Urgent studio help

GerrieDup · 04-12-2008, 09:24 AM

I bought studio equipment but have no idea how to go about?Camera(K10D and istDL) settings, should i use Manual etc?I bought elinchrom 500 lights x 2, with umbrellas.Where do i start?The lights are wireless, needs to be triggered from the camera's build-in flash or external flash.I have no idea what the settings on camera bodies should be.I really want to learn about studio photography.Any help will be appreciated.Thanks.Gerrie.

LDB · 04-23-2008, 11:39 AM

I just returned from the bookstore. I don't recall titles but there were several that dealt with exposure, lighting etc. so I'd suggest a trip to the local library, bookstore or online bookstore and then a few days of serious reading. Good luck.

kenyee · 04-23-2008, 11:53 AM

you bought elinchrom's w/o knowing how they work? you're kidding, right? :-)

Run your camera in manual and get a long sync cord. Or buy some pocketwizards to run wireless, but you still have to run manual w/ studio strobes...

roscot · 04-23-2008, 12:31 PM

You need to keep the camera in manual mode. The lights should have built in optical slaves. You only need directly connect the camera to 1 light via sync cord or radio slave. you use the optical slave on the 2nd light to fire it. P-TTL will not work with studio lights.

A sync cord is the cheapest and easiest to use to start out with. You need one with a PC terminal on one end and a Elinchrom terminal on the other, and it should be a long cord. You will also need a PC to Hotshoe adapter. A cheap generic one will work fine.

A trip to the library or bookstore for a basic lighting techniques will also be helpful. The neat thing about digital studio, is you can experiment, and adjust lighting and exposure to your hearts content, and it won't cost you a dime. Just experiment, analyze, adjust, post questions and examples here, and I am sure there will be plenty of people willing to help you out. Good luck.

Groundloop · 04-23-2008, 12:32 PM

Here's a link that might be helpful

http://www.elinchrom.com/Downloads/Guides/Joe%20Craig/Craig_EN.pdf

Set camera to Manual. The shutter speed almost doesn't matter as long as it's at or slower than your camera sync speed (1/180s for the K10D). I'd recommend you get a hotshoe safe sync. This will protect your camera from voltage surges and provide a PC sync socket. Get an Elinchrom sync cord. Attach the sync cord to your main flash, slave the fill flash. If you want to work wirelessly, the Elinchrom Skyports are a great alternative to the more expensive Pocket Wizards, and the less expensive (and less reliable) Ebay radio triggers. The last thing you want to do is trigger your studio flashes from an on camera flash.

I'm not an Elinchrom rep, but I used to sell it in a previous life.

leadbelly · 04-23-2008, 05:43 PM

Once you get your strobes to work... here is my workflow when using strobes...

Strobes about 6 feet from the subject, I set my (main) strobe to 1/4 power. My camera on manual, shutter is 1/100, aperture at f11. I then adjust aperture as needed... if it seems under exposed, widen your aperture, if it's over exposed, use a smaller f-stop... though if I need to go wider than f/8, I strengthen my strobes instead (and vice versa if shots are too overexposed that I need to go over f16)... I'd rather my camera is set between f8-16... (I don't use a light meter, hence the adjustments. Sometimes I get it right the first two tries though

)

My 2 cents...

calicojack · 04-24-2008, 02:54 AM

Originally posted by Groundloop

Here's a link that might be helpful

http://www.elinchrom.com/Downloads/Guides/Joe%20Craig/Craig_EN.pdf

WOW! A great link as a quick refresher course on studio lighting.
Thanks,
Brian

and · 04-24-2008, 02:58 AM

Originally posted by kenyee

you bought elinchrom's w/o knowing how they work? you're kidding, right? :-)

Ditto...

Unles their slaves have delay mode then its not possible to trigger them with the built in flash. a sync cord or radio trigger will be needed. an external flash will be able to trigger them though, when put on the camera.

creampuff · 04-24-2008, 03:20 AM

If you're using Elinchrom, forget sync cables or slaves (old tech) and go and use the Elinchrom Skyport to trigger you flash units. No tripping over cables, no mess, dead easy. I would also suggest getting a good flash meter to check incident meter readings and to measure lighting ratios.

GerrieDup · 05-04-2008, 08:28 AM

Thanks to everone, the library and pratice pratice pratice will do the thing for me.. Got some nice books...

Clicker · 05-04-2008, 02:27 PM

If your Elichroms are wireless, you need the transmitter to attach to your camera, did you get one?

04-12-2008, 09:24 AM	#1
GerrieDup Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa Photos: Gallery Posts: 31	Urgent studio help I bought studio equipment but have no idea how to go about?Camera(K10D and istDL) settings, should i use Manual etc?I bought elinchrom 500 lights x 2, with umbrellas.Where do i start?The lights are wireless, needs to be triggered from the camera's build-in flash or external flash.I have no idea what the settings on camera bodies should be.I really want to learn about studio photography.Any help will be appreciated.Thanks.Gerrie.

04-23-2008, 05:43 PM	#6
leadbelly Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 597	Once you get your strobes to work... here is my workflow when using strobes... Strobes about 6 feet from the subject, I set my (main) strobe to 1/4 power. My camera on manual, shutter is 1/100, aperture at f11. I then adjust aperture as needed... if it seems under exposed, widen your aperture, if it's over exposed, use a smaller f-stop... though if I need to go wider than f/8, I strengthen my strobes instead (and vice versa if shots are too overexposed that I need to go over f16)... I'd rather my camera is set between f8-16... (I don't use a light meter, hence the adjustments. Sometimes I get it right the first two tries though) My 2 cents...

05-04-2008, 08:28 AM	#10
GerrieDup Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa Photos: Gallery Posts: 31 Original Poster	Thanks!! Thanks to everone, the library and pratice pratice pratice will do the thing for me.. Got some nice books...

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04-23-2008, 11:39 AM	#2
LDB Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 63	I just returned from the bookstore. I don't recall titles but there were several that dealt with exposure, lighting etc. so I'd suggest a trip to the local library, bookstore or online bookstore and then a few days of serious reading. Good luck.

04-23-2008, 11:53 AM	#3
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	you bought elinchrom's w/o knowing how they work? you're kidding, right? :-) Run your camera in manual and get a long sync cord. Or buy some pocketwizards to run wireless, but you still have to run manual w/ studio strobes...

04-23-2008, 12:31 PM	#4
roscot Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach VA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,363	You need to keep the camera in manual mode. The lights should have built in optical slaves. You only need directly connect the camera to 1 light via sync cord or radio slave. you use the optical slave on the 2nd light to fire it. P-TTL will not work with studio lights. A sync cord is the cheapest and easiest to use to start out with. You need one with a PC terminal on one end and a Elinchrom terminal on the other, and it should be a long cord. You will also need a PC to Hotshoe adapter. A cheap generic one will work fine. A trip to the library or bookstore for a basic lighting techniques will also be helpful. The neat thing about digital studio, is you can experiment, and adjust lighting and exposure to your hearts content, and it won't cost you a dime. Just experiment, analyze, adjust, post questions and examples here, and I am sure there will be plenty of people willing to help you out. Good luck.

04-23-2008, 12:32 PM	#5
Groundloop Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 236	Here's a link that might be helpful http://www.elinchrom.com/Downloads/Guides/Joe%20Craig/Craig_EN.pdf Set camera to Manual. The shutter speed almost doesn't matter as long as it's at or slower than your camera sync speed (1/180s for the K10D). I'd recommend you get a hotshoe safe sync. This will protect your camera from voltage surges and provide a PC sync socket. Get an Elinchrom sync cord. Attach the sync cord to your main flash, slave the fill flash. If you want to work wirelessly, the Elinchrom Skyports are a great alternative to the more expensive Pocket Wizards, and the less expensive (and less reliable) Ebay radio triggers. The last thing you want to do is trigger your studio flashes from an on camera flash. I'm not an Elinchrom rep, but I used to sell it in a previous life.

04-24-2008, 02:54 AM	#7
calicojack Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Long Island, N.Y. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,124	Originally posted by Groundloop Here's a link that might be helpful http://www.elinchrom.com/Downloads/Guides/Joe%20Craig/Craig_EN.pdf WOW! A great link as a quick refresher course on studio lighting. Thanks, Brian

04-24-2008, 02:58 AM	#8
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	Originally posted by kenyee you bought elinchrom's w/o knowing how they work? you're kidding, right? :-) Ditto... Unles their slaves have delay mode then its not possible to trigger them with the built in flash. a sync cord or radio trigger will be needed. an external flash will be able to trigger them though, when put on the camera.

04-24-2008, 03:20 AM	#9
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	If you're using Elinchrom, forget sync cables or slaves (old tech) and go and use the Elinchrom Skyport to trigger you flash units. No tripping over cables, no mess, dead easy. I would also suggest getting a good flash meter to check incident meter readings and to measure lighting ratios.

05-04-2008, 02:27 PM	#11
Clicker Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,241	If your Elichroms are wireless, you need the transmitter to attach to your camera, did you get one?

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