Affordable Studio Light Kits

spyglass · 09-26-2008, 12:26 AM

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Anybody have any suggestions on reasonable studio lighting kits (2 flash heads min 250w/s adjustable c/w model light feature, bounce / shot through umbrellas, stands, snoot adapter, etc. AC/DC operation so they can be used in the field with a battery pack.
I have been looking at the Opus line but would like to hear your thoughts. I would like to keep it under a $K

JCSullivan · 09-26-2008, 02:35 AM

StylistStore out of Vancouver has some good prices for Canucks and he's very reasonable to deal with. I just bought some stuff from him. Got it 2 days ago and the material is not as cheap as I expected.

Shop eBay Canada Store - stylist store:: Photo Tents, lightings

amoringello · 09-26-2008, 03:46 AM

I see plenty of happy people with Alien Bees. They seem to cover a pretty good range of lighting and stuff to hang off it. They do ship to Canada.
Check out DgiBee - AlienBees: The DigiBee, the perfect studio lighting setup for digital photography
and their batery packs. You might be able to stay close to your budet.

Elinchrom DLites are not cheap (cheaper now than when I bought mine). Without batery packs, you could have a nice system.
But Elinchrom knowingly sold whole lots of them with bad capacitors. The damned things blew out in 50 shots and I had to wait several weeks for repair. (free, but still... come on!)
In general Elinchrom support has gone down the toilet for that and other items. I would never touch them again. Anyway, I don't believe there is a portable option until you go to much higher priced models...

If I were to do it again, I'd go with Alien Bees.

bigben91682 · 09-26-2008, 01:35 PM

Originally posted by amoringello

I see plenty of happy people with Alien Bees. They seem to cover a pretty good range of lighting and stuff to hang off it. They do ship to Canada.
Check out DgiBee - AlienBees: The DigiBee, the perfect studio lighting setup for digital photography
and their batery packs. You might be able to stay close to your budet.

I had some bees for a while and they were great. I used the AB800's. Lots of power, very reliable and they have a battery pack available... I switched over to speedlites because they are lighter and easier to power... (AAs are easier to carry than a car battery).

You could get (2) B800's and a Vagabond power pack for $860, and a light stand/umbrella kit for $100 from B&H (I got this one and it's great for the money). WHile you are it get some cybercyncs from AlienBees to rid yourself of pesky wires. I've been using a set for a few months and they are totally sweet.

You have $40 left over so you could go out to dinner!

09-26-2008, 12:26 AM	#1
spyglass Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 747	Affordable Studio Light Kits Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Anybody have any suggestions on reasonable studio lighting kits (2 flash heads min 250w/s adjustable c/w model light feature, bounce / shot through umbrellas, stands, snoot adapter, etc. AC/DC operation so they can be used in the field with a battery pack. I have been looking at the Opus line but would like to hear your thoughts. I would like to keep it under a $K

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09-26-2008, 02:35 AM	#2
JCSullivan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Windsor, Canada Posts: 3,056	StylistStore out of Vancouver has some good prices for Canucks and he's very reasonable to deal with. I just bought some stuff from him. Got it 2 days ago and the material is not as cheap as I expected. Shop eBay Canada Store - stylist store:: Photo Tents, lightings

09-26-2008, 03:46 AM	#3
amoringello Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,562	I see plenty of happy people with Alien Bees. They seem to cover a pretty good range of lighting and stuff to hang off it. They do ship to Canada. Check out DgiBee - AlienBees: The DigiBee, the perfect studio lighting setup for digital photography and their batery packs. You might be able to stay close to your budet. Elinchrom DLites are not cheap (cheaper now than when I bought mine). Without batery packs, you could have a nice system. But Elinchrom knowingly sold whole lots of them with bad capacitors. The damned things blew out in 50 shots and I had to wait several weeks for repair. (free, but still... come on!) In general Elinchrom support has gone down the toilet for that and other items. I would never touch them again. Anyway, I don't believe there is a portable option until you go to much higher priced models... If I were to do it again, I'd go with Alien Bees.

09-26-2008, 01:35 PM	#4
bigben91682 Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 728	Originally posted by amoringello I see plenty of happy people with Alien Bees. They seem to cover a pretty good range of lighting and stuff to hang off it. They do ship to Canada. Check out DgiBee - AlienBees: The DigiBee, the perfect studio lighting setup for digital photography and their batery packs. You might be able to stay close to your budet. I had some bees for a while and they were great. I used the AB800's. Lots of power, very reliable and they have a battery pack available... I switched over to speedlites because they are lighter and easier to power... (AAs are easier to carry than a car battery). You could get (2) B800's and a Vagabond power pack for $860, and a light stand/umbrella kit for $100 from B&H (I got this one and it's great for the money). WHile you are it get some cybercyncs from AlienBees to rid yourself of pesky wires. I've been using a set for a few months and they are totally sweet. You have $40 left over so you could go out to dinner!