Accessories question for Alien Bees

[scott_gilbert3]

First of all, I'm relatively new to advanced lighting, but am

learning a lot from this forum and others like it.

 

I have $750 in my pocket and it's burning a whole. I decided to get

some studio lights. After much searching, I decided that the biggest

bang for the buck would be a couple of Alien Bees B800's. My

question is all the accessories. First question is the choice of

umbrellas. The default order is one 48? Silver/White and one 48?

shoot-thru. Other possibilities are Gold with black backing. Would

it be best to just ignore the gold and stick with the default for now?

 

Also, the standard reflector is a 7? 80 degree beam width. I can

replace this and go with 22? matte pan reflector and a diffusion sock

(kind of like a mini soft box). Again, am I overstepping my beginner

hood by getting this? Should I stick with the standard equipment

until I?m better?

 

My philosophy is: If I?m going to jump into studio lighting

equipment, I might as well jump headfirst. But, I don?t want to

overwhelm my learning curve either.

 

Any comments or suggestions are much appreciated.

Thank you,

 

Scott

[ray]

If you are just starting out, I would recommend the stock units and wait on the

accessories. Studio photography has a good learning curve and you'll quickly realize that

cookie cutter lighting setups don't always have pleasing results. I would pickup a couple

of books on this topic.

 

You didn't mention a flashmeter. Make sure to budget for that.

[johnmarkpainter]

Scott,

 

The Pan Reflector w/diffusion is excellent for closeups...not 'mini' though. It is much

larger than you think.

 

The Shoot-Thru is good when you are in a hurry and don't have time to assemble a

Softbox. It doesn't look quite as smooth though.

 

Do order some of the Honeycomb Grids. I would recommend a couple of umbrellas, a

Softbox and a set of reflectors. That will keep you busy for a while.

 

jmp

[joseph_wisniewski]

I would only recommend one accessory, aside from some umbrellas, and that's the USK "Umbrella Spill Kit". This little "pie pan" reflector lights the whole umbrella evenly, and you can do this with the umbrella at a short extension, so it's more over the center of your stand and easier to handle. It's hard to light the entire umbrella (and get maximum softness) using the stock AB reflector. It typically lights a small area in the center of the umbrella, making the umbrella act like a much smaller umbrella.

 

Aside from that, my preference is for "convertible" umbrellas. They have a translucent white reflector that's permanently attached to the frame, and a second black one that comes off. Take the black off to shoot through the umbrella, put it back on when you're reflecting off the umbrella.

[dm1994]

I have two AB's and have been very happy with them. But I'd stay away from their umbrellas. They're not put together well at all. I bought Photogenic umbrellas that are still inexpensive, but the build quality is much better.

[paulrumohr]

The accessories are EVERYHING. They are what turn the basic flash unit into a USEFUL

tool.

 

Would you but a drill set with one drill bit?