Photogs: lighting kit suggestions under $500?

furrygirl · 2005-08-10, 08:03 AM

I'm looking to get an basic "studio" lighting setup, and I have no idea where to begin. Lots of my content uses only natural light, and some of it is other diffused cheapie lighting sources. I've poked around on eBay, but I have no idea which brands are decent and what best suits my needs.

What would the photographers out there recommend for a decent lighting setup for under $500?

Important points to me are simple assembly, relatively compact to travel with, soft continuous non-flash lighting, and something that's not going to catch on fire.

I doubt the lights will ever be on for more than a couple fo hours, so being able to put in lengthy sessions is not an issue. I'm also not sure as to whether umbrella-type lights or soft boxes are better for me, I suppose it depends on what is easier to store or travel with.

Thanks!

2005-08-10, 10:40 AM

Are you looking for flash or tungsten lights?

What ever you want $500 will buy you trouble. IMO

furrygirl · 2005-08-11, 06:08 PM

I believe tungstens, but I'm not sure if I want umbrella-type lights or soft boxes. Like I said, I know next to nothing about professional lighting. I'm not a full-time high-end content producer, and $500 worth of lights beats being dependent on available light and sunshine to me.

Cleo · 2005-08-11, 07:09 PM

Do you need this for stills or vids?

If you are shooting stills you really should go with strobes.

Just got this two light kit. It costs more then what you want to spend but they are some of the best lights that I've ever used in this price range. As a plus the modeling lights are also bright enough for shooting vids too so now we are just using this two light set for both stills and vids.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

You may want to just call B&H Photo (the above website) and tell them what your needs are and see what they can come up with.

juggernaut · 2005-08-11, 09:36 PM

Well this could go on for hours. I just wanted to ask a question cause it will affect the the price range you are looking for. How far away will you be when shooting? Will this stuff be in your house and you are only like 10 ft away? Basicly if you are looking to just shoot stuff that close, then get the lower powered units of what ever you decide, they will be cheaper and do the job just fine. The higher power stuff is basicly for throwing the light farther from the camera, IE if you were shooting a large group from 25 or 30 feet away. If you stick with speedotron, novatron, etc
Heres a link from BH and there are only two kits in the list over $500 and these kits will plug right into your house wall socket. Any of them will do a small job. I still have my first kit and it was like this. I used it to shoot babies and animals etc. All indoors. If you are thinking of using them on the road dont bother, a simple gold,silver and black reflector along with a large mirror will do the job with incredible results.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ar&A=search&Q=

furrygirl · 2005-08-15, 03:23 AM

The lights are for stills and vids, but keep in mind that I am by no means a professional content producer, and plenty of my amateur peers use on-camera flash or shop lights. So, compared to the horror that is amateur flash photography, a $500 light kit does look quite good to me. (Although, I never use on-camera flashes, but I depend on sunshine and other lights around the house.) I don't want to hassle with a flash setup, because I like the consistency of seeing how things look with constant lighting and not worrying about making things coordinate with my camera, or multiple cameras.

I won't be shooting very far away, 5-15 feet I imagine. And it's not for lighting up a huge orgy party, it's just me. Juggernaut: that link doesn't work, what am I look for? I rarely take my work on the road, but I would like the option of something that isn't impossible to move to a hotel room or take on a plane.

juggernaut · 2005-08-15, 12:07 PM

Ok well I cant seem to get the link to work either even tho it was last week. But either way it wont matter. Most of those lights I sent you were flashhead units and you said you dont want them. Now if you are going to be shoting video and stills then you need a constant light source. I dont think you are going to want to pay for the HMI lighting as its rather highend and very costly. Now you need hotlights, totally workable on both ends of the image requirements. I dont remember off hand being its been so long for me but you might need a CC Filter. Maybe someone here can give more info on that. Heres the tree that I got from BH for some Tungsten light kits
Home < Lighting & Studio < Continuous Lighting < Tungsten Lighting < Tungsten Lights < Kits
At http://www.bhphotovideo.com
Its been my experience that you should really only need two lights maybe 3 for more depth. But two should do the job you are just looking to light the area as natural as possible. Me I never bothered with two as in my head there was never 2 suns. and I always hated seeing images where people did not take the time out to remove the 2nd catch light from the person eye. But thats me. Anyway one thing that can really really help you is to watch Old B&W movies. Those guys were masters of lighting. Watch how they work with the shadows and how they use it for serious drama. If you want to see something on film then light it, if you dont then don't. Hope this helps if you want more advice just ask. Oh remember they are called hotlights for a reason. Your subject will get hot that close to the lights and let them cool down before you move grab them, the lights that is

ponyman · 2005-08-16, 11:57 PM

Just get a lowell light kit, that'll do the trick.

fstop · 2005-08-28, 02:24 PM

You have mail.

pornofreekman · 2005-09-18, 08:07 PM

Heyyy
The cheapest, lighting solution is available at any hardware store. Go get 6 clamp lights w/ the aluminum reflectors. Buy some 300w bulbs and you are shooting. I have a bud who has done this and he gets his stuff on the laddie mags like Maxim and Stuff. Remember it is not the tool but what you do with it that counts. Here is a link to some of his shit !!

http://www.onemodelplace.com/photogr....cfm?P_ID=5513

Best
Eugene

emmanuelle · 2005-09-19, 01:27 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/1250w-STUDIO-PHO...QQcmdZViewItem

This was the second light kit I ever bought (the first was a useless strobe set).

Good value when you don't really need all of the bells & whistles, or know what to do with them anyway.

Pretty durable too- we continue to use bits & pieces from this kit in our newer set up.

furrygirl · 2005-09-19, 08:06 PM

pornofreekman: Thanks for the input, but I really do mean that I want to buy a *light kit*, not a halogen flood from Home Depotor something. I've been shooting my own content for 3 years, and I'd like to upgrade from my DIY lighting.

Emma: Thanks for the suggestion! Looks like the same one you recommended to Trixie a while ago and that she turned around and suggested to me. How hot does that set get? Stupid question, but can you buy fancier bulbs that put out less heat?

emmanuelle · 2005-09-19, 08:13 PM

Well the bulbs do put out a lot of heat- the brighter (more wattage used), the hotter they will get. They do manage to heat up a room fairly quickly, and blow fuses regularly -lol. The bulbs that come with it are a combination of 1250 watts which isn't too bad, assuming it's enough light for your situational needs. We usually run on about 2000 watts which is the source of our problems mentioned above. You can purchase bulbs of varying wattage, so you might experiment to see what you can get away with.

btw- I have yet to use one of those garage halogen lights without it catching fire!

Cleo · 2005-09-19, 08:58 PM

Lighting by Home Depot is great.

Gives the talent that sweaty look.

Keeps the pizza, burgers, fries, and nachos nice a warm and ready to eat.

Adds excitement to the shoot when one of them catches the studio on fire and/or the photographer or talent.

Can double for use whilst painting a room.

I really like using decent studio strobes myself. Ones with good modeling lights let you see what the lighting will look like without heating up the room and the flash freezes the action.

LadyHarley · 2005-09-24, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by furrygirl

pornofreekman: Thanks for the input, but I really do mean that I want to buy a *light kit*, not a halogen flood from Home Depotor something. I've been shooting my own content for 3 years, and I'd like to upgrade from my DIY lighting.

Emma: Thanks for the suggestion! Looks like the same one you recommended to Trixie a while ago and that she turned around and suggested to me. How hot does that set get? Stupid question, but can you buy fancier bulbs that put out less heat?

FurryGirl~I have missed your postings lady! Glad to find you hear. I know a lot of people put down us ladies that work on ifriends, nevertheless, there is quite some talent over there and some good information. The link is from Amanda36C and she's one smart cookie

~http://mysite.ifriends.net/amanda36c...101/page1.html

Those fancy lights put out so much friggin heat and with me having hot flashes et all, I just can't take it, the Reveal lights she recommends really don't put out much heat at all. Anyway, thought I'd add my little rookie 2cents in the conversation. Your site looks great (everywhere I see it!) and I hope this finds all well with your sexy smart self!!

Peace and Love, LadyHarley

furrygirl · 2005-10-06, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyHarley

FurryGirl~I have missed your postings lady! Glad to find you hear. I know a lot of people put down us ladies that work on ifriends, nevertheless, there is quite some talent over there and some good information. The link is from Amanda36C and she's one smart cookie

~http://mysite.ifriends.net/amanda36c...101/page1.html

Those fancy lights put out so much friggin heat and with me having hot flashes et all, I just can't take it, the Reveal lights she recommends really don't put out much heat at all. Anyway, thought I'd add my little rookie 2cents in the conversation. Your site looks great (everywhere I see it!) and I hope this finds all well with your sexy smart self!!

Peace and Love, LadyHarley

Oh, hey there, I didn't notice I got another reply to this thread. Yes, I left the right-wing adult webmaster board, it ate up too much of my time and it wasn't making me any money.

I ended up ordering the kit that Emma and Trixie recommended, I need to play with it more, but it seems to be good thus far.

When I'm camming, I use just a plain old 150 watt Reveal bulb in a stand lamp. I don't bother with fill lights or anything for camshows, because at 300x200 or whatever the iFriends cam window size is, nice lighting doesn't really make a difference.

LadyHarley · 2005-10-07, 04:30 PM

Heh Ya FurryGirl! Thanks for responding; understand, just thought the cheaper alternatives Amanda gave links to might have helped, ie, http://alzovideo.com/

They offer some reasonable alternatives not only for video lighting but also for pictures. Glad you found something you liked though!

Your site looks good and I just love your pictures. Glad to see you doing so well! Have a great weekend!

2005-08-10, 08:03 AM	#1
furrygirl No offence Apu, but when they were handing out religions you must have been out taking a whizz Join Date: May 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 281	Photogs: lighting kit suggestions under $500? I'm looking to get an basic "studio" lighting setup, and I have no idea where to begin. Lots of my content uses only natural light, and some of it is other diffused cheapie lighting sources. I've poked around on eBay, but I have no idea which brands are decent and what best suits my needs. What would the photographers out there recommend for a decent lighting setup for under $500? Important points to me are simple assembly, relatively compact to travel with, soft continuous non-flash lighting, and something that's not going to catch on fire. I doubt the lights will ever be on for more than a couple fo hours, so being able to put in lengthy sessions is not an issue. I'm also not sure as to whether umbrella-type lights or soft boxes are better for me, I suppose it depends on what is easier to store or travel with. Thanks! __________________ furrygirl.com & vegporn.com & vegsexshop.com & eroticred.com

2005-08-11, 06:08 PM	#3
furrygirl No offence Apu, but when they were handing out religions you must have been out taking a whizz Join Date: May 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 281	I believe tungstens, but I'm not sure if I want umbrella-type lights or soft boxes. Like I said, I know next to nothing about professional lighting. I'm not a full-time high-end content producer, and $500 worth of lights beats being dependent on available light and sunshine to me. __________________ furrygirl.com & vegporn.com & vegsexshop.com & eroticred.com

2005-08-11, 07:09 PM	#4
Cleo Subversive filth of the hedonistic decadent West Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Southeast Florida Posts: 27,936	Do you need this for stills or vids? If you are shooting stills you really should go with strobes. Just got this two light kit. It costs more then what you want to spend but they are some of the best lights that I've ever used in this price range. As a plus the modeling lights are also bright enough for shooting vids too so now we are just using this two light set for both stills and vids. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation You may want to just call B&H Photo (the above website) and tell them what your needs are and see what they can come up with. __________________ Free Rides on Uber and Lyft Uber Car: uberTzTerri Lyft Car: TZ896289

2005-08-15, 03:23 AM	#6
furrygirl No offence Apu, but when they were handing out religions you must have been out taking a whizz Join Date: May 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 281	The lights are for stills and vids, but keep in mind that I am by no means a professional content producer, and plenty of my amateur peers use on-camera flash or shop lights. So, compared to the horror that is amateur flash photography, a $500 light kit does look quite good to me. (Although, I never use on-camera flashes, but I depend on sunshine and other lights around the house.) I don't want to hassle with a flash setup, because I like the consistency of seeing how things look with constant lighting and not worrying about making things coordinate with my camera, or multiple cameras. I won't be shooting very far away, 5-15 feet I imagine. And it's not for lighting up a huge orgy party, it's just me. Juggernaut: that link doesn't work, what am I look for? I rarely take my work on the road, but I would like the option of something that isn't impossible to move to a hotel room or take on a plane. __________________ furrygirl.com & vegporn.com & vegsexshop.com & eroticred.com

2005-08-16, 11:57 PM	#8
ponyman Nobody gets into heaven without a glowstick Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: The Great Northwest Posts: 422	Just get a lowell light kit, that'll do the trick. __________________ Dirty Old Men Sponsors - gay & straight

2005-08-10, 10:40 AM	#2
Paul Markham2 Guest Posts: n/a	Are you looking for flash or tungsten lights? What ever you want $500 will buy you trouble. IMO

2005-08-11, 09:36 PM	#5
juggernaut Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Central Jersey! If I was rich and powerful I would dress as my avatar does. Posts: 1,448	Well this could go on for hours. I just wanted to ask a question cause it will affect the the price range you are looking for. How far away will you be when shooting? Will this stuff be in your house and you are only like 10 ft away? Basicly if you are looking to just shoot stuff that close, then get the lower powered units of what ever you decide, they will be cheaper and do the job just fine. The higher power stuff is basicly for throwing the light farther from the camera, IE if you were shooting a large group from 25 or 30 feet away. If you stick with speedotron, novatron, etc Heres a link from BH and there are only two kits in the list over $500 and these kits will plug right into your house wall socket. Any of them will do a small job. I still have my first kit and it was like this. I used it to shoot babies and animals etc. All indoors. If you are thinking of using them on the road dont bother, a simple gold,silver and black reflector along with a large mirror will do the job with incredible results. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ar&A=search&Q=

2005-08-15, 12:07 PM	#7
juggernaut Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Central Jersey! If I was rich and powerful I would dress as my avatar does. Posts: 1,448	Ok well I cant seem to get the link to work either even tho it was last week. But either way it wont matter. Most of those lights I sent you were flashhead units and you said you dont want them. Now if you are going to be shoting video and stills then you need a constant light source. I dont think you are going to want to pay for the HMI lighting as its rather highend and very costly. Now you need hotlights, totally workable on both ends of the image requirements. I dont remember off hand being its been so long for me but you might need a CC Filter. Maybe someone here can give more info on that. Heres the tree that I got from BH for some Tungsten light kits Home < Lighting & Studio < Continuous Lighting < Tungsten Lighting < Tungsten Lights < Kits At http://www.bhphotovideo.com Its been my experience that you should really only need two lights maybe 3 for more depth. But two should do the job you are just looking to light the area as natural as possible. Me I never bothered with two as in my head there was never 2 suns. and I always hated seeing images where people did not take the time out to remove the 2nd catch light from the person eye. But thats me. Anyway one thing that can really really help you is to watch Old B&W movies. Those guys were masters of lighting. Watch how they work with the shadows and how they use it for serious drama. If you want to see something on film then light it, if you dont then don't. Hope this helps if you want more advice just ask. Oh remember they are called hotlights for a reason. Your subject will get hot that close to the lights and let them cool down before you move grab them, the lights that is

2005-08-28, 02:24 PM	#9
fstop Internet! Is that thing still around? Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 8	You have mail.

2005-09-18, 08:07 PM	#10
pornofreekman A woman is like beer. They look good, they smell good, and you'd step over your own mother just to get one! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: in da house Posts: 50	Heyyy The cheapest, lighting solution is available at any hardware store. Go get 6 clamp lights w/ the aluminum reflectors. Buy some 300w bulbs and you are shooting. I have a bud who has done this and he gets his stuff on the laddie mags like Maxim and Stuff. Remember it is not the tool but what you do with it that counts. Here is a link to some of his shit !! http://www.onemodelplace.com/photogr....cfm?P_ID=5513 Best Eugene

2005-09-19, 01:27 PM	#11
emmanuelle 0100011101100101011001010 1101011001000000100001101 1010000110100101100011 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,441	http://cgi.ebay.com/1250w-STUDIO-PHO...QQcmdZViewItem This was the second light kit I ever bought (the first was a useless strobe set). Good value when you don't really need all of the bells & whistles, or know what to do with them anyway. Pretty durable too- we continue to use bits & pieces from this kit in our newer set up.

2005-09-19, 08:06 PM	#12
furrygirl No offence Apu, but when they were handing out religions you must have been out taking a whizz Join Date: May 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 281	pornofreekman: Thanks for the input, but I really do mean that I want to buy a light kit, not a halogen flood from Home Depotor something. I've been shooting my own content for 3 years, and I'd like to upgrade from my DIY lighting. Emma: Thanks for the suggestion! Looks like the same one you recommended to Trixie a while ago and that she turned around and suggested to me. How hot does that set get? Stupid question, but can you buy fancier bulbs that put out less heat? __________________ furrygirl.com & vegporn.com & vegsexshop.com & eroticred.com

2005-09-19, 08:13 PM	#13
emmanuelle 0100011101100101011001010 1101011001000000100001101 1010000110100101100011 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,441	Well the bulbs do put out a lot of heat- the brighter (more wattage used), the hotter they will get. They do manage to heat up a room fairly quickly, and blow fuses regularly -lol. The bulbs that come with it are a combination of 1250 watts which isn't too bad, assuming it's enough light for your situational needs. We usually run on about 2000 watts which is the source of our problems mentioned above. You can purchase bulbs of varying wattage, so you might experiment to see what you can get away with. btw- I have yet to use one of those garage halogen lights without it catching fire!

2005-09-19, 08:58 PM	#14
Cleo Subversive filth of the hedonistic decadent West Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Southeast Florida Posts: 27,936	Lighting by Home Depot is great. Gives the talent that sweaty look. Keeps the pizza, burgers, fries, and nachos nice a warm and ready to eat. Adds excitement to the shoot when one of them catches the studio on fire and/or the photographer or talent. Can double for use whilst painting a room. I really like using decent studio strobes myself. Ones with good modeling lights let you see what the lighting will look like without heating up the room and the flash freezes the action. __________________ Free Rides on Uber and Lyft Uber Car: uberTzTerri Lyft Car: TZ896289

2005-10-07, 04:30 PM	#17
LadyHarley Internet! Is that thing still around? Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 9	Heh Ya FurryGirl! Thanks for responding; understand, just thought the cheaper alternatives Amanda gave links to might have helped, ie, http://alzovideo.com/ They offer some reasonable alternatives not only for video lighting but also for pictures. Glad you found something you liked though! Your site looks good and I just love your pictures. Glad to see you doing so well! Have a great weekend!