New to outdoor lighting... advise please

[Photog82]

To save money, I'd like to fire the Einstein via the cable it provides and then if needed, fire my flash via a hotshoe cable that I have. When I go wireless, I want to get the PocketWizard system as I can use that for other items as well and it has TTL support.

I put together a bunch of notes of what I'm looking at buying very soon (minus the PocketWizard stuff), can you guys take a look at it and see if I'm wrong about anything or miss understanding anything? http://www.evernote.com/shard/s143/sh/f5b0a63d-fb3a-4be0-89b9-0c3027b95279/38ef903fb0155350340f5d8784c8f755

[peety3]

A few thoughts: Consider the Manfrotto QSS 1004 BAC stand instead of the PCB one. There's no need for loyalty to PCB when it comes to stands, and there's something to be said for the air cushion in these stands plus the interstacking. See http://www.robgalbraith.com/multi_pa...=7-10050-10614 for a great write-up on these.

Also, consider other brands of softbox and using their brand of speedring to fit your Einstein. That way you're less locked into PCB, and you may be able to find a speedring from that brand that'll accept 1-2 speedlights for those times when weight is a factor.

[Photog82]

I chose the PCB light stand due to the price, height and weight that it can handle. I like the idea of the Manfrotto light stands that stack but it's too much $ for me right now.

The umbrella mount that I posted, is that adjustable to fit different types of poles?

[Photog82]

I'm starting to wonder if I should start out with some PocketWizard, light stands and a softbox that works with speedlights...? The photos I linked to in the first post- why couldn't you do that with speedlites?

How would a speedlite softbox mount to a Einstein? Is that possible?

[peety3]

I chose the PCB light stand due to the price, height and weight that it can handle. I like the idea of the Manfrotto light stands that stack but it's too much $ for me right now.

The umbrella mount that I posted, is that adjustable to fit different types of poles?

There's a fairly consistent standard for the "stud" mount at the top of most lightstands, and the umbrella mount usually comes with one stud with male 1/4" (aka the tripod mount under your camera) and 3/8" (studly size for many tripod heads mounting on tripod legs) threads, and another stud with female 1/4" and 3/8" sockets. That gives you extra options when you want to mount a PW, etc.

I'm starting to wonder if I should start out with some PocketWizard, light stands and a softbox that works with speedlights...? The photos I linked to in the first post- why couldn't you do that with speedlites?

How would a speedlite softbox mount to a Einstein? Is that possible?

Pick a softbox that does NOT have a specific mount, in other words it just has rods. Then pick the corresponding "speedring" to suit either your Einstein, one speedlight, or 1-2 speedlights. Take a look at http://profoto.com/us/products/light...dring-adaptors for one example - it allows Profoto softboxes to mount on many brands of lights, though I can't tell if the AlienBees model would work on an Einstein. This way, you just change out the speedring to suit the lights you're using, and keep the same softbox.

The challenge in doing the shots you showed comes down to the power of speedlights and the light lost while going through a softbox. You're going to have to limit yourself to less than sunny conditions, never with big groups or possibly even families >3 people, etc. - It might work, but you're going to need to become an ace at balancing ISO/aperture/shutter to keep the ambient at bay.

[Sean Setters]

Pick a softbox that does NOT have a specific mount, in other words it just has rods. Then pick the corresponding "speedring" to suit either your Einstein, one speedlight, or 1-2 speedlights. Take a look at http://profoto.com/us/products/light...dring-adaptors for one example - it allows Profoto softboxes to mount on many brands of lights, though I can't tell if the AlienBees model would work on an Einstein. This way, you just change out the speedring to suit the lights you're using, and keep the same softbox.

For me, I actually prefer the Paul C. Buff line of softboxes and octas. They don't feature interchangeable speed rings (although some of their older softboxes did). So why do I like the PCB modifiers? They're one piece and never require assembling. They simply fold up like an umbrella and then open by sliding a ring onto the "umbrella" shaft. That causes the whole softbox to spring into its shape. Then the only thing you have to do is affix the front diffuser.

I've spent so much time and experienced significant frustration assembling various standard softboxes in my life that I thoroughly enjoy this convenient and time-saving feature.

But on the point of Profoto speed rings, yes, the Alien Bees/White Lightning speed ring will fit the Einstein. They all feature the same mount.

[Photog82]

I ended up buying a nice Manfrotto lightstand, Westcott 26" Rapid Box Octa, PocketWizard TT1 & TT5. I'll probably get a Westcott Strip box at some point. I wanted to start out with something that I could use my speedlites with and something that was more versatile and then possibly upgrade to an Einstein. I really like shooting wirelessly with the flash, I had some fun with my daughter last night and today.

HyperSync is great so far, I hope to try it outside at some point. Does when I have it enabled in the transceiver, does that mean when I shoot at 1/250th of a second that it's actually shooting at that speed? I'm assuming so?

These photos are nothing fancy, they are my first shots with hyper sync.

Here's a shot at 1/1000th @ 2.8 ISO 100, it was actually bright outside but it darkened the light in the background a lot:


1/320th @ 2.8, ISO 100


1/320th @ 2.8, ISO 100:

[jrw]

As a good starting point now that you have started down the lighting path I would suggest taking a series of shots using your modifier from different distances starting from maybe a couple of feet out to 12 or 15' so that you can see how the light falls off across people's faces and when specular highlights kick in so that you can start finding what distance from the subject works best for the look you want to create.
As far as the speed rings go I have a variety of modifiers that use them. Most of them have one outer diameter of insert to adapt to different mounts which is the same as the disks for my flash mount soft boxes with brackets for mounting. Allows me to use the same equipment with strobes and flash just by swapping out the inner rotating piece. It also isn't terribly difficult to make your own flat plates with central holes to receive a flash if you are so inclined.

[peety3]

HyperSync is great so far, I hope to try it outside at some point. Does when I have it enabled in the transceiver, does that mean when I shoot at 1/250th of a second that it's actually shooting at that speed? I'm assuming so?

The PW is too far down the chain to be able to change your shutter speed - cameras don't have any sort of "input" where the flash can say "hey look, I know you have a particular shutter speed in mind for this shot, but I know better than you and I think you should change it to X".

With the PW Flex system, there are two different optimizations as your shutter speed gets faster. The first allows you to achieve a slightly better sync speed than what the camera otherwise allows, thereby giving you a little more latitude in balancing ambient with flash. The second occurs after the system decides that high-speed sync is the way to go, and it optimizes the timing of start/stop, which in turn optimizes how the available power "budget" is allocated between time and intensity. At 1/1000th, you're most definitely in the HSS region.

[Photog82]

I had some more opportunities to test out the new gear and I must say that I really like HyperSync... I also really like how the Westcott octa tosses the light around the body and background if positioned right. One of the photos at the lighthouse gave me the chance to test out the capabilities of the light stand, at one point I had to have it extended 12' in the air so that the octa would hit his face as my wife was on the rocks holding the stand.