It's all starting to happen!

[gstark]

[url=http://www.dslrusers.com/viewtopic.php?p=303340#303340]
Challenge 16 - Song Titles[/url]TIME TO VOTE!

Go to The challenge site to vote in C 16. Very few entries... But very very high quality. Please avoid discussing individual entries on the forums...


And Poon has just told me what the first prize will be.

How about a studio lighting kit? 2 150Ws studio flash heads, 2 stands, 2 soft boxes, 2 brollies, a radio trigger and 2 receivers, and a carry bag to keep the whole lot in.

This is a new item he's just starting to carry (some will recall the discussion on these from a few weeks ago) and it's so new, he cannot even tell me what the price will be, because he doesn't yet know the shipping cost to Oz. I do know what the ex-HK price is though, and if the shipping costs can be kept reasonable ..... you're all going to be wanting one of these.

These have just arrived in HK, and I should have a set or two by the end of this week. The price, shipped, will be Au$350.

Timesnap #2 is this coming Saturday, July 14 - Bastille Day. 50mm primes (or thereabouts) only, please. Croissants at 20 paces, and all bagels to be returned to their full, upright position.

The Timesnap Gallery is here.


And our Anniversary Weekend is just a few weeks away. There's still room for a couple more to book for our Saturday night dinner, where I'll have the lighting system mentioned above set up for y'all to look at and play with.

And there's lots more on the agenda too:

Ferry hop, portraiture workshop, recovery picnic and swapmeet ... please check the calendar to your left for details and links; dinner bookings here, noting that bookings are only confirmed after your payment has been made.

[sirhc55]

So where do we post our 50mm shots

[gstark]

That would be telling ....


Which I'll do tomorrow night.

I think Scott's given me the link ...

[Killakoala]

Sweet!!!

[Manta]

What an awesome prize and a great challenge too. The subject matter is so narrow....

I'd be interested in hearing Poon's price for this kit when he gets his figures sorted out. Sounds like something I've been wanting to put together for a while now.

Keep us posted gents! (Or have I missed it? Back to the index....)

[gstark]

I'd be interested in hearing Poon's price for this kit when he gets his figures sorted out. Sounds like something I've been wanting to put together for a while now.

Simon,

Me too. He just has to crunch some numbers, but the initial indications are that it will be sub $400, delivered, and possibly well below that. I don't know if it will be sub-300, but that would really be great. I think that may be achievable, but please don't hold me to that, as I have no idea of what the shipping costs will be.

By way of comparison, the 115Ws units I have, without the triggers, without the carry bag, were around Au$360 delivered from Melbourne.

The units Poon has are more powerful, and there's more in the kits, with a greater variety of options available for the shooter.

[MHD]

That is awesome! Will make entry into studio work much easier!
(well cheaper... there is still the skill involved... Oh and having the time too!)

[Manta]

the initial indications are that it will be sub $400, delivered, and possibly well below that. I don't know if it will be sub-300, but that would really be great.

I hope Poon has access to the riot gear worn by the Hong Kong Police depicted in his Picture of the Year. He's gonna have a stampede on his hands if the final figure comes anywhere near that!

I'll definitely be putting an order in. (Oops...don't tell Stephanie!)

[jamesw]

ooooooo

i'd love a studio kit!

great for product shots, and it will force me to clean up the spare room! hahaha.

[gstark]

Scott, Simon, James ...

I've just updated the lead post in this thread, but $350 delivered is the price.

[SteveGriffin]

Top deal Gary!
I would order one tonight but there isn't really any point as I am going to win the challenge and I don't need 2 sets

[Killakoala]

That's a great price. Unbeatable in fact. I know what i'll be buying next.

[DStrom]

Scott, Simon, James ...

I've just updated the lead post in this thread, but $350 delivered is the price.

$350???

I think I know what I am doing with my tax return ... Nice work Gary and Poon!

[gstark]

Glad to be able to help.

[Geoff]

Holy sheet!! Amazing price! Will wait for the tax man to give me some (hopefully) good news and they will then be mine...wow..thanks Poon, thanks Gaz!

[kab]

Are there any reviews or pics of this studio setup?? IF not, the winner should be made to do one

[Reschsmooth]

Oh well, at least I have had use of my lights (less powerful, about as expensive, with no soft box) for an additional 5 months!!!

Gary, I understand you have the same lighting set up as I do (ie. this one). If so, do you know if:

1. The soft box(es) that come with Poon's lighting gear would attach to the lights in the kit linked to above?
2. If so, would Poon be able to sell/ship individual studio gear such as soft boxes?

If not, don't read this.

Thanks

[gstark]

Patrick

Gary, I understand you have the same lighting set up as I do (ie. this one). If so, do you know if:

I do, and yes, I'm expecting the softboxes to be able to fit. I'll know more when they arrive.

2. If so, would Poon be able to sell/ship individual studio gear such as soft boxes?

MAybe, but let's see where we go with these kits in the first instance.

[Reschsmooth]

Thanks Gary.

[gstark]

Are there any reviews or pics of this studio setup?? IF not, the winner should be made to do one

Start by having a look at the the link Patrick provided. We used one of these kits at the last Portraiture Workshop, and there was some discussion of those lights, and their value, in that thread.

My understanding of the kits that Poon is supplying us is that the heads will have a metal casing (vs plastic), the ones that Patrick and I have are 115Ws, whereas the kits we're sourcing through Poon will be 150Ws ....

Poon says the stands will be better, but the stands in the kits Patrick and I have are pretty substantial. If they're better, great, but if not, I really don't care because they're already far better than I expected them to be ....

Inclusions:

Patrick and I have 4 brollies; these kits will come with 2 brollies and 2 softboxes, which I think is better and offers the photographer more options.

Radio triggers and a carry bag are included in Poon's kits; none of this was included in the kits Patrick and I have.

So ... more powerful, more flexible, more hardware of a higher quality, and shipped, it still costs less than the alternatives.

My expectation is that we will use one of these kits at the next portraiture workshop, and I will have it on display and available for members to play with at the AW dinner.

...

In speaking with Poon this afternoon, the triggers are arriving tomorrow, and then he'll be shipping me our prize units.

[kab]

Thanks Gary.

Hopefully we'll have a sesh here in Melbourne where we can play with this kit. For those of us not in Sydney, when you receive this kit, are you able to take some pics of the equipment and setup during the workshop or AW dinner.

Cheers...

[Yi-P]

Gary,

I would be interested in getting a speedring from Poon, not sure if he has any by itself around with a price?

I got a softbox here, and it does not fit quite well (actually the speedring is kinda strange type, has no fitting screws), looking for a speedring replacement. The lights I have here is same ones as you do as well.

Will keep a lookout of the radio trigger as well.

And also on a lookout for background stands + backgrounds, if Poon plan to stock them within this coming month, please let me know, I need one.

[gstark]

Gary,

I would be interested in getting a speedring from Poon, not sure if he has any by itself around with a price?

Not as yet. He's still waiting for the triggers to arrive.

I got a softbox here, and it does not fit quite well (actually the speedring is kinda strange type, has no fitting screws), looking for a speedring replacement. The lights I have here is same ones as you do as well.

Does it have holes for some set screws? If so, you should be able to get screwed .... er, I mean, to buy some screws ... at a hardware store.

If not .... how does it mount to the lights?

And also on a lookout for background stands + backgrounds, if Poon plan to stock them within this coming month, please let me know, I need one.

The stands and a crossbar are on my list to be addressed once we get the lights properly into play. Backgrounds .... roll paper is probably impractical in terms of shipping, as much as I love that medium. Cloths .... we'll see, but they're very heavy, which has a serious affect on the shipping costs.

There may be some cheaper options through visiting your local Spotlight store.

[Reschsmooth]

And also on a lookout for background stands + backgrounds, if Poon plan to stock them within this coming month, please let me know, I need one.

Yip, I bought this background stand set (and Geoff has the same one).

If you have the same light set (from Oz-plaza) as Gary does, then the background stands are basically of the same quality, and for the price, I have no complaints.

[Geoff]

Yip - I will be purchasing some background material (it's called non woven canvas) in about 2 hours from Dragon Image at Artarmon. I am buying it in black (first)...as 3m across and 7m long (suggested by their staff for length). It's $16.50/metre which I thought was reasonable.

This stuff doesn't crease easily and when it does, it takes only a few minutes of hanging to come out.

[Yi-P]

Does it have holes for some set screws? If so, you should be able to get screwed .... er, I mean, to buy some screws ... at a hardware store.

If not .... how does it mount to the lights?

This is how it looks like (it looks plasticky, but its metal):


When attached (simply slipping it in), it does not fit tight, from the weight, it tends to pull itself down...



So, solution now is get a new speedring or drill holes... If the ring is not that expensive, I rather get one than to get the power tools job done.