have $1500-$2000 to spend on studio setup. help me decide setup

Room Info
16ft (w) x 20ft (l) x 10ft+ (h)

Needs
-backdrop support system
-backdrop - min. requirement - white, green, black and at least 1 portrait backdrop
-studio lighting - thinking alienbees b400 or b800, but open to suggestions
-studio lighting accessories - umbrellas, soft box, etc
-wireless transmitter/receiver - thinking cybersync setup but open to suggestions
-anything else I didn't think of

About to purchase
Sekonic L-478D or L-478DR

Already have
- light stands
- stool
- camera, lens, 600ex-rt flash

Alien bee 800's, enough power, but not too much. Two to start, three if you can. Cybersyncs are great, but you can easily use the YN rf602's to save a little cash. Background stands and crossbars are cheap and honestly not much difference from one to another for roughly $100. Paper drops, $50 a roll. Modifiers depend on what you want to shoot., but I suggest at least one PLM from Buff. Then perhaps two softboxes, or perhaps one softbox, and one strip box.

Slightly disagree with Gonzo. I'd think in terms INITIALLY of just ONE studio flash unit and keep the money on one side for a second one.

Why? Because with a single light source, you won't instantly leap into multiple set-ups and all the complications which that brings. Learn to use the single light first (with reflectors), then add a second one in maybe a month or two. If you buy two at the start, you'll want to use both and simply slow down the learning process. UNLESS, of course, you can get a cracking good deal by buying 2 at the same time!!

No personal experience of PCB stuff but the Alien Bees appear, to an outside observer, to be simply a stepping stone for most folks to eventual purchase of the Einstein. Had you considered that as an alternative?

In a studio you cant do much with a single light. You need the ability to do key and fill, there are some decent one light solutions, but two is not jumping into the deep end.

Bang for the buck? Einsteins. PCB has a pretty great set of packages here: paulcbuff.com/packages​.php

The 'Two-light Einstein' is a great starter 2 light setup, and gets you lights you won't outgrow in a year. I've used them (Don't own them ATM) and I love 'em.

JacobAllison wrote in post #16734612
Bang for the buck? Einsteins. PCB has a pretty great set of packages here: paulcbuff.com/packages​.php

The 'Two-light Einstein' is a great starter 2 light setup, and gets you lights you won't outgrow in a year. I've used them (Don't own them ATM) and I love 'em.

I was looking at that package and if I take out the lightstands, I'm around $1400 which is great. Add about $300-400 for background stand and backgrounds, and i'm within the budget. I do think they are more light than I'll ever need but i'll never have to worry about wanting something more powerful.

However, with the price of 2 Einsteins at $1000, I can get a 3 light Alienbee setup and still save money and have more flexibility with light placement. That's where I keep going back and forth on

Take a look at my gear list. ALL of my studio stuff I've bought used except for my beauty dish and total I've spent is $1400.

It's alot of gear for $1400 for sure. You'd prolly spend twice to buy new.

Buy used and shop around.

OH. I highly recommend B400's. B800 won't go down enough in power to be able to shoot at levels that are F2.8-F4. anytime I want to shoot ~F4 I use my B400s. When I want to shoot at F8 they even work great. My room is 15x20x10 and I have never used any of my flashes more than 1/2 power even my B400s.

I'm actually getting ready to list one of my B400s.

Talley wrote in post #16735809
Take a look at my gear list. ALL of my studio stuff I've bought used except for my beauty dish and total I've spent is $1400.

It's alot of gear for $1400 for sure. You'd prolly spend twice to buy new.

Buy used and shop around.

OH. I highly recommend B400's. B800 won't go down enough in power to be able to shoot at levels that are F2.8-F4. anytime I want to shoot ~F4 I use my B400s. When I want to shoot at F8 they even work great. My room is 15x20x10 and I have never used any of my flashes more than 1/2 power even my B400s.

I'm actually getting ready to list one of my B400s.

Its easier to put an ND filter on your camera to get to f2.8-4 than it is to get more power out of an underpowered strobe setup.

or double diffuse/filter down the strobe.

I use 4 AB 800's in my basement studio. I just purchased two Einsteins and hope to get two more, at which time I will sell at least 3 of my AB800's. Might keep one for a hairlight or emergency backup light.

Talley wrote in post #16735809
Take a look at my gear list. ALL of my studio stuff I've bought used except for my beauty dish and total I've spent is $1400.

It's alot of gear for $1400 for sure. You'd prolly spend twice to buy new.

Buy used and shop around.

OH. I highly recommend B400's. B800 won't go down enough in power to be able to shoot at levels that are F2.8-F4. anytime I want to shoot ~F4 I use my B400s. When I want to shoot at F8 they even work great. My room is 15x20x10 and I have never used any of my flashes more than 1/2 power even my B400s.

I'm actually getting ready to list one of my B400s.

If it was my own money, than yes, i'd probably look at used gear for some things. But being that it's my work money, I have to buy new

ronf119 wrote in post #16736121
If it was my own money, than yes, i'd probably look at used gear for some things. But being that it's my work money, I have to buy new

So what is it exactly that you are building this studio for? We can all suggest what has worked for us, but if you are shooting something different then we might be misleading you.

I was looking at this background system. Gives me the green, white, black backdrops along with stand.

Impact System

Then all I need is something like this or similar for portraits

Backdrop Alley Muslin

gonzogolf wrote in post #16736137
So what is it exactly that you are building this studio for? We can all suggest what has worked for us, but if you are shooting something different then we might be misleading you.

Headshots, portraits, small group shots. An occasional product shot. The backdrop system may also be used for video for doing interviews

gonzogolf wrote in post #16735968
Its easier to put an ND filter on your camera to get to f2.8-4 than it is to get more power out of an underpowered strobe setup.

Hmm... I have two B800 and three B400, I don't use them all. I have the choice of either. I can use a B400 as a main in my 30x60 softbox set to 1/2 power for portrait of two people and still get ISO 100, F4 and 1/160 without any other lights. I pefer the B800s myself but as it turns out I would have no issues using only B400s in a true studio only environment.

I still have headroom left as I can always goto 1/80 and I can always goto ISO 200 or even 400 and still was only sitting at half power. Softbox was about 6' away from subjects.

My room is about the same size as this guys. I just know that with the B800 in my 30x60 I'm usually around 1/8-1/4 on power shooting at F5.6. I forget the exact settigns but a B800 as the only light at full power with the softbox some 7' away I was ISO 50, 1/160 and F11 for a good exposure. MORE power then needed.

Unless you had to shoot at F16 for groups or something which not something I'd do either.