Not sure what I'm doing, is this a good place to start?

[zm15]

So i've had a D40 for about 3 years, been a fantastic camera, and just 6 months ago i discovered the SB-400, whoa, what had i been missing!!

So with a couple of little one's running around, I decided to update the camera body and got a D7000. I want to start doing some more creative lighting.

I have about 20 feet in my basement from subject to the wall, so i'm sure my lens choices will be limited - for fixed anyway.

This is where I need some guidance, is this a good kit?

http://www.discounttommy.com/p-412-...-studio-lighting-umbrella-soft-light-kit.aspx

How would i fire the flashes?

Can i fire the strobes remotely with these? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IQRMN4/ref=ox_sfl_cart_mbc_s4?ie=UTF8&serverToken=Obidos

Or should i get some cheap Yongnuo speed lights, and 2 umbrellas?

Loading…

www.amazon.com

 

[mosswings]

How about starting with the introductory topics on the Strobist website here:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html

This is where many budding flash photographers begin their journey. There are so many different flash and studio lighting kits out there that you really need some basics to understand what they might offer you.

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

 

[Catallaxy]

There are many, many lighting kits that are junk. You see them on CL fairly often when folks realize they are junk and try to unload them.

The price alone makes these highly suspect. As is the reseller/website.

I highly recommend you go to the strobist.com and learn a bit more before you part with your hard earned cash. Midwest Photo Exchange (mpex.com) is a reputable dealer that bundles "strobist" kits for not too much money.

As for me, I use some westcott umbrellas on some light stands with my SB600 and SB800 speedlights. I use the Nikon wireless flash controller on my in-camera flash (Nikon D7000 has this, but your old D40 did not) to control my speedlights. The main value of this is that it is highly portable and the speedlights are reusable for my event work.

For a home studio, a set of monolights may be a better choice. Or some all manual Lumopro flashes used in slave mode.

Lighting opens up a lot of creative opportunity. But it is tough getting into because there is huge range of quality and price on the various options. The strobist.com website is respected far and wide as a good lighting website. Joe McNally is also well respected and his website/blog is filled with good information. Joe has to make a living so he does sell his books/videos and workshops, but he does provide a lot of info if you are willing to read the free stuff.

Good luck!

 

[toomanycanons]

zm15 wrote:

So i've had a D40 for about 3 years, been a fantastic camera, and just 6 months ago i discovered the SB-400, whoa, what had i been missing!!

So with a couple of little one's running around, I decided to update the camera body and got a D7000. I want to start doing some more creative lighting.

I have about 20 feet in my basement from subject to the wall, so i'm sure my lens choices will be limited - for fixed anyway.

This is where I need some guidance, is this a good kit?

http://www.discounttommy.com/p-412-...-studio-lighting-umbrella-soft-light-kit.aspx


How would i fire the flashes?

Can i fire the strobes remotely with these? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IQRMN4/ref=ox_sfl_cart_mbc_s4?ie=UTF8&serverToken=Obidos

Or should i get some cheap Yongnuo speed lights, and 2 umbrellas?

Loading…

www.amazon.com

I have two Yong Nuo speed lights (YN 467 and YN 460). Also Yong Nuo RF 602 wireless triggers. Yeah, I also have four Nikon SB28 speed lights and these Yong Nuo strobes and wireless triggers work great for me and the price is right. THEY ARE NOT JUNK as someone will reflexively say.

I do interior real estate and use the RF 602s exclusively and they've never failed me. You can always spend more money. The YN 467 is not the strongest strobe but it meters great on TTL. You could get two of them, set them up remotely on Manual and fire away. Yes, I also shoot through umbrellas (STU).

Buy the strobes and triggers through Yong Nuo directly and be patient, they take a while to arrive but they always do.

Loading…

stores.ebay.com

 

[Steve Bingham]

Keep doing your homework. To answer your question, NO.

45 watt seconds is a bit of a joke. Better one decent strobe and one decent umbrella or light box. You might look into http://www.paulcbuff.com/ for cheap strobes. The good stuff, like Elinchroms, are VERY expensive - but excellent. Sold mine when I retired.

 

[JCB123]

toomanycanons wrote:

zm15 wrote:

So i've had a D40 for about 3 years, been a fantastic camera, and just 6 months ago i discovered the SB-400, whoa, what had i been missing!!

So with a couple of little one's running around, I decided to update the camera body and got a D7000. I want to start doing some more creative lighting.

I have about 20 feet in my basement from subject to the wall, so i'm sure my lens choices will be limited - for fixed anyway.

This is where I need some guidance, is this a good kit?

http://www.discounttommy.com/p-412-...-studio-lighting-umbrella-soft-light-kit.aspx


How would i fire the flashes?

Can i fire the strobes remotely with these? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IQRMN4/ref=ox_sfl_cart_mbc_s4?ie=UTF8&serverToken=Obidos

Or should i get some cheap Yongnuo speed lights, and 2 umbrellas?

Loading…

www.amazon.com

I have two Yong Nuo speed lights (YN 467 and YN 460). Also Yong Nuo RF 602 wireless triggers. Yeah, I also have four Nikon SB28 speed lights and these Yong Nuo strobes and wireless triggers work great for me and the price is right. THEY ARE NOT JUNK as someone will reflexively say.

I do interior real estate and use the RF 602s exclusively and they've never failed me. You can always spend more money. The YN 467 is not the strongest strobe but it meters great on TTL. You could get two of them, set them up remotely on Manual and fire away. Yes, I also shoot through umbrellas (STU).

Buy the strobes and triggers through Yong Nuo directly and be patient, they take a while to arrive but they always do.

http://stores.ebay.com/hkyongnuophotoequipment

Agree. I use Yongnuo 560 flashes in an all manual setup. I am using RF603 radio triggers. The flashes and triggers are very very good, and i have not found a cheaper way to get into multiple flash setups. I have had four of them for over a year, and use them a lot indoors and out. To the OP - Don't be afraid to get into manual flash its no more diffilcult than setting up a multiflash setup using TTL/CLS but a lot less expensive.


Regards

John

 

[zm15]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I guess I'm falling into the newbie trap of of needing TTL and this and that. Probably should just get some old Nikon SB-28 flashes and fire away.

Are those good units?

 

[JCB123]

zm15 wrote:

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I guess I'm falling into the newbie trap of of needing TTL and this and that. Probably should just get some old Nikon SB-28 flashes and fire away.

Are those good units?

Do check out the strobist as Mosswings suggested. You'll find the answer to your question there (but I will tell you - yes they are good units). Unfortunately older flash guns are not as cheap or as easily found as they once were - thanks to David Hobby telling everyone how to save a fortune.

If you are up for manual flash (its easy as pie with digital cameras - since you can shoot and tweak till you get it right. ) The all-manual Yongnuo flashes are very good value. They had a bad reputation a few years ago for poor quality control, and Mr Hobby declined to recommend them, favouring the Lumopro. Since then Yongnuo claim to have have made improvements, and The four flashes I bought have worked flawlesslyl. (Well I've tempted providence now though haven't I?) One of them has a pull out diffuser that is stuck but I hardly ever use that feature. They were half the price of the lumopro.


Best Regards.

John