Studio Lighting

[jason_williams14]

<p>Thanks everyone for the great advice. You've all given me a lot to consider for when I make some final decisions in the very near future.<br>

Marc, if you're still reading this, my long term objectives are to continue to make a few bucks on the side with my photography, hopefully expand that a little, and to basically just continue to develop my skills. I always have a great deal of pride in my work, no matter what it is, and I want to give my very best to the people that hire me. That's why I wanted to make the switch from my gaggle of speedlites... I don't want to be limited by gear. I shoot fashion, glamour, families, seniors, etc. I have less than zero interest in tabletop photography or anything along those lines. My engineering work puts food on my table. I just want my photography to pay for itself. I like the freedom to pick and choose what and who I want to shoot.<br>

I shoot on beaches, mountains, fields, woods, cities, parks, and of course in studio. I travel with my work and I shoot in all kinds of places. I really like what I am seeing with PCB. My biggest fears are not having enough light and outgrowing it. Understandably, I have a lot of "growing" to do before that would happen, but it's still a chunk of money and I want to have something that I will be content with for the next few years. Paying for stuff like this twice sucks... :)</p>

[jason_williams14]

<p>dp</p>

[fotografz]

<p>That's the rub isn't it Jason? Paying twice does suck, especially because it is hard to sell any lighting gear when you want to move up ... unless it is Broncolor, Profoto, Elinchrom, and to some extent Hensel ... which move like hot cakes when you go to sell it. When I moved to Profoto D1 AIR monos, I sold my four Profoto Compacts for about what I paid for them 6 to 8 years ago ... it took less than a day and BAM! they were gone for my selling price.</p>

<p>It seems you really do a lot of mobile work compared to studio applications. Personally, I'm not a fan of mono-lights for mobile work as the heads are usually to large and heavy ... especially if you put one 6 to 7 feet out on the end of a mobile boom arm, and have an assistant/friend/student work as moving light stand.</p>

<p>A very nice "one man band" mobile light is the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra because the heads are actually smaller than a speed-light and can literally fit in your pocket (I never even remove them from their stands), plus the battery is small ... tops out at 400 w/s ... yet that is still 5X the output of a standard speed-light. With the EL modifier adapter, it opens up use of some great Elinchrom modifiers like the folding Deep Octas which a monkey could set-up in less than a minute : -) The Quadra is a digital unit and levels can be controlled from the on-camera radio transmitter.</p>

<p>My other favorite mobile light is the Profoto Acute 600B AIR Lithium which is also tiny for a 600w/s pack, as is the Acute B head (over 7X the output of a typical speed-light) ... <em>(all profoto heads have the advantage of a mount that allows you to move a reflector back and forth along the light's body to change the degree of light spread)</em> ... A bit more expensive than the Quadra, but opens up limitless future potential ... and in the meantime, when more is required, you can just rent it ... all the way up to a Pro 8A for 2400 w/s that shoots up to 20 frames a second and has an action freezing 1/12,000 flash duration ... LOL! (just kidding). </p>

<p>Again, best of luck on your venture ... the important thing is you are exploring the possibilities, and no matter what you do I doubt you'll be disappointed!</p>

<p>-Marc</p>

<p> </p>

[summerleif]

<p>I am a Bowens strobe user.<br />I use them daily in my work.<br />I am a line photographer for a large apparel company.<br /><br /><br />http://www.bowensusa.com/<br /><br />They have a lot of nice features.<br /><br /></p>

<ul>

<li> They are built like tanks.</li>

<li> They have a good short flash duration.</li>

<li> They have 1/10 f/stop increment adjustments, not just fractional.</li>

<li> Digital LED display of output level.</li>

<li> Digital electronic internal control.</li>

<li> Flash dump on dial down.</li>

<li> Flexible slave modes.</li>

</ul>

<p><br /><br />!!!!! operates with optional "travelpak" battery system for outdoor/remote shoots.<br /><br />http://www.bowensusa.com/index.php/monolights/travelpak.html<br /><br />Compare the light stand mounting system of Bowens with other strobes, the different is obvious. Bowens has one of the most rugged, sturdy, and flexible stand mounting designs.<br /><br />Modifiers for the Bowens S mount are probably among the most readily available.<br /><br />You can download the manuals for the Bowens 500r / 250r strobes for more details about their features.<br /><br />Budget wise, Bowens strobes are mid-range; more than Paul Buff, far less than Profoto, Chimera, or Broncolor.<br /><br />Bowens is a subsidiary of calumetphoto: calumetphoto.com.<br /><br />Check out the calumet and other web sites for a variety of S mount compatible light modifiers: snoots, beauty dishes, grids, gels, and so on.<br /><br />There are also many sellers on eBay that sell a large selection of light modifiers for Bowens/ S mount lighting.<br /><br /><br />Most of my monolights are the digital model from a couple years ago. They include an LED display of output level in 1/10 f/stop. The LED can be set to joules instead of f/stop, which is way more convenient when you have both 250ws and 500ws lights. I also have a pair of the newest model 500r, but the LED on those cannot be switched between f/stop and joules display. It only supports f/stop display, and while it is possible to do the arithmetic conversion mentally, I keep a little spreadsheet chart handy. This is important because I document all shoots with light output levels, and setup photos so that I can replicate a shot in case of a problem.<br /><br />Just as important as lights, you need modifiers: softboxes, reflectors, diffusers, snoots, umbrellas, stands, and so on.<br /><br />Once you decide on a strobe lighting brand: check out the Calumet "Quickring" softbox connector, which is available with adapters for a variety of strobe and continuous light brands.<br />Be prepared to invest as much in studio lighting gear as in camera gear.<br /><br />I can also tell you that I use the Paul Buff - AlienBee Ringflash, which is the coolest strobe of its type for the money. In fact nobody else sells such a device in that price range. However, most often I use a beauty dish rather than the ringflash, for the work that I do. I have a calumet beauty dish, cost about $300, and an eBay (chinese made?) beauty dish. Sometimes I prefer the eBay beauty dish because it has multiple/different style center reflectors from the calumet one.<br /><br />My softboxes are photoflex, except for a couple strip boxes I found on eBay.<br /><br />In the past I tested out a variety of softboxes and other modifier brands before settling on Photoflex. IMO, Chimera, Photoflex, and other "high end" modifiers just didn't justify the price. <br /><br />As for another aspect of your question, I find monolights much easier and more flexible to work with than the pack and head systems. Also, having a system that works on battery pack power is also essential, IMO. In addition to lights though, expect to spend at least as much as modifiers, softboxes, gels, reflectors, scrims, stands, radio triggers, and such as on light units themselves. Plus, props, backgrounds and such are also necessary, and require creative thinking to produce contemporary aesthetics. <br /><br />A lot of other studio equipment is also important, and just as big an investment. For example, I have been shooting tethered for quite some time. This means having a good computer and monitor in the studio. I upgraded to a 30inch Dell monitor that I can swivel into portrait mode. The big monitor really gives clients the warm and fuzzy. This sort of setup also means having an A/C adapter setup for the camera body, and a really long USB cable with extension/repeater on it. I also often use a radio control remote shutter trigger too.<br>

<br />Good luck ...</p>

 

[jason_williams14]

<p>Summer Leaf, thanks for the information. I've heard good things about Bowens, especially their ruggedness.<br>

As an engineer, I've spent my life comparing designs with multiple variables, trying to predict future needs, and then trying to pick the best one. I have to apply that to this scenario.<br>

I'm going to assemble five complete lighting systems from scratch, then compare the pros and cons and base my decision on that. It seems the best way to do it.<br>

I had initally budgeted 5k for this, but I can be flexible on that.<br>

I'm going to put together the following:<br>

Four light Einstein system (20% discount when you get four)- The cost of the lights should allow me to go nuts with modifers... :)<br>

An Elinchrom system- I love their light<br>

A Profoto system- The rental houses love them, that says a lot.<br>

A Bowens system- I like their ruggedness.<br>

and a Hensel system- Everyone who owns a Hensel Porty says nothing but good stuff about it. German engineering is hard to beat.<br>

I'm going to try to get as complete a modifer list as I can so I can compare apples to apples as much as possible.<br>

If anyone has suggestions of what to try, or more importantly, what not to, it would be sincerely appreciated.</p>

 

[peter_cohen]

<p><strong>Jason</strong>: Doing a lot of location work, I've found that the Photoflex Lite Panels http://www.photoflex.com/Pro_Products/LitePanels/ are among the most useful pieces of gear we have for their portability and flexibility in terms of what's available to stretch over the frame.</p>

<p>I strongly suggest the metal frame vs. plastic. We have two of the 39x72 models and use them for one reason or another on almost every shoot.</p>

[summerleif]

<p>Jason Williams:<br>

<br />If you get a set of Calumet softbox adapter Quickrings, you can get adapters for a variety of strobe brands to use with them. That way your investment in softboxes will work no matter what brand of strobes you end up with.<br>

http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/calumet_quickring_speed_ring_with_bowens_calumet_adapter/rm6410k</p>

<p>As I mentioned, a complete studio setup requires a lot of equipment other than the strobes themselves.<br>

Also don't forget small tools like reflector holders:<br>

http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/calumet_telescopic_zipdisc_holder_with_8_5_light_stand/mf6860k<br>

I have some of the Photoflex ones and the Calumet ones, each having a slightly different design.</p>

<p>Also don't forget small tools like "sand" bags:</p>

<p>http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/calumet_25_lb_11_3kg_sand_bag_empty/pi3025</p>

<p>You just missed a sale at calumet photo on sandbags. I do not use sand in them. I use pea gravel that I prepackage in double layer ziploc baggies. Then the baggies get placed into the sandbags. After a while, the plastic bags wear and need replacement, but they are cheap. This system keeps "sand" dirt out of the studio.</p>

<p>There are so many minor but essential items like this that a studio needs, that a book could probably written about modern photo studio installation.</p>

 

[summerleif]

<p>For a look at a wild studio that mostly operates as a rent out shop by its MLB baseball player owner, check out this link:</p>

<p>http://www.loft19.com/</p>

[jason_williams14]

<p>Thanks guys. I am so glad I stumbled upon this site. A true wealth of information.<br /> You're all going to laugh at me, but I already have the absolute coolest location reflectors and light panels. I went to a county auction and bought 12 of the "mowers ahead" signs. The bases are huge on them, they are designed to stand on any sloped footing, the shafts can be positioned at any angle, they will stand in a 100mph wind gust, and they fold flat when moved. I've never used a sandbag in my life. :)<br /> I'm still working on this project. It's a bigger task than I thought it would be. It's still up in the air, but I have to say, PCB is looking good. The price difference is insane. I'm less worried about the ruggedness after hearing what you guys had to say, but I'm still wondering about the light quality. Any one here have portraits/fashion shots that they did with Buff equipment? The amount of light you get and the bang for your buck is absolutely amazing to me... How's PCB gear for resale?<br>

PS- That is quite a studio... :)</p>

<p> </p>

[JRCrowe]

<p>This was taken with a 5d Mk2 and Alien Bees b 1600s with PCB 30x24 and the PCB 30x60 soft boxes. This was outdoors using the Vagabond batteries.</p><div></div>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Meant to attach the below to this thread the other day, sorry. Done with Buff lights/modifiers.</p><div></div>

[jason_williams14]

<p>Both nice captures guys. I believe the best I've saw so far though is "Action Dog!" I put myself through college training labs for field trials, so I have a soft spots for K-9s.<br>

I'm still muddling through all this. It's quite a task... then when I'm done, I get to do my taxes. Fun times here, let me tell you.</p>

[studio460]

<p>Marc said:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Jason, I wouldn't be put off by modifier prices for any system ... almost any modifier can be used on almost any strobe head by swapping speed-rings. While there are exceptions, this is generally true ... so a soft-box can be selected that offers more reasonably priced grids, and used on most any strobe system you select.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The Paul C. Buff (PCB) 30" x 60" fabric eggcrate is $54.95. Granted, the Profoto 4' x 6' fabric grid is larger, but its price is disproportionately high at $939. In my experience, there is a dearth of "reasonably priced" fabric grids for large softboxes. Chimera, Westcott, Lighttools, are all hideously expensive. Honeycombs, reflectors, you name it, are orders of magnitude more expensive from the name-brand manufacturers when compared with their PCB counterparts. A well-equipped studio also needs varying degrees of fabric grids and honeycombs for competent light control (i.e., several versions of the same sized grid/honeycomb). Buying name-brand, light-control tools will run into the thousands of dollars.</p>

<p>The fabric grid for my 53" x 70" Photoflex softbox is over $450 (also, notice, it's not the more industry-standard 54" x 72" where I would have more options), and is apparently discontinued--now, I'll have to custom order one from Lighttools (the primary supplier of fabric grids to most other manufacturers) for even more money.</p>

<p>As for interoperability of modifiers, many combinations are unavailable. You can't simply "swap speedrings." You need to find an adapter ring, made specifically for adapting one particular make of flash head, to another manufacturer's modifier. Yes, those who own both Profoto and Elinchrom products have some interoperability options, but many others do not. I would love to use Elinchrom modifiers on my Speedotron Force 10 monolight, but I can't find the appropriate adapter ring to fit. Similarly, I would love to use PCB modifiers with my Speedotron, but can't seem to adapt those either. How about Elinchrom-to-PCB (i.e., Einstein E640), or PCB-to-Elinchrom? Can't seem to find that adapter either, with the sole exception of the special Elinchrom adapter/cage made for the PCB parabolic light modifier (PLM).</p>

[studio460]

<p>Marc said:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Unfortunately, lighting is not exempt from the old adage "you get what you pay for". I have an ancient 79" Elinchrom Parabolic that I use with Profoto heads that is still like the day I took it out of the box ...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>While I'm not arguing your general premise, I'm simply offering a differing strategy. First, most here starting with their first studio kit, may not know exactly what they want or need. Setting up a studio with modest equipment, that isn't going to be air-packed every week, FedEx'd ad infinitum, and isn't generally going into the field, will probably last a lifetime. An 86" PCB parabolic light modifier (PLM) is only $79.95. Dirt cheap, and when paired with a PCB Einstein E640 monolight, is a pretty neat thing to have in your "starter studio," for not too much money.</p>

<p>I think more importantly, a beginning studio should at least include every proper light control tool available. For example, if I were to buy a monolight or head-an-pack system, I would also buy honeycombs for each head, in varying degrees, for each reflector, and beauty dish I owned. For each softbox, I would like to have at the bare minimum, a fabric grid for each, but ideally, ones in varying degrees. Between large keys, background, backlights, strip lights, etc., that can add up to a half-dozen or more fabric eggcrates. Buying these for a pricier system would be a significant investment. That said, I can only recommend what I think is best for myself. Some may differ with my approach, but this is what makes sense for me. That said, here's how I'm planning to build my system:</p>

<p>Studio System (PCB; CyberSync):</p>

<p>For my home studio, I plan to buy as many Paul C. Buff 640Ws E640 monolights as I can afford (their key feature for studio use, for me, is their 4Ws minimum power spec). I also plan to buy nearly every softbox, fabric grid, honeycomb, reflector and other modifier PCB makes. This will be a stationary studio system, with some units ceiling-mounted, others on rolling baby stands and booms. I'll trigger and control power with the PCB CyberSync system. These lights will basically never leave the building.</p>

<p>Location System I (Various AC/DC monolights/Speedlights; PocketWizard):</p>

<p>For my on-location "artsy" shooting (shooting models at magic hour, etc.), I've chosen these monolights for their long flash duration (for high-speed sync applications), durability, output, and price (all were bought either used or open-box): Speedotron Force 10, Dynalite Uni400 Jr, Quantum Qflash. In addition to these, I own a Nikon SB-800, four SB-600s, plus a pile of Vivitar 283s with VariPower dials. I can trigger both my Speedlights, and monolights with my PocketWizard TT1/TT5s. These are for location exteriors, typically using only one main monolight as a key, and at most, two. Sometimes, I'll have an assistant hold the Dynalite on a pole with a small octobox or something. Others, I'll have the large 1,000Ws Speedotron on a stand shooting through a large softbox. These units are more for my portfolio shots, rather than for paying gigs.</p>

<p>Location System II (Profoto or Elinchrom; PocketWizard, Air, or Skyport):</p>

<p>This is for when I get the paying gigs to justify the cost. This will be a "system" purchase. When shooting in the field for money, you have every reason to buy the best--your job depends on the reliability and durability of your tools. But most of those just starting aren't at this point yet, and such a system can easily go over five-figures. A full-blown Elinchrom system is likely the winner for me, here. A minimum of five heads, and five modifiers. This would be for standard on-location, gallery-style shooting.</p>

<p>I don't yet have the clients for location system II yet. But when I do get to that point, the day rate will better afford such a premium system. My point is, instead of investing in only part of system 'A' (e.g., Profoto, Broncolor, Elinchrom, etc.), you can invest in all of system 'B' (e.g., PCB), and at least have every lighting-control tool available to you from the get-go. With all of these tools available, the beginner's studio now turns into a fairly sophisticated lighting lab, equipped with every tool for learning how to shape and control light in a studio environment.</p>

[fotografz]

<p>That is one way to look at it Ralph, and a reasonably level headed one.</p>

<p>My mentor advised almost the opposite when I started out ... or should say, restarted after a few stumbles.</p>

<p>His more restrained notion was expressed with an odd metaphor ... where an American secretary will buy 5 different inexpensive outfits for work, a French woman will buy one classic high quality outfit and accessorize it in endless ways. I didn't get it at first ... but as we progressed, I did.</p>

<p>Basically I was taught to start simple, learn how to extract all of the potential of each tool by using it in different ways to express different ideas. The better the tool, the more creatively versatile it seemed to be. Once mastered, then build step-by-step.</p>

<p>I have a close friend that is a master of light including "lighting" ... and teaches the same relatively simple technique all over the world.</p>

<p>http://portfolio.shanidze.com/ ... I personally love his Louis Vuitton series: http://portfolio.shanidze.com/galleries/1_LV/</p>

<p>Frankly, one could do almost anything with a pair of D1 500s and D1 1000 AIR mono kit with a few accessories ... which gives you access to Profoto's sliding modifier mount to further control the light ... add any umbrella or soft-box that strikes your fancy ... and 7" grids need not be Profoto brand. The Buff mini battery can run the D1s on location when set to Batt.<br>

All with-in Jason's original budget or close to it.</p>

<p>My simple approach to expressive lighting kind of follows that notion ... often with just one or two lights and a few bounce cards ...</p>

<p>-Marc</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[studio460]

<p>Certainly, a lot can be accomplished with only one or two sources, and only a modest assortment of modifiers. Many of my favorite images only have a single source. Here's an image keyed with a single Speedlight shooting into a 60" Photoflex umbrella (which I bought like 17 years ago). A second Speedlight was gelled blue, and used to light the background.</p>

<p><img src="http://nikoncinematographer.com/images/cx1.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>When thinking about building your first studio lighting set-up, there are ton of different ways to go. Maybe I would've been better off now, had I only invested in Profoto, or Elinchrom heads and modifiers from the start. That way, I would have enjoyed system-wide compatibility from the get-go, and would have garnered a fair assortment of like gear by now. But that initial investment (which I've yet to make) is quite high, and at least I was able to learn, and develop a sense of what specific pro lighting products I would like to eventually buy, by experimenting with the less expensive gear first.</p>

[studio460]

<p>Small Studio Grip Package:</p>

<p>Just as important as the lights themselves, an assortment of grip equipment to hold your strobes and lighting control tools is essential to any location or studio kit. Grip equipment can be purchased from any number of suppliers--I just happen to like Matthews products (plus, they''re local). Here's a small assortment of grip items I've started to accumulate:</p>

<p>x2 Matthews Hollywood Baby stands (steel, double- or triple-riser, w/wheels).<br />x2 Matthews Mini Booms.<br />x1 Matthews Baby Boom.<br />x4 Matthews standard C-stands complete w/40" extension arm/grip head, black.<br />x1 Matthews short C-stand complete w/20" extension arm/grip head (need more).<br />x8 Matthews 15 lb. sandbags, black.<br />x2 Matthews 5 lb. sandbags, black (boom counterweights).<br />x2 Matthews Foamcore holders.<br />x4 Matthews full-apple boxes, natural (painted flat-black).<br />x2 Matthews half-apple boxes, natural (painted flat-black).<br />x4 Mafer clamps.<br />x4 Cartellini clamps.<br />x4 baby nail-on plates.<br />x2 39" x 39" Photoflex LitePanels w/translucent diffusion panel + white/silver panel.<br />x1 39" x 72" Photoflex LitePanel w/translucent diffusion panel + white/silver panel.<br />Plus a number of various Photoflex and Manfrotto lightweight stands.</p>

<p>The following I've yet to acquire, but plan to someday:</p>

<p>An assortment of 18" x 24" and 24" x 36" solids, silks, and nets.<br />x2 Matthews 4' x 4' black floppies (solids); note: must choose orientation of "flop."<br />x1 Matthews 4' x 4' China silk.<br />x1 Matthews 4' x 4' polysilk.<br />x1 Matthews 40" x 40" Matthboard super-soft/ultra-soft + yoke (sold separately).</p>

<p>For portable silk systems larger than 4' x 4' (6' x 6' and up), look to Photoflex, Westcott ScrimJim, and California Sunbounce products (expensive). In comparison, the hard-framed Matthews silks are relatively affordable, but can't accomodate anything larger than a head-shot, if using to silk the sun.</p>

[jason_williams14]

<p>It's funny, you guys have totally hit upon what I have been wrestling with the last couple of days and you worded it almost exactly as I've been thinking it... lol.<br>

I've had two thoughts...<br>

1. Go PCB, use my 5k budget and buy practically one of everything. It's good gear, I will have hundreds of possible combinations to toy with, and it is going to blow away what I am doing with my pile of 580exIIs.<br>

2. Go Elinchrom/Profoto. Buy a handful of different modifers, use them and expand upon my system a couple pieces at a time. A couple years and a few gigs from now and I've got a top notch system.<br>

I'm leaning towards number two. When I started out with speedlites, the person I learned a lot from advised me to buy one and master it before thinking about getting a second one. It worked well doing that. I followed his advice and used one for quite some time, then added to it, then added more till finally I felt I had run out of room to grow and found myself where I am now. <br>

I'm leaning that way but have not quite pulled the trigger. The PCB "bang for your buck" and that "buy 4 get 20% off discount" is so hard to pass up.,,, I don't know if anyone has ever looked at it, but you can get A LOT of gear from PCB for 5k when you are using that discount... A LOT.<br>

If I were to get any more indecisive, I might as well become a woman.... :P</p>

<p> </p>

[studio460]

<p>It's a tough call, Jason. One I'm still trying to make myself. I'll probably go with an all-PCB home studio, since the stuff I'll shoot at home will generally be personal, not for-hire gigs. The "artsy" stuff that I want to shoot at home will require multiple heads, and a lot of precision lighting control, so I think the PCB system makes the most sense for me here.</p>

<p>I purchased my piece-meal, Speedotron-Dynalite-Quantum-Vagabond Mini Lithium, "Location System I" in lieu of the excellent, but far pricier, Elinchrom Ranger Quadra RX system. All three monolights I bought (1,000Ws, 400Ws, 200Ws), including speedrings, beauty dishes, and four battery packs (x2 VMLs, x1 Jackrabbit II, x1 Quantum Turbo) ran only about $2,000, since I was buying used and open-box (whereas, a single Quadra 'A' head and battery sells for $1,480, new).</p>

<p>But, the Quadra heads are quite nice in that they have an extremely compact form factor, and they're fairly lightweight. Plus, there's all those cool Elinchrom modifiers built to fit. Certainly, if money were no object, I would opt for the Quadras in a heartbeat. Another option was to have purchased the lower-tier, Elinchrome D-Lite4 IT AC-powered monolights, and paired them with Vagabond Minis. Then, at least, I would have started with all-Elinchrom heads, and would've been able to buy all-Elinchrom modifiers (the ones I really wanted in the first place).</p>

<p>My future pro-line, "Location System II," I'll taylor to the types of clients that need it, but that's to come later. And, since it'll amount to quite a sizable investment, I'll need the clients to justify its purchase first. However, If you're starting from scratch, going with the premium-brand gear, a few pieces at a time, may make more sense for you. Your specific needs and goals are probably completely different from mine, so you'll have to determine what gear suits those best. Good luck!</p>

[studio460]

<p>Also, here's a few basic decision-points, which I'm not sure have been discussed yet:</p>

<p>1. Head-and-pack system, or monolights?<br /> 2. AC-powered studio system, or inverter/battery-powered location system?<br /> 3. RF triggering: PocketWizard, Profoto Air, Elinchrom Skyport, or PCB CyberSync?</p>

<p>You may want to decide on your RF triggering system first, so you don't duplicate capability or buy incompatible systems. A hybrid approach is available as well for some systems. If you know you're going to be all-Profoto, or all-Elinchrom, or all-PCB, then their respective RF systems may make the most sense. However, a PocketWizard-based system will allow you to trigger your Speedlights in addition to your monolights.</p>

<p>While the internally branded RF systems often have more built-in control (e.g., remote power, modeling light on/off, memory, etc.), PocketWizard does also support a select few brands of strobes with internal modules, including the Power ST4 for Elinchrom RX-series strobes, and Power MC2 module for the PCB Einstein E640 monolight. A trigger-only unit, the PocketWizard BW-5185, is also available for select Bowens monolights. Lastly, certain models of Profoto power packs have PocketWizard receivers built-in.</p>

<p>Check the PocketWizard site below for other "integrated solutions" they offer for other brands of equipment:</p>

<p>http://www.pocketwizard.com/products/solution/</p>

[rob_h5]

<blockquote>

<p>An American secretary will buy 5 different inexpensive outfits for work, a French woman will buy one classic high quality outfit and accessorize it in endless ways.</p>

<p>Compare the light stand mounting system of Bowens with other strobes, the different is obvious. Bowens has one of the most rugged, sturdy, and flexible stand mounting designs.<br /><br />Modifiers for the Bowens S mount are probably among the most readily available.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree with Marc and Summer. Marc sums it up perfectly, maybe thats why I always loved French women more than American women! its the perfect metaphor for buying classic quality studio lights such as Profoto, Hensel, Speedotron, Broncolor, Dynalite, Bowens/Calumet and Elinchrom. I shoot with the Bowens portable studio pack myself which has 3000ws capability, 2 quad heads and 2 monolights, has a flash duration at about 1/6000 sec. Bowens/Calumet studio strobes have been used by professional studios for decades. The Calumet monolight, Calumet Elite /PS studio packs are nearly identical except for the label as the Bowens Gemini and Bowens Duo studio strobes.</p>

<p>Again I recommend in no particular order (based on your lighting needs):</p>

<p>Profoto<br />Hensel <br />Speedotron <br />Broncolor <br />Dynalite <br />Bowens/Calumet <br />Elinchrom</p>

<p>All the above studio lights can be rented at major photography rental stores!<br /><strong>What hasnt been mentioned is the ability to <em>easily rent studio lights and studio light modifiers</em>.</strong> <em><strong>Most professional commercial photographers rent</strong>.</em> Calumet rents light modifiers for all the Bowens studio strobes. And most photographic retailer will rent Profoto, Speedotron,Hensel, Broncolor and others I mentioned. I dont recommend Alien Bees for this reason. Major photographic retailers will not sell/rent Alien Bees. If you are lucky they may have a few Balcar brands that will work. You can only buy/repair Alien Bees through mail. In fact every sales person from every photographic retailer I have talk to frowns upon Aliens Bees lights and doesnt recommend them. I get the fact Alien Bees tries to "cut out the middleman" sales approach by going "mailorder only" which is fine but what good is it if you cant even rent? Its unfortunate because they are great low budget studio lights. But the ability to rent studio strobes and/or light modifiers is important for choosing the right studio strobe for your photo assignments.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<blockquote>

<p>In fact every sales person from every photographic retailer I have talk to frowns upon Aliens Bees lights and doesnt recommend them.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Just to be clear, we're not talking about Bees, here, but the Einstein units. Regardless ... of <em>course</em> people who can't sell a direct-from-the-factory-only product that has far less markup (by way of not having to pay the distribution and retailing chain) are going to discourage people from looking at that product. It's very hard for them to compete when what they sell <em>must</em> have at least a 100% of markup built into the price by the time it's sold at retail.<br /><br />As for renting ... have you tried Googling? Only took a moment to find people renting out Einsteins with stands and wireless remotes for - for instance - $25/day. The nice people at BorrowLenses.com, who rent out all kinds of stuff, also rent out Einsteins at $32 for three days. Likewise with LensRentals.com, who rent out several of Buff's products.<br /><br />You're right that you can't walk into Calumet and rent them. Calumet doesn't want to support their competition.</p>

[summerleif]

<p><strong>Jason:</strong><br /><br />Ralph Oshiro's most recent example photo proves some important points, among the most important being that if your technique and craft are good enough, nobody can tell what gear you used to produce it.<br /><br />Even though I moved to shooting with Canon gear a few years ago, and use Bowens monolights, I also have four Nikon sb-800 speedlights that I use on occasion for various purposes. The results aren't the product of the sb-800s or the Bowens strobes, but the techniques and craft used to produce the results.<br /><br />As a practical matter though, there isn't any way that I could shoot all day in studio with sb-800s, just based on battery use, slow recycle time, lack of modeling light, inability to use certain kinds of modifiers, and lack of ability to closely dial in precision light levels.<br /><br />In the end, there is far more to a studio than the brand of strobes used. In fact, I could switch out the brand of strobes used in my studio, and it would barely impact the much bigger investment in other equipment that a well equipped studio involves.<br /><br />Also, for commercial, all day use, I am not convinced that I could see myself using Buff strobes to do it. The precision and ability to repeat setups that equipment like Profoto and/or Bowens, etc., provides, is essential. It is really important that the equipment be - all day - reliable, dependable, as well as precise enough, to focus on the creative aspects of the job to get things done efficiently. Unfortunately, a studio situation often involves all sorts of people around, such that self confidence needs to be high. I even have a morning check list that involves doing little things like putting freshly charged re-chargeable batteries into all the Pocketwizards, checking the battery in the light meter, setting up the computer and software for the day's sessions, like a pre-flight list for a commercial pilot. The day ends with another check list, include tasks likee making sure that double backups of all the RAWs have been made, and so on. Of course those days alternate with days sitting in front of Photoshop pixel peeping with the healing brush.<br /><br />In planning the implementation of a good photo studio, I hope you get past - brand of strobes - and onto other essential photo studio tools. I also hope you seriously test out gear before you dive into a major investment commitment with any of it. Its sort of like communicating to the beginning photographer that the equipment investment focus should be on lenses, not with camera bodies that one might swap out every few years, while lenses often stick around for decades. </p>

[studio460]

<p>The "Rental Argument:"</p>

<p>Yes, buying what rental houses rent makes sense if you're a working professional, but not all of us are . . . yet! However, if you work in L.A., by following that advice, that would mean that you <em>must</em> buy Profoto, and <em>only</em> Profoto. In every top photo studio in L.A., I literally only see a single brand in their rental inventory--Profoto. Sure, you can run down to Samy's Camera and rent Elinchrom, Broncolor, or Dynalite if you must, but in Tinseltown, there's really only one brand.</p>

<p>The "French Women Dress Nice" Argument:</p>

<p>Yes, they do.</p>

<p>The "Two-Speedlight" Argument:</p>

<p>Gee, thanks for the kind words, Summer!</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Some clarifications ...</p>

<p>You do NOT have to use modifiers from the light maker's Brand choices ... most any modifier will work on most any light by changing the speed-ring. I have Hensel, Profoto and Elinchrom lights in my studio/location kits ... and Elinchrom, Hensel, Profoto, Plume, Mola and Wescott modifiers that I move around on different brand heads all the time.</p>

<p>You do NOT have to worry about incompatible radio systems to trigger different strobe heads ... all proprietary radios exist for triggering internally equipped receivers, but also offer plug-in receivers ... IF Profoto AIR is your primary radio system for AIR equipped lights, you can trigger any light or pack made with the a Profoto AIR receiver. You only need one radio system be it the Elinchrom Skyport, Profoto AIR, Pocket Wizard, or Hensel Strobe Wizard, etc.</p>

<p>Mono heads are a PITA to use for a mobile set-up ... pack heads work much better. Monos from ANYONE + modifier on the end of a painter's pole is very hard to manage ... as is putting a mono head + modifier on an extended boom arm in the studio ... keep the model's or product's safety in mind here. Scott Kelby's lighting seminar makes a BIG point of that issue. </p>

<p> </p>