Light Kit Recommendations Needed!!!

[TStodPhoto]

Ok I have done a lot of soul searching and I still can not find an answer to my question... I desperately need a good but low cost strobe/flash kit consisting of at least 2 lights with the ability as both strobe and flash for mainly still life only, occasionally portraits... it must have a snoot and at least a barndoor... it doesnt need a powerpack but would be better than having to plug them in the wall... wattage recommendation is a big part of this post is higher better or what? i need as much info as someone can provide... I want something that can be added to it in the future... if needed... I am asking cause my wife wants to get me a good set but not break the bank... i tried hot lights and do not like the results i am getting... i need a flash and better lights... can anyone help me here i need advice to pass on to my wife... I know not all lighting makes a photograph but it does help me a great deal... in deciding on what to use and etc... if this is a stupid somewhat newbie question i apologize just trying to get better results... thanks in advance

 

[Pinholemaster]

"ability as both strobe and flash" ???????

Do you mean you want a stroboscopic effect?

If not, strobe and flash are interchangeable. To use a strobe or to use a flash means you are using an electronic pulse of energy sent through a xenon tube to get a very bright on/off burst of light.

I recommend Dyna-lites. http://www.dynalite.com/index2.shtml

They are extremely well made, so they last for decades.

Many will say get the far cheaper White Lightnings, or Alien Bees, but they are cheaply made.

http://www.white-lightning.com/
http://www.alienbees.com/

You get what you pay for.

 

[rorye]

"I recommend Dyna-lites. http://www.dynalite.com/index2.shtml
They are extremely well made, so they last for decades."

I totally agree, Dynalites are very durable, very light and great value for money.

Good luck!

 

[John Koehrer]

Have to agree with the master of the pinhole about the units he mentioned.
Both Monolights and Power supply units have benefits amd drawbacks.Worrying about having to plug two units into the wall is a non-starter. With two monolights you can spread the current draw over two circuits, and you can add power by buying another head. If one head fails, you still have the second, the weight is more spread out ie:2-10lb heads, no PS.
You can also mix & match brands, so you can catch a deal on a different brand light later on & you're not tied into a particular cable or plug.

With a power supply one circuit pulls all the current. If you're using full power & fast recycle you may discover the house circuitry inadequate. If you want to increase you power output over the original, you need a new power supply & there may be a head compatibility problem even within the same brand. If you were to buy a 300WS head you couldn't use it on an 800WS PS unless you upgrade the flash tube.

If you lose the power supply, it doesn't matter how many spare heads you have, they're all dead. The heads are lighter than the monolights But you still need to carry the power supply. Whatever brand you buy, when you want to add a light you'll be tied into that particular brand for additional heads.
Trade offs ain't they grand?

 

[Lee L]

Knowing what your objection is to the results you're getting from hot lights might help people make recommendations.

Light modifiers are as important as the head, beauty dishes, reflectors, barn doors, honeycomb grids to narrow angles and cut spill. Be sure you have the options you want available for the heads you get, or that you can make them or adapt them for yourself. Are you going to cut the output dramatically with a big, heavily diffused light box, or shoot with a narrow angle shiny parabolic reflector?

It might also help to know what you're using for cameras, and what magnification ranges you're normally using. Shooting near macro with an 8x10 and large DOF might elicit different recommendations than shooting portraits with 35mm and a fast short tele.

I'd recommend something that has good control of light output over a wide range of settings. Modeling lights with sufficient output for your needs and wired to mirror changing output from the head can also be handy, especially for beginners in multiple light setups.

Are you shooting B&W or color? You can easily use different makes with B&W when you add on later, mixing a less expensive starting kit with higher end stuff later on when you find you need it, but if color is critical, you might want to stay with the same brand for more consistent color output from the combined flash heads.

Tell us a bit more about what you're after.

Lee

 

[haris]

... i tried hot lights and do not like the results i am getting... i need a flash and better lights...

That is reason why learning need to be done with hot lights. Aleast when I started photography all old masters here advice me to learn with hot lights, and only later to go with flash...

My first light kit was 3 500W halogen construction lights kit, overall cost with stands 50 USD Not perfect, but got few good photographs.

Of course, if you shoot colour then you have to work with filters, so learning with hot lights is not so easy in colour as in b/w...