Interfit Studio Light Kit? Advice wanted

[Ricko]

Hi all,

I was thinking of getting some studio lights, now this is going to be on the cheapside But, this is purely for amateur use and a bit of fun, I want something that can still do the job properly and Interfit has got some good reviews. So, what I am thinking of is something like the Interfit INT119 EXD200 Home Studio Kit!

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-...o-kit/p1015681

I'd appreciate your opinions on this kit or Interfit in general if you have used them before!

Assuming I brought this kit, what would I need to wirelessly remote trigger the strobes?

The equipment I have is:

Canon 50D with 580EXII Flash unit.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

[Amberglass]

How about starting off with something more basic that will work with what you already have?

Consider getting 1-2 compact portable light stands (6-7 feet), one hot shoe umbrella mount, one shoot thru 43 inch umbrella, one "5 in 1" 32 inch reflector, pole clamp. Or skip the collapsible reflector and just buy a giant piece of white foam core board if you're really tight on budget.

To radio trigger your camera and flash, recommends Cactus V2s Radio Slave set. They're a lot cheaper than the pocket wizards, and pretty reliable. You can buy flash sync cables (cheapest method) but they tend to be in the way and cause accidents by tripping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnn5nzPvoIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfKzY...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP9pl...eature=related

[Ricko]

Thanks for the reply, interesting links which I've viewed beforeand will no doubt view again . If I went the umbrella route and have to buy stands, more flash units, mounts and triggers. Which would cost just a bit under the price of the interfit set.

I would think that the Interfit set would possibly last longer and generally be more versitile than umbrella's. having read through the spec I can see now that all I'd need to wirelessly trigger them would be a Interfit IRX transmitter as the strobes have a built in infra-red slave cell (not supposed to be very good though ).

As a novice of studio lighting I thought it might be easier to buy in the kit form so I know everything will work ok rather than missing something out.

[Amberglass]

Thanks for the reply, interesting links which I've viewed before and will no doubt view again . If I went the umbrella route and have to buy stands, more flash units, mounts and triggers. Which would cost just a bit under the price of the interfit set.

I would think that the Interfit set would possibly last longer and generally be more versitile than umbrella's. having read through the spec I can see now that all I'd need to wirelessly trigger them would be a Interfit IRX transmitter as the strobes have a built in infra-red slave cell.

As a novice of studio lighting I thought it might be easier to buy in the kit form so I know everything will work ok rather than missing something out.

Uhm, the interfit lighting system is an umbrella system. If you want to use soft boxes (more costly and different effect), then a separate bracketing system is require to make it work on the mono light. AlienBees is a great affordable and reliable entry level studio system that I recommend if you really want to go the full studio route. But you have to also consider storage and portability too when buying lighting setups. I use 3 speedlites myself because I want the portability and easy storage; the 3 compact light stands, reflector, 2 umbrellas, and radio triggers all fit into a 19.75" x 11.00" x 7.60" (50.1 x 27.9 x 19.3 cm) Pelican 1510 hard case.

When starting off shoe lighting techniques, you only need one strobe to master portraiture lighting basics of paramount, split, loop, rim, and rembrandt lighting. As you can more experience, you can always slowly add to your gear.

[Ricko]

Good point about the storage and portability!! So what would you go for? Working on a budget of £300, when using a canon 50D with a speedlight 580 EXII?

[Amberglass]

FYI, individual mono-lights needs to be plugged into an accessible outlet. They do not come with an external power pack. Power battery packs are costly and dangerous if you don't understand how to use them; they're high powered capacitors. I've known students who have fired their camera and lighting systems before.

Try looking at Jessop Cameras in your areas. For a light stand and etc:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ack_Light.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...hoe_Mount.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...llapsible.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...flector_5.html

http://shop.radiopopper.com/radiopop...ickitusca.aspx

Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH84-pA7p-c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjlsP9KDjcs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKAD7leNOVY

Pocket wizards are the best radio triggers and slaves on the market, but pricey. You can go on ebay for those cheaper chinese triggers, but they may not always fire consistently. Cactus is another brand that's inexpensive and works well (friends have them) and RadioPoppers, though I've never used it.

The list I provided you will within your price range for 2 of everything and one reflector plus basic radio trigger set. This is a modified version of the portable studio kit that Bob Krist uses, but like I said you can add when you're ready. Fyi, Krist has a really nice setup; his is really pricey for a beginner (especially the strobe light modifiers by Honl).

Master the basics with one flash and fill reflector before you start buying more, including more specialty light modifiers (like soft boxes, grids, and snoots). Also light stands and accessories always goes on sale, so be patient and save.

[Ricko]

Ok, thanks for the infomation, your time and advice!

[Amberglass]

Ok, thanks for the infomation, your time and advice!

You're welcome Ricko. I know it's pretty cool and exciting when it comes to moving to off camera flash, and opening a whole new world in creative exposure. But often times beginners are not aware that you need a good amount of space for studio setups and "power" (access to outlets).

If you surf Youtube for photographers who are starting up in studio work; note that they have all taken over their garages or a entire room in a house (family or living room). The more lights (mono or speedlite) you use, the bigger the space you will require. Also a place to store all your lighting gear when not in use. It's one of the many reasons why portable speedlites are so popular amongst hobbyists, and photographers on the go.

I'm more of a natural light photographer, but just to give you an example; this photo is shot with one speedlite with diffuser on portable light stand. It's a very bright afternoon and without the flash as fill, the guitarist would've been a silhouette. This was for a promotion portfolio shot.

[Ricko]

That's a great shot! Also, I've learnt lot from this thread and by going with what you have suggested it should only set me back about £80 using my 580 .So thanks again !!

[Amberglass]

Recommended books to get:

Mastering Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers by Christopher Grey
Sculpting with Light: Techniques for Portrait Photographers by Allison Ernest

If you haven't mastered your flash on camera:

*On-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
by Neil Van Niekerk

*This is my preferred way of using flash and flash brackets for off hot shoe flash; balancing ambient and natural light to give the effect that no flash is used at all. The metering systems in today's digital cameras are pretty amazing if you know how to use them to your advantage.

[Ricko]

I'll definitely check those books out.