what will your next purchase be?

[adam75south]

yep, nothing like dreaming.

i'll start.

my next purchase will be the vagabond II portable battery power system from alien bees. $299
http://alienbees.com/VIIsystem.html

this'll make it where i can shoot outdoors with my studio strobes. since they're a lot more powerful than my portable flashes i can actually use umbrellas and softboxes instead of bare bulb like i do now and get the same effects...cept with better/softer light.

i also kinda want a fisheye or extreme wide angle lens...and a macro...but it'll be a looong time before i buy either.

[faisal]

A nifty fifty hopefully......

[cdifoto]

More Vivitars, sync cords, & miniphone splitters. I wanna make another one of these:



I've already got 2 more Vivitars and another bracket. Just need 2 more flashes and the cables. When I get the other bits & bobs for setup #2, I'll just run it so that all four lights are triggered by the same receiver. In the meantime, I'll be running either the 4 x 1 configuration as above (mostly outdoors), or a 2 x 2 combination (mostly in rooms ie receptions).

[GaryS]

Manfrotto Digi monopod with the quick-release head.

I want new lenses... but I think this will be enough for now. I've wanted a 10-20 for a long time now, but it just never seems to happen.

[te1221]

yep, nothing like dreaming.

i'll start.

my next purchase will be the vagabond II portable battery power system from alien bees. $299
http://alienbees.com/VIIsystem.html

this'll make it where i can shoot outdoors with my studio strobes. since they're a lot more powerful than my portable flashes i can actually use umbrellas and softboxes instead of bare bulb like i do now and get the same effects...cept with better/softer light.

i also kinda want a fisheye or extreme wide angle lens...and a macro...but it'll be a looong time before i buy either.

I love my vagabond II unit. I've only used it for 2 shoots but my latest beach shots were used with it.

My next planned purchase is the Alienbees Cybersyncs.

[DonSchap]

More Vivitars, sync cords, & miniphone splitters. I wanna make another one of these:



I've already got 2 more Vivitars and another bracket. Just need 2 more flashes and the cables. When I get the other bits & bobs for setup #2, I'll just run it so that all four lights are triggered by the same receiver. In the meantime, I'll be running either the 4 x 1 configuration as above (mostly outdoors), or a 2 x 2 combination (mostly in rooms ie receptions).

Do you cycle batteries as often as it looks you might, with these?

That's awesome portable firepower!

Personally, going with the thread, my next purchase is the Full Frame ... but I have decided to put it off until next year ... to see if the price gets better ... and also since I have, pretty much, shattered my "defense budget" for the hobby, this year. A record number of lens purchases and lighting upgrades ... and we all know how important glass and light is to this project.

EDIT: Sorry, I just popped for a Carbon Fiber tripod. Got tired of lugging that aluminum monster around. It's solid ... but, really tiring at the end of a mobile shoot.
EDIT II: Sorry again, I picked up a new, larger sling bag to accomodate a new lens and a replacement lens case to hold it on my backpack. (Ok ... we return you back to our regularly scheduled thread)


Whatever your own purhases are ... good luck in all your efforts ... and, above all, GET THE SHOT!

[FLiPMaRC]

1. 430EX
2. EF-S 55-250mm IS

[TheWengler]

More Vivitars, sync cords, & miniphone splitters. I wanna make another one of these:



I've already got 2 more Vivitars and another bracket. Just need 2 more flashes and the cables. When I get the other bits & bobs for setup #2, I'll just run it so that all four lights are triggered by the same receiver. In the meantime, I'll be running either the 4 x 1 configuration as above (mostly outdoors), or a 2 x 2 combination (mostly in rooms ie receptions).

What do you use that for? Search and rescue? Interrogations?

[cdifoto]

Do you cycle batteries as often as it looks you might, with these?

That's awesome portable firepower!

I haven't put it to use yet. I just received the 2nd splitter and Vivitar sync cords needed to run the two additional lights today. I do know that I'll have to buy more batteries but the plan is instead of running one flash at full power and constantly waiting on recycles & changing out batteries, I'll run either two flashes at 1/2 power or four flashes at 1/4 power. It's all the same amount of total light that way, but 1/2 power recycles 2x as fast and 1/4 power is virtually always ready for the next shot. If my theory holds water, I'll go through the same amount of batteries, just not as often. If that makes sense. Plus, the full power is always there if I need it.

I also have more creative options with at least two flashes on the same stand. For example, I can run one up for room lighting, and one straight ahead for rim lighting on the couple during the first dance.

[adam75south]

that's pretty awesome don. where'd you get the bracket?