Fill in Flash

[Cathus]

it's not necessarily more expensive, what I was getting at was do you want a static system or a portable system. A portable systems can be as simple & as cheap as a 2 or 3 flashguns & a couple of stands/brackets. You can use this both indoors & out.

If you want continuous lighting then don't expect to be able to take it outside unless you have a generators & perfectly dry weather.

if you want a portable studio setup you can use inside & out, expect to pay £1000+ for 2 lights & a battery pack.

horses for courses & depends on how much cash you want to spend

[krismoore]

could anyone recommend a decent yet cheap continuous lighting set up?

[GeoffWessex]

I think you'll find that Interfit do all you need at quite reasonable prices..... check here for examples.

Also, many photographers start out with this kind of kit and then move into the world of flash setups..... and have to sell old gear quickly. So it just needs an hour or two with Google.

[silversnapper1]

I've got some Interfit continuous lighting and find that my flash guns are much more versatile.

[dan123]

I just use my Two flash guns, means they can go anywhere with me, much more versatile, but i too was thinking about lighting.. decided against it my guns are more versatile,
ive heard as a general rule, continuous lighting is better for still life and flash is easier for portrait things,

Dan

[GeoffWessex]

Originally Posted by dan123

ive heard as a general rule, continuous lighting is better for still life and flash is easier for portrait things,

Dan

You'll probably get a couple stops less light from two continuous lamps than with two flash guns..... and therefore you'd be hard pressed to get a really fast shutter speed for any moving subject.... as you say, good for still life, and I'd say good for fairly static, traditional portraits - but if you want to put the tripod aside and do the David Bailey thing and poke the camera all around the place and keep moving, you could well be snookered.

There again, many of the very latest cameras are very good with high ISO - so winding up the sensitivity to, say, ISO1600 has less noise side-effects and high ISO is becoming less of a problem now.

[krismoore]

okay thanks for all the advice coming in! I do realise that flash seems to be the more versatile option and professional option however at the moment money is a big issue and am i right in saying a couple of flash guns could be more than a simple continuous set up?

Great advice though, thanks for all the input!

[Cathus]

it depends on what flashguns you buy. You can get flashguns for £40. I recently bought two flashguns for abt £90 each to supplement my other stuff, my dedicated Canon guns cost abt £350 each.

You don't need the most expensive.

Check out the Strobist blog mentioned earlier, he recommends a few flashguns for under £100.

[silversnapper1]

Try fleabay. When I was looking for my last gun which I bought for around £60 I saw one offer of 4 or 5 gunds of a lesser model by the same manufacturers for around £100. I bought the Yongnuo YN560 and it is quite solid and seems very good in my inexperienced eyes.

[GeoffWessex]

You have to be quite careful with flash, though.... the wrong flashgun can seriously damage your camera's electronics.