pay every time you use your lights.

 

[Derrel]

I would suggest a 4-outlet power pack of about 800 to 1200 watt-seconds, four light heads, two 41-inch Lastolite Umbrella Boxes, 10 sheets of Foam-Core board, one 36x48 inch Photoflex or Chimera medium softbox, two 11.5 inch 50 degree parabolic reflectors, a set of 35 and 20 degree grisd for 11.5 inch reflectors, one 7.5 inch reflector with a 4-grid set, a shot 2-to 6-foot backlight stand, one 42x72 inch or so PVC or aluminum scrim with a white reflective cloth with a black backing on the other side, and one additional transparent white fabric for shoot-through use, five nine-foot or taller light stands, some A-clamps, some gaffer's tape, two snap-on mylar diffusers for 11.5 inch reflectors, and two sets of 2-door barndoors for 11.5 inch reflectors. A good heavy-duty, castor-based boom stand with a 15 pound counterweight, and some PVC pipes and joints, some wood in the form of 2x4's, a cross-cut hand saw, epoxy, wood glue, wood screws, a wood rasp, and a staple gun. White and thunder gray 9 foot wide long seamless paper rolls, a crossbar and some hanging hooks, and a room with a good concrete or wooden floor, and a few sheets of Plexiglas. With that you could shoot all sorts of small product and catalogue and simple studio shots. Buy it used in Speedotron Black Line from eBay and the lighting would cost you under $1,000--new, it'll be $3,500.

 

[katerolla]

I bought two 1000w strobes, two 600w continuous light and a 80cm product tent for Aus $800 this new would sell for about $5000 to $6000.

the strobes are wireless, they have a sinc which works of your camera flash, (when your flash goes off it trigers the strobes)

you can use continuous lights or strobes for product phptpgraphy, i use strobes, mainly because of the lack of heat