outdoor lighting

celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
edited November 18, 2008 in Accessories
I want invest in some things to light subjects in outdoor or low light situations, I want wireless flashes and transmitter. Something easy to move and on just one stand...Possible? if so what.....

thanks

Comments

  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    What equiptemnt do you own now....flashes, tripod,etc etc
    Sugessting the best flash you can afford and a modifier, either umbrella, Lumiquest SoftBox, Stofen...something of this nature.......a lightstand or tripod with some sort of swivel or universal flash adapter like these on ebay..........or this one at ADORAMA ........which looks exactly like the one I have had for over 20yrs

    As for wireless slave triggers I use these: RF/RD616 SET on ebay .... costing less than $30 for a trnasmitter and 2 receivers and they work great.....but yo have to shoot in manual mode
    Also I suggest an inexpensive, medium price range, incident light meter such as the Sekonic L358....or one of the Polaris's or a USED Shepherd FM1000.

    HTH
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    Thanks, I do have a speed light and tripod and lightstand. I am checking on the slave triggers.

    I saw a light stand the other night, it looked like it had two lights...strobes maybe and the photographer had a transmitter on his camera. He had the lights in front of him to light the subjects and when he pushed the button the flashes went off. Just one stand to move looked very simple,,,,what would those lights be....they did not look like a speed light.\
    celeste
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    The flash I have is a promaster 7500 dx....it does not have a pc connection, so how will that work.
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    The flash I have is a promaster 7500 dx....it does not have a pc connection, so how will that work.
    In the photo on ebay it shows a hotshoe adapter....it is an extra ~~$5 or so and the receiver connects by pc cord to it.........
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    saw a light stand the other night, it looked like it had two lights...strobes maybe and the photographer had a transmitter on his camera. He had the lights in front of him to light the subjects and when he pushed the button the flashes went off. Just one stand to move looked very simple,,,,what would those lights be....they did not look like a speed light.\
    celeste
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    saw a light stand the other night, it looked like it had two lights...strobes maybe and the photographer had a transmitter on his camera. He had the lights in front of him to light the subjects and when he pushed the button the flashes went off. Just one stand to move looked very simple,,,,what would those lights be....they did not look like a speed light.\
    celeste<!-- / message -->

    Could have been small studio lights running off batteries....or could have been what is refered to as potatoe masher strobes....ie Sunpak 622,522 or Metz 45 etc etc....also referd to as Handle Mount flashes because of the large "handle" coming from belowthe flash head to a straight camera mount....HANDLE MOUNT/POTATOE MASHER - SUNPAK 622
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    I am shooting with nikon, will all of this adapt with that?
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    I am shooting with nikon, will all of this adapt with that?

    it should....the transmitter will slide into/onto the hotshoe of camera .... the hotshoe adapter attaches to light stand/tripod (via the universal swivel adapter above) .... flash attaches to hotshoe adapter and the reciever trigger attaches to hotshoe adapter via pc cord.....make sure both transmitter and reciever are set to the same channel(s) and turn it on and go.....oh yeah add AAA batteries to reciever....transmitter comes with a battery.

    heading off to Wichita Asian Festival.............
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,130 moderator
    edited October 25, 2008
    Celeste,

    If you are looking for a "Dual-flash bracket" there are a couple of possibilities (besides DIY):

    http://greggzivney.blogspot.com/2008/01/another-new-goody-dual-flash-bracket.html

    http://www.denisreggie.net/bracket_instr.html

    The first link is a kit that includes a "Y" cable to use a single slave to trigger both flashes. I don't have either so I can't make a recommendation.

    We also had a DGrinner who made their own dual-bracket a little while ago, but I couldn't find the thread just now.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    and did you say i have to shoot in manual mode?
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    and did you say i have to shoot in manual mode?

    YES......These triggers do not TTL like the much more expensive pocket wizards.......I shoot mine in manual due to this fact. In manual you have much more control and also shoot in RAW instead of jpg...if your not already.
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    Not sure about shooting in manual mode...i generally shoot in Aperature mode.....should i wait and save up for pocket wizard? Does it have an adapter for my flash since it does not have a pc sync
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    Not sure about shooting in manual mode...i generally shoot in Aperature mode.....should i wait and save up for pocket wizard? Does it have an adapter for my flash since it does not have a pc sync

    That is why I listed a Flash meter as a should have piece of Equipment.....I have been shooting for a very long time (over 30yrs) and still to this day...My flash meter is in my bag no matter where I go.....just in case I have to go into a manual mode.....meaning I move my flash off the flash bracket attached to my camera and since my flash will no longer talk to my camera I have to shoot manually.....believe me shooting in manual mode is not as hard as it sounds.....I fire my flashes with my meter (transmitter attached by a pc cord) and in dial in the F-Stop the meter gave for the shutter speed I want and it is done.
    Shooting in manual will give you SOOOOO MUCH CONTROL and is so much more fun than any of the auto modes.....I too use AP a lot but not with flash unless it is at a wedding and I am just shooting straight fill flash......but then I NEVER attach my flash directly to the hotshoe either....Ihave a flash bracket to raise my flash up off the camera and then use the TTL cord to make the connection to the hotshoe.......

    I am not sure How the PW's connect.....I like the ones I linked to because I use them with my Studio strobes, my Sunpak 622's and my Minolta5600HS(D).......they work and work great.....when I come over to Nikon all I need is the ~~$5 hotshoe adapter to use them on an SB800 or 900..........
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • angevin1angevin1 Registered Users Posts: 3,403 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    I am shooting with nikon, will all of this adapt with that?

    Celeste you don't mention what cameras of Nikon do you use? I regularly shoot remote with Nikon' CLS and fire off my Sb's via the commander mode.

    Ziggy was correct. A fella posted a week or so ago and had built a dual bracket. It looked and appeared to work well. He was doing this so he could run both flashes simultaneously to lower flash output and hence recycle time on his flashes.
    I use CLS all the time and find it quite nice. I am certain pocket wizards would give me more latitude, but at the same time not having them has caused me to think thru my light positioning...which ain't all bad.

    I shoot in manual mode as well.
    tom wise
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2008
    For this purpose I carry:

    1x Lighting Stand ($20-50)
    1x Hama Universal Umbrella Swivel Adapter ($20)
    1x Nikon SB-24 Flash ($75)
    1x eBay 16 Channel Wireless Flash Trigger Sender + Reciever ($20)
    1x Hama Flash Cord to attach the Reciever to the SB-24 ($5)
    1x 40" White Shoot Trough Umbrella ($20-30)

    Setups like this have been show and discussed
    on http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/ many times.

    All of these items can be found on eBay.
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    Can you help me again? I did purchase the Rf/Rd616 set from ebay. I can not get it to work, I am sure it is me. I have the flash on the hotshoe adapter with the receiver hooked to it. I have the receiver on the hotshoe of my camera....no flash. When I push the text button the light on the receiver and the transmitter flash and then go off......what am i missing?

    Thanks
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    Can you help me again? I did purchase the Rf/Rd616 set from ebay. I can not get it to work, I am sure it is me. I have the flash on the hotshoe adapter with the receiver hooked to it. I have the receiver on the hotshoe of my camera....no flash. When I push the text button the light on the receiver and the transmitter flash and then go off......what am i missing?

    Thanks
    There is usualy a light on the reciever and sender. Do they go off? What happens when you press the trigger button on the sender? Are sender and reciever on the same channel?
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    Yes, same channel. When I push the button on the receiver the light and the transmitter light blink at the same time and then go off. What do I use the pc cord for? I do not have it connected to anything, my camera does not have a pc sync.....I have the receiver plugged to the adapter.
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    Yes, same channel. When I push the button on the receiver the light and the transmitter light blink at the same time and then go off. What do I use the pc cord for? I do not have it connected to anything, my camera does not have a pc sync.....I have the receiver plugged to the adapter.

    if you put the sender on the camera, does the light go off when you fire the camera? I recommend to set the camera to "M" Manual mode and select a shutter speed below 1/180s or 1/200s because the triggers are sometimes not able to fire- or sync a flash at higher shutter speed. I use the PC cord to connect the reciever to the flash. Maybe you can post a smal pic of your setup that shows how everything is wired up?
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    here is one
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    Looking good so far (I have the same model). Now one more with the reciever + flash.
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    one more. pc cord not used at all????????????
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    one more. pc cord not used at all????????????

    I see the error. You need to connect the coord to the Flash and not to it's
    hotshoe. The PC terminal on the hotshoe is usualy for outgoing signals and
    not for incomming. I'm guessing you need an adapter from your 3,5mm plug
    to attach to the PC coord.
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    ok, i thought the hotshoe adapter that I had on here was what I needed....what kind of adapter should i get. My flash has no pc plug
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited November 14, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    ok, i thought the hotshoe adapter that I had on here was what I needed....what kind of adapter should i get. My flash has no pc plug

    Then a PC to X-Sync (Connection on the Flash shoe) is right. If your's is designed for this purpose then its probably the right one. Have you tried setting your flash to manual mode?
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 18, 2008
    Still can not make it happen. Does your light stay on at all times or just when you push the shutter release?
  • Manfr3dManfr3d Registered Users Posts: 2,008 Major grins
    edited November 18, 2008
    celeste wrote:
    Still can not make it happen. Does your light stay on at all times or just when you push the shutter release?

    Just when the trigger fires.

    Did you set the flash to manual? Are you 100% sure that the hotshoe is designed for how you are using it?
    “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”
    ― Edward Weston
  • celesteceleste Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited November 18, 2008
    100% no. But when I purchased this I told them that i did not have a pc sync, they told me to get this hotshoe adapter($5) and I have the receiver pluged to that with my flash on top. I have no other way to hook my flash up.??????
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