What Flash gear should I rent?

fullofpaint

So my spring break plans fell through, and I'm staring a week of being at home with not much to do. I figured it'd be a good time to rent some gear and really work on nailing some great photos. I'm trying to set up as many kinds of photo shoots as I can (cars, people, etc), and I'm looking at renting some lighting gear to help. I'm pretty clueless though wehn it comes to photography light gear. I work mainly with video constant light sources. Looking for some recomendations and what I could rent from borrowlenses.com to have a pretty nice little kit for the week. Here's what I have right now for gear:

5dMk2, 16-35 f/2.8L, 24-105 f/4L, 70-200 f/2.8L
One, possibly two 580EXII's

I was thinking maybe renting another 580, and some pocket wizards to play with, but would I maybe be better off renting some studio style flashes, like alienbees or white lightning?

Looking to spend no more than about $200 on rental gear just as an estimate, but that's not set in stone.

ziggy53

Studio lighting is nice for more absolute control over the light but speedlights are so nice for portability. Studio lighting has an additional advantage in modeling lights, but speedlights are lighter and easier to move around if you're by yourself. If you are really planning a lot of different sites that would imply a need for mobility. If you are working mostly in a studio setting that would imply less need for mobility. I would use the need for portability as the primary determinant.

Will you also need light modifiers? Umbrellas? Soft boxes? Snoots or grids?

Umbrellas are about the only thing easily attached to use with a speedlight unless you get special adapters. With speedlights you just need umbrella brackets like these:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/50067-REG/SP_Studio_Systems_SPBRACKS.html

Hopefully you can rent them (the brackets) but they are handy to own if you want to start a lighting kit.

Light stands are generally used either way. I recommend 10' minimum for the stands but 12' are better for many subjects and they generally have broader bases with the extra height.

With speedlights you can get some black Foamies sheets at a w*Mart and improvise a snoot. With studio lights you really need the proper snoot to stand up to the higher temperatures you will encounter.

I'm kind of rambling here but I think I would generally recommend the speedlights unless you "need" studio lights. The overall flexibility and portability are the main selling points.

fullofpaint

Thanks! I think I'm gonna end up going with the speedlites after all. I think the kit I'm gonna rent is this:

580EX II
3 Light stands (unless I can use the school's) with the mounts
Pocket Wizards: 3TT5's for the flashes and a TT1 for the 5D
Two umbrellas

I've got cinefoil I can use for a snoot, and control the spill a bit. Going to borrow some gels and diffusion materiel and I think that should prep me for just about everything