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Been using DSLRs for a few years. Only own one bit of lighting kit and that's a Canon flash! Oh, and an Omnibounce 
There's so much stuff to read up and to learn. Even when you have lighting kit I imagine you never stop learning.
Anyway, my newb question is. There seems to be two main types of gear. Continuous Light and Flash. Is that right?
What do most professionals evolve to using in the end?
Is it just me or has DJ brought out the "lighting virgins", otherwise known as "the elemental b*tches" 
Traditionally strobes are used for portraiture as they can produce high levels of controlled light to a pre-determined colour temperature without frying the subject.
However it seems that dSLRs are pushing up the minimum ISO for shooting in the studio, probably not too many shooting at ISO 50 and several models have ISO 200 as the minimum, thereby reducing the amount of power required by studio lights. Continuous lights are now being produced with "cool" bulbs, so you don't need to sit your clients under the equivalent of a 2kw bar heater, and they're becoming more affordable with more control. A little bird tells me we'll see more people using continuous light for portaits, it saves the subjects being subjected to constant flashes.
Lol yeah I'm an undercover-poster for Danny James. I joined four years ago and have only just mentioned lighting now so as not to blow my cover.
I do like the idea of continuous light, I'm assuming that this would free me up from having to use synch chords or remotes, and exposure would be easier to calculate.
Yes yes, slap me about why don't you...
The whole 200 ISO thing is not right. 200 ISO is only two stops away from 50, and most strobes run over 8 stops with stepless controls. The reality is that you now have more versatility because you are perhaps limited to 200 ISO, but it's not the defining debate ender over flash vs continuous.
I use continuous lighting for small product work as it is definitely less effort than flash lighting, but I'd never use anything but flash lighting for people, because you'll never get perfect skin tones without daylight exposure, regardless of how accurate your WB is.
Also, cool lights aren't bright enough, and really bright continuous lighting is like working in an oven.
There you go.
Bitches.
Our M Pro 1200. The Interfit doesn't even come close.
For £200 more you get:
1: extra flash head
2: Air cushioned stands
3: a Boom kit with a Counter Balance
4: 20 x 28 Soft Box
5: 12 x 48 Soft box
6: Background Support Stand with a 3 backdrop Pole & separate case.
7: 10' x 12' Black Cotton Backdrop
And our flash heads are waaaaaaaay better.*
I can do a three head version if you like. Phone me to discuss ch-ching.
*I believe this to be wholly true or remove my manhood.
And don't forget the obligatory 10% discount...
That's the one I've been studying closest on your site. Any non-Danny opinions on that kit welcome.
I rang and got your answering machine, but as I said on that, won't be buying the first thing I see, and won't buy for maybe a month. I'd want a gray backdrop rather than a black (I believe I can overlight and expose that to make it white, don't light it and have it black?). I like that the blurb talks about constant colour temperature and light blah blah, like that there's an audio signal so that you can hear recycle time is up.
Would hate to use a wire, so a radio trigger would be the thing for me. How much are they? I saw mention of £15, is that for all you need or do you have to buy receivers separately?
I'm assuming, please correct me if I'm wrong, that it would be relatively easy to replace things like bulbs and brollies (standard fittings?)
I'm surprised at the Interfit kit - there's no spec on it at all. At least I put every single detail in.
Quote: That's the one I've been studying closest on your site. Any non-Danny opinions on that kit welcome.
I rang and got your answering machine, but as I said on that, won't be buying the first thing I see, and won't buy for maybe a month. I'd want a gray backdrop rather than a black (I believe I can overlight and expose that to make it white, don't light it and have it black?). I like that the blurb talks about constant colour temperature and light blah blah, like that there's an audio signal so that you can hear recycle time is up.
Would hate to use a wire, so a radio trigger would be the thing for me. How much are they? I saw mention of £15, is that for all you need or do you have to buy receivers separately?
I'm assuming, please correct me if I'm wrong, that it would be relatively easy to replace things like bulbs and brollies (standard fittings?)
I'll GIVE you an IR trigger or Radio Trigger/receiver if you get one of our kits. They pretty much come as standard in most of our kits but we didn't include it in this one because it's such a higher spec that most of our M Pro Customers already have triggers.
The recycle time is 1/3 of that on the Interfit, so I'm glad you noticed it. The audio alert is really important too, otherwise you spend half your time looking at the flash heads rather than through the camera.
Modelling bulbs are easily replaced and not that expensive. I'm waiting for the engineer to let me know if we can change the tubes on the M series, but I suspect not because flash tubes are almost as expensive as a single flash head (one of ours anyway).
Sorry about the phone thing - it goes straight to voicemail after 5pm Mon - thurs, and 1pm on Friday, or it'll be ringing all evening. I'll bell you tomorrow morning.
Oh, and grey background = Bad Idea. Better to get it right before wasting precious efforts so you can concentrate on lighting the important bits. Backdrops are about £20 so don't go scrimping.
Quote: I use continuous lighting for small product work as it is definitely less effort than flash lighting, but I'd never use anything but flash lighting for people, because you'll never get perfect skin tones without daylight exposure, regardless of how accurate your WB is.
How did they ever manage in hollywood
Before I went pushing someone down a particular route, I'd want to know how the product fared under test, how quickly and easily it can be replaced or repaired and very, very important - can those strobe bulbs be replaced by the user?
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