What is the last piece I need to complete my mobile studio?

[mattograph]

Hello

A pending birthday means the chance for me to pick up an additional piece of lighting equipment.

I have just started playing with portraits, and have collected the following thus far:

Background with Stand (Bogen - Bought used and in perfect shape)
White/Gold 36" photoflex lightdisc with new stand
580 ex II
430 ex
Two bogen stands with 60" Photogenic convertible umbrellas
2 offshoe cords (I string them together)

What I hope to accomplish is

1) Give myself some mobility for environmental work
2) Light my backgrounds

So, my choices are:

1) another 580 ex II
2) another 430 ex
3) ST E2 remote
4) Something I have not thought of

Suggestions? BTW, figure a budget of $400.

Many thanks!

[PacAce]

Either 1 or 2 will give you a 3rd flash for the background. Option 3 is not going to give you any background lighting although it will get rid of the chained off-shoe cord.

I don't know how many batteries you have for your flash but you might want to consider a spare set or two for each flash. Eventually, you can use them in a battery pack like the CP-E4 if you need recycle your flashes much faster.

[sleibrand]

1st suggestion - use the 580EX as your master and the 430EX as a slave and ditch one of the cords - (free).

As for the rest, it looks like you're into Strobist territory, why not drink the kool-aid?

A cheap set of radio poppers, a couple of Vivitar 285HV (or Sunpak equiv), perhaps a couple of light stands and brackets for them. All together you should still come in under budget and achieve both goals.

www.strobist.blogspot.com

[mattograph]

1st suggestion - use the 580EX as your master and the 430EX as a slave and ditch one of the cords - (free).

As for the rest, it looks like you're into Strobist territory, why not drink the kool-aid?

A cheap set of radio poppers, a couple of Vivitar 285HV (or Sunpak equiv), perhaps a couple of light stands and brackets for them. All together you should still come in under budget and achieve both goals.

www.strobist.blogspot.com (http://www.strobist.blogspot.com)

Do you mean THE radio poppers?

[PacAce]

Do you mean THE radio poppers?

No, he means an RF wireless remote. A Radio Popper wouldn't be able to trigger a Vivitar or a Sunpak flash unless they were ETTL wireless compatible.

[amonline]

It would probably help more if we knew what you like to shoot, including samples. ;)

[mattograph]

It would probably help more if we knew what you like to shoot, including samples. ;)

Well, most of what I shoot now is sports, kids, and animals. Portraits are a really new venture for me.

My first results are "unpublishable".

[amonline]

Personally, I'd get a couple of Pocket Wizards.

[fastdiablo]

the pocket wizards are a good idea, but way too expensive IMHO. i'm very happy with the Elichrom Skyports. extremely reliable and do exactly what the poverty wizards do at a fraction of the cost. in fact, he can get skyports as well as a Vivitar 285 for less than a freaking 580EX. in fact, he should sell the 430, and put the money into lumopro stands and 285s or sunpacks (or even old SB080s).
i understand the 580 for on-camera uses, but a 430 slave is just not optimal when you can be buying more gear and popping vivitars via radio for less money.

[mattograph]

Something confuses me. If I pick up the vivatars and the skyports, how do I control the light output? Do you do it on flash, or on the skyports?

[fastdiablo]

on the flash.