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Strobe lighting

MJP
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rhythmworx Gold Member

rhythmworx

Posted
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Depends how many you want and what you plan on lighting, how fast your gonna be shooting etc...

You can get some good deals on older gear like the bowens esprit 500's on ebay pretty often.

Unless you want brand new Profoto gear...well I wont go in to that. whistling.gif

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sunshine51 Platinum Member

sunshine51

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On camera or studio type MJP?

Both please.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

On camera strobes...for your Pentax & I'm not familiar

with your camera model or Pentax strobes; however I

will recommend the Metz Mecablitz 58 AF2 (new)

or the older 58. I have used Metz for years and they

have never given me a problem. To power the strobe

use either AA batteries or Metz's power pack (optional)

or Quantums power pack...optional & $$$$$$$$$! But

worth every satang.

Studio lighting....Geez....these days I haven't a clue really.

In my early daze I used a Bowen 3 light kit that was cheap

& worked good. I think I paid around 200USD for it ages

ago (35 years+- a couple) in used condition.

Prior to answering this I phoned a friend in HKG who does

a lot of studio work for a recommendation and he pretty much

replied with a "What's his budget?" This man uses different light

kits for different jobs (studio/field) and they're made by

Profoto (very pricy!) and Priolite (perhaps even more pricy!)

and says that one can get silly with extras (you'll need em soon

enough) and a few more stands, brolly's, slave's etc...etc...etc.

However he did mention that you can do wonders with a 3 light

setup...one on camera strobe and 2 slaves on stands. And

perhaps a fixed "always on" light behind the subject...aka colour

balanced energy saver lamp (Phillips curly pig tail looking light

bulb)...your choice of watts on that "bulb".

Regarding silly money, Google "Profoto D1 Air 3 Head Studio Kit -

2- 1000W/s / 1- 500W/s" without the quotation marks and you should

end up at the B & H store....be seated when you see the price.

You can also go here, to the main B & H page....

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/Lighting-Studio/ci/1161/N/4294551176

and have a gander. All different prices...novice to pro.

The basics; it boils down to 2 things....what's yer budget and how often will

you use it. If $$$ are no problem-buy the best there is.

I use Arri, Lowell & Litepanels kits...primarily for video & motion pix

but they will do good in stills also...except a studio gets quite warm

under 2K to10K lamps...HMI or Feresnels or whatever...makes no

difference. And they're heavy to lug around BTW. Plus I no longer

have a "real" studio out here in the stix....that...or I have a great

studio with the exception that 300 Amp extention cords are a pain

to lug around after a rain...or anytime for that matter.

Hope this helps you. PM me if confounded.

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MJP Diamond Member

MJP

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I have the Metz AF-52, will start with that.

It was really about how to set it up and the principles behind strobe lighting.

Ta.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

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sunshine51 Platinum Member

sunshine51

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I have the Metz AF-52, will start with that.

It was really about how to set it up and the principles behind strobe lighting.

Ta.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

OK...Have a look here MJP....

http://www.elixxier.com/en/products/setalight3d.php

I wish this was around when I was learning...way back in the steam powered days...

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Fiddlesticks Silver Member

Fiddlesticks

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I have the Metz AF-52, will start with that.

It was really about how to set it up and the principles behind strobe lighting.

Ta.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Go on Amazon and order Syl Arena's book, Speedlighter's Handbook. Excellent book that explains everything you will need to know to get started with camera lighting.

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sunshine51 Platinum Member

sunshine51

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Posted

I have the Metz AF-52, will start with that.

It was really about how to set it up and the principles behind strobe lighting.

Ta.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Go on Amazon and order Syl Arena's book, Speedlighter's Handbook. Excellent book that explains everything you will need to know to get started with camera lighting.

^^^ Sticks....that book is pretty darn good I have just found out. I reckon MJP will

benefit from it and so will all of us who may have forgotten that a "speedlight" can

do more than whiteout everybodys faces!!!

A good link below....

http://blog.planet5d.com/2011/06/speedliters-handbook-i-hate-this-book-you-should-buy-it/

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MJP Diamond Member

MJP

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Thank you fellas. I've recently figured out how togs achieve that 'look'. It involves strobes.

A decent kit is around £500.

There's so many different techniques out there for all manner of togging. It's all consuming . . . passion.

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Fiddlesticks Silver Member

Fiddlesticks

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When I first got serious about photography and bought my first FF camera, I figured that I would need some flash for fill flash so, in typical overkill fashion, I bought Canon's 600EX-RT but not one, I bought two! Then to get the flash off camera I bought the ST-E3-RT trigger. To complete the setup I also purchased flash diffusers for both flash units, gobo, shoots, gels and diffusers. So I feel I have a pretty good off camera flash setup! Now, here is the best part, I have had occasion to use this great setup, are you ready for this?, NOT ONCE!

I am tempted to sell the entire kit and caboodle but I figure that the moment I do this, I will find a dozen uses for the stuff. Who knows, maybe one day if I might do some wedding gigs . . . burp.gif

My advice, start REAL small and slow unless you plan to have a studio and get serious about studio setup with soft boxes and beauty dishes and umbrellas, etc. But then, I would invest in studio lights and not flash units.

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MJP Diamond Member

MJP

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When I first got serious about photography and bought my first FF camera, I figured that I would need some flash for fill flash so, in typical overkill fashion, I bought Canon's 600EX-RT but not one, I bought two! Then to get the flash off camera I bought the ST-E3-RT trigger. To complete the setup I also purchased flash diffusers for both flash units, gobo, shoots, gels and diffusers. So I feel I have a pretty good off camera flash setup! Now, here is the best part, I have had occasion to use this great setup, are you ready for this?, NOT ONCE!

I am tempted to sell the entire kit and caboodle but I figure that the moment I do this, I will find a dozen uses for the stuff. Who knows, maybe one day if I might do some wedding gigs . . . burp.gif

My advice, start REAL small and slow unless you plan to have a studio and get serious about studio setup with soft boxes and beauty dishes and umbrellas, etc. But then, I would invest in studio lights and not flash units.

Know what you mean. I've used that Metz 52 perhaps a dozen times.

Fing is I's still finking about building that studio in the back garden to do arty stuff. It's just nice to learn, but yes, what's the point if you don't use it much?

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sunshine51 Platinum Member

sunshine51

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^^^FS & MJP...For stills I'm down to 2 SB's...one 900 & one 910 I had to

buy when my 900 went to Nik for a free upgrade to negate the overheat

problem....which never happened when I used it as I never use a flash

in "barrage" mode like many others, but not all do this. Actually I only really

need one...maybe. It is nice to have a spare though.

MJP...FS is correct...start small and buy only what you need to start

small with. You can do wonders with todays cameras and plain old

household lighting/lights...experiment! And yes...you can get as artsy

craftsy as you like with this setup.

Mind you...unless you have mastered light and manipulating it to your

desires...you should grab one of the books we listed if for nothing else

but just a reference...for now & in the future. No one can remember all

the fine points of lighting scenes whether stills or motion for years on

end.

My favourite book about lighting is not so much a how to book but a

good insight on how a famous cinemetographer wowed the audiences

with nearly perfectly lit scenes...way back before colour neg was

invented.

The name of the book is..."The Light On Her Face" and the author(s)

are Joseph & Juanita Walker... Amazon has it...and so do I. Mind you

it applies to the old monochromatic days of Hollywood but there's still

a lotta relevance today....for stills or motion. And it's a nice read too!

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MJP Diamond Member

MJP

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After all my gear BS and endless spendy spend it all really comes down to focus and light. I'm very much in the early days of learning the light bit.

Edited by astral
Removal of long quote - Please use Reply button a the bottom
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thephotoman Explorer Member

thephotoman

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Hi

Speedlites .... I have a Canon set up 580 EX MK1 and run with pocket wizards , very easy to use , depending on what effect you are after . I like soft fill so balance the ambient light with about 30% flash

( I use a Sekonic L358 light meter with a PW module to fire the flash heads remotely , but you can use trial and error ).

Studio Flash .... I used to shoot events , black tie etc so simple in this scenario ... starting point : set your iso low , aperture to say F16 and your shutter speed to your sync speed , test and you can shoot all night / day on the same settings . I would like the 600ex system but they are a little expensive , so I will stick with my TT5 PWs for now .

With digital it has made it a lot easier to set up and go .

I have just started to practice video with a DSLR , I nether thought I would , as when I purchased my F4 I thought it was unnecessary expense that I was paying for .

Roy

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sunshine51 Platinum Member

sunshine51

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^^^ Roy...
DSLR video has come a long ways in the last 5 years; nearly zero jello & wobble
these days with excellent picture results. Plus the bolt on rigs one can buy actually

do improve the results but can silly in price...brushless 3 axis stabilisation kits

included! However...I'm still stuck in the old days of doing video, meaning a

"proper" video camera for video and DSLR's for stills fully knowing my Niks

do video rather well. Have fun in the DSLR video world...many folks are &

they're getting footage that's ready to broadcast quickly...and easily. That

ability to switch from stills to motion within one camera body is really neat

in my books.

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YeaBiGgiEs Advanced Member

YeaBiGgiEs

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I have the Metz AF-52, will start with that.

It was really about how to set it up and the principles behind strobe lighting.

Ta.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well I must say the openning topic was lacking all around as strobe lighting is used for many things from fire exits, emergency vehicles, disco lighting, marine/aviation signaling etc...

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MJP Diamond Member

MJP

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I have the Metz AF-52, will start with that.

It was really about how to set it up and the principles behind strobe lighting.

Ta.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well I must say the openning topic was lacking all around as strobe lighting is used for many things from fire exits, emergency vehicles, disco lighting, marine/aviation signaling etc...

No fire exits in the photography forum. Or boats. Sometimes a disco though.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

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