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buying another flash
Jan 22, 2020 05:24:41   #
blackest Loc: Ireland
 
Hi i have 1 ad200pro. I am thinking about buying a second ad200 or ad200pro. How would you spend my money?

I have a couple of manual speedlights and an elinchrom studio light.

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Jan 22, 2020 11:29:34   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
If you are going to assemble a lighting setup for PORTRAITURE, I recommend anther Ad-200 or 200-pro unit to match your existing Ad-200. It is advisable to have at least 2 matching modeling lamp outputs, in many potential portrait lighting schemes, so you could SEE the relationship between a main light and a possible kicker or accent light. You Elinchrom unit can serve as a fixed fill. Your smaller Speedlights can be pressed into service as background or hair-lights if required.

In an ideal situation, if the budget allows, it is best to have all matching lights as to output and adjustability, modeling lamp type and output, and color temperature. 2 matching lights, however, it's a good start.

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Jan 23, 2020 07:34:24   #
blackest Loc: Ireland
 
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
If you are going to assemble a lighting setup for PORTRAITURE, I recommend anther Ad-200 or 200-pro unit to match your existing Ad-200. It is advisable to have at least 2 matching modeling lamp outputs, in many potential portrait lighting schemes, so you could SEE the relationship between a main light and a possible kicker or accent light. You Elinchrom unit can serve as a fixed fill. Your smaller Speedlights can be pressed into service as background or hair-lights if required.

In an ideal situation, if the budget allows, it is best to have all matching lights as to output and adjustability, modeling lamp type and output, and color temperature. 2 matching lights, however, it's a good start.
If you are going to assemble a lighting setup for ... (show quote)


Thank you for your reply Ed,
I know have 2 AD200 pro's in my kit, with xpro-p trigger

2 43" 110cm Round 5 in 1 reflectors
Phot-R 150x200cm Black & White Collapsible Background

Godox Ad-s7 Multi-functional 45cm Umbrella Softbox Soft Box
Walimex Pro umbrella softbox reflector 109 cm
a couple more umbrellas around the same size.

GODOX S-R1 Round Head Accessories Adapter
Godox H200R Ring Flash Head
Neewer AK-R1 Round Head Flash Accessories Kit (same as godex but cheaper)

Godox AD-S17 Wide Angle Shade Photography Diffuser (mainly for the backplate it can fit the open bulb head inside a bowens/elenchrome speedlight adapter 1 of each)

Godox WITSTRO AD-B2 AD200 Dual Power Flash Head Bowens Mount
2 x ec200 extension cables (allows the flash head to be at top of the stand with the body mounted near the ground to protect it)

Elinchrom bowens adapter ring to fit bowens to elinchrom
Elinchrom , snoot, 7 inch reflector, barndoors, grid 4 x filters octagonal soft box (2 layers diffusion + honeycomb grid)
Bowens beauty dish with grid + diffuser
3 E27 continuous light heads (came with '600 watt' bulbs that were under powered) have 2 105 watt cfl and 1 x 40 watt led bulbs)
3 meter wide backdrop. numerous light stands.
3 Speedlight flash (2 can alter their output auto magically i think) a couple of rt603 transceivers (these also have pc-sync ports)
nd filters various sizes + step up/down rings, flash meter, color checker passport.


I haven't got much in the way of gels, just the 4 from the ak-r1 kit.

I'm thinking of getting the Rogue Grid Flash Gel Kit for 3-in-1 Grid System to use in combination with the 2 round head adapters, they fit under the magnetic rings and are labeled. The godex filters fit in a ring between 2 plastic plates and are not labeled.

Folding Umbrella Strip Softbox and Grid, no idea what size to get or if i would need it to be honest

now i have the 2 ad200 pro's i think I have a fairly portable setup that will transport fairly easily. The trouble with some of the bowens / elinchrom modifiers is the bulk.

I'm not sure what to do with the ad200pro's put them in a big foam case or keep them in the small cases which would fit in a backpack along with my camera + probably another bag for light stands and umbrellas.

This almost seems like a confession, way too much gear but i'd be interested in suggestions for whats missing and the best way to store and transport this.

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Jan 23, 2020 09:09:53   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
At one time I did most of my portraiture in my studio so transport and storage were not a big issue. Nowadays, I am on the road more than I like to be so as you can see in the attached images, part of my studio looks like a luggage shop. I end up hauling an inordinate bulk of stuff out on assignments. So...I had to devise a more organized way of transporting stuff other than tossing everything into the car and driving away. My concerns were minimizing the weight, keeping the gear organized so as not to forget anything before leaving the shop or forgetting to pack things at the end of a long shoot.

I have an assortment of hard and soft cases but I find some of the fiber and metal cases add quite a bit of weight to each kit. I use 2 heavy-duty soft cases and of heavy fabric, possibly Kaviar, each accommodating 3 monolights, basic reflectors, cords, radio triggers, and mounting hardware. For the bulkier power-pack units, I found some pretty tough but lightweight shipping cases made of some kind of polymer. The flash heads with fragile glass flash-tubes fare better in hard cases.

Light stands are always problematic as to bulk, weight, space, and they tend to get very unwieldy when traveling. I have used various athletic equipment cases for golf clubs, ski poles, hockey gear, etc and sometimes I just used to tie them together with bungee cords. About 30 years ago, I ran across a unit called "the "Studio Wall" made by Plume Lighting in the U.S. You can see in the picture of my studio room- the black cloth thing hang on the wall to the right of the background wall. The material is virtually indestructible. It holds several stands, umbrellas, a tripod, and collapsible reflectors in various pockets and sections. The whole thing comes off the wall and rolls up like a giant screwdriver set. It has handles on the sides and ends for somewhat easy transport. I Plum light is still in business but I don't know if the Studio Wall is sill offered. I post a link to the company's website. They also make some very neat and very portable modifiers- umbrellas and low-profile soft-boxes.

I keep cameras, lenses and small speedlights, exposure meters, filters, etc., isolated for the heavy gear in separate cases. I also have 2 collapsible dollies and can usually get away with 3 cases. I keep backgrounds in PVC 4" drainpipe tubes- one end sealed and the other end with a screw-on plug.

All my cases are compartmentalized so when packing and breaking down the gear, I can immediately tell if something is missing.

As you might imagine, I was never able to use a small car. For years I had to use a van or mini-van to travel to locations. Nowadays I drive an SUV and my present system of 3 cases, the dolly, and even the background tube all fit into the back with the back seats folded down and I am able the close the hatch without damaging anything. If I have 2 locations on any given week, I can skip going to the gym! I may need to hire Arnold Schwarzenegger as my assistant! Too much stuff!

http://waferbox.blogspot.com/?m=1









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