Elinchrom D-lite4 ?

[ridney]

nice pics?

I think you need to understand that outdoor location shoots are the hardest of all photoshoots. If you're talking about guerilla style shooting, then the ranger quadra will probably be the best. All you need is an assistant to sling it. Not sure about your lighting experience, but it's not going to be easy at all if this is your first time doing it. Many more things can go wrong as compared to a studio shoot.

Okay, okay, outstanding shots Paiman74 pardon my ignorance if my comments were sort of degrading your work as havocidal sees it, but in no way was i referring to it like that, i'm not a professional photographer, i'm just an ordinary guy who loves taking pictures of my kids and do it as a hobby, not a job

So on to my last question on this thread, I'll be getting the d-lite 4 kit this weekend and later might decide to do some outdoor shoots. Which is a better option for me to make this outdoor shoot happen?

(a) battery pack for the d-lite 4 kit (explorer xt or vagabond ii)
(b) FL-500 400W battery operated kit from Jinbei
(c) 580EX II

Thanks

 

[havocidal]

you're reading too much into my words.

anyway, based on what u say, i'm getting the idea you simply just want to shoot photos for fun, and personally I think the need to do a lighting setup is an overkill.

You can be taking from 10 minutes up to over an hour just for a photo. I don't believe you wish to carry lightstands when you're just shooting your kids for fun. Personally, I leave my DSLRs at home when I am out with friends. There isn't a need to make my photos look like they came from a stock photo website.

 

[ridney]

you're reading too much into my words.

anyway, based on what u say, i'm getting the idea you simply just want to shoot photos for fun, and personally I think the need to do a lighting setup is an overkill.

You can be taking from 10 minutes up to over an hour just for a photo. I don't believe you wish to carry lightstands when you're just shooting your kids for fun. Personally, I leave my DSLRs at home when I am out with friends. There isn't a need to make my photos look like they came from a stock photo website.

why not? everyone loves beautiful pictures be it for fun or professional work. why settle for less?

 

[havocidal]

it's not a matter of settling for less, but a matter of needing to go to such extent.

There are photoshoots that use more than 20-point lighting have a crew that numbers in the hundreds. I don't see a need to have photos with friends to end up looking like this http://claudiahungweddings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/annie-leibovitz-sopranos-2006.jpg

Want to get nice snapshots, the idea isn't bad. Instead of getting gear, why not learn to manipulate light to your advantage. Often times, I have seen people taking photos with the sun in the background. Obviously that will lead to underexposure in their faces. The camera is a powerful tool if used appropriately. The first step to photography is understanding light and not the camera.

 

[ridney]

it's not a matter of settling for less, but a matter of needing to go to such extent.

i don't need it, heck, everybody doesn't need it, yes, but i want it.

There are photoshoots that use more than 20-point lighting have a crew that numbers in the hundreds. I don't see a need to have photos with friends to end up looking like this http://claudiahungweddings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/annie-leibovitz-sopranos-2006.jpg

Don't try to exagerrate the situation, i'm just trying to get a cheap entry level studio kit.

Want to get nice snapshots, the idea isn't bad. Instead of getting gear, why not learn to manipulate light to your advantage. Often times, I have seen people taking photos with the sun in the background. Obviously that will lead to underexposure in their faces. The camera is a powerful tool if used appropriately. The first step to photography is understanding light and not the camera.

The idea is this, whenever my kids (daughters) buy a new dress, they want to pose to the camera and get a shot, they want to look like a princess or hanna montana. The thing is, I want the photo to look like it was taken from a fashion magazine, with a bright white backdrop or a dark black. How can i do that without the gear? Post process every single picture?

What about my wife and her new dress? her new bag? her new make up? her new hair?

I know what i'm doing havocidal, and i know how to take a proper meter reading.

 

[havocidal]

you may know how to take a proper reading, but hate to break it to you, your kids will look nothing like those in the fashion magazines. Those models have professional stylists and makeup artists. I rest my case if that's what you really want.

Post-process has its limits too.

Not exaggerating your situation, but even some "simple looking" shoots that you see, they are done with 5 - 6 point lighting. I am just commenting on the fact that you want to take it outdoors to shoot for fun.

Taking a meter reading in natural light is not the same as with flash, let alone multiple flash systems. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not stopping you from what you're doing. But I've seen too many cases of those who end up selling off their lighting kits because they find it too much of a hassle.

PM me if you wanna talk more about this

 

[ridney]

Not exaggerating your situation, but even some "simple looking" shoots that you see, they are done with 5 - 6 point lighting. I am just commenting on the fact that you want to take it outdoors to shoot for fun.

Taking a photo under harsh light, mid day, intentionally under exposing the photo so that the background would be a bit dark and use side light with the flash on my subject, overpowering the sun, sounds fun to me. Even if i have to carry 15kgs of gear just to take that one shot i will do it, why not.

Anyway, i'll be doing outdoor shoots when the time comes when i get bored enough with indoor shoots.

 

[J-Chan]

Alot can be done with one light, its really how you use it.. The D-Lites are a great start for studio strobes, but getting them outdoors would be quite a challenge, 400Ws is just enough to overpower to sun I reckon. Comparatively the 580EXII is approx 85Ws at full power 24mm zoom, but they do gain abt 1 stop when at 105mm zoom, heck of a long recycle time compared to the D-Lites at the same power.

 

[k3nshinx]

u buy what ur mind says. dont need to argue.

 

[PaulCypert]

I personally love the Dlites as an intro to Elinchrom. They're good value and now that they also feature fans in these units its a no-brainer. You can do a lot with these lights and can always keep them around for background lights and others as you move up to more gear. I'm adding the quadra kit for portability but will keep these for extra bg lights and rim lights in the studio....

Paul

 

[Yatlapball]

400Ws enough to overpower the sun? Are you sure? :bsmilie: you're talking about it being naked with no modifier right.

 

[J-Chan]

400Ws enough to overpower the sun? Are you sure? :bsmilie: you're talking about it being naked with no modifier right.

yup, just with reflector..