gholston_matt

You can also purchase a device from this place to run almost any sort of Canon Powershot or EOS digitial camera from 12VDC car power... http://www.cercisastro.com/Accessories.html

Of course you can use the Canon device here to power it from AC Mains... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/278233-REG/Canon_8364A002_ACK_E2_AC_Adapter_Kit.html

RMG

Thanks Chris for clearing things up... I just could not find their website when I searched...but I found it now.

RMG

Are you talking about the arts and crafts store, Michaels ? Or is this a different supplier?

I am looking for a place where they won't bat an eye if I order 500 of the same frame for a big event shoot I am doing...

Thanks

RMG

I have been doing more and more event photography lately, and my local

supplier is having trouble keeping up with my needs for affordable frames and

display/presentation folders for the prints that I sell.

I am wondering where most of the pros on this forum are buying their supplies

of this nature?

I am a working pro, and I am looking for a trade supplier that sells

wholesale... not Sams Club or Costco!

I want to be able to offer my clients a diverse line of options, and be able

to order 500-1000 units at a time if I need to w/o delivery issues...

Local stores here in town take forever to get in special orders.

All help will be greatly appreciated,

RMG

If you are going to use and abuse your cells daily...as I do with hundreds of full power pops per shoot... than you need to look seriously at the Maha PowerEX 2700 mAH AA Cells...

I have bought over 100 of these cells from Thomas Distributing, + (4) of the Maha Chargers (two 8 cell and two 4 cell) and I have never had one of them go bad yet...

I took a sharpie and labeled them all with a date and group number when I first purchased them (actually I bought them in three different batches) and I try to keep them in the same group in the strobe so that they have the same charge characteristics...

Prior to the Maha cells, I was using the Energizer 2500mAH cells from Sam's Club...with the energizer 4 cell chargers. I got reasonable service from these cells, but of the (48) cell I purchased over a two year period, I have probably lost 10 or 12 of them to failure. They just are not the quality of the Maha cells or the charger is rough on them. It may be the charger, as since I started using the Maha chargers to charge my remaining energizer cells, I have yet to loose another one.

Like I said, I own (8) Speedlights and (2) SD-8A battery packs + (2) AA powered camera bodies and I really run these cells hard...Go with the Maha PowerEx and you won't be sorry.

RMG

You need to head over to Strobist... those guys are it when it comes to building a great portable off camera lighting setup... Hundreds of great articles and a great discussion group...

strobist.blogspot.com

I think on your budget, you will likely want to end up with a couple of battery powered strobes on stands with umbrellas... unless you always shoot in a studio type location in which case you could go with budget grade monolights for about the same money... but you'd be tied to a wall outlet.

I have both types of equipment myself, but lately I find myself using my battery powered Nikon strobes more often than anything since I like the portability that my small kit gives me...

My Kit that I travel with regularly, is

(4)Nikon SB-800

(4)Nikon SB-80DX

(2)Nikon SD-8A Battery Packs

(1)Nikon SU-800 Speedlight Commander

(1)SC-28 TTL Hotshoe Extension Cable.

(5)Pocket Wizard Trancievers

(4)Manfrotto Nano 001B Lightstands

(4)Wescott 42" Collapsable Shoot-Thru Umbrellas

(4)Photofex HD Umbrella Swivels

(2)Bogen Superclamps

(2)Bogen "Justin" Clamps

(2)MSE "Scissor" style Drop ceiling clamps

(6)Home Depot "A" style Spring Clamps

(2)Lumadyne Collapsable Snoots

(1)Lee Filters Master Location Filter Pack for color correction.

That might seem like a lot of stuff for a traveling kit, but believe it or not, all of that stuff + some additional odds and ends fits in two Pelican Model 1600 Hard cases...which easily go anywhere I need to in the back seat of my vehicle, and I consider that to be pretty portable...

Remember that my kit was not all bought all at one time... I accrued it over the last 4-5 years building up slowly when I could or when I found someone unloading gear and could not pass it up... Don't jump in the deep end to quick until you know what you need for sure and can afford it... just start slow and pay cash only never credit.

Good Luck,

RMG

I think if I were you, I might spend some time reading over at strobist.blogspot.com before I made any moves on a strobe purchase...

It will be time well spent.

RMG

I forgot to mention that this setup with a 12V deep cycle automotive type battery would have about 10 times the capacity of the Vagabond II with about only 2 to 3 times the weight...

RMG

I THINK that the third link appears to be about the right device to use, but if I were you I would just carry the camera into the store and make sure that the one you exchange it for will fit correctly and function properly...they don't give much information on their website.

I don't even think that the one you have will even fit on there properly.

RMG

Not Likely, Minolta uses a proprietary hat shoe design that is not ISO standard. I doubt that this adapter will work with Nikon or Canon Hot Shoes.... Sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news...

For your setup you need the Wein Safe Sync, at this link:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/245292-REG/Wein_W990560_Safe_Sync_Hot_Shoe_to.html#goto_itemInfo

Mabye you can resell or return the adapter you have now...

RMG

If you have to economize on a power pack, one of the best ways to do it, is to get a 14 volt battery and use it to feed the inverter so you always have an adequate voltage to run the device even as you drain it down.

Get a good quality inverter like this one.....

http://tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=3610

Which is $85-$100 dollars US depending on where you look...

Then add to it a power conditioner (NOT A POWER STRIP/SURGE PROTECTOR) such as this one...

http://tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2833

These run about $175 bucks... and you might possibly be able to use the unit one size smaller than this...

Some folks have said before on some of the forums, that you might try using a Voltage Regulation UPS, because it would give you additional Battery power...but I am not sure that it will be able to deal with all of the surges produced by the firing of the strobes gracefully...

I DO use an APC SMARTUPS like this one...

http://apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SUA1500&total_watts=50

that i got cheap at a surplus sale and replaces the batteries in, to run sensitive equipment (personal computers and radios)off of my generator when I am out at emergency preparedness events, but I have never tried it with studio strobes...because the generator is so loud that it tends to disturb the photo session/environment (it's mounted on a trailer and makes 25kw of power...)

Personally I feel that the dedicated line conditioner would do a better job w/o complaining and help isolate the inverter from load spikes when working with the strobes...

Plus, there won't be any extra batteries to replace every 1-2 years at an extra cost... If you are concerned about runtime, just parallel some additional batteries feeding the inverter...

Rather than going with a motorcycle battery, I would advise that you go down to the marine section at wal-mart or sams/costco, and purchase a 12 volt DEEP CYCLE battery with the screw terminals on top...(about $50-$75) Then grab one of the thick black plastic battery carriers from the same place (they most often have a handle made from white rope and are for usage aboard a boat)... Mount the inverter to the top of the lid using small bolts with washers on the underside...

Now make a hole in the top or side of the top with a 3/4" speedbore bit (paddle bit) and put a rubber grommet in that hole... While you are at wal-mart go over to the end of the battery isle and grab a short set of leads with eyelets on one end and bare wire (or eyelets) on the other end... these may be two separate wires... (as an alternative you can get a cheap pair of jumper cables and cut the ends off)

This will give you fairly portable, (about 30-40 lbs) heavy duty power supply that should ba able to run about a 1200-1600WS or smaller set of strobes for a decent amount of time. I actually mounted mine to a cheap foldable dolly that I bought at Sam's for $30...

If you want it to run longer, just go to Jeg's or another racing suppler and buy the 14 volt battery or parallel two twelve volt batts...(but that is getting mighty big...

My little battery pack ended up costing me about $175 for everything + $175 for the separate line conditioner (which is not attached to the pack, but is in the case w/ my strobes) and I really like it...

RMG

And BTW I actually have a BSEE in addition to being a photographer.

Giottos makes some very nice cases that fit your needs exactly...

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/2,45.html

Check that link out and you can choose your size...

RMG

I personally like the Nikon Speedlights, much more useful and affordable than the Canon units, and not much more expensive than the Vivitar or the Sunpak... The best IMHO are the SB-800, SB-80DX, and SB-28DX in that order... Some folks also like the SB-26 & SB-24 but they are not much cheaper these days, so I go for the top line models...

All of the good Nikons have PC Sync ports and most have built in optical triggers and other useful features...

RMG

I have used KinoFlo Lights many times in professional video production, and they work wonderfully and produce very little heat compared to Hot Lights...

However, on the other hand...in the still photography world where you are working and taking the types of shots you are describing, I really think that you would be better off with some sort of strobe setup...

I often photograph fast action sequences with both my Nikon Speedlights or my Portable Studio Strobes.... Both work very well when used appropriately.

Often with the Nikon SB-800/80DX units that I use, I might mount them 2 units to a stand on a double strobe bracket to increase my power with a slave flash...

The strobes are definitely going to be more portable, as the set of KinoFlo Lights that I had were in a huge soft case 6 feet long and 3 feet across.

Plus, you will have to have AC power for the KinoFlo lights, and lots of strobes offer a battery powered option for their system... of course you could always get a generator for the Kinos.

JM2C

RMG

With the Nikon flashes, the flash that is mounted on camera can in fact go into sleep mode... However, my other slave units that are not connected to the hot shoe, are not able to go into sleep mode due to the limitations of the Nikon CLS...

In this setup, I have one camera w/ SB-800 mounted in a box attached to a tree... then I have (3) more SB-800 units acting as slaves in DIY weatherproof enclosures to light up the entire area in front of the camera when my infrared sensor is tripped by a wild animal...

My idea, rather than to use a HV battery pack on each strobe, was to buy one large 6v battery and wire all of the flashes to it in parallel with buried cables so that NO AA cells would be involved... then I could just charge up that battery every 3-5 days or so...

My Camera has the battery grip with an EN-EL3 + EN-EL4 combo, so it will last a very long time when on standby...

I have even considered using a Brunton solar cell product to charge the trickle charge the battery so it can maintain its charge even longer.

IF I use a pocket wizard, do they have a sleep mode? How long will the cells in them last? I thought that with them being radio based that would drain AA batts faster than my SB-800 with its ability to sleep.

I appreciate your input,

RMG

The three vendors that I use for gels are Rosco, Lee, and Gam, and overwhelmingly as of late, I have found myself preferring the RoscoLux and the Lee Product...

Both of these companies offer free swatch books on the internet at their web site...but do them an yourself a favor and buy a few sheets of the gels you use the most like CTO,CTB, and Window Green....

RMG

You sure could,

you can use a household to hot shoe adapter to add a PC Sync capability, and then connect with a cable..

Check this link,

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/269313-REG/Wein_W990335_HSH_Hot_Shoe_to.html

Later,

RMG

I say, with what you have said in mind.. I would get the SB-400, and if you ever feel cramped by it's capabilities down the road go buy an SB-800 unit.

For $100 it is cheap enough to have around as a backup if nothing else... and I have never liked the SB-600 because it lacks a PC-Sync port and the ability to be a commander in the Nikon CLS system, plus it can't mount the 5th battery chamber like the top line flash... and there is only a $100 price difference between them.

I bought my wife an SB-400 for her D70 and she absolutely loves it... it is more powerful than the built-in, has better coverage on wide angle lenses, and has great recycle time with 2AA Rechargeables installed.

Just get it for what it is, a great lightweight strobe...and don't try to stretch it beyond what it is meant for. If you need portrait capability with the 400, you could always get a used SC-17 or SC-28 I-TTL hotshoe cable for $30...and handhold the flash with the left hand.

JM2C

RMG

I agree with all of the folks that posted above about the expanded feature set of the SB800...That is the route I would go...

The SB600 might be a great slave, or enthusiast strobe for someone who will own only one strobe and never use it off camera. Or for someone who will only ever use the Nikon CLS technology and does not care about Pocket Wizards or Optical Slaves...

That being said, the SB-800 will always be easier to sell and hold a better value than the sb-600 as it was the top line flash of its era..

Don't believe me, just search EBAY or KEH for Nikon SB and look at the prices of a Nikon SB-28DX or SB-80DX and compare them to the prices of other nikon strobes from those eras...

The top line unit will still be selling for $120-$180 ten years from now (aka SB-28DX) because it has all the right features and the power that people want for off-camera wireless flash in manual mode...

Take this from someone that owns (2) SB-800 and (4) SB-80DX strobes...

Just drop the cash, if you can afford it, and you'll never look back and which you had done it later.

Would it not suck to have to sell that SB-600 because you needed to upgrade later, or to have to by a special $50 adapter from Wien to add a PC Sync port to it because it did not have one ? Or a Nikon TTL Cable for $54, Then its not just a bargain any more is it?

RMG

I am familiar with Al Jacobs, and yes he is very knowledgeable about batteries...

And I understand that for recycle time I would want a HV pack like the Quantum Turbo or a Lumadyne, etc.

What I am asking, is say I am needing to run a flash unattended in optical slave mode for days at a time with no AC power avaliable...

If I could hook say an 8 volt battery to my strobe rather than a 6v...then my runtime would be longer because the voltage would stay in the working range longer.

My calculations show that a 8AH battery like AL builds into his Black Box might run a strobe on SU-4 mode for about 15 Hours (whereas from experience 4AA batts last about 4 Hours)

Of course I could get a real big 6v battery, like a golf cart battery, to make the strobe be able to run for about 15 days... but for the sake of portability, I was wondering if a smaller lighter sealed 8 volt battery might be a better compromise than the giant 275AH golf cart battery?

Oh, and if the SB-80DX has an option for a 5th battery...its news (good news) to me. My SB-800 strobes have this option, but I was not aware that the SB-80DX could also do this? Please cite some reference that would show me how to retrofit the 5th battery door onto my older strobes. Would I need to buy the replacement doors that fit the SB-800? My older strobes were not supplied with them when new.

Thanks,

RMG

Hopefully your event went well, as these guys have given you some good advice... but in order to start investing time tward the future... I would take a long look at this great website for flash photography...

<a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3792/2480/1600/200x75blk.jpg" width="200" height="75" border="0"></a>

It is run by a 20 veteren photojournalist who shoots for the baltimore SUN named David Hobbie and he has several full courses online on all sorts of flash photography...

Enjoy...

Yours,

RMG

BTW, I do understand that one could get an external voltage regulator for the 8 or 12v battery to get it down to 6v, but I want to know what the internal regulator can handle without extra circuitry.

Thanks Again,

RMG

I was helping another guy with a flash issue today, and it got me to thinking

about something that had crossed my mind before....

Does anyone have any first hand experience with operating a Nikon speedlite such

as an SB-800 or SB-80DX above the rated operating voltage of 6vdc... Say 7.5 or

8VDC....

I am not looking to try this on one of my own strobes w/o some hard info as to

the outcome, but I have seen some folks online claiming to use 7.2v battery

packs, and what i am asking is where is the line to be drawn...

How capable is the voltage regulator in the Nikon speedlights? Can it deal with

8v from a SLA battery rather than the normal 6v.... This would certainly give

you longer battery life until the cell was ehausted...

and as a bonus probably 10%-15% faster recycle times as even though the

regulator was holding the charge voltage to 6vdc, it would be at 6 volts

constant rather than like with the AA cells or Alkalines where the voltage drops

over time down more and more...

Even "dead" the 8 volt battery would still be at like 5 volts...and if you did

not care for the welfare of the battery, you could draw it down to 3 volts or so

till the strobe cut off... but that would be hard on the battery.

Just a thought... I would like to hear from others that may have tried

this....rather than a High Voltage Pack as I need Long Runtime more than anything...

RMG

Why not just get a lens case for the long tele and keep using the bag you have now for the other equipment... That 300mm f/2.8 will take up a lot of room no matter what bag you get...

I also like photo backpacks for shooting from... I carry my accessories in a little daypack, but my 2 bodies and primary lenses are carried in a waist pack similar in layout and design to the one described by Karl Grobel on his website here:

http://www.karlgrobl.com/EquipmentReviews/CameraBags.htm

I carry two Nikon bodies, one with a 12-24 f/4 and one with a 70-200 f/2.8 VR and these are my primary lenses 90% of the time...I always stuff a 50mm f/1.4 AF-D in my Waist pouch to split the difference, or sometimes either a 55 or 105 micro if I'm doing that kind of work...

The point is that how often do you need more than 4 lenses with you at one time (Plus a tripod over the shoulder with the 300 f/2.8 ...) That might be a good option for you, I know it works for me... even when I rent out a 400 f/2.8 for special shoots (still don't own one :( )

JM2C

RMG