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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Wireless SB800 vs. AlienBees
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 11/17/2004 08:48:41 AM · #1
I recently purchased an SB-800 and love it and am just starting to figure it out. I now am considering setting up some space inside to be a studio. I've read a lot of the threads about Alien Bees and other interior lighting setups.

One of the things I was considering, given the wireless capabilities of the D70 and SB800, was to purchase an sb-600 or two.

However, seeing some of the alien bee setups with softboxes and umbrellas and such has me leaning in that direction.

I will probably be doing some portraiture and stuff like that with this space.

I'm wondering what your collective thoughts are on either: 1> integrating my SB800 wireless with some softboxes/umbrellas/alien bees; or 2> integrating it with a couple SB600s and not using other equipment; or, 3> forgetting about the sb800 for the inside applications and just getting a nice alien bee setup with softbox and such.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice.
 11/17/2004 09:39:31 AM · #2
I've been thinking about this very topic. But I was also thinking of option 4> getting maybe 2 Vivitar 285HV flashes and some sort of (hopefully wireless, maybe wired) setup, with at least one huge softbox.

I also want to use it especally for portraits, but will want to do studio still-life shots etc. with it as well.
 11/17/2004 11:35:30 AM · #3
There is a big difference between an on-camera "smart" flash (like an SB-600/800 on the Nikon side or a 420/550/580EX on the Canon side).

These "smart flashes" actually fire a 'metering pre-flash' before opening the shutter to determine how much power the flash needs to output to properly expose the subject.

With a studio strobe based setup, you must set the power output manually.

Mixing a "smart" flash with a studio strobe setup can be a crap-shoot if you don't fully understand what is going on.

In addition, the power output of a small battery-powered flash is pretty small compared to most studio strobes, and downright miniscule compared to the "big" 1600+ W/s strobes. Lighting modifiers like umbrellas and especially softboxes also suck up power.

My recommendation would be your #3 option: "forget about the SB800 for the inside applications and get a nice Alien Bee setup with softbox and such". If you are serious about studio lighting, you won't be disappointed if you go down that route.

Message edited by author 2004-11-17 11:37:22.
 11/17/2004 10:51:59 PM · #4
Hi Eddy,

Thanks. I am very likely to move some furniture around and follow your advice. (Pair of 400's should start me fine.)

Not sure if you got my PM, but one of my other questions was in re: your setup that you kindly sketched out in another thread. Are these *all* strobed? Or are some of them continuous lights?

Also, are you using 400s? Looks in your sketch that you have four lights. Are these all AB400s with various attachments on them (softbox, reflector, etc.)?

Thanks again
-anthony

Message edited by author 2004-11-17 22:55:42.
 11/18/2004 10:25:02 AM · #5
Hi Anthony.

All of my lights are strobes... no continuous lighting. (Well, that's not exactly true... because they have modeling lights, if you disable the strobe trigger, you can use the modeling lights as low-power "continuous lighting" if you want to, i.e., for still lifes where you can use long shutter speeds... or even like in this shot:

which was taken at ISO 800, hand-held, Æ’/4, 1/30 second with just the modeling lights to capture some motion in the hair from a fan. But I digress...)

I am using White Lightning strobes (the "big brother" to the Alien Bees). I currently have three X800's and one X1600 (used in my large softbox / main light).

As I noted in another thread, one advantage to going with the AB's is that you can upgrade them to "more power" for the difference in price plus a nominal fee.

Note that since I posted the thread you referenced (the "my first female senior photo shoot"), I've learned a bit more about portraiture and lighting. I now mostly just shoot with two lights (main light and hair light) and a reflector for fill. Almost all of the shots in this folder were lit that way (more details about that session in this thread).

I think you'll be very pleased with a pair of AB's to start out with; a two-light combo is extremely versatile. More strobes are important when you get into good high-key (white background) shots and various "special effect" lighting.
 11/19/2004 08:20:42 AM · #6
Eddy,

Thanks greatly. So, this weekend I'm going to do some shopping. Perhaps a couple Alien Bees (400), softbox, reflector, stand, backdrop material.

Do you use White Lightning's wireless triggering?

What about using a PocketWizard setup for triggering? Could I do that with my D70? I am trying to make it as elegant/integrated as possible while also giving myself a lot of room to grow. I guess what I mean is I'll spend a little more for something function/feature-rich I can learn/grow into.

Thanks again
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