Studio Portrait Photography

[Alpha]

I also shoot Broncolor, but I'm switching to Black Line because the Pulso mount modifiers are too expensive. A single reflector is over $250. I also just want to switch to a pack system. I had considered Profoto but in terms of price and quality it's really just a sidestep from Bron.

 

[Alpha]

Zansho,
The Speedo is good, really good, but there's a reason why Bron is the Bentley of lighting equipment.

I don't necessarily agree. I've played with the Speedos and they seem totally consistent and real workhorses. There are few things I could ask of Profoto or Broncolor that the Black Lines don't have. One is zoom reflectors and the other is parabolic umbrellas. Beyond that, I don't consider it much of a sacrifice for me to step down.

 

[epatsellis]

I use the older style universal heads, and have a bevy of reflectors already, so it's less of an issue for me. The bulb adjusment is a nice feature, as some banks prefer to the bulb out further, giving you a more even light. As I noted above, had I not fallen into a 3 pack, 5 head outfit from a product shooter I know at a price I couldn't say no to, I'd likely still be using blacklines as well. The older Universal era heads have a super simple attachment method, a 6 1/4" o.d. round ring, easily made if you are into making/creating (as I frequently do)


erie

 

[Alpha]

I use the older style universal heads, and have a bevy of reflectors already, so it's less of an issue for me. The bulb adjusment is a nice feature, as some banks prefer to the bulb out further, giving you a more even light. As I noted above, had I not fallen into a 3 pack, 5 head outfit from a product shooter I know at a price I couldn't say no to, I'd likely still be using blacklines as well. The older Universal era heads have a super simple attachment method, a 6 1/4" o.d. round ring, easily made if you are into making/creating (as I frequently do)


erie

If I'm not mistaken, nearly all of the new pack heads are Pulso mount.

Once I'm making scads of money (read: 8-10 years from now), I'll buy back into Broncolor just so I can use the Para 220. Until then, I'm all set for the switch.

 

[epatsellis]

I've heard a lot of good things about Broncolor, but the price puts me off . I've spent over 2k for my Speedotron set (2400 pack, 3 heads) used, and I still had to buy my modifiers.

I'm pretty happy with my speedotron right now, and they're pretty darn good in terms of their lighting output and color consistency. To be honest, I've been eyeballing some Profoto lights, but I'll wait a bit before I buy my next set.

You'll hate me, but I bought 3 1500 w/s packs (2-304, 1-404) and 5 heads (4 universal, 1 bitube) for $450 +gas to drive to chicago (a tankful). I know the history of these packs and heads, borrowed them when I shoot in Chicago and while they're not the latest and greatest 1/10 of a stop adjustability, are as reliable as tanks.

erie

 

[Zansho]

I bought mine about 5 years ago, and they're absolute tanks. They can handle pretty much any lighting task I ask of them, and then some.

Nowadays, yeah, they're a lot cheaper now. I remember folks paying 500-700ish for a norman flash head with battery pack and charger - I stole my two heads with 2 batteries for 170 dollars! I couldn't believe myself.

Honestly, I'd love a go at the Brons. I'd love even more to have a go at your Sinar , just to see what it can do.

All in all, I'm happy with my speedos. I probably should buy another pack and couple more heads if that's what they're going for now. The only drawback is the pack weighs more than I do, at least it feels like it lol.

 

[Bifurcator]

I recently put together my first studio light setup on the cheep or well cheep for what I was after. I wanted a very short flash duration with plenty of power and fast recycle as the subject was 30 feet away so I went with a speedo black line setup. Got it all off ebay except for the beauty dish one piece at a time. I have watched just about every piece of speedotron stuff on ebay these past 6 or 8 weeks. Best bang for the buck is the brown line stuff . I watched a brown line kit go for under 500.00 this week and it had everything a home setup could want. Pack , stands. 4 lights , softbox. Umbrellas. Cords even carry bags. If you watch and wait there are real good deals for brown line.

Sounds like a cool setup you got there. I think this is the level of gear Alpha was referring to - I know it's what I was talking about. Good stuff :thumbup: Nice post!

 

[JerryPH]

Simply put. You're completely, totally, absolutely, indubitably wrong.

I'm sorry Jerry. I like you a lot but this time you're talking out your ass.

I'm sorry, Jerry, but he's right. I didn't see the post you just did, otherwise I'd have refuted what you posted.

Simply put, while the strobist approach is amazing, and it has taken some people to new levels, it is NOT a substitute for a good set of quality studio strobes. No way, no how, modeling lights or no.

Man, I wish we could sit down in a pub with a couple of beers, we'd have a few spirited conversations for sure!

I never refuted that high W/s studio setups are better or worse. In fact I openly said that for the pro, there are likey no other solutions. But I did also say that the small setups can also have a valuable place in the professional's studio and an even bigger place in the amateur's.

Modeling lights... merely a difference in methodology. Some people prefer to see the true final effects of their setup in a test shot, not use modeling lights. Even from day 1 when I started using my studio setup with the modeling lights, I tried them a few times and never really liked them. Since I was already used to knowing how the light was going to fall in advance and then taking a test shot and see the real "final result", it got to the point where I did not even install the modeling lamps in my setup.

Besides, modeling lamps will not show you the difference in the results of different ratios from side to side, they only show you where the light will fall, and that is easy to predict or more accurately shown in a test shot, including light variances.

S'cuse me gents, I've just come back from a hard night at a client... I'm going to bed for a couple of hours.

 

[Alpha]

Man, I wish we could sit down in a pub with a couple of beers, we'd have a few spirited conversations for sure!

I never refuted that high W/s studio setups are better or worse. In fact I openly said that for the pro, there are likey no other solutions. But I did also say that the small setups can also have a valuable place in the professional's studio and an even bigger place in the amateur's.

Modeling lights... merely a difference in methodology. Some people prefer to see the true final effects of their setup in a test shot, not use modeling lights. Even from day 1 when I started using my studio setup with the modeling lights, I tried them a few times and never really liked them. Since I was already used to knowing how the light was going to fall in advance and then taking a test shot and see the real "final result", it got to the point where I did not even install the modeling lamps in my setup.

Besides, modeling lamps will not show you the difference in the results of different ratios from side to side, they only show you where the light will fall, and that is easy to predict or more accurately shown in a test shot, including light variances.

S'cuse me gents, I've just come back from a hard night at a client... I'm going to bed for a couple of hours.

You're still totally ignoring the focusing issue, even if you're adamant about disagreeing on seeing where light falls.

There are lots of situations where modeling lights are really handy, focus aside. I know few people who can nail a shot the first time or two without them. Granted, I've done it before and I'm not the ballsiest of pros, but I don't work without them when I can help it.

 

[JerryPH]

You're still totally ignoring the focusing issue, even if you're adamant about disagreeing on seeing where light falls.

Not ignoring it at all. I see it as a non-issue (are you smacking your forehead in frustration yet? lol). Alpha, are you saying that there is NO light in that studio except the modeling lights during your shoots?

By the time my camera starts to turn on the autofocus assist light becuase it needs it, without artificial light sources, I need ISO 1250 or better to get the shot properly exposed without strobes/speedlights. Unless a room is quite dark, I won't have issues with that.

An example... a single 50 watt bulb 15-20 feet away is enough to let my camera autofocus perfectly well in an otherwise black room. If I drop that to about 30 watts, 1/2 the shots will give the lens fits, but I still can go to manual focus, letting the camera tell me when I am spot on.

If outdoors at night and I cannot get enough light on a subject to get the lens to focus, shine any source of light on them during the focus phase (pen light, flashlight, one of those LED lamps that is like $5 on amazon.com... whatever).

I know, I know... I am being difficult. :lmao:

 

[Alpha]

No, you're not being difficult. You're being obtuse. Without strong ambient lighting, I know few, if any people who can focus well without the assistance of modeling lights. I sure as hell can't. Whether the camera feels the need to use the autofocus assist I think is beside the point. You really shouldn't be auto focusing at all in the studio, and even then I trust my eye much more than I trust an AF system in a dim studio.

 

[JerryPH]

You really shouldn't be auto focusing at all in the studio, and even then I trust my eye much more than I trust an AF system in a dim studio.

Now who's being obtuse, to think that they can decern focus better than any modern pro level dSLR on the market today by eye alone?

There are many factors we agree upon, a few we don't... and thats all good. I've still learned a lot from this thread thanks to yours and other people's posts.

Thank-you for that.

 

[epatsellis]

Hmmm, my F3s, RB67s and Sinars must all be defective, try as I might, I still can't find the autofocus button...

 

[toofpaste]

I seriously learned so much in 15 minutes reading this thread.....

 

[Alpha]

Now who's being obtuse, to think that they can decern focus better than any modern pro level dSLR on the market today by eye alone?

There are many factors we agree upon, a few we don't... and thats all good. I've still learned a lot from this thread thanks to yours and other people's posts.

Thank-you for that.

Ok now you're being stubborn. And you bet your ass I can focus better. I'm not saying you should manual focus because everyone does it. I'm saying you should manual focus because of the reasons that everyone does it. There's just no good reason not to unless you're shooting a moving subject. Even then, its often preferable to back up/stop down instead.