Reschsmooth wrote:1. Compared to normal flash (Metz/SB800), are these lights easy enough for a financial planner to use? (ie. are they more difficult to use?)
Let me answer this question in two parts.
Compared with the SB800 - these are far easier to use. I consider the SB800 to be an overly complexgun for most prposes. it's very good, but to use it to its full extent requires a Masters Degree in Arcane Engineering and Terminolgy, with a special emphasis in Deciphering Unintelligble User Manuals.
Compared with the Metz, a bit different, but no more difficult.
On the Metz, you'll need to set two settings - ISO and aperture, and you're done, presuming the Metz is set to auto.
On a head like these, for exposure, you'll simply set a power setting, shoot, chimp, and adjust the power to suit. If you have a handheld lightmeter, use that in flash
mode to get a recommended EV and thus set your aperture. That's what you'd do when using the Bronica.
Stand where the subject is, and use an incident reading on the meter.
The only other settings would be the power of the
modelling lights; set those to match the power setting you have on the flash, so that the
modelling light ratios will approximate those you're using for exposure.
Bottom line is that you should have no issues using one of these kits.
2. Can you confirm (reasonably obvious from Chris' picture) that the lights require mains power?
Yes I can, and they do.
I recognise that if you're wanting to use them in an outdoor setting, this might be problematic. I would not see that as a reason to not purchase these though ...
My original idea was to get 1 stand and brolly (a convertible one that reflects or diffuses) plus appropriate connector for use with the Metz and retain the SB800 (for which I have a Lumiquest soft box attachment, albeit small) which would be more manoeuvrable than a second stand/brolly/light, particularly if I wanted to place it lower to the ground.
My point is that for very little extra expenditure, you are not precluded from executing your original concept. There is no reason that these stands and brollies could not be used with your Metz (and/or SB800) in the manner that you suggest.
The fact that they come with the heads doesn't mean that the heads
must always be used with them: this is all standard plug'n'play stuff, and what I'm saying is that instead of buying just the stands and brollies, why not find a deal where you have the heads thrown in for just a few bucks more?
My further advice is that at some point in the future you will probably be wanting to get some heads anyway, and here you have a simple and inexpensive kit that will, I think satisfy your immediate, and maybe many of your future, needs, for very little expenditure.
My only caveat is that I have not yet had a personal play with the lights that Chris has. That said, I have been most impressed with the similar kits that I have had access to over the last few months, to the point where I will probably consider buying one myself at a future time.
A lesser reason for this is that the Metz makes a good companion for the Bronica, of which the hotshoe does not seem to accept the SB800, thereby avoiding the expense of additional but less flexible lighting (what I mean by that is that if we wanted to just use the Bronica with the Metz for fill, we can).
As noted above, there is nothing in what I'm suggesting that prevents you from pursuing this line of usage. What I'm suggesting adds extra flexibility and options to that line of thought, that's all.
BTW, is
this what you are referring to as the ebay option?
Exactly the one, and it actually comes with four, not two, brollies.
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:13 pm
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