Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hey. I don't know if this is the right place to be posting to ask these questions but I'll try. I plan on purchasing some Alien Bees gear soon ( Just ordered the vagabond mini yesterday because I see its on backorder ) So whenever that ships, I plan on placing an order for all the things I want.

Basically I need help figuring out which items I need. I don't know a lot about flash photography, I've been shooting with a Nikon d300 and two sb600's. I've never used wireless triggers, just using the on camera flash to trigger them so I'm excited to be able to do that. Photography is just a hobby of mine right now, I mainly shoot outdoor photos (skateboarding) and using the sb600's triggered by my on camera flash isn't cutting it. I'd like to also start shooting more portraits. All I know so far is I will be getting 2 flash units, 2 of the 13 foot light stands, and whatever remotes I need to be able to fire the flashes.

My first question is, after getting the cst transmitter, what receivers should I get? (I'd like to be able to trigger both the Alienbees flash units as well as my SB's if needed)

Softbox, octabox, umbrella, PLM? ( I know NOTHING about this ) or a beauty dish. I would like to get 2, maybe 3 of these items listed, I just don't know what to start out with..any feedback on those would be great. Like I said I'm new to all of those things.

If you want to trigger the 600's alongside with the Bees, you'll need a CSRB or CSRB+ for those (the CSRB+ might be the more future-proof option here). Alternatively, you could buy some cheap optical triggers for your SB600's and they'll fire in a manner similar to CLS you're currently using alongside the bees. If you aren't gonna be mixing SB's and Bees, you don't need any addtional triggers - just stick with built-in CLS.

If you're shooting action like skateboarding or anything that you may not be REALLY close distance to the subject, you're not gonna get much out of a Softbox or an Octa (same thing in terms of look, but basically different shape of light - one's round the other's a square). Now if you're doing portraits it will help to get one of these as you can get nice smooth light when up close. The Dish is also something you'd like to work semi-close in with. For a two-light setup, you'd usually use either a softbox or the Dish, but generally not both. For action, You might wanna try either the stock 7" or 8" reflectors (harder, edgier light) or a basic umbrella (or the small & mid-size PLM options) This nets you softer light than the reflectors, but watch out for breezes.

What I'd suggest is that you get only 1 or 2 modifiers first for a good while. Learn them and use them for everything. You'll eventually figure out what you really will or won't need once you get your typical workflow down.Truth is, you'd be surprised with how much you could do with just a cheap ol' umbrella.

Hope this helps, even if just a little.

Thanks a lot for the quick reply! So I'll pick up a couple CRSB+, a softbox or dish and maybe a PLM.

One other question I should have asked..I know the b1600 is the most powerful flash out of the three so it would likely be good for my skateboarding photos..but as far as shooting portraits go, is the b1600 too strong? I know the power can be adjusted but im just wondering if they're too much sometimes, maybe over exposing the photo.Would it maybe be a good idea for me to pick up one b1600 and one b800? Or should I just go with 2 b1600's.

annnd.. How do the gels/filters work? I've seen some creative work done with them, do they just clamp on too the flashes or what?

Normally I'd say just go with a 2x 800's, but being the price difference is negligible, the 2x 1600's should serve you well in almost any circumstance. The only real difference between the two is a 1 stop more power on the 1600 (though the 800 can power DOWN 1 stop less than the 1600). Coming from strobes, you probably have no idea just how much power an 800 or 1600 will put out, so be prepared for that. ;)

Another option is you might even want to get one 1600 and one 800 to start out with (and maximize options) and see if it suits you, you can always return it and change up to a 1600. PCB warranty & customer support is really second-to-none. Just a thought.

A couple of things to point out. I would get PLMs and B800's (Einsteins would be even better) if shooting skateboarding. The B800's will have a shorter flash duration, which will serve to stop action better. Dialing down on most monolights will yeild longer durations, leading to more blur (Einstein and speedlites do not do this, as they incorporate IGBT control for very fast flash durations). If you find 800's too lacking in power, you always have 60 days to return/exchange, or 2 years to upgrade to a B1600.

PLMs are very efficient reflectors that will concentrate the light more than the 7" reflector. This yeilds more light on your subject, compensating for less power. If wind is a concern, you may wish to use 8" or 11" reflectors, or the 22HOBD (silver). PLMs can be used in studio as well, with or without diffusion fabrics, the latter mimicing softbox light, perhaps more even.

Studio shooting is a more "pick your poison" as far as modifiers. Each has a look, and you would pick based on the final look you want. Some use very large modifiers for soft lighting, some use finley gridded reflectors for "edgy" lighting.

Thanks again for the info.

So Ill get a the silver 22HOBD, the white PLM to start off..maybe a softbox too if I can afford it.

Im still undecided on the b800s or b1600s right now. Im sure I'll have a bit of time to make up my mind while I wait for the vagabond mini. If I do go with 2 b1600's..will one mini be able to run them both?

Sorry for all the questions, just one last noob question about the remotes too.. Would I need the Cyber Commander or will the CST Transmitter do the trick? I'm trying to read and learn about them now. I was under the impression I just set the receivers all on the same channel and the flashes would all shoot at the same time once triggered. I didn't know anything about frequency.

Keep in mind the white PLM will not be as efficient as a sliver PLM. If your goal is to use it outdoors shooting skaters, you may want to reconsider the fabric.

CyberSync remotes will let you trigger the lights wirelessly, making adjustments on the head itself. Cyber Commander, and Plus model recievers will allow you to trigger and make adjustments remotely. All remotes need to be on the same frequency for all lights to fire together. Channels are contained within a specific frequency. You would select different channels to make an adjustment to a specific light. Other remotes may use "channel" where we use "frequency", and some may also use "bank" where we use "channel". If you are only using them to fire, you will only need to concern yourself with frequency.

Just thinking out loud here, but for outdoor use, I'd be twitchy with any wind-catching umbrella. For something like this particular application, would the Retro Reflector be a viable option?

I agree, and I did give the wind a nod in my post above. If a PLM was used, I would go smaller to catch less wind, as wrap around light is not the primary goal. The retro laser can also be a good choice, particularly if you know exactly where someone will be when the photo is taken. This can give you a very tight beam spread of 11 degrees, or it can be widened to 30 degrees.

Thanks again guys for the replies. I figured the PLM would catch wind pretty easy so I would likely only use it for shooting portraits, and just use the reflector that comes with the flashes or a softbox if need be for my skateboard photos.

I dont know why it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together but sb 600's don't have a pc sync port...so I guess I can't use the cybersyncs to trigger them. bummer