# Studio lights help



## BigHen (Apr 8, 2012)

I'm starting out just trying to figure out what kind of lights might work best for taking pictures of kids/family/holiday, and building in home studio what kind of lights I would want to get, don't want anything cheap, want to spend on something that's gonna last.


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## Mach0 (Apr 8, 2012)

The market place... Village Idiot is selling a speedotron set up. I'm sure that will last a longgggggg time.


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## Village Idiot (Apr 8, 2012)

^^

If Russia would decide to nuke the US and you managed to survive, you could still use your Speedotron lights.


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## tirediron (Apr 8, 2012)

Village Idiot said:


> ^^
> 
> If Russia would decide to nuke the US and you managed to survive, you could still use your Speedotron lights.


And if they invaded, you could use them to beat back the Mongol hordes!


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## KmH (Apr 9, 2012)

You might want to invest in some on point direction: Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers 


Speedotron's Brown line is their portrait gear - Speedotron Products Lighting System Packages

Profoto also makes some nice monolights lights Profoto 901053 D1 Studio Kit 500/500 Air (Black)


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## Village Idiot (Apr 9, 2012)

KmH said:


> Speedotron's Brown line is their portrait gear - Speedotron Products Lighting System Packages



???

So the blackline lights aren't supposed to be used for portraiture? I knew I was doing something wrong.

Brownline are more like entry level compared to blackline as the pro level. The blacklines have more adjustability and features.


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## Mike_E (Apr 9, 2012)

BigHen said:


> I'm starting out just trying to figure out what kind of lights might work best for taking pictures of kids/family/holiday, and building in home studio what kind of lights I would want to get, don't want anything cheap, want to spend on something that's gonna last.



That's a lot to ask of a monolight system, even ones with a battery.

Why don't you look into the Nikon CLS and some modifiers to fit them?

Three of them with stands and modifiers with a couple of reflectors ought to do you fine.

IF you do go with monolights be sure to get the fastest flash time at full power and a fast recycle time.


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## KmH (Apr 10, 2012)

Village Idiot said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Speedotron's Brown line is their portrait gear - Speedotron Products Lighting System Packages
> ...


That's what Speedotron says.


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## Mach0 (Apr 10, 2012)

Mike_E said:
			
		

> That's a lot to ask of a monolight system, even ones with a battery.
> 
> Why don't you look into the Nikon CLS and some modifiers to fit them?
> 
> ...



Did you mean cls compatible flashes?

Anyway, speedlights come in handy but you can't compete with the power and spread of light with recycle speeds of a mono. Dollar for dollar.


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## Village Idiot (Apr 10, 2012)

KmH said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > KmH said:
> ...





			
				Speedotron said:
			
		

> Brown Line Systems are available in a variety of 2, 3 and 4-light unit configurations. Power supplies from 400Ws to 1600Ws can be matched with them so one can is sure to meet your specific shooting needs. *The smaller power supplies in either the 2, 3 or 4-light systems are excellent portrait packages.* Systems with the more powerful packs coupled with the M11 light unit offer the versatility and power to handle almost any type of shooting. Systems can have color corrected light units substituted for regular light units.



It says their 2, 3, and 4 light brown line kits make excellent portrait packages, it's not calling their brown line packs, heads, and accessories "Speedotron's protrait gear". If anything, the black line would be better because of the higher range of adjustability. The brown line gear is more like their entry level gear where as the black line is their pro-line of gear.


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## Mike_E (Apr 11, 2012)

Mach0 said:


> Mike_E said:
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> ...



Either but the poster mentioned quality so OEM seems the way to go .

As to the 'power and spread' you are correct but for "taking pictures of kids/family/holiday"  Monolights are a non-starter.


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## cgipson1 (Apr 11, 2012)

Mike_E said:


> Mach0 said:
> 
> 
> > Mike_E said:
> ...



I think I see some confusion here.. If she is going on a Holiday... as in trip, yes... speedlights would rule!

But if she means holiday pictures at home.. like XMAS, Easter, etc.. the Monolights would win hands down.

When she said HOME studio... that kind of meant Monolights to me... although speedlights can do it. Just as long as she stays away from the continuous junk that is so popular!


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## Mach0 (Apr 11, 2012)

cgipson1 said:
			
		

> I think I see some confusion here.. If she is going on a Holiday... as in trip, yes... speedlights would rule!
> 
> But if she means holiday pictures at home.. like XMAS, Easter, etc.. the Monolights would win hands down.
> 
> When she said HOME studio... that kind of meant Monolights to me... although speedlights can do it. Just as long as she stays away from the continuous junk that is so popular!



X2


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## 2WheelPhoto (Apr 11, 2012)

+3

I don't know how "speedlights" came into play here


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## Mike_E (Apr 12, 2012)

2WheelPhoto said:


> +3
> 
> I don't know how "speedlights" came into play here



The wording in the original post.  You go on holiday, you spend the holidays at home.

Taking monolights on the road is as I said, doable, but not convenient.  If she was in fact meaning to take photos over the holidays then monolights win hands down.


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## slate mike (Apr 14, 2012)

Never saw a speedlight that had a modeling light. Gotta go for monolights and WYSWYG!


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## Village Idiot (Apr 16, 2012)

slate mike said:


> Never saw a speedlight that had a modeling light. Gotta go for monolights and WYSWYG!



I know my Canon ones do. At least I believe Canon calls it a modeling light. It causes the bulb to strobes extremely quickly for a second or two to light your subject. I think it may only work on camera too...


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