Jade Noir wrote:
Is there such a thing??


Can you put them together yourself??


I REALLY want some portable lighting for shooting outdoors.

I love shooting outdoors with 2, Nikon SB800's, I hear the Canon 540(?) rocks too.
Have you ever been to http://strobist.blogspot.com/

PYPI wrote:
The cheapest is to shoot during daylight. Second cheapest is to manipulate the light with this that you can buy at dollar stores or art supply store.



After that, it depends on your definition of cheap.

Well I'm looking more for battery powered lighting that I can use in the day or night.  I like the effect that artificial lighting gives when you shoot outside.

Apfel Photography wrote:
Depends on what you mean.

I have the AB Vagabond which you can hook up to a strip cord allowing you to use multiple heads.  I then have two mono lights and one ring light.

The Vagabond will give me about 500 full power flashes per charge from two AB400's, about 400 with a AB400 and AB800 combo....etc

The Vagabond is $299
AB400 is about $249 each head
AB800 is about $299 per head
ABR800 is $399

So again, what is "affordable" to you?

Actually those prices are afforable to me.  So....Vagabond, huh?? I shall look that up....

glofoto wrote:
NOTHING about photography is inexpensive.

Ding Ding Ding.  Pretty much the answer to every, "Is there a cheap way...." question.

Brad Gowan wrote:
The answer my friend, is speedlights.  You bet!  Get that flash unit off the hot shoe and onto a lightstand, and get it to fire a couple different ways:

1. If you are shooting with a newer CLS equipted Nikon body and a Nikon speedlight, wireless infared triggering is built into the gear.  Read your owners manual and try it out.

2. Radio Triggers.  A transmitter on your hotshoe and a reciever on each speedlight will let you pop that flash at a distance depending on the triggers you buy.  Pocket wizards are the best, but the most expensive at close to $200 a piece.  Alien Bees just released a system at around $60 for the transmitter and $70 for each reciever.  Even cheaper ones can be had, but quailty, reliability and distance become an issue.

3. Optical slaves.  simply connect an optical slave sensor to a speedlight, and shoot with a flash on your hotshoe.  the optical slave sensor will detect the first flash and trigger itself!  the sensor can be had for less than $50.

Shooting with speedlights is a cheap way to go for portable lighting, but it does have its drawbacks.  mostly power.  a speedlight flash can't compare to a 1200 ws studio strobe.  So overpowering daylight will be next to impossible.  However, if you let ambient light come to you by shooting in the shade, at dusk, indoors etc...an umbrella'd speedlight will get you the same look as a big studio strobe for a fraction of the cost, and with much less hassle dragging it around to locations.

WOW, thanks!

Brad Gowan wrote:
The answer my friend, is speedlights.  You bet!  Get that flash unit off the hot shoe and onto a lightstand, and get it to fire a couple different ways:

1. If you are shooting with a newer CLS equipted Nikon body and a Nikon speedlight, wireless infared triggering is built into the gear.  Read your owners manual and try it out.

2. Radio Triggers.  A transmitter on your hotshoe and a reciever on each speedlight will let you pop that flash at a distance depending on the triggers you buy.  Pocket wizards are the best, but the most expensive at close to $200 a piece.  Alien Bees just released a system at around $60 for the transmitter and $70 for each reciever.  Even cheaper ones can be had, but quailty, reliability and distance become an issue.

3. Optical slaves.  simply connect an optical slave sensor to a speedlight, and shoot with a flash on your hotshoe.  the optical slave sensor will detect the first flash and trigger itself!  the sensor can be had for less than $50.

Shooting with speedlights is a cheap way to go for portable lighting, but it does have its drawbacks.  mostly power.  a speedlight flash can't compare to a 1200 ws studio strobe.  So overpowering daylight will be next to impossible.  However, if you let ambient light come to you by shooting in the shade, at dusk, indoors etc...an umbrella'd speedlight will get you the same look as a big studio strobe for a fraction of the cost, and with much less hassle dragging it around to locations.

Excellent info!  Thanks!

Jade Noir wrote:
Actually those prices are afforable to me.  So....Vagabond, huh?? I shall look that up....

Those and the alien bees from the same company make a nice outdoor setup that won't cost a fortune and is pretty light (not super light - the battery in the vagabond's serious) and they're tougher than they look.  Lots of pros with better gear still keep a bee or two around as beach lights or whatever.

Warren Hearl wrote:
Similar topic with TONS of info and links...

https://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thre … 3531&page=

Hope this helps...

How do you guys find those links.. I never have any luck with MM's searcch.

I've got a bag full of Sunpak flashes.. they run about $80 new (cheaper used). Add a few Cactus wireless triggers and stands ... makes for a great portable setup. The Sunpak 383's are great the Vivitar 285HV's are great too, other than no swivel head.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
This is pretty cheap $334 at B&H  What I really like is that I can use all my normal light modifiers.


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 … _1600.html
A 320w/s version is avail for $60 more

Stay away.  I bought this kit 18 months ago and the only thing worth it is the battery pack which can be used with my SB-80.  The light itself is about as powerful as my SB-80 and while you can use any umbrella type attachments, you can not use any softboxes other than the ones made by SP.

DOP Images wrote:
I'm a strobist all the way. I use 3 SB800s with light stands controlled by nikon cameras. Small and convenient. Cheap? well efficient because I don't have two versions of my lights (studio and travel). I use them WHEREEVER!!!

I have Alien Bees and a Vagabond, But I never use it anymore, CLS Rocked my World!!
Its so quick and easy to setup, pack into locations too. I'm buying my 3rd SB800 next week!!

Apfel Photography wrote:
Stay away.  I bought this kit 18 months ago and the only thing worth it is the battery pack which can be used with my SB-80.  The light itself is about as powerful as my SB-80 and while you can use any umbrella type attachments, you can not use any softboxes other than the ones made by SP.

This info is totally incorrect I have 3 SP flashes I use a Photoflex softboxes with them.
I would have to check but other vendors might have speed rings for this brand as well.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:

This info is totally incorrect I have 3 SP flashes I use a Photoflex softboxes with them.
I would have to check but other vendors might have speed rings for this brand as well.

OK, I see that Photoflex now has a $50 speedring for this light.  But this still does not resolve the output concern.  Honestly, for the output level, I prefer my SB-80's. 

If you want four SP's send me your address and it is all yours.  No seriously, I will ship it you.  It might as well get some use.  All it has been doing for the past 18 months is collect dust in my house.

Apfel Photography wrote:

OK, I see that Photoflex now has a $50 speedring for this light.  But this still does not resolve the output concern.  Honestly, for the output level, I prefer my SB-80's. 

If you want four SP's send me your address and it is all yours.  No seriously, I will ship it you.  It might as well get some use.  All it has been doing for the past 18 months is collect dust in my house.

There is a more powerful unit for $60 more than this model. I have the non-AC/DC version.
I'm not saying this is the best set-up in the world but compared to the way more expensive canon flash units which are a huge pain to use with light shaping tools.
I think this is a decent low budget solution.
Yes I will gladly take any strobes off your hands you don't want....
If serious I will PM you my shipping info.

Apfel Photography wrote:

OK, I see that Photoflex now has a $50 speedring for this light.  But this still does not resolve the output concern.  Honestly, for the output level, I prefer my SB-80's. 

If you want four SP's send me your address and it is all yours.  No seriously, I will ship it you.  It might as well get some use.  All it has been doing for the past 18 months is collect dust in my house.

PM sent .

Apfel Photography wrote:
OK, I see that Photoflex now has a $50 speedring for this light.  But this still does not resolve the output concern.  Honestly, for the output level, I prefer my SB-80's. 

If you want four SP's send me your address and it is all yours.  No seriously, I will ship it you.  It might as well get some use.  All it has been doing for the past 18 months is collect dust in my house.

There is a 320 WS model too http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 … Total.html

there are other brands that have similar offerings http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Inter … ash-system

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 … _with.html

The innovatronix explorer XT also supports the elinchrom D-lite 4 -now fan cooled-,  the D-lite 4 is more powerful than a hot shoe strobe and it is light weight at 2.9 pounds and cheaper than a canon or nikon new from factory hot shoe strobe.

You may prefer the hot shoe strobes and that's fine everyone chooses their tools as they see fit, but there are options out there that even when bulky they are reasonable priced and with more power.

Eduardo Frances wrote:
There is a 320 WS model too http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 … Total.html

there are other brands that have similar offerings http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Inter … ash-system

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 … _with.html

The innovatronix explorer XT also supports the elinchrom D-lite 4 -now fan cooled-,  the D-lite 4 is more powerful than a hot shoe strobe and it is light weight at 2.9 pounds.

You may prefer the hot shoe strobes and that's fine everyone chooses their tools as they see fit, but there are options.

Oh no, as I said earlier, I use both hotshoe and studio lighting depending on the need.  If I am doing general work such as wedding, or portraits needing simple fill, then I use my SB-80's

But if I want to control and modify the light or especially overpower the sun, then I use studio lighting.

In reference to the SP lights my issue is that they are as powerful as the SB-80's but of course once you add modifiers you reduce the light that actually hits the subject.  So, if I am going to invest in softboxes and the lugging the gear out to a site, I want to make sure that it is much more powerful than the light from my speedlites.

Apfel Photography wrote:
In reference to the SP lights my issue is that they are as powerful as the SB-80's but of course once you add modifiers you reduce the light that actually hits the subject.  So, if I am going to invest in softboxes and the lugging the gear out to a site, I want to make sure that it is much more powerful than the light from my speedlites.

Have you noticed the one linked isn't the excalibur 160 but the 320?

Apfel Photography wrote:
[
Oh no, as I said earlier, I use both hotshoe and studio lighting depending on the need.  If I am doing general work such as wedding, or portraits needing simple fill, then I use my SB-80's

But if I want to control and modify the light or especially overpower the sun, then I use studio lighting.

In reference to the SP lights my issue is that they are as powerful as the SB-80's but of course once you add modifiers you reduce the light that actually hits the subject.  So, if I am going to invest in softboxes and the lugging the gear out to a site, I want to make sure that it is much more powerful than the light from my speedlites.

I agree more power would be nice
PM sent with shipping info.

Eduardo Frances wrote:

Have you noticed the one linked isn't the excalibur 160 but the 320?

Sorry, I was responding to the last line about prefering hotshow over studio lighting.  I did notice your link.  My original comment about the SP lights was on the 1600.

Not sue about the 320 but another thing I am not crazy about on the 1600 is the "high", "medium", "Low" settings.  I like having more than three output choices.

dreslin photography wrote:
I use a JTL mobilight Its about $300 for a 300 watt unit If you intend to use a soft box on it then its approx another $125 for a box and adapter ring

This is the second time today I have seen your avatar and have to say that Brittany is a "Feleclity with a butt" cutie.  OK, hijak over.