wayne_f1

Yes, the lighting equipment is an investment, but a good investment because good stuff can last many years, and it is really nice to work with decent gear all that time, more fun than fighting the cheapest stuff. If ever needed, the AB lights have legendary support and service, which is quite unique today.

 

Just talking, but the 160 watt-second lights should be more than enough power in the living room (excluding maybe school gyms and outdoor sunlight, etc). Distance and aperture is what determines power needed. 160 watt-seconds should allow f/8 at full power in umbrella at 10 feet (counting that our ISO 200 cameras are one more stop stronger than ISO 100 cameras). The 10 feet could be right for a group of people (or 20 feet should be f/4), but for normal portraits, you would want the lights much closer, really as close as you can work around, and so then you turn them down to maybe 1/4 power, even for f/11.

 

The main idea of the umbrella or softbox lighting is this: If a light is distant from the subject, it is a "small light source" due to looking small in the distance, and any small light causes dark and distinct shadows (nose and chin, etc). Like the sun is pretty far away. :) But put the umbrella up close at 4 or 5 feet, then it looks really large to subject, in their face, like a big wall of light. Some of its light comes from all directions to the subject, from the left, right, up, down, and this fills in shadows and becomes a very soft light which you will really like. Nearly magic, and add a second fill light, and you have true magic. Large is how it works, and close is how it is large.

 

This is also why we bounce a little flash head from the ceiling, because the ceiling acts as a very large light source then, shadows become indistinct. If we could just get the ceiling closer... :)

 

There is essentially no difference in the light from white umbrella or softbox. Softbox light is more contained, better aimed, does not scatter so much light all over the room. You dont want your green room walls to act as a reflector, but if the lights are close and walls relatively distant, this scatter is too weak to be much factor (again due to inverse square law). Primarily, the softbox can be placed closer due to umbrella stand and shaft being in the way, therefore it can be "larger" to subject. But a shoot through umbrella can similarly be placed close too. Overkill much of the time, and the main problem then is that the umbrella spokes probably reflect in the subjects eyes, and the softbox does not have spokes. If you can leave the softbox setup all the time, it is very convenient. But the umbrella is much easier to transport.

 

You may find this interesting about umbrella choices:

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/How_Products_Work/How_an_Umbrella_Works/index.html

 

When you get your lights, set up a tabletop with maybe a vase or something round that will cast a good shadow. Photograph it with 1. One bare reflector, 2. Two bare reflectors, 3. One umbrella, maybe 10 feet, 4. Two umbrellas at 10 feet, 5. one umbrella as close as possible, maybe 4 feet to fabric to have room for camera, and 6. two same umbrellas. Examine subject and shadows. Then you will fully understand the idea of it.

 

If you have a background screen, then a background light really is often an important factor, to make it "be right". We can really change a background with light. But with just two lights, the background could still be the Christmas tree or the fireplace, like regular snapshot settings, but with really nice lighting. The light does fall off fast with distance behind (2x distance is 1/4 light, 2 stops down), but that can help sometimes too. Normally a lighted background is back farther to prevent interactions. A close unlighted background (using screen or not) is much brighter, but can cause shadows. However, with an umbrella (large), the shadow is weak and diffuse, and with two umbrellas, one fills in the others shadow, and it generally disappears.

 

As to working without a hair light, consider the background to suit the hair, worst choice is dark background with dark hair - hair blends into background that way, subject does not stand out without a light on it. Little things, but it can make a big difference. The hair light is nice to add sparkle to the picture.

 

Without a flash meter, try to make your lights are as equal as possible in all ways with respect to subject (esp distance and power). If you want a ratio, say one stop difference, then with equal lights, turn one light down one notch of 1/2 power (not as exact as metering, but close enough).

 

Use the white towel method previous linked for camera exposure. But if you really get into this, and I bet you will, there is a little more to it, and the flash meter will be a real blessing, much like the meter in the camera is a real blessing now for that work. I use the Sekonic L308S meter, about $180 I think, which is cheaper than many, but a fine brand reputation, and is also a really good investment for studio flash. It simply just works.

 

Anyway, hope some of that helps with the decisions.

Day and night better than the hot lights Heather. :) If you had said these first, I would never have said anything, but since you asked, I will offer opinions anyway. :) I am not familiar with these lights on their site, but the Versalights appear to be JTL lights. Looks like low end stuff, and not sure all things are equal, but at least JTL is a brand name.

 

The specs are on the JTL site at http://www.jtl-lighting.com

 

The main light 2002 (vs a AlienBees B400 light) says:

 

200 watt-seconds (160 watt-seconds)

0.3 to 3.5 seconds recycle (0.5 seconds)

1/1000 to 1/1600 duration (1/6400 second)

$200 price ($225)

 

You would like the AB fast 0.5 second recycle time (to shoot again real quickly when things are going well)

 

The lesser 1104 J-160 light says 160 watt-seconds, 1/600 second duration, and says its flashtube lasts 8000 flashes. AB says a couple hundred thousand flashes for theirs (in manual, online there). I dont see any replacement flash tubes for the J-160, not sure they are replaceable. It seems to say the 200 modeling light bulbs are $27 from them? NOT household bulbs. I dont know if I am right about them, but you asked, and I am not liking the details myself. It seems important.

 

I sure do like the better AB specs myself - what is not to like? They are so extremely popular and well known items. AB claims that half the lights sold in the US are AB, and it sure seems true in the forums. I have the, and know and like them, and for the money, I just dont see any reason to look elsewhere myself, but different people have different choices, which is OK.

 

But two B400 and cases, two light stands, and two 48" umbrellas are $616 at AB. That will start you in fine shape, would be really hard to beat. Look at their Digibees "package", put it in the shopping cart, and then delete items like the radio triggers, and add items at will. The 5% discount per light applies to any accessories you choose. The packages are not fixed content, do it any way you want it. You dont even have to start with a package, same deal.

 

If umbrellas for portraits, I think you want to start with two translucent shoot-through white umbrellas. You normally use them with the black cover on for reflected light, or remove the black cover for shoot through up close. The white is better for portraits than silver... a smoother softer light.

 

You really would like a light for a white muslin background, to make it be white and to hide the wrinkles. You dont need a light for a black background, the less light the better. Which can be a large black bedsheet from Walmart. Black can be overused, but some of it is nice. For tabletop closeups with black, use black velvet or velveteen from the fabric store, it is wonderfully black, but overkill for portraits.

 

To attach the background fabric to the crosspole, just use the large cheap spring clamps, like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/161719-REG/Delta_01622_Super_Clamp_2_.html

Get a few of the larger ones, 2 inch jaw opening, to fit your pole easily. Easiest and most versatile way, helps you smooth it too.

 

There is also the seamless paper from the photo stores. Online too, but the shipping weight is expensive.

 

There is lots of info if you seach Google.com for

studio lighting

portrait lighting

 

There are lots of books at Amazon but one that everyone likes about lighting is Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers, by Christopher Grey. Try your public library, it may likely be there too.

>>> I, too, was considering using continuous lighting, but it is my understanding (and this will be QUITE SIMPLY PUT) that the strobe light is a FASTER light and allows you to shoot using a faster shutter speed, which stops motion and allows for clearer pictures.

 

Hi Alisa.. that much is very true, much faster, and is much of the whole idea. It also does not have time to make the room very hot in that 1/1000 second it is on.

 

>>>The wattage of continuous lights is so low that it takes too long for the light to reach the camera without having to leave the shutter open too long. Please, someone, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

The light is not slow itself, I think all light travels at the speed of light. :) But the brightness of the power of continuous is much less than the brightness of the flash, so that we must use a very slow camera shutter speed with continuous to capture the image.... a slower longer shutter time to let the weaker light accumulate more over time.

 

The flash is so much faster than our shutter speed, so that it really doesnt matter what shutter speed we use. 1/250 second or 1/60 second, it is all the same to the 1/1000 second flash, which will stop the motion, and our picture is the same either way. Unless however, if we have some bright ambient room lighting, the slow shutter may let a little of that into the picture too, maybe in ways we dont want... So... we often use a faster shutter with flash, not for the flash, but to keep out the room lighting. Or maybe if we may want some of the outside lighting to register in the picture, then we can use a very slow shutter with the flash. But the flash doesnt care about our shutter speed, so long as the shutter is open when the flash fires.

Really great to hear you have the D40 Heather. I was afraid you might mention some little point&shoot camera, and that there would be no place for us to go. :) So, you have the camera, and you have the desire to do some portraits, so all you need is learn a couple of things about photography, and get the right gear.

 

Scott offered two great suggestions. Get some temporary work shop lights (sockets with reflectors - Walmart has these, I think for around $10), and actually get 2000 watts of light running in your room to really really understand the situation. Also spend an hour to take some pictures then, using that light, any pictures at all, just try to get the feel the situation, to discover how slow your shutter speed will be. This should be all it takes. :) You will be very capable of making the decision after that. And Scott points out that two AlienBees B400 lights and accompanying gear is near the same price ballpark, but so much vastly more capable.

 

The continuous 500 watt light bulbs are special photo lamps from the photo store, with a controlled color temperature. They only last 2 or 3 hours before you must replace them, however, you will have them off as much as you can. :)

 

Hot lights are indeed often used indoors for tabletop photography, with maybe 100 watt lights that are not so hot, at very close distances to be brighter, and with maybe 2 second shutter speeds which work OK on the tabletop. But it just doesnt work that way for portraits.

 

Yes, for flash, I really do think you would need the flash meter.

 

At session setup, you connect the flash meter (temporarily) to one light with the PC cord, and there is a button on the flash meter that fires that flash while you stand at the subject with meter (with only that one light turned on). It reads the "power" of that flash (on the subject), in terms of camera aperture, like f/8. This takes into account the distance to the light, and its power setting, and the modifier like softbox or umbrella, etc, etc. The flash meter is the only way you know what you have, at the subject. Then you go to the next light and do the same, and adjust its power level to be either the same f/8 if you want a flat equal light, or maybe a stop stronger at f/11, or maybe a stop weaker at f/5.6, however you want it to be to be, to set your desired lighting ratio. And plug the meter into your light on the background, and adjust its level there to be what you want, say f/8 (however bright you want it in relation to the subject). Do same with the hair light, stronger for dark hair than for light hair. However you want it to be. You will know these things about what you want after a few sessions. The flash meter allows you to do it. And to also meter all lights on to give the correct camera exposure... No guessing necessary. You just simply know, with precision that is repeatable next time.

 

However, here is a method to get proper camera exposure without a flash meter, when using flash (see white towel method):

http://super.nova.org/DPR/#Histogram

Just rather tedious, and this does not meter individual lights at the subject, which is a big part having the control. You could always add it later. That site (from top of that page) will be very interesting to you too.

 

For external flash, get the Nikon AS-15 hot shoe adapter to connect the PC cord to your camera. It is like $4 more than the regular ones, but is well worth it, far best because of its screw lock.

 

Yes, a modeling lamp is built-in almost all studio flash units. So you can see where it is pointing. The ABs come with 100 watt modeling lamps (standard household lamps), but many users replace it with a Philips 150 watt halogen lamp from Home Depot. AB has buttons on it, so modeling light is always full bright, or it tracks the AB power as you turn the AB power down, or you can turn it off. Having it on helps to keep the subjects eye iris contracted to be a bit smaller, good for the photo look.

 

There are pictures you will want to take with one light and a reflector. A 3x4 foot sheet of white foam board from craft store makes a fine reflector. This style can give sort of an intimate atmosphere and is sometimes great, but not quite the same as "clasic" portrait. This is a big subject. Some say it is good to learn photography first with one light this way. And you will learn a lot. But frankly, it is easier to use two lights because instead guessing angles and reflections and distances, you simply turn the second light power up or down, or move it over a little, and meter it with the flash meter. This is much easier, but it is just two different ways of working. And a somewhat different look. I think we all want to do both ways at times.

 

I have two SB-800 lights, but I am not familiar with the R400 flash. If it has a selectable manual mode, you can add a optical trigger hot shoe adapter, to make it optically triggered like any AB light. This may work OK for a Background light but it may be near full power. I use the SB-800 for that (it already has the optical trigger), typically about 1/4 power, give or take. White bleached muslin from the fabric store works as a background, but you have to light it. If you dont light it, it will be sort of a dirty gray instead of white.

 

Because, if you care, rule one about the light from a flash (or tungsten too) is that it falls off with the inverse square of the distance. So if 2x distance from flash, the light intensity is 1/4, which is 2 stops down, and very visible. So if your subject distance is 5 feet from your lights, and the background is 5 feet farther back, that 10 feet is double distance and two stops down, and dirty gray. So... you put another light on it, metered to be as you want it.

That light overrides any shadows you mentioned too.

 

If you cannot yet add a light for the background, then angle your lights so the shadows are more to the side, and are not in camera view. Some things like this, you check in your first test pictures of the session.

 

Hope that helps.

You might be interested in this comparison:

 

http://alienbees.com/compare.html

 

Note that it is written by the owner of the AlienBees company.

>>>>I am afraid of going flash because I have read that it is not for beginners and I am not even sure if my camera has the attachement to get the strobes to fire. Is there a flash lighting for dummies? LOL Everything I have read just leads me to think that flash would be too difficult for me at first......

 

I am sorry, I didnt really know how to answer this part, but thought I should come back and try.

 

I am assuming you have an adjustable camera that allows external flash. What camera is it? If it is an automatic point&shoot, then maybe continuous is the only answer, but it is still a very poor answer. In that case, you may need another camera too.

 

First go to your public library, they will have many books on beginning photography. However flash or studio is not often their strong point, but it is the beginning level you seek. Amazon.com has many too. And your community college surely has short adult night courses. And you probably have some friend that knows a thing or two, invite them over to sit down and talk and explain some things. They would likely be flattered if you warn them up front. :)

 

Flash is easy, however it is manual exposure. You will have to learn enough basic photography to understand f/stops. Maybe with todays automatic photography, maybe it is like parallel parking when learning to drive, but it is easy and we really need to know.

 

Many cameras dont have a PC connector to connect a flash, so you buy something like this to provide one (assuming camera has a hotshoe): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/89979-REG/Hama_HA_6951_Hot_Shoe_Adapter_1.html

 

I use this one instead:

http://www.adorama.com/NKAS15.html?searchinfo=nikon%20as-15&item_no=2

because it has the locking clamp to keep it from sliding offcenter and stop working. I think it is easily the best one, but any of them should work.

 

With flash, you set your camera to Manual exposure. You set your shutter speed to its specified maximum sync speed, often in the 1/200 or 1/250 second range today. Your camera manual will specify this in its flash section, under "using external flash".

 

You use a flash meter to individually meter your lights, to set them to the power level you want them to be. I use this one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/368226-REG/Sekonic_401309_L_308S_Flashmate_Light_Meter.html

which is low end and inexpensive, but more than enough. Regular light meters measure continuous light, like the sun or tungstens, but a flash meter measures the flash intensity. You test firs the flash, meter it with the flash meter, and set the camera aperture accordingly.

 

This manual metering mode is full control by you. This is NOT a negative, it is the the huge plus. You can simply make everything be like you want them to be. You can meter individual lights, to set them how you want them. Then you use the flash meter to meter the total result, and set your camera aperture accordingly, say f/8.

 

Here are some good articles for beginners:

http://alienbees.com/beginnerbee.html

 

These AlienBees lights are probably the cheapest ones you want to consider. Certainly the cheapest I was willing to consider. These are inexpensive lights, you can pay many times more. Yet these are really excellent and well worth the money, with great support. You can easily find jillions of users on internet using them and very pleased with them. I have them and think they are great.

 

There are many cheaper ones on Ebay, but those are mostly total unknowns, no descriptions, no brand name you ever heard of, no warranty, no return address, no support, no nothing. Just some cheap stuff, no clue what it is. Seems just a bad plan in general. You want the lights to be good enough electronics for repeatably consistent exposure, and reliable in operation for a long life. And should you ever need a new flash tube or even a new modeling light, you want them to be user replaceable, and you want to be able to find a replacement, at a decent price.

 

Some cameras like the Nikon DSLR have a remote flash capability where the camera can measure the external flash, but it is not quite the same concept. It does not meter individual lights and does not offer much control. But many do use it, and this may be what you want. Frankly, my Nikon does this, and I have the lights, but it seems much harder to me than manual operation. Not harder to use exactly, but harder to get what I want.

 

 

>I think you didn't read the part about me being a beginner.

 

Sorry Heather, I hoped at least the overall idea would come through.

 

Frankly, there is no concept there that you dont need to know.

 

Continuous would in fact be easier in only one way, in that your cameras light meter can work automatically same as outdoors. With flash, yes, you need a flash meter, and may have to learn a few new things, and must pay attention to a few details. It is called photography. :)

 

Bottom line, the continuous lights will be inadequate light power, will be excessive electrical power, and will be like running at 2000 watt room heater in the room. Will be a giant pain. I cannot imagine you trying to use them more than two or three times before buying flash.

 

I know this wont help either, but back in the old days, before electronic flash, such continuous schemes were used, as there wasn't much choice. Normally used with bare reflectors instead of losing the light to umbrellas. The secret to being able to use continuous lights like that was to wire up a foot switch, which normally puts the two lights in series, dropping voltage to 1/2 and power to 1/4, to avoid burning up the room. Then when the shutter is to be pressed, step on foot switch changing lights to be wired in parallel, for full power, for a very short time.

>>of course Watt-seconds is a measure of energy not power.

 

OK, but that is how flash specs use it.

 

The real problem is that watt-seconds measures input electrical power, and NOT output light power (yes, I did understood your comment). The flash is easily 4x more efficient as tungsten bulbs, so that is 2 stops more output power right there. :)

Uh oh. You are going to be very disappointed. You need MANY thousands of watts continuous to do what one little flash can do in 1/1000 second.

 

Two 1000 watt lamps is 2000 watts total on the subject. If your camera exposure were 1 second, then this could be rated 2000 watt-seconds of power. But 1 second shutter is totally unacceptable for most pictures. Suppose you instead use 1/100 second. This 1/100 second shutter means that camera cannot see the light from the lamp over the full one second. You use only 1/100 of it, which is now 2000/100 = 20 watt-seconds, which is an extremely puny rating.

 

Bottom line, you would hope and pray you might be able to shoot at 1/60 second at f/4 at ISO 400 with the lights up very close. Heat will be fearsome, everyone in the room sweats. It is 17 amps load on your 20 amp house circuit, so don't turn on anything else. Not good.

 

In contrast, a small studio light (flash) would be 160 watt-seconds, which would allow working at f/11 at fastest sync shutter speed, say 1/250 second. Its actual flash duration that stops action would be more like 1/1000 second. This is a huge, gigantic, unimaginable difference. No heat. Usable vs unusable. You want flash.

 

I just ran a quick check metering and testing one AlienBees B400 light , rated 160 watt-seconds (this is a small size flash). The modeling light in mine is a 150 watt halogen household lamp.

 

Without softbox or umbrella, direct flash from only just the regular 80 degree reflector, at ten feet, the flash easily does f/11 at full power. This is using ISO 200, which is what my camera does. At any shutter speed, this flash duration is probably near 1/2000 second (if t.1 ... this one is rated 1/6400 second at t.5). Plus, its white balance is fantastic.

 

Using the 150 watt halogen modeling light alone (continuous, same ten feet, same reflector) meters and tests f/11 at 4 second exposure (ISO 200 again). That is four seconds, not 1/4 second. This is 10 stops less than a 1/250 sync shutter, but of course, the actual flash duration is much shorter than even that. This difference is astronomical in this context. 10 stops is 2^10 power which is 1024x difference, so based on this comparison, 150w x 1024 = 154,000 watts of tungsten power would be required to equal f/11 at 1/250 second (from this one little flash unit). We couldn't attempt to equal it of course, we would try to make do with a little less. :)

 

2000 watts is 2000/150 = 13.3x times more power than my bulb. Call it 16 times to make math easy. 16x is 4 stops more, so using it should now be 1/4 second. Instead of f/11, call it f/4, which is 3 more stops, or 1/30 second. Ten feet is pretty far, call it half distance, or 5 feet. That is 2 more stops, or 1/125 second now. But put the softbox or umbrella on it and lose a couple of stops again. Step up ISO speed to 4x to compensate again. Debatable if it is usable at f/4 and 1/60 second, but it does not begin to compare to f/11 and 1/1000 flash speed. And the 2000 watts of heat will make everyone in room sweat, like a portable room heater.

 

There is an extremely good reason flash is used for this. Flash works, continuous just doesnt. So just use flash. Difference is essentially unimaginable. Flash is extremely usable.

 

Even using a camera speedlight flash will be a huge improvement (you can put them in umbrellas). My Nikon SB-800 (at 24 mm zoom) in the same umbrella above meters only one stop down from the 160 watt-second AlienBees B400 light (both at full manual power). Very usable. Continuous is not really usable, and is a giant pain.

It is proving to be a tough question however. I found a Pentax K100D manual online at Pentax, and it simply does not mention this specification. No specification might suggest no particular problem, but asking Pentax support is surely a good plan. You know they must have heard the question before. :)

 

Searching http://www.google.com/search?&q=Pentax+K100D++sync+voltage

finds many questions and comments about it, and a popular opinion is that Pentax "has said" that the limit is 30V, but I see no actual evidence of the origin of that. We can hear many things on the internet. :)

 

But still, the basic concern is about older flash units, some of which might be 150V or more. One would imagine that 15V should be safe enough.

This site http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html claims the Vivitar 2500 is measured at about 15 volts. You can simply measure this with a voltmeter, flash turned on but not connected, measuring from center pin of the shoe to the metal shoe foot. Shorting that pin is what fires the flash. Many of todays DSLR will handle 250V flash sync voltage, but it has been said that some Canon models say no more than 6V. This seems artificially low to me, since modern flash units are about 6V and will not be lower, and I suspect it only means "use our new flash units". Dunno, but do see what your camera manual says about maximum flash sync voltage permitted. You can use the Wein Safe-sync module when there is concern (it lowers higher voltage flash units to about 6V at the camera), but this money is surely better spent on a more modern flash.

 

The "household" has to do with the style of connectors on the sync cable - that is, which sync cord fits. Some use the PC sync cords, some use phone plug connectors, and some use two prongs like any household wiring plug, so that a regular power extension cord can be used as an extension cord. But NEVER consider plugging that into the house AC wiring outlets. It is just a connector, about what sync cord you buy.

 

No comment on the cheap studio kit. Who knows? Too good to believe rarely is. :) Nothing is specified. One question to ask is what flash tubes and what modeling light bulbs does it use? How long do they last? Are they user replaceable? Are they available? Where? For how much cost? Many cheap ones have very unsatisfactory answers.

 

But there is a lot more to it... A brand name unit probably has an address and phone number and a warranty and spare parts and customer service and jillions of satisfied customers, etc, etc, etc. We get what we pay for.

 

AlienBees at alienbees.com are considered THE inexpensive lights (one B400 light is $225), but the huge difference is that these are the really good ones that you can be proud to own and use, for years. Jillions of satisfied fans.

>>> roughly speaking at 1/60th of a second it takes 20 times more

watts to equal the same amount of light on a subject as it does

watt-seconds (AKA joules).

 

 

I am curious about the derivation of this?

 

I think there is a much larger difference, and that the number 20 times should be 64 times.

 

Ignoring output efficiency (really cannot ignore the very low efficiency of incandescent), then we could judge the continuous watts for one second to be an equal exposure as the same number watt-seconds of a flash, by definition of watt-seconds (the flash exposure is independent of shutter speed). Then the 1/60 second is 6 stops down from 1 second, and 2^6 is 64 times power. Frankly, this seems much more real world realistic to me. Like f/16 vs f/2 are common results.

The alienbees site specs page shows a measurement chart of a few setups. One of them says

 

48" Shoot-Thru Umbrella **

 

B400 f5.6 - f8 **

 

B800 f8 - f11 **

 

B1600 f11 - f16

 

It also says ISO 100, with umbrella fabric ten feet from subject.

 

You surely will want the umbrella distance 1/2 of that (2 stops), and probably closer, and you said D70 which is ISO 200 (one more stop), total of 3 more stops. So the B400 would be f16- f22 at full power. Seems more than enough. You can only turn them down so far. You don't want to always operate them at minimum power.

http://ny.webphotoschool.com/How_an_Umbrella_Works/

>but couldnt find what voltage the SB-800 can take.

 

No, the idea is that it is the flash unit that creates the voltage which might damage the camera. The camera is just a switch that shorts the flash contacts to fire it. The danger to the camera is from the open circuit flash voltage from the flash unit.

 

Some older flash units might have a few hundred volts at their terminals, which can damage digital cameras. The safe isolator attachments are built to withstand the high voltage, and in turn only relay a low safe voltage to the camera contacts. They shield the camera from the excessive flash voltage.

 

But the Nikon D70 can withstand 250 volts, says the manual.

Some Canon models say 6 volts, which is a concern.

 

And the Nikon SB-800 presents less than 4 volts at the flash contacts, which is safe for any camera. An isolator is not needed, one is already builtin to the SB-800, so to speak.

 

The SB-800 does in fact contain its own optical trigger, when it is set to its SU-4 mode. Nothing more is needed. In that SU-4 mode, then you can set it to Auto or Manual. In Auto, it attempts to follow the duration of the triggering flash light, which is probably NOT what you want. But in Manual, SU-4 mode simply fires at any external flash, according to its power level selection, full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 power, etc. I think you want its Manual setting in SU-4 mode. Works great with studio lights then.

No, with external flash, P mode is not very flexible.

 

I'm not certain of your situation, and I assume the light level is fairly low (to need flash). In P mode, with external flash, somehow the D70S simply wont ever open to a very wide aperture, like say f/3.5 (like it will without the external flash, or with internal flash).

 

So I use A mode, and set the aperture manually to f/4 or wherever I want it, and point the flash at the ceiling, halfway to the subject. Great flash photos. More control anyway, I use A mode in every other situation too, and it should give you what you want.

Bummer then, but to show what I meant (if I know how to do it), here is a picture of a $14 B&H Impact mount.

 

Their SP-Systems and Smith Victor mounts are all the same item, except the Smith Victor does not include the flash shoe and costs 2X.

 

Anyway, I think you can see that this umbrella shaft is pointing down in this picture. That was when I had your same off-center problem until I figured this out and reversed the umbrellra shaft through it. :) My umbrella fabric needs to go opposite the knobs on this one.

 

Then that small angle did raise the umbrella to put the Nikon SB-800 speedlight pointing pretty close to centered, instead of well off.

 

By "rotate", I just meant that top knob holding the brass insert which holds the flash shoe... the brass insert can rotate 180 if necessary to orient the shoe to the side with the umbrella.<div></div>

I cant see details of your umbrella mount, but surely the flash shoe can be rotated 180 (rotate the clamped stud), if necessary to match the umbrella height positioning.

I can't tell from your end-on shot (need a sideways view), but most umbrella brackets have the hole for umbrella at a small angle for this purpose. Inserted one way, the umbrella is angled down, and one way the umbrella is angled up. Angled up puts the flash head more in the center of the umbrellla. View it from the side, to make sure the umbrella shaft is NOT angled down.

The Nikon SB-800 is quite strong, only one stop down from an Alien Bees B400 studio lamp.

 

The SB-800 at full power (manual) meters f/11 through a similar umbrella at a similar distance. That is more than enough power in that situation. I used a pair of them in Remote mode with umbrellas, with iTTL metering, using camera A mode. However I really liked manual mode better, like f/8 at half power at 1/500 second. Manual mode gives more control. But Remote iTTL in camera A mode works fine too.

 

You can set compensation at both the flash and the camera, so make sure all of this is set how you expect it to be. Something like that must be wrong - It really should not be any problem. Center metering will be better than matrix with light and dark backgrounds.

 

I like the shoot-through umbrellas a little closer too, maybe half of that. The whole point of diffusion is that the umbrealla be very large, as compared to the subject.

I am maybe too late to be useful, but I'd suggest two SB-800 instead of SB-600. Bite the bullet, you will be very glad later on. The SB-800 is a real jewel, esp so in a "studio" situation.

 

I started with two SB-800 for home portraits, and they work really well in umbrellas using TTL Remote mode. I bought the Smith Victor UK-2 umbrella kit, but you have to add flash shoes to it.

 

Then I bought two Alien Bees B800 later, and I really like them too. They provide modeling lights, and my two SB-800 work well with them as two more lights, so it is my way to have four lights.

 

The Alien Bees B800 measures as two stops stronger than the Nikon SB-800 in the same umbrella situation, so I suppose that makes the SB-800 be 80 effective watt-seconds, proverbially speaking. :) I'm happy to have all of them, but for my living room work, I'd buy B400 if doing it over, because at f/10, I have to run the B800 at 1/4 power in the living room anyway. But the SB-800 will do exactly the same f/10 at full manual power (this was measured with umbrella stand at 4 feet, so 8 feet overall light path - flash to umbrella to subject). I thought the B800 power might help with f/36 tabletops and light tent.

 

In TTL remote mode on umbrellas, the SB-800 will fuss sometimes at the same f/10, not because they didnt do it, but because they are not sure that they infact did do it. Near the limit, manual mode just goes better. In TTL mode, I never had any problem triggering the remote SB-800 anywhere on umbrellas with the D70s. However there was more fussing about keeping their sensor oriented towards the camera. I never found a situation that the remote TTL trigger ever failed, but there is no fussing with the Alien Bees, or with the SB-800 in SU-4 mode.

 

If comparing the two units, other than power (just enough vs too much), there wasnt much difference on stands with umbrellas in the living room, but the SB-800 will do other things in other situations when the monolights can't leave their stands and powercords. However the Alien Bees have modeling lights and will accept softboxes or barndoors, etc. Other than portable work, one example is that the SB-800 is very fast, really excellent for milk drops, but the AB duration is way too slow for high-speed photography (and speed becomes abysmal at low power).

 

But if you are into "studio work", then my point regarding advantage over the SB-600.

 

One, the SB-800 is a stop stronger than the SB-600.

 

Two, the SB-800 comes with the holder for a 5th battery, which really improves recycle time greatly.

 

Three, the SB-800 has the SU-4 mode, to make it be just an ordinary optically triggered manual flash (same as an AB is an optically triggered manual flash), which allows the SB-800 to be two more flash units that well work with the ABs, for example as hair light and background light. I wrap them with paper tubes to direct the light. This SU-4 mode seems an overwhelming advantage over the SB-600. And preflash TTL mode will not work with the AB.

 

Four, the SB-800 has a PC cord connector, which allows several things, for example milk drops, or triggering from a flash meter, etc... wherever you might want to use a PC cord.

 

The other features, diffuser, repeating flash, so-called monitor light, and even the SB-800 commander mode, didn't matter much to me (because I had the D70S to provide commander mode).

 

But the SU-4 mode and PC connector and 5th battery are big deals that the SB-800 has, and the SB-600 does not, and all seem pretty important, at least I use them a lot.