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Impact monolights...good choice?!?!
Im a 16 year old photographer, been shooting for 2 years, been asked to shoot a wedding on kaui, HI, done fashion, portraiture and landscapes. Call me a litle kid that plays with a camera if you want, i wont give in to your antics. What im here for is advice liek many others. I currently use my second room as my studio, its about a 15x20 room.....plenty room for portraiture and waist high shots. The thing is that all i have is my 430ex and a homemade sheet of high polished aluminum, yeah it works (just look at my latest headshot)...its nothing of pro level I KNOW, but I...am not a pro. I currently take my 430ex off the camera since i got that canon infra red transmiter thing (369$) and use a daylight 5000K shoplight...(it works OK! haha), coulda bought strobes with that money-__- But it was a last minute shoot so i had no time to order strobes. I have a max budget of 300-350$ MAAAAX! no exceptions and i need strobes and i need um badly, i have shoots lined up for october. I was thinking of getting a monolight IMPACT kit 320watts (plenty enough for the space im shooting in right). Kit comes with 2 150watt monolights with BUILT-IN optical light sensor, ( i can fire my 430ex and the monolight will pick up the light source therefore firing the monolight), 2 air cushioned stand, reflectors, 2 umbrellas and a 9' power cord...plus i no how to bounce light relatively well. (ill buy the radio triggers for the monolights on ebay or something). That whole kit is 274.95 plus 60$ shipping to hawaii. Heres the link to the lights, there not the cheapy black ones that ive red about, its of better quality then those. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 … t_Kit.html I mean, 320watts compared to my one shop light and 430ex should be better right? If i went with buying a better quality 200watt monolight like a jtl or an adorama brand, stand, cords and umbrella then i would probly be spending 250$++ just for ONE and later down the road would probly want maybe a 400 or 500watt monolight with stand,cord and umbrella then that would be anywheres from 300-500$ so i would be spending more but would have a better quality setup or i could spend the 274.95 one time and have 320watts, aircushioned stands, cords, bulbs, umbrellas, and reflectors! plus i could always add lights if i wanted rights? I have the xti 10mg, 50 1.4 prime, 70-300 f/4, and the stock plastic wonder 18-55 so i no how to produce nice work with what i have. . . My saying, "You dont need expensive things to make you look good" Help Meeee! please! Sep 07 08 10:11 pm Link They are, IMO, not only a good choice, but a very good choice. Have had nothing but great work from Impact brand strobes. FWIW, the 320 w/s strobes are the same output as the Alien Bees AB800. Sep 07 08 10:14 pm Link Good stuff, IMHO grab em. Sep 07 08 10:40 pm Link Leroy Dickson wrote: Those are a TOTAL of 320 w/s though. Each is the same as an AB400. Sep 07 08 10:42 pm Link Whatever works for you and you can afford is a good choice. When I lived in Atlanta, GA I photographed with a set of "house" brand monolights that few people had ever heard of and they held up and delivered the goods for 5 years and thousands of images. Get what you are comfortable with, have conmfidence in, and can afford. Good luck. Sep 07 08 10:45 pm Link yes, a total of 320watts. Each light would put out 150watt. Plus since im not looking for lights that would lasts 10+ years, i say these are a goodtogo? pass the word on, i would love more replys and advice please=] Sep 07 08 10:47 pm Link D allen, inlcude me in the list of people whos never heard of house monolights! haha, your a prime example of what works for you is what works=], thanks for the advice! Sep 07 08 10:49 pm Link you may want to get a hot shoe adapter or a wireless adapter for your camera often your camera will send out flash to focus with or to remove red eye and it will set off the flash prematurely a lot of the times. If your camera has the red eye reduction program often it can be turned off in the settings program. may also want to check into JTL lighting they are reasonably priced and work fairly well for someone on a budget. all my studio shots in my port were taken with them Sep 07 08 10:49 pm Link 4C 41 42 wrote: The AB400 are 160ws not same Sep 07 08 10:51 pm Link dreslin, yennoe...i dont think my 430ex has ever sent out a pre flash to get rid of redeye, only when i set it to strobe mode it does that and takes time to drain excess flash (not sure those are the right words to describe it) but yeah, to focus it only uses that red blinky light, i dont think thatll be strog enough to set off the monos right? And im sure....no wait (may i say positive) that impacts arent equalt to Alienbees. not only by watts but by quality as well. I may be wrong about the watts though. BUT (the mono impanct kit is TWO 150watts=320 totalwatts) i think one alienbee alone is 400watts to start right? Sep 07 08 10:56 pm Link 4C 41 42 wrote: Saul Felix wrote: Here is the link he posted: Sep 07 08 10:59 pm Link shot with my 430 ex on a Canon xti and tried to sync using flash and had intermittent problems with them setting off the flash finally got a sync cord adapter and had no problems since. also you then have to compensate for your 430 flash adding its flash to the image Sep 07 08 11:01 pm Link SRNP wrote: Yes. Much better. Two 160 w/s strobes should be fine for shooting one or two models in a studio setting. When you move on to more complicated modifiers and setups requiring more power, you'll probably still be able to use these lights for rim lights or background, etc. Sep 07 08 11:04 pm Link 4C 41 42 wrote: 4C 41 42 wrote: Here is the link he posted: yes, they are 160ws each, at that price they are hard to beat, and built very well, that is B&H generic brand, and they do not really want a ton of returns so they make sure they are decent before they start selling them. Sep 07 08 11:04 pm Link SRNP wrote: no one alienbee AB 400 is 160ws, a AB 800 alienbee is 320ws Sep 07 08 11:05 pm Link NYPHOTOGRAPHICS wrote: Then this kit is a hell of a deal, seeing how they price a single one of these lights at about $160. Sep 07 08 11:09 pm Link lol battle of the watts-_- dreslin, good point...maybe get a diffuser for my 430ex and bounce it off the ceiling using a reflector for hairlight? 4c 41 42, thats what i though.. honestly anythingg would be better then those 10$ shop lights! haha plus i droped one today since i didnt hang it well-_- and it chipped my wood floors! stephen, your right.. butt as long as itll last at LEAST 2 years, ill be happy. 274$...cant realllly complain much to b&h if it breaks but worth a try;] and those alienbees, i got mixed up with teh true watts-effective watts. 160 true, 400 effective. Sep 07 08 11:09 pm Link SRNP wrote: if using the 430 as a slave (you need a slave adapter, hotshoe ones are around 20.00 you will have just a flash, no preflash or redeye or ettl. When shooting it to fire the rest you need to either set the flash to manual (no ettl) to get rid of the preflash which fires the strobes, or else get a slave that ignores the preflash and use that on the others. Check this. http://stepheneastwood.com/tutorials/Tu … trobes.htm Sep 07 08 11:10 pm Link this may sound stupid, plus being worse that im a kid... but i like those lights not only for the price 274$, the stands, umbrellas, reflectors, bulbs and cords, it has different output settings...not like most yennoe (either half or full power) plus it has that beeping sound when its recharged! lol Sep 07 08 11:11 pm Link 4C 41 42 wrote: You're right. I didn't look hard enough... Sep 07 08 11:14 pm Link SRNP wrote: Aloha, Props for taking interest in photography at your age great!!! Now for your question. Save your money and try to work with continuous light. Buy 5500K CFL bulbs they cost less then $10 bucks each thru Alzo brand. They are 27 watts equivalent to 100 watts. Westcott came out with a stronger one at 50 watts equivalent output of 200 watts. You can get reflectors at ace hardware or home depot. Another way is flood lights 500 watt bulbs, I had to mention this or else I'm going to get diss in this forum. You probably save about $200 this way and then you can get the Alien bees those are small and lite to travel. I own white lighting that's Alien Bees cousin or brother lol Check the links below you do have alternative then buying strobes. Sep 07 08 11:14 pm Link SRNP wrote: Gets annoying quickly... you'll turn it off :-) Sep 07 08 11:16 pm Link lol! your probly right. Anyways, the 430ex im plannign on using to fire off my monos i got from this vid. go pop some popcorn. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ5MMT8k6LI Sep 07 08 11:20 pm Link saul- Ehh, i need the monos by this month. I have 2 more shoots to get through plus somemore in october. I rather keep the money i would be spending on those cfls and use it towards the impact monolights, makes sence right? Sep 07 08 11:22 pm Link I like my AB800s :-) Why all the fuss over watts anyways? If you're shooting a lot of indoor studio stuff and not "pro", who cares? I can see if you're trying to overpower the sun and have a 5-light setup planned, ok. Sep 07 08 11:26 pm Link if you go with an impact softbox kit make sure you white balance... impact softboxes tend to lean into the magenta quite a bit Sep 07 08 11:28 pm Link NYPHOTOGRAPHICS wrote: Stephen yes it's a screwy numbering system, but the AB400 is 160ws true watts just like the AB800 is 320 true watts . Sep 07 08 11:28 pm Link thats true... i do some outdoor beach shoots as well but even IF i did take my monos to the beach i would need a battery pack which would be even more money soooo thatll be a no. Sep 07 08 11:29 pm Link incinereight wrote: I probly wont go with impact softboxes... if there monos arent the best, im su there softboxes wont be either, plus since the lack of watts is obviously present ill be using the reflectors and umbrellas to throw and spread the light. thennn if i decide to...buy a good name brand softbox at my local camera shop Sep 07 08 11:30 pm Link SRNP wrote: Of course, I bought those Alzo CFL bulb they are nice, I use one in my computer room where I do my editing since this light don't give you yellow cast. Good for your eyes too. Also you can always invest in another portable flash and use off camera and use a softbox. The most economical I found again was thru Alzo. Photoflex makes one but expensive. Sep 07 08 11:34 pm Link incinereight wrote: Amen to that their 24x24 has a big shift to magenta, this monolights are the same Interfit Venus, they are Ok, but the modifiers is something to skip Sep 07 08 11:36 pm Link Join National Association of Photoshop Professionals for $100 and get free shipping from B and H. where you live it might really help with shipping and you get lots of free video tutorials. go for it the stands are worth it and the accessories can be modified to fit on Alienbees which are fan cooled.. Sep 07 08 11:37 pm Link Yeah, the Impact softboxes kinda suck. Save the money and go with some nice large umbrellas to start. Sep 07 08 11:42 pm Link Saul Felix wrote: yeah i thought of getting a 580ex, light stands andumbrellas but that would be 400$+ and again, 400$ i coulda bought a monolight kit haha. I bought that canon infrared transmitter for 270$...now that i think about it, it wasnt thhhhat worth it but i love it. Im trying to sell it to get money for my monos. Sep 07 08 11:45 pm Link Lorin Edmonds wrote: ill pass, 100$ a year... 100$ less ill have a year. haha sorry, its just that i dont order form b&h alot so its not worth it for me. Sep 07 08 11:46 pm Link Leroy Dickson wrote: so go for the impacts since it comes with umbrellas and if the umbrellas crap out then go for some good name brand ones? Sep 07 08 11:47 pm Link SRNP wrote: You have the best beaches in the world to shoot, now don't worry about taking mono lights to the beach instead find some homies to help and hold reflectors. Natural light is the best anyway, you have some nicest sunsets out there. Maybe you want to invest in full type of reflector instead of circular. You can make it yourself and save or buy one from photoflex. Can't wait to go back to Hawaii I only been there like 7 times Sep 07 08 11:47 pm Link i have two of impact's cheapest lighting kits.. so far so good .. they work great... Sep 07 08 11:47 pm Link oops Sep 07 08 11:48 pm Link i'm sorry but i have to ask this question regarding your about me. how can you write " im going to start charging for TFP/CD"?? Sep 07 08 11:49 pm Link |
