70-200 f/2.8 or f/4 + flash

@Roger


The lightstands that come in that kit are the LP606s, and they are fantastic. Quite durable, relatively compact. I have 3 of them, and do most of my lighting with them. The umbrella swivels are good, but it's a little tougher to fine-tune the position of the light because of the notches. Otherwise, they work well (and I used them for quite some time).


I personally love the 285HV flash, but I think I'd try to find a couple of used ones on ebay for less. The most recent batch of them coming out of Japan may not have been made with the best quality control practices in place. I have 3 Vivitar 285HVs, and one Vivitar 285. The only one I had fail was the one I bought new. I returned the defective flash and it was replaced under warranty. The other flashes I bought used off of ebay and they've worked perfectly.


I used the Cactus V2s triggering system for quite some time. When it worked, it was great. However, over time their lack of ruggedness begins to show. They're a great way to start out, but after a little while you're going to want something more reliable. Instead of PocketWizards, take a good look at Paul C. Buff's Cybersyncs. That's what I moved to a few months ago, and I'm absolutely loving them. They're substantially less than PocketWizards, and have a range of about 300 feet. They can even be used to trigger your camera with a shutter release cable. Of course, if RadioPoppers ever actually starts selling their long-awaited JrX units, they'll give the Cybersyncs a run for their money. As they still aren't available, I certainly can't recommend them. As for me, I got tired of waiting...


PS- If you order the Cactus V2s triggers from GadgetInfinity, they come straight from the source in China. They'll likely arrive at your door labeled as gifts, with no duties due (but don't hold me to that...I could be wrong). Might want to contact them first.

@abyssal20, Thanks. Yeah I can get both this summer and I've worked out about $400 for a light kit. The light kitdefinitelycomes second priority as I can probably make someof the stuff DYI at least until I can afford legitequipment. Can't really make an L lens DIY style haha.


@ Sean, thankyou for your input. I willdefinitelycheck ebay out now and save the link for the cybersyncs.


Thanks everyone!

I would go with the 70-200/4L + the lighting kit. Since I do few portraits, my lighting kit is rarely used, but it delivers amazing results when I do use it.