Beginning Off-Camera Lighting

[RobbS]

Hey everyone, finally looking to expand past natural lighting while still on a budget. After conversing with a friend, we started to piece together a basic setup. I plan to start with one light and learn from there, however I'd like to have all the equipment purchased ahead of time (for when I'm ready to rock two ).

Does this setup seem like it would be competent? Any changes/additions?

- 2x Vivitar 285HV
- 2x Impact Air-Cushioned Heavy Duty Light Stand
- 2x Photek Shoe Mount Umbrella Adapter
- 2x White/Black umbrellas
- 3x Cactus v5 Transceiver

Thanks!

[oldwolf]

Looks like a good start to me. The only thing I'd replace would be the 285HV with LP160. It's a bit more money but well worth it in the long run.

[RobbS]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

Looks like a good start to me. The only thing I'd replace would be the 285HV with LP160. It's a bit more money but well worth it in the long run.

Any particular reason you'd chose the LP160?

[oldwolf]

1. It puts out more light. Equivalent to an SB900 or 580EX
2. The recycle time is faster. ~4 sec on full power with rechargeable batteries.
3. It has an optical slave that's able to ignore some preflashes.
4. It has a metal hot shoe.
6. The head swivels.
7. The power settings go from 1/1 to 1/64 in 1 stop increments.
8. 4 different ways to trigger it. Hot shoe, optical slave, PC jack and 1/8" jack.

I started out with the 285HV and loved them. They were built like bricks and wouldn't break but I've slowly replaced them with the LP160. I still have a 285HV left though.

[bhursey]

I love my LP160 it is now my
Main off camera strobe.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

7. The power settings go from 1/1 to 1/64 in 1 stop increments.

This would be frustrating beyond belief: Even my SB-600s go down to 1/128th, in 1/3 stops. And I often use it.

[oldwolf]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

This would be frustrating beyond belief: Even my SB-600s go down to 1/128th, in 1/3 stops. And I often use it.

My 430EX II goes in 1/3 stops and it's frustrating beyond belief hehe.

If I need it to go down 1/3 stop then I can move it an inch or two. That's faster than hitting a bunch of buttons to get to the setting.

If I remember correctly the 285HV only has 1/1, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/16.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

My 430EX II goes in 1/3 stops and it's frustrating beyond belief hehe.

If I need it to go down 1/3 stop then I can move it an inch or two. That's faster than hitting a bunch of buttons to get to the setting.

If I remember correctly the 285HV only has 1/1, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/16.

I was more worried about heading down to 1/128: youre right, 1/3 stops arent crucial, but that extra stop DOWN is, to my. There are a LOT of times I wish I could go down ever further.

[inkista]

Aside from the LP160, there's also the Yongnuo YN-560. The Mark II (which replaces the idiot lights with an LCD and adds multi mode) is supposed to be coming out soon. The Mark I is about half the price of the LP160, so you can get twice as many of them. Build quality has improved since the Strobist slammed it, and they do warranty the units, and you can now find local sellers, so it's less of a risk getting a bum one, particularly if you find the metal shoe version. (My copy had three QC inspection stickers in various places, btw.)

It goes down to 1/128 in 1/8th stop increments. Why 1/8, I have no freaking clue.

Like the LP160 it beats the crap out of a Vivitar 285HV (which, btw, is the same as the Cactus KF36), by having swivel capability, 1/8th power setting, settings below 1/16th, a non-proprietary sync port (standard PC), and built-in "dumb" optical slaves that can ignore a TTL pre-flash (upshot: you can use one with a P&S camera's built in flash).

However, the LP160 has better build-quality and copy consistency, and also has the 1/8" sync port (I got jealous and modded my YN-560 to have one, too, but this is not something most folks feel like doing).

If you wanted TTL or TTL-slave (CLS/wireless eTTL) capability, then the Nissin Di-622, or the YN-565EX are also alternatives.

That Strobist post about the Vivitar 285HV is four years old. In that four years the landscape has changed significantly, and we've seen a ton of flash tech and tools specifically geared at Strobists hit the scene. The Vivitar 285HV and PocketWizard information from the top of the Strobist posts is now (mostly) no longer as compelling as it was.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

1. It puts out more light. Equivalent to an SB900 or 580EX

Actually, by the speced guide number (30), and like the YN-560 (34), closer to an SB-600 or a 430EX. But substantial, nonetheless.

I love the speedlights.net website, because they don't believe the speced guide number, and actually (when they have the speedlight), measure the number themselves. And then they chart it across all the models they've tested.