First studio lighting, and problems!

Ok, I just got this Opus lighting kit (M1002) which can be found at this site.

http://www.opusprophot​o.com …g_kits/m_series​_kits.html

Now the issues, I am new to studio lighting, I actually just bought my first speedlite a couple months ago. Anyway, I set up my "studio" and started to take some test shots. I tried using both my speedlite then my transmitter to signal the monolight's photocell. Both work fine so I picked the transmitter so I dont have to point eedlite in the right direction.

Everytime I take a picture the monolights fire and everything lights up like it should, however the pictures are exposed like I never used a flash at all. I am taking shots in my kitchen with no other light source and end up using an ISO of 800 and a shutter speed of around "20" or slower in order to have a properly exposed picture. This obviously isnt the way it should be. What the hell am I doing wrong? It almost seems like the flash is going off just after the shutter closes, by looking at the pictures. When taking them though it appears like the monolights are firing right as the shutter opens...

I am too frustrated to keep trying to figure this crap out right now, any input you guys could give would be GREAT!

Thanks

Darrin

It could be the wattage of lights not being bright enough, or it could be the signal from the cmaer not traveling fast enough. What I would do is hook them up with wires and try. It also could be your aperature. Are you in Manual mode?

I am in manual mode, I was using my 50/1.8 so I was going from full open (1.8) to about F5 or so. I figured if the pics were dark at F5 there was no point going any smaller. It seems like it should be bright enough considering how small the space is and how close the lights are to the subject. The sync cords that come with the kit dont seem to fit my 350 so I might have to get another, but I can only use one sync cord at a time so the other monolight will have to use the photcell like I am doing (or trying to do ) right now.

Thanks
Darrin

You cannot trigger those lights with the ST-E2 transmitter on the camera. The light will trigger on the communication pulses and not when needed.

If you try to use the Speedlite, it must be in fully manual mode to avoid the pre-flash which would also fire the strobe at the wrong time.

By far, the best way to use the lights would be to get a hotshoe-to-PC adapter and use the cable that came with one of the lights. The other light will trigger properly using the slave sensor.

I agree with SkipD had the same problem with my 300d
Rob.

I think Skip has the right of it, but you don't mention what kind of transmitter you're using, and you said you tested with the transmitter and it triggered your monolight photocell. I'm not sure what this means (I use Pocket Wizards which use radio signals not light), or how you did it, but there are a couple of things you need to understand to successfully work with studio flashes:

1. You can't use Speedlight flashes in auto mode to trigger studio strobes. E-TTL uses a pre-flash (a small initial flash) to bounce light of the subject and set up the exposure. This pre-flash will trigger your strobes and throw off the synchronization (the flashes will be exhausted and won't have time to recharge before the camera exposes the shot). This is what Skip described to you.

2. If your Speedlight has a manual mode, you can use it to trigger your strobes. To do so, you simply put the flash into manual and dial down the power on the strobe to minimum power. That will trigger your strobes properly and essentially no contribution to the overall exposure.


Mark

The transmitter I was talking about is the Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2.

The speedlite I have is the Canon 430 and it can go manual. I tried doing what Skip said with the manual setting and the exposure was horribly over exposed. We had company come over and I couldnt mess around to reduce the exposer, I will try this later.

I am going to look into a hotshoe to PC adapter, any recommendations? I would rather work without wires although I guess it wont be too much of a hassle. I am willing to do what ever I have to in order to get the best finished product, if the adapter is best thats what Ill buy.

Thanks
Darrin

Darrin, the camera and the 430EX must BOTH be in fully manual mode for it to trigger the "studio" lights properly. Set the camera's shutter speed to 1/200 second or slower, as 1/200 is the fastest sync speed (any faster shutter speeds will cause the shutter to block part of the image). The "studio" lights should illuminate the scene. You will need to find an aperture setting that makes the exposure come out correctly.

The lights that you have are very much on the low end of the power spectrum, so expect to use larger aperture (lower number) settings if the lights aren't quite close to the subject. I suspect that if the lights were aimed directly at the subject (as opposed to through a softbox or reflected by an umbrella) you would use roughly f/10 with the lights at 10 feet from the subject. If you use the softbox or umbrella, you probably would need to open the lens a couple of stops. A flash meter would be EXTREMELY useful to you.

ok, i just put everything in fully manual. With the flash power set at 1/1 it was way over exposed with the camera set at F1.8 and shutter at 200 and ISO 100. So i set the flash to 1/64, same thing. This was too low a setting to fire my studio lighting. I set the flash to 1/8 which fired the studio lights but was still overexposed. Then I turned on the high speed sync and had to increase the cameras shutter speed to 2000 before the exposure looked correct.

Either i have a super fast shutter speed or an f stop of like 20 or so the picture isnt over exposed. Does this make any sense to you? I dont have a problem using a fast shutter speed and I will obviously have to mess around some more but that isnt happening tonight. I want to be able to use whatever shutter speed and F stop that I want while using these lights. I should mention that I have left the monostrobes at thier setting of 1/1.

Anyway, thats that for now.

Later, and thanks.

Darrin

Forget the high speed sync.

Set the camera in to M mode and leave it there. Set your 430EX into manual mode and turn it down to minimal power output (unless its physical location is decent as an intentional part of the lighting scheme).

Set the shutter speed at 1/200 or somewhat slower and leave it there. The flash duration is faster than that, but you need for the shutter to be fully open for the duration of the flash and that can't happen with faster shutter speeds.

Set the ISO to 100.

Locate the flash units between 5 and 10 feet from the subject.

Start with aperture settings around f/11 and work towards a good exposure from there.

If your subject material is all very bright, you will tend to need smaller apertures (larger f-stop numbers). Likewise, if the subject material is all rather dark you will tend to need larger apertures (smaller f-stop numbers).

If you use the softbox and/or umbrella (suggested for softening the light), you will tend to need larger apertures (smaller f-stop numbers).

Shortening the distance between the lights and the subject will require smaller apertures (larger f-stop numbers). Likewise, lengthening the distance between the lights and the subject will require larger apertures (smaller f-stop numbers).

Hope this helps.

An afterthought..... To see if you are properly triggering the "studio" lights, aim them directly at the camera and take a shot. If the lights are lit in the resulting photo, they are triggering properly. If they are illuminated by the flash on the camera but aren't "turned on", you aren't triggering them properly.

I recieved a similar lighting setup for Christmas and went through the exact thing you are going through. After giving up on figuring it out on my own I went to my best resource. The PTON search engine and 15 mins cleared it up for me.

Untill I get a chance to get a hotshoe adapter I have found a work around that has let me use my lights. I am sure this will work for you.

In manual mode with the popup flash up press the AE lock/FE lock button before you take the shot. When you press the putton your popup flash will fire and trigger your studio strobe. After your studio strobe recycles you can take the picture and your popup flash will not fire a "pre-flash" before the shot.

If you dont have a light meter then use the histogram in conjunction with your camera controls and studio flash power settings untill you get proper exposure.

Everything you've mentioned about power settings seems that you've only adjusted the output of the 430. Try reducing the power of the studio strobes too. Also, don't point the 430 at your subject...point it off towards the strobe you want to trigger.

I am using the manual mode on my 430 as a slave and using it to trigger the strobes. Seems to be working fine, Its just a matter of fine tuning at this point. I am planning on picking up a hotshoe adapter & a light meter, I've spent so much money on this "hobby" whats another few hundred?!

Thanks for all your posts and help, hopefully next studio post I place will be a kickass photo.

Later

Darrin

Just picked up a Sekonic L-358, $380 Canadian plus tax... Oh well, now i have to learn how to use this, then back into the "studio" and hope for the best.

Later folks
Darrin

Without a light meter you're really shooting in the dark, though watching the histogram will work. Stick the camera and flash in M, camera to ISO100, F8 1/200th, flash to 1/32nd or so. If the photo's overexposed decrease your aperture, if it's underexposed increase it. If the lights aren't very powerful increase your ISO to 200 or 400 if you have to, so you can get a decent depth of field.