[scottya]

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Hi all

I'm interested in making a simple tabletop setup, and was wondering about lighting.
Are simple lights with umbrellas reasonably functional, or am I way better off with a few remote flashes with maybe the cactus triggers? Studio strobes are definitely more than a need at this point. A have a pentax AF280T flash at the moment, and an *istDS.

Any feedback is most appreciated.

Thanks!

Scott

[Moose]

I have seen people use the folowing setup:

1 x White Tent
3-4 x Fluro lights (the small ones that replace your household lights). Get the maximum wattage ones you can afford.
1 x Tripod

The basic setup is, you play your object in to the White Tent. Place the lights on the outside of the tent shining in. One at the back, one left, one right and one infront.

Because your object, I assume, is not moving, then a slow shutter speed will suffice. You can buy these setups from ebay quite cheap.

Something like this: BRAND NEW QUALITY PHOTO LIGHT TENT CUBE & 2 LIGHTS - eBay Other Equipment, Lighting, Studio Equipment, Photographic Accessories, Cameras. (end time 11-Dec-08 04:20:55 AEDST)

Hope that helps.

Moose

[Wheatfield]

Hi all

I'm interested in making a simple tabletop setup, and was wondering about lighting.
Are simple lights with umbrellas reasonably functional, or am I way better off with a few remote flashes with maybe the cactus triggers? Studio strobes are definitely more than a need at this point. A have a pentax AF280T flash at the moment, and an *istDS.

Any feedback is most appreciated.

Thanks!

Scott

I found a smallish tent (like the one you sleep in) that was made of white ripstop nylon at a rummage sale. The fly was toast, so I got the thing practically for free.

It has served very well as a tabletop diffuser from time to time.
There really isn't much need to spend an armload of money on a diffusion box.
Personally, I think an inexpensive monolight is better than a shoe mount flash bodged onto a trigger, and if you are interested in this stuff, you are going to end up with lights at some point anyway.

[Mike Cash]

While deciding which direction to go, you can always take an interim solution of getting a corded flash shoe mount and hook the flash to your camera by PC cord. Should work fine for your tabletop studio stuff. Radio triggers are very handy to have and I would hate to be without mine, but lacking anything resembling studio space all my usage is outdoors, requiring me to go the hotshoe flash route instead of the monolight route. If you're just going to shoot stuff on your table with you standing right there by it, then radio triggers aren't entirely necessary.

Not familiar with the DS, but if it lacks a PC port then you can get a PC adapter which slides into the hotshoe.

[scottya]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll post a follow up when I get some stuff and try it out!

[keith.s]

Forget the light tent. DIY strobist style - Strobist: How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio

[philbaum]

Forget the light tent. DIY strobist style - Strobist: How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio

Keith
Thanks for this stellar suggestion, i'm going to do it, plus homepage the Strobist site. I've seen it before but there's too much to absorb there for just occasional visits.

Phil

[scottya]

great suggestion. I'll add tissue paper to the shopping list!