ni$mo350

iTrader: (4)

I found this article pretty helpful considering I'm in the position where I'd like to work with lights but can't afford it right now. I plan on doing this along with picking up Sunpack 383's and possibly doing a comparison of the two in case anyone is interested. This DIY is around $75.00 for everything and the other setup I will be trying is 3x 383's ($40/each), 3 stands ($20/each from B&H) and 3 misc umbrellas for around $8/each. Along with a trigger so the price diff is pretty significant. I also forgot to mention that this isn't easily portable and should be used in a setting with easy access to electricity.

http://www.shuttertalk.com/articles/diylighting

ctwentytwo

iTrader: (9)

Those lighting options are apples and oranges.

One is a "studio" option, and one is a "portable" option.

The positives of the use of those type halogen lights is you know what your shot will look like with that type of lighting because the light is always on. There is no guessing when you press the shutter, which is a huge positive. Downside is the power consumption. The lights get really hot. Also, you can't bring it on location... outdoors; unless you have a generator, which is huge and heavy, and requires your use transportation can can haul it.

The portable strobe/flash option lets your of course take them anywhere as they are powered by AA batteries. BTW, where can you find $40 383's? They are rare nowadays. I have a 430ex and 580exII and prefer the stressful slavework to the 383's. Downside, you don't get the "modeling" light that you would from constant light sources. And you'll have to shell out for triggers. There are eBay triggers if you don't want to get Pocket Wirzards, Skyports, or Cybersyncs.

A third option would be for more powerful portable strobes like Alien Bees, Elinchrom, etc, but they require a portable battery pack which is expensive. The strobes are also significantly more.

If you have not yet gone to... go to www.strobist.com and read his blog. Very insightful on the use of portable strobes. Maybe the most influential source in portable lighting and photography on a whole. Many on Flickr has been in one way or another been influenced by this blog.

In the end, you'll actually want to do both. The first option will get your feet wet into artificial lighting and will help you develop and get used to flash.

This was taken with cheap light holders from lowes ($6)... the light holders with chrome bowl reflectors using compact fluorescent lights. Doesn't get too hot. Also used black cardboard for scrims, and white cardboard for reflectors. But you're limited to small stuff.

ni$mo350

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the add ctwentytwo, I forgot to mention I'm going to be limiting my shoots with lighting to a fairly decent sized warehouse that a family friend owns to store his bounce houses and inflateables. I will have access to electricity as long as I have a cord long enough and this would work for my situation but nothing, like you said, out in the open without the aid of a generator. (which he also has to power the blowers to inflate the bounce houses).

I hope to learn enough by doing that for awhile and saving up for a proper setup with 430/580ex's. I also saw the 383's on ebay going for about $40 so that's where I guesstimated the prices. Thanks for the link because that's exactly what I was looking for. Half the threads on POTN when I searched for help had information other than links to other threads and only 1/10th of those I could make sense of! I'm off to do some reading now

AlvinHuyN

iTrader: (73)

I would comment on this but I'll just show you next week Lighting, in my opinion, should not be done on the cheap - things like quality and longevity comes to mind even if image quality isn't your main concern. Just imagine a shoot with models, cars, props and people moving around with their own tasks. Bumping into your tripods, lights, etc is a given and even in a big studio, accidents happens. Your stuff has to last!

ctwentytwo

iTrader: (9)

Doing stuff on a budget and going all out really depends on what type of work you are doing.

If you are a pro and do photography as a business and it puts food on the table, yes, get the best you can.

But as an enthusiast/amateur, does it make sense to buy the best? Especially if you aren't going to use it as much as a pro would?

Expensive tools look good. Everybody wants to sport the best and hang that full frame body and L lens around their neck, but IMO, it's overkill for many out there as the DSLR industry continues to grow. Most don't even know that more expensive gear does not necessarily automatically makes your pictures look better, but it lets you work in situations where less expensive gear does not (low light situations), and it lets you be more creative (less DOF, better frame rate).

IMO, dude, get your feet wet, and let your skills grow, and you'll know soon enough what's best for you.

I put it this way, the Z is a budget car... a bang for the buck. While everybody would want a Ferrari, not everyone can afford one, and most of the time, it would be overkill. For many of us, the Z is good enough and does not sacrifice too much in performance and quality, even though it is cheaper.

I also would not worry about going on a budget with your gear. They will still serve you as you get better stuff down the line. For instance, my 50mm f/1.8, it's a cheap lens. I have a 50mm f/1.4, and I'm keeping the f/1.8. Why? It's small, portable, and if it breaks, it's easily replaceable. You'd be more inclined to bring it on hikes where weight is a concern, travel where you have the chance of getting gear stolen or lost, inclement weather, etc... It's funny, even though I have the f/1.4, I still go back to my f/1.8 because I'm more inclined to go into my bag because of it's size.

Personally, I don't go cheap... I do research and see what's the "bang for the buck." Let your skills develop, then get more gear. It's easy to sell gear nowadays if you do outgrow them.

This is just my side of it, just tossing in my 2 cents.

stu46

The sun is free and will last forever.