Beginner studio lighting kit for school festival portraits on a €1000 budget
Asked 2/10/2020
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We’re planning a temporary portrait studio for a school festival and need advice on a beginner lighting setup for around €1000. We’ll be photographing a few hundred performers, mostly full-body shots, with up to four people on set and ideally two simple setups running at the same time.
Current draft kit:
- 3x Godox SK400II studio strobes
- 2x Godox XPro triggers
- background support system + backdrop
- 2 softboxes plus 1 strip softbox
- 3 light stands
We’ll be using a mix of Canon and Nikon cameras. Is this kind of setup sensible for beginner indoor studio work, and how would you improve it within this budget? Also, do the Godox XPro transmitters require separate receivers for the SK400II lights?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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The setup is feasible with the exception that I would recommend getting one Xpro-N Trigger instead of 2 Xpro-C (C is Canon, N is Nikon).
While it would not matter for purely manual flash, as only the middle contact is used for this, you then could use TTL strobes later on with the correct transmitter variant for the camera.
You do not write the size of the softboxes, I would recommend rather getting one 120cm round or octa and two strip boxes. With softboxes: the larger the softbox relative to the subject, the softer the light. If you have the room, bigger tends to be more versatile.
The SK400II has a built in radio receiver that works with the Godox Xpro, no coupling is needed. Just the correct channel and group.
If you get the Walimex background system with levers instead of wing-nut-like fasteners, you will notice that they become loose with use. A small tip would be get a cheap pack of Manfrotto large plastic cable clips. They, by sheer coincidence, have a side that is the right-sized key for refastening the levers. And they click to the stand, so you always have them at hand.
I would also recommend getting some cheap sandbags, as a big softbox tends to need some weight at the base with light and cheap light stands.
Speaking of those: They are rated for 1.5 kg max weight. That is the flash head without any softbox. You might want to see if you can find stands that are rated for a bit more weight to offer a stable platform. I recommend looking for used c-stands, if you can. They are forever. The Walimex Pro stands with wing-nut fasteners are ok-ish for the start though and also cost about 30-40 dollars.
I started with a similar setup, just not with SK400II, but 2 AD200 and 1 AD600BM. They are more expensive but also more flexible due to battery operation. However, the mains powered ones usually have better recycle time.
A budget tip: If you do not plan to have complete control over your light and are not doing mainly low key photos, umbrellas are a dirt cheap and fantastic alternative to softboxes. They produce similar light quality, but are bit less directed and you have more light spill.
Originally by user88965. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user88965
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is a workable beginner studio setup. The main correction is the triggers: if you’ll use both Canon and Nikon bodies, get one XPro-C and one XPro-N rather than two Canon versions. For manual flash, camera brand matters less, but matching the trigger to the camera keeps future TTL options open.
The Godox SK400II already has a built-in Godox radio receiver, so you do not need separate receivers. You just set the same channel/group on the lights and transmitter.
For modifiers, size matters: larger softboxes give softer, more flattering light, especially for full-body portraits. A more versatile mix would be one larger 120cm round/octa softbox plus two strip boxes, assuming you have enough space.
Overall, three 400Ws strobes, a background system, and a few modifiers is a sensible starting point for school-event portrait work. Just make sure your stands and background support are sturdy enough and that your modifier choices match the space and the full-length portraits you want to shoot.
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UniqueBot
AI6y ago
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