Strobist Starter Umbrella Kit HELP!

[Cheever]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to decide which starter kits to go with....I was all convinced that the Impact Umbrella kit on B&H was the way to go.. But then I started looking at other kits...

1) $107 - Smith-Victor Umbrella Kit - Includes: 2 Umbrellas, Light Stands, Brackets and a Case ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/250348-REG/Smith_Victor_401484_UK2_Umbrella_Kit_with.html#rev iews )

Pros - Comes with 45 inch umbrellas

Cons - I will need to purchase the hotshoe mounts..but I can buy 2 of the impact mounts for $26 total, bringing my total to the $130 range. However, the stands are not air-cushioned.

2) $100 - Impact Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit - includes: 2 Impact 32" Umbrellas, Brackets, Light Stands (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=425220&is=REG )

Pros - I dont need to buy anything else well except if i want bigger umbrellas, which I'm sure I will.

Cons - Buying bigger umbrellas, will probably take the grand total to over $130.


So, I dunno what to do...Any suggestions? Or is there another kit that is better? I'm trying not to spend more than $150, but dont want to waste that money on something that I can't build on later....that is my dilemma

[gonzogolf]

First, dont worry too much about the brand or specs on the stand. You are only putting a small flash and umbrella on it so anything you pick will be fine. I understand the desire for the best bang for the buck, but until you start mounting monolights on them stands are stands.... I'd lean toward the s-v kit for the bigger umbrellas (they are also a well respected company) , although the impact kit will also be fine for speedlight use. Really you cant go wrong with either set so pick one and have fun. By the way, you dont need $30 worth of brackets to go with that but rather two of the shoe adapters at $8 each from BH, see accessories tab in link.

[dengar]

Out of those 2 I would go with #1

[Cheever]

Sigh..I bought the impact..i figure i'll just buy bigger umbrellas later on when I outgrow the 32 inchers.

[gonzogolf]

I dont think you're going to notice that much difference between 32 and 40 using speedlights anyway. Next stop, softbox :)