lighting kit for studio

[domka]

i gonna get one of Bowen lighting kits for studio. and need some advise from you guys.
for my studio i gonna use one of my rooms for now .it`s about 3,5x4,5 meters size room. i m thinking to get Bowen Gemini 500R or 500 pro three head kit.
i need advise is it worth to pay £ 400 more for 500 Pro compare with 500R?
and are they will be alright for my studio or better to get something more powerfull let`s say bowen gemini 750 pro for the future if i move to the bigger studio room? high street prices is around 500Rtriple-£1450, 500 pro tripple- £1850 and 750 pro tripple- £ 2100.
thanks

[Firotechnics]

How high are the ceilings? and what color is the room gonna be? the biggest difference between the 500r and 500 pro is the flash duration. Its hard to say if you have enough power with out know how high the ceilings are and what color the room will be but I will say 500ws sounds like a good starting point.

[domka]

ceilings are 2,4-2,5 m and room gonna be light-coloured.
is it worth to pay £400 more for 500 pro version lighting,i checked bowen website and difference between those two are : recycle time 1.1sec vs 1.3sec, flash duration 1/2900sec vs 1/900sec and wight 3.5kg vs 3.4kg. that`s all. identical both kits content . all info from official bowen website. why such a big difference on price? maybe there are more differencies?

[domka]

also, could anybody recommend a good background for studio, please.
thanks

[Wilt]

That space is going to be a bit small. The limitations posed simply by the ceiling height, and all the light bouncing around because of it and the nearby walls, is going to pose a challenge in the control of light.

500 w-s is a lot of light thru one head (as would be the case with monolights). Dynalite M500 dialed down to 62 w-s, using a single Dynalite 2040 head, from a distance of 4' in a 24"x36" softbox, it was reading f/11 at ISO 200.

[domka]

wilt,
what is the perfect minimum room size to start studio?
thanks

[Wilt]

wilt,
what is the perfect minimum room size to start studio?
thanks


I break it down this way...

2' for backdrop stand space
6' for backdrop to subject, for independent lighting of b/g and control of focus; hair light, etc.
2-3' for subject space and props
8-10' for camera to subject distance
2' for camera tripod space
3' for photographer to walk behind camera

Total...23-25+ feet of shooting space length (there is some overlap of the above zones). Width defined by size of groups and to accomodate placement of Key to either side of subject to best flatter the subject's face (few of us have symmetrical faces!)

Unless you are doing only seated portraits (or reclining glamour shots!), 8' is too low for both lighting control and for the Angle of View of the lens with standing subjects...you see the top of the background!

[domka]

thanks, Wilt, for very detailed info about studio space. any ideas about background, are there any you could recomend?

[Wilt]

thanks, Wilt, for very detailed info about studio space. any ideas about background, are there any you could recomend?


Sorry you're on your own...I haven't had to buy a backdrop in nearly 20 years! :)