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Recommendations for budget single strobe kit


lindsey holland

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Hi, I’m rebuilding my photographic gear after a break. I was professional for several years in the noughties but can’t now remember which gear we used for portraits and fashion shoots. We had three strobes then, one very powerful and two less so, but I’m looking for a simpler setup.

 

I’m thinking of a basic single strobe set up, with stand, softbox and remote trigger. I’ll use it for relaxed portraits, mostly of artists, so am aiming for fairly natural lighting effects. Ideally some shoots will be outdoors but most will be indoors.

 

For now, I’ll be using a Canon 5D Mkii and the Canon 85mm f1.8 although my plan is to upgrade in the coming years as and when I can. I also have a speedlight.

 

My absolute maximum budget for the light kit is £150 (it’s a birthday gift to get me started again). It’s about $185 US but I’d be buying the gear in the UK.

 

So my main question is which strobe head/kit/items do you recommend as top priorities? This could include buying used gear.

 

And secondly how do you recommend I power the strobe for outdoor shoots? Is there something I should buy at a later date for this?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Unless you find a good deal on used equipment I think you will need to spend more than your budget allows for a competent light, soft box, stand, etc.

I’m aware of that and am considering used equipment as well as cheap new kits, for example there is a wide choice of Elinchrom strobes used on eBay compared with, as another example, the Interfit F121 kit as a budget option.

 

There are further options such as rhe Elinchrom ranger to power the strobe outdoors, and further issues to do with which strobes will/won’t connect via remote.

 

I am asking specifically for equipment recommendations and advice re priorities.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Used is the only option for a studio strobe that comes within your budget. And it's going to be low-end too.

 

Why not start with a good battery flash (speedlight), a stand and a brolly softbox? To get a decent soft effect you need to park the softbox close to the subject, so power really isn't much of an issue, and f/11 is easily achievable @ 100 ISO. Solves the portability/outdoor use issue too.

 

YongNuo's YN560 mkiii has a built in radio trigger that partners their cheap RF603 transceiver. Leaving a sizeable chunk of your budget left over for a good quality 8ft stand and a softbox.

 

Personally I like the type of softbox that erects from an umbrella. There are no struts and cover diffuser to mess about with, and the flash can be reached from outside the modifier to change power or batteries.

 

Alternatively, you could just about afford a Godox Ving 860 speedlight, dedicated trigger and Godox softbox. The Godox trigger allows power change from the camera, but Godox's softboxes are a bit more fiddly to erect. They're truly rectangular though, if you object to an octagonal brolly shape.

 

You might want to seek out a video called "One light lighting" by Jack Reznicki too. Just for a refresher.

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  • 2 months later...

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