Hoffy has a good point, its just that I didn't suggest it because this is an analog site and I didn't want to get flamed as well. Digifail is a fantastic polaroid to test your lighting with if nothing else, doesn't of course mean you escape a decent light meter though. It does mean that you won't potentially burn good film, especially 5x4 film.
As said above, there are cheapies. I wouldn't get 'cheapies' if you want to do this long term. A good decent branded system with a decent set of light modifiers will be a lot better long term as well as being a system you can build on. However the choice is there.
With risking getting shot down in flames, I suggest that working with digital AND film in the studio will be the best start. Use the digital (if you have one) as your polaroid. As for your question, Strobes is what I would choose (and did choose).
Just a couple things from my experience, cables are the cheap option and with most monoblocks, you should only need one (optical slaves will fire the other strobes), BUT are a PITA. I was always getting the cable caught, which would dislodge and then deform the plug on the cable. A bit of duct tape to ensure that they are in the socket does wonders OR get cables with a threaded nut.
Obviously, the best option is to use a remote trigger. You can get triggers far cheaper then the Pocket Wizards, but they will not be as reliable (I.E., the ones I have seem to mis-fire every so often). With digital, that's not really a problem, but with film can become a pain.
I also back up Danielle's post. Make sure you get the strobes that are right for the environment you are shooting in. If all you are doing is a garage, don't buy 1500Ws units, rather look at something around the 500 or even 300Ws size. I have a set of el-cheapo ebay units, rated at around 300Ws. They hardly ever see a setting above 1/16th of full power when used in my garage. But, if you intend to light up bigger area's, consider going with more powerful strobes.
If you go for cheapies, consider what features they have. How adjustable is the power? What light modifiers can they take? The cheaper units I bought take the Bowens 'S' mount light modifiers. They are also infinitely adjustable down to 1/32 of full power. Some of the even cheaper units can only take their own light modifiers or you must use the clunky four screw 'fits all' type accessories. Some of them are also only adjustable buy a couple of levels, which makes it a pain.
And yes, get a decent light meter! Even with using the pixel burner as a Polaroid, a light meter will help getting that base setting closer to start of with and will also help when it comes to measuring ratio's, ect.
Digital is NOT a good polaroid substitute! I have yet to see a digital camera whose ISO 100 is the same as a handheld flash meter's ISO 100.
Digital is NOT a good polaroid substitute! I have yet to see a digital camera whose ISO 100 is the same as a handheld flash meter's ISO 100. If you are ultimately making film exposures, then just learn your light meter and learn lighting ratios, which are easy enough. You can use the digital to proof the lighting ratios, but do not use it as a substitute meter!
I guess I should mention what I'm using them for! It'll be mostly shoots involving 1, occasionally 2 people until I have a better grasp of lighting and some still life stuff. I was thinking about starting with one head in the range 400-600W/s to start with from a well-regarded manufacture so that any accessories I buy will fit other heads I eventually get. I'll probably spring for a power pack at some point but I have a pretty tight budget so all of my shooting will be in my home or at someone else's. It's pretty bewildering looking through all the choices at the multi-manufacturer online catalog of B&H! I definitely have a lot of research to do.
tomalphicon, is that the Fuji Instax stuff and the RB Polaroid backs that take the 100 and 600 series film? That would great, it's a LOT cheaper than the impossibleproject film!
It's easy enough to figure out that ASA125 on your meter is ASA100 on your camera, and the digital makes a great Polaroid. In fact, digital hits its peak in the studio under controlled lighting and contrast, just as film does.
I routinely make flawless 20-30" prints from a Canon 5D. I couldn't make a living shooting studio portraits on film.
The point of ASA is that it's a STANDARD. If on my Canon 5D it is actually ASA 125, but on my friend's Nikon D3x it's ASA 80, it's not a standard anymore. It's not that you can't figure out what it is and compensate, but you shouldn't have to. I like to set my power settings so that I'm using the same f-stop with my test exposure as I am my final exposure, so that I know what I see in my proof is the same as what I will see in my final print. If you're shooting a 35mm or APS-C sensor, AND your digital camera's ASA 100 is not the same as your film's ASA 100, then what you see on the LCD on the back of the digital camera will NOT be indicative of what you will get on a 6x7cm negative in your RB-67. You have to make enough changes between the two systems that it defeats the purpose.
I know I am at risk of being booted off of APUG with such outrageous comments, but by far, the easiest way to learn how to shoot in a studio is with a pixel burner.
We are talking a Beginner here. The difference between ISO 100 and ISO 80 is going to be negligible at best.
Anyhow, isn't what you are describing similar to saying that HP5+ is box rated to ISO 400, but it's true speed is more like 320?
I know I am at risk of being booted off of APUG with such outrageous comments, but by far, the easiest way to learn how to shoot in a studio is with a pixel burner. Yes, there are going to be differences (not to mention differences in DOF when going from say a 150mm lens on a MF to a 80mm lens on a 135 to a 50mm lens on a APSC ), but having the ability to check on the fly is going to speed up the learning process.
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