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<p>Wow.... peoples logic. :) I say go with Ellis' suggestion. Get yourself at least 2 300 watt units. From there you can grab say 2 large 60" umbrellas from B&H or Adorama and and/or 2 cheap ebay softboxes or something.</p>

<p>You know... I'd have to say that $1000 for a 250 watt flash is a bit much... especially when I could easily get 1320 true watts from the RELIABLE likes of Paul C. Buffs White Lightning X3200 system.<br>

D1 250watts $969.00<br>

X3200 1320watts $669.00</p>

<p>I'm sorry I just think that at least EVERY profoto monobloc at $1000.00 and under 500 watts should at least come with a pocketwizard built in. Man, maybe I'm just too cheap to see the viability.</p>

<p>Use a 7 inch parabolic with a very tight grid. Say a 10-15 degree grid</p>

<p>I say go Alienbees. Light is light. Feel the marketing hype of sturdier is better? Then go White Lightening! Light is light man. Go for it.... besides Alienbees and Whitelightening cost LOADS less to repair etc. Lets NOT BEGIN to talk modifiyer cost!!! Customer service is great as well with Paul C. Buff stuff anyway. Want proof? I bought my friends ringflash called alienbees they fixxed it free and transfered the warranty to me and sent me a new mounting block!!</p>

<p>Dick Blick</p>

<p>THEY ARE ALL TRUE MAN! I've shot for over 2 years with the 10mp Sony Alpha A100 and freequently do 20x30 wedding prints with it. In fact, I will without hesitation tell you that Since I got my A700 I often shoot at 6.5mp setting jpeg when shooting studio and outdoors. I only max out and go RAW or full camera capability when shooting something that truely requires "ultra-stick-tack-sharp-fine-razorblade-crisp" details. I have the Sony Alpha A900 on order for these jobs. Example: When I shoot family portraits I need every inch of every person in focus. This is where having 24 megapixels and F11 and a wide angle lens comes into play. Other than that, my Alpha A700 will do ok and its only 12mp. However if I want meduim format quality of resolving power I'll have to use the 24 with a sharp lens good fstop great light low iso. So from the looks of what you are planning on shooting. You will be MORE than in good hands! Get your camera... did you forget that the 1DS Mark III N is closer to full frame than the APS-C stuff? This means that you will have EVEN LOWER NOISE in lower light! Meaning that your ISO 1600 shots at F2.8 at 1/125th a second will still be killer! Get it man! I wish Sony had a 10mp, Full Frame, 6fps, ultra low noise monster for about 1100 in the works... but I can keep on dreaming!</p>

<p>If you have all PCB lights go csrb plus so you wont have to slow down your shoots to change power.</p>

<p>Alec... WOW!</p>

<p>I'm a little confused here... i thought that light is light. I thought that if you want the light polarized you get a filter and place it over the camera lens.</p>

<p>He's right. Lumedynes are the way to go... smart, small, ultra portable and you can even get a good range of accessories for them.</p>

<p>Go Cybersync best overall unit - has the best of all worlds (reliability, ability to adjust power on certian flashes, simple battery, low cost, SUPER distance)!!!, dodge the Elinchrom Skyport (though very reliable as long as your flash trigger voltage is under 50volts as many older flash units have high trigger voltage, plus the built-in lithium-ion battery will eventually die thus making your $100 receiver worthless, Pocketwizard costs too much but are 90% perfect (price is prohibitive and it doesnt do ttl nor control flash output), radio poppers are F-N awesome! For all I know the Flashwave could be a beefed up poverty wizard (gadget infinity wireless trigger)... however its design somewhat reminds me of the Cybersync (it could be a chinese clone of the cybersync - but who knows).<br>

GO CYBERSYNC!</p>

<p>If your strictly in studio get the flashpoint. If you dream of shooting outside the stuidio go for 2 more 285hv's with Paul C. Buff Cybersync system. Or if your into chain investments... get the flashpoint then get the innovatronix tronix explorer portable power system to power it on-location. negatives with the vivitar... power that trusty when modified (90% of the way you'd use it) , nor a modeling light (sometimes the modeling light helps you to focus). negatives with flashpoint system, heavy, need good stand, not 1/10th as portable as the vivitat nor as quickly to setup.</p>

<p>If your strictly in studio get the flashpoint. If you dream of shooting outside the stuidio for once in your life go for 2 more 285hv's with Paul C. Buff Cybersync system.</p>

<p>You wont be able to get a perfectly centerd light unless you just tape your flash laying flat across your umbrella bracket. You however have two more practicle choices. Choice A) Back the umbrella a bit away from the flash and change the lens zoom to better fill the umbrella. Choice B) Put a Stofen Omnibounce on your flash to more evenly distribute the light. I wouldnt use choice B because though the omni bounce will far more evenly distribute the light the omnibounce will reduce the light output therefore lowering your output.</p>

<p>I'm going the multiclip rout from bogen! its perfect Barry.. thanks. Thanks everybody else. I just ordered 2 Bogen Multi-Clips from B&H when I get them I'm gonna take some black cardboard and make 2 square 6 inch barndoors.</p>

<p>Oh my God. I cant believe I just read that! Look you can work without modeling lights! Go to strobist.com for more information bob. look man. try this... even alzo digital has something that will work! best part is that it doesnt cost $300!! http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/425220-REG/Impact_DFUMK_Digital_Flash_Umbrella_Mount.html go here and get your stands, umbrella adapters and umbrellas if you dont have them.... then go to www.adorama.coma & get 2 of there non-dedicated flashes for 51 ea. then go to gadget infinity and get 1 radio trigger kit and one additional receiver! viola just under $300!!!!</p>

<p>Has anyone made any reliable DIY Barndoors? I'm looking to make some but dont wanna cut metal up.</p>

<p>ok last question... can anyone help me fashion out some metal or plastic or pvc sheet or even foamboard barndoors... how best to clip them to the 10 or 5 inch reflecto?</p>

<p>Nikon probably isnt selling very many D3x's these days I'm sure. $8000 means they went after the upper echelon of the market. The only killer point is that Sony's A900 is under $3,200.00 and the Canon 5D Mark II is well under $2,500.00, then the Nikon D700 is basically a D3 with wings at $2319.95 as of this posting at adorama. Its just too tempting to go Sony A900 or Canon 5D to consider a car or small slum house downpayment. Its just the worst time ever for a hulking price on a dslr come out. It does look like Canon and Nikon are trying to "hold the line" and make sure theres a marked difference in prices between the Upper end and the mid and lower end. The Hoopla over the D3x you ask... the hoopla is all over the price! I mean at $6,000.00 it would've still hurt but been more like it... $5,500.00 wouldve been the camera of the century. Thats where all the hoopla is... the price.<br /> </p>

<p>Anyone know where I can find a good priced 10" circular grid or a very light weight square one that I can put over my 10 inch norman dish?</p>

<p>Thanks Ellis.<strong> Anyone find use for the 5 inch reflector?</strong></p>

<p>I know by all means that you havent thrown away those 5 inch reflectors. How do you use yours? I just wanted some suggestions for the best way to get use out of those tiny 5 inch reflectors. I dont want to be limited to using umbrellas all the time.</p>

<p>hey do a search on ebay... they have some el cheapo's for $24.95</p>

<p>ok... thanks</p>

<p>talk to me about the design Nate, whats the drawbacks to the PCB design?</p>