Studio lighting

[NightShift]

Hi everyone,

I have a question, I am looking to buy a studio lighting kit, it will be for home use at first until I become proficient at it.

I have the Nikon D70 and after advice on what would be a good starters studio kit that is compatible with this camera.

I was looking at the kit on the EBay site below but I'm not sure how external flash lights or studio kits connect with the camera and if the D70 not having the remote rather than cable shutter release has any affect on what lighting kits are compatible?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-110W-Studio- ... dZViewItem

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

[gstark]

Hi, Nightshift, and welcome to the forum.

We've had a couple of recent threads on studio lighting, and you might find somethign of interest in this thread, or perhaps in this one, or maybe this one.

this may also be of interest.

To specifically address your questions though, let's go back to basics: what is your underlying photographic experience, and what are your aspirations? Yes, everyone wants to be a pro, and shoot the rich and famous and/or exotic locations for megabucks, so let's please be realisitc for a few minutes.

Pretty much any sort of kit will be compatible with a D70 = it's not the kit, but how you use it - technique and understanding - that will help govern how good your images become. You can spend just $150, or you can spend several thousand, and there may not be much difference on your results, provided you understand what you're doing. I think the kit you mention has been mentioned by others in some of the threads I've highlighted, and I think that a couple of members have this kit and produce very good results with it.

And yes, it would be suitable for use with your D70, provided you kill the preflash. Most lighting kits can be triggered by the onboard flash.

One final question/point ... why are you concerned about the remote release? Do you expect to be shooting with your camera mounted on a tripod for most of the time? If not, then you'll be handholding the camera, and the use of a remote becomes moot.

[NightShift]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the reply. To be honest I have just stepped up from Point-n-shoot, but a guy I was working with was a former RAAF photographer and he introduced me to the wonders of DSLRs with his Canon 30D.

As you said, it would be lovely to get paid mega bucks for doing something you enjoy (should I mention David Beckham, just over $4.8m per week ) but I'm just looking at it as a hobby and if I can get good enough to earn a few buck, hey it pay pays of some of the equipment.

The majority of my photos are outdoor with natural lighting some with a little fill flash or the aircraft from the RAAF Base at Williamtown. However I am looking at investing in some studio lighting as my wife has just given birth to our little baby girl and I'd like to be able to get some good photos of her as she grows up.
Also, if I can get confident enough after some practice, I'd like to maybe do some portraiture photography at local evens or school formals, for example set up the lighting kit in the foyer at the school or event and take some portraits and maybe get a dollar or two from the prints.

As for the shutter release, I was just demonstrating how new I am to all this . I wasn't sure it the studio lighting might have needed to be wired to the camera, possibly through the same port as the shutter release cable or if all studio light kits worked remotely like the SB600 & SB800 flash units.

Also, if I can ask, which would the users here recommend as the better option, a studio flash light kit or studio lighting which is always lit and focused on the subject?

Thanks

[Oz_Beachside]

As for the shutter release, I was just demonstrating how new I am to all this . I wasn't sure it the studio lighting might have needed to be wired to the camera, possibly through the same port as the shutter release cable or if all studio light kits worked remotely like the SB600 & SB800 flash units.

Generally, most modern studio flash lights have a "cell" function. The cell is a photo-cell, a light sensitive cell, which acts like a remote switch, triggered from another flash. So as gary refers to firing using the onboard built in flash, you can use this to fire the studio lights (limits are generally to indoor, line of sight, but works well for darker indoor shoots so long as your photo-cell can "see" the D70 flash.

First alternative I used, was a "PC-Sync" lead. This is a cable which comes with the studio lights, and connects to your camera (limits with this are distance is limited to cable length, dangerous to pull over your lights, and based on my expereince, the cables are very sensitive, and dont fire 100% of the time), so you can miss the money shot). Benefits, cheap, and if the connectors are in good order, a reliable option. To connect the PC-Sync cable to the D70, you will need to purchase an adapter which slides into the flash hotshoe, its called a "AS-15". Its a $30 simple thing to connect the two (this provides mechanical connection only, dont think there is any "protection" circuits in these).

Also, if I can ask, which would the users here recommend as the better option, a studio flash light kit or studio lighting which is always lit and focused on the subject?

Lets start with your subjects, children/people. Continuous lighting is cheaper, however usually very bright to the eyes, and hot. Flash has a much more friendly light, as you only "see" it for a fraction of a second, and they dont generate any noticable heat. Give it a go, sit one of these $20 500W halogen lights on your desk, and you will understand what I mean.

Overall, if you dont yet have an SB600 or SB800, I'd start with one of those, as you will find them the most usefull (you can also set them up as "studio lights", which would be great while you learn the basics of studio lighting before you go and shell out on manual flash, meters etc.

have fun and welcome.
Oz