Studio lighting equipment help!!

[LR Max]

Ok, so studio work is something that has interested me for quite some time. I do almost all of my photography outdoors in unbelievable weather (got hypothermia during my last shoot) and the thought of studio work sounds cool.

So obviously I need some equipment. I found a pair of Lowell Totas for sale for an extremely reasonable price. From what I've found out, its the whole lock, stock n' barrel, this guy is selling these lights, stands an umbrella, a few gels, bulbs, etc. It would definately get the bulk of the required equipment bought at once.

These lights are tungsten lights. How are these compared to strobes? I do not know much about either (hence why I ask). Is there a significant difference between them?

I will be using these for general whatever photo-ing. So I am looking for a multi-purpose setup that will allow me to do a lot of stuff with this setup. I know it sounds extremely vague but thats all I know at the moment. This kit is quite appealing to me because it is a "portable" kit. I do not have a designated studio at the moment, and I am all about keeping stuff convienently movable.

So, any input on the subject? Thanks.

[D Thompson]

I would stay away from tungsten lights as they can get quite hot during use. I think that is the main drawback with them. IMO, you can't go wrong with strobes. You can see the effect with the modeling lights and I set them to tracking so I can judge how it will look. There shouldn't be a major difference in portability.

[DonSchap]

Yeah, you won't suffer from hypothermia with Tunsten Lighting, that's for sure. In fact, you may want to invest in some serious air circulation equipment (exhaust fans) because the heat radiated into the room gets higher and higher with each passing minute. Talk about breaking a sweat ... not only you, but your model. Of course, if your model is "in the buff", they may appreciate getting a trifle "baked."

[gmtech79]

You might consider going the speedlight way too. Look at this page for some good info on going this route http://www.juliagreerphotography.com/sb-800-article.htm . I have two speedlights to start with and plan to get some umbrella's/softboxes that I could eventually still use if I get alien bee's, plus I like the portability of the speedlights.

[LR Max]

Sweetness. Thanks for the tips! An SB-800 is in my near future and will work wonderfully with my D70s.

I like that flash setup there since it'll re-use equipment and be very portable.

Another question I have. Should I look into an external power pack as well? Or will the 5 batteries (or whatever) be plenty for a moderate amount of shooting?

Lastly, what size umbrella/type umbrella should I be looking for? I saw a a 45" umbrella for sale on adorama. The price was right. Is this too big/too small?

Once again thanks for all the replies.

[gmtech79]

I have not even thought about battery packs since I have batteries for both speedlights and enough spares that are always charged ready to go. I figure that is good for about 300 shots, way more than I will ever need, at least at this point.

The umbrella question is a good one. I have been debating over 48" or 60" umbrella's so I would also like to hear from someone else for their preference. My thinking is if you have the room go for the bigger ones since it would create a larger softer light maybe. Also larger may be better for doing full length stuff.

[jcon]

I asked this same question a few weeks back. I am leaning towards 3 SB-800s off camera. I watched the Speed Of Light DVD and the guy in there did a GREAT job with SB-800s as his lighting source. They are also very portable.

As for umbrellas, if you do decide to use them, you wouldnt need to get a huge one. The diffuser that comes with the flash would be good enough also.

I plan to try this out once I find a place for my studio.

If you havent seen The Speed Of Light DVD yet, I strongly suggest you look it over before buying your lighting equipment!