General Light Modifying Kit?

[crf529]

Hey All,

Looks like flash is our next port of call, my GF wants to get into some portrait type work, and I also want to get some photos of our cars. This is just what pushed us to getting into flash photography and there's plenty of other stuff we want to use it on after reading through the strobist blog.

So being the gear addict that I am, I decided on 3-4 Yn-560's with Cactus V5 triggers. But picking light modifiers is where I'm struggling to find good info on a 'general purpose' type kit. Bearing in mind the maternity type portraits and automotive photos which were aiming for at the moment, what would you recommend for softboxes and the like? Size, shapes, number?

I was thinking along the lines of 2x 60cm softboxes, 1x 40x140cm stip softbox, a beauty dish of some sort and some snoots?

Any info would be much appreciated.

[maccaroneski]

I think that it's good to have a strategy, but not really necessary to buy everything at once. Softboxes and the like are ridiculously expensive for what they are, and the last thing you want to do is buy stuff that lies around. Having said that, the things that you listed would be handy (for me and what I shoot), but might lie around at your place.

Don't forget a brolly and a reflector - the simplest and cheapest can often be the the best.

[crf529]

Thanks for the guidance Tony. I have adjusted my list a little, to start with I'm now leaning towards 3 shoot through umbrellas and 1-2 60cm softboxes, plus some DIY grids. All only eBay specials, and with stands and brackets should be under $200 for the lot.

Then I can focus on the flashes, triggers and batteries. I figure I can always pick up a background setup or some different modifiers later, as it's cheaper to buy the more expensive, non-eBay gear in one hit with associated shipping costs.

[MarkChap]

Do yourself a favour and give the Cactus triggers a miss, every one I know that has had the cactus V5's have had nothing but trouble with them.

I use some Youngyuo (sp) RF-602 triggers, cheaper than the Cactus and a whole lot more reliable.

An umbrella or 2 and a reflector will get you started quite well with want you want to do

[crf529]

Ah that's a bugger! Thought I'd found a good thing cause the 602's are not designed for the Pentax system, to get them to sync reliably anywhere beyond 1/100 or so, you need to continually press the button or hack them with a random capacitor.

[MarkChap]

Bummer, didn't read that you were a Pentaxian.
Flash Waves are very reliable, although quite a bit more expensive

Ah that's a bugger! Thought I'd found a good thing cause the 602's are not designed for the Pentax system, to get them to sync reliably anywhere beyond 1/100 or so, you need to continually press the button or hack them with a random capacitor.

[JM Tran]

a 40x140cm softbox might be a bit too big for a flash like the YN560, even if you shoot at 1/1 - unless you plan to have it really close to the subject.

another important thing new strobists tend to forget is battery life - get a few external battery packs from Yongnuo to couple with the YN560 to extend the battery life when you are on the shoot, and you wont have to be changing batteries as often, if at all

[crf529]

Yeah I think I've left the strip light behind for now, should be fine with some white card as a reflector.

Ahhh. I had planned on a swag of eneloops, but was thinking i'd just change them out. The price held me back from including any battery packs (70% the value of the flash). Do you think they'd be worth the $45 to a newb?

MarkChap - Did the blokes you know have the V5's give out in the heat outdside? That's about the only bad thing I could find people constantly saying on the net, when they reached their 50c upper limit. Really can't justify the cost of the FWs at the moment to the mrs! Haha.