Cheap lighting kit for home-made studio

[adam hoskins]

540w Studio Flash set Lighting set 3 x 180 Photography Strobe Light Portrait Kit been looking at this as I am on a mega small budget. Can't find any reviews so need some advice. Just converted my garage which is 16x9 ft and would like to do portrait and full length shoots would this kit be fine.

 

[Kev Pugh]

Adam I started out with just one of these, a 180W with soft box, was Ok to get by, personally I don't think you'll go far wrong for the price I now use Lastolite F400, I think for the size of Studio you are setting up these will be a fair start point, the heads aren't big so as space is a premium then they wil be ok. If you want to try my stuff you are more than welcome to visit me and have a gander at them, rememeber Focus is coming up and there are bargains to be had, don't buy before would be my advice.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Same deal Adam...
I use 2 visico vc800's and a visico vc500 ...
If you would like to have a go with them to give you an idea what different kit offers your welcome to have a go ...
Remote controls and 1/10 stop adjustment is somthing I could now not live without!

That said, £150 is a tiny amount of money or all that kit!
An option for spending on somthing that maybe a little better build quality wise would be the Proline Apollo 180 kit .. But then I have no idea of the quality of what you have linked to... :/
Just seems a lot for not a lot of cash... You gets what you pays for, ya know!?

 

[adam hoskins]

Ah good call I'm not in a rush just getting the garage plastered tomorrow then I gotta paint it white, joy of joys. Didn't know about focus b do now so will be going on the Sunday something to look forward too. I will hold off till then, might take you up on the visit.

 

[adam hoskins]

Yeah true Hamlisch can't find any reviews anywhere but am so limited by cash at present after the conversion. Want to be able to do the generic white shots

 

[Hamish Gill]

Adam, I think a bunch of us are going to focus on the Monday of you want to meet us there?

Lasolite highlight make that sort of shot a doddle ... Might be worth a thought
Lastolite Limited, Photography Lighting control and Collapsible Photo Reflectors.

 

[Pete Askew]

Don't forget that white walls will bounce the light around and in a small space this can make the control of lighting more difficult. Quite often people will paint some if not all of the walls (and ceiling) black so that the only source of light is either the heads or deliberately placed reflectors. Having said that, the studio here in Potsdam is white with an oak floor (although it is 16 x 4.5m). The ceiling is relatively low though and does reflect the light more than I would like but then the office and studio space are all one and I didn't want to have to work in a coal cellar!! For a converted garage to be used as a studio only I think I'd opt for black. What did you do Hamish?

 

[adam hoskins]

I assume Monday would be a bank holiday then ?. If so Monday would be a great option for me. Btw think white walls would be a Compulsory requirement as this is going to be a part time play room for the kids so unless the colour is light bearing in mind there is no window in there.

 

[Hamish Gill]

White and grey alternate walls, but I had a black cloth drape on a railing that I could use to kill reflections as well as black material that was actually permanently pinned to one wall... All be it a smaller than the wall square!

My vote would be to paint it grey ..

 

[Kev Pugh]

Go with mid Grey 18% covers everything easy to blow out and easy to lose. Spot on Hamish

 

[Pete Askew]

Seems a reasonable compromise. You can revert to black when they reach their teens!!

 

[adam hoskins]

Well can always go with white and see what results I get then change if it all goes wrong. Look forward to focus now hopefully get some good bargains cross fingers

 

[Kev Pugh]

You can always use Black Drapes, not to expensive at Dunhelm..

 

[Pete Askew]

Well it will certainly be easier going from white to black than the other way round!

You sound like you 'speak' from experience Kev. Do they do those nice shiny, black, satin sheets too?

 

[Kev Pugh]

I ain't going down that Road Pete as I could be incriminated in some sort of nasty ring having just shot a load of Suss Lingerie

 

[Pete Askew]

Say no more. I get the picture!!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Damn, that's not a lot of dosh for all that kit - be interesting to see what you think of it when you've got it.

Lots of Chinese direct import studio gear around these days - prices are wayyy down on what they used to be.

No idea about quality on the flash kit - but the light tent and temp corrected low energy lighting I purchased last year was well made and excellent value.

Sounds like a good project - the included softboxes should make for some lovely portrait lighting

 

[Hamish Gill]

Elemental where I got my kit from deal direct with the far east as far as I know ... Keeps thier prices down and got me a lot of kit for my money!

Might be worth speaking to them too Adam!
Very helpful people!

 

[adam hoskins]

Elemental still well out of my price range ATM tbh, have to get some bookings to earn some pennies to buy some better stuff, might have to get the cheap full kit first and work up from there unless I get some mad weddings bookings