Help me with my strobist kit

I'm finally going to be putting together a basic lighting setup. I got the opportunity to play around with my buddy's light stand and pocket wizards along with my 220ex a few weeks ago and I'm addicted. Unfortunately I don't have nearly enough money in my budget for pocket wizards and the like. What I'd like to do is set up a nice portable strobist style two light kit that i can use my 220ex with so I don't have to buy another light.

As a basis for my setup I've been looking at the Strobist Kits at MPEX. Which can be found here. Since I'm using a rebel I obviously don't have the luxury of a pc port, so the Starving Student No PC Kit is what I've been looking at. However, since the 220 ex doesn't work with optical slaves, how do i configure a setup that I can use the 285hv and my 220ex with for a two light set up? Should I even use the MPEX kits at all? Is there another flash i should be considering like a sunpak 383? (sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I pick the right set up before i order it)

edit: I'll be using the lights for portraits, automotive photography, and G&N style shoots.

As for sync, you may consider el-cheapo e-bay, Gi triggers, I kmow I love mine!

How about the MPEX starving student wireless kit with the 285hv, and then another without the light or the transmitter to use with the 220ex. I cant see any reason why it wouldn't work, but would there be a better option?

Yeah, that's the thing, these cheap triggers are included there.I think that kit would be a great deal for start, I know for sure, that you'll save yourself lot's of time, because for exemple I had to buy all these things seperately)

Thanks for the quick responses! Does anyone else have other options i should consider? I think I might prefer a wired setup for the sake of reliability.

Connor P Price wrote in post #4806039
Thanks for the quick responses! Does anyone else have other options i should consider? I think I might prefer a wired setup for the sake of reliability.

Does the 220EX have a manual mode?

Does the rebel not have a PC port at all?

you're going to have to go wireless for at least one of the flashes. If you don't intend to do outside work, you can get an optical trigger for fairly cheap. They're just not the greatest for reliability outdoors.

The GI remotes can be modded to help with reliability but the cheapest way to go reliable wireless right now is the Elinchrom Skyports. $186 a set. A lot more than the el'cheapo e-bay triggers, half the price of the PW's, and a very reliable trigger according to everyone I've ever seen/heard of using them.

No, the 220ex has no manual mode whatsoever, and the rebels dont have pc ports at all. I hadn't even thought of the Elinchrom Skyports. They may be a bit more expensive than i was thinking, but probably well worth it. So, let me know what you all think of this set up.

2 lumopro lp604 5 section stands
2 lumopro lp632 umbrella swivels
2 westcott umbrellas
2 vivitar 285hv flashes
Elinchrom Skyport 2 receiver kit
2 rapid battery chargers
2 diy grid barndoor and snoot kit
Total cost: about 660

For strobes I've had nothing but reliable service from

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk …ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcm​dZViewItem

extra receiver

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk ….m118.l1247QQcm​dZViewItem

a total of about $40 for three lights

These things work, I've got other things to spend the money on that I've saved

guess if I did a lot more strobe work I'd look at PW's or something.

Connor P Price wrote in post #4807855
No, the 220ex has no manual mode whatsoever, and the rebels dont have pc ports at all. I hadn't even thought of the Elinchrom Skyports. They may be a bit more expensive than i was thinking, but probably well worth it. So, let me know what you all think of this set up.

2 lumopro lp604 5 section stands
2 lumopro lp632 umbrella swivels
2 westcott umbrellas
2 vivitar 285hv flashes
Elinchrom Skyport 2 receiver kit
2 rapid battery chargers
2 diy grid barndoor and snoot kit
Total cost: about 660

No.

I believe that currently the skyports still do not work with the 285HV. They're supposed to come out with a set that's compatible. If you're ordering from www.mpex.com , it's best to call them and ask. Ask to talk to Moishe. He's the guy to talk to about the Strobist kit and he'll help you out. That's actually the reason I went with Pocket Wizards, because the skyports didn't work with my vivitars. You can always switch up to the Sunpak 383's. I believe they work with the skyports and they're $10 cheaper than the 285HV's iirc.

Oh wow, good to know, it would have been quite a dissapointment to have everything show up and then not to be compatible.

When you are looking at buying everything from scratch, you could just pick up some AB800's for about $200 more...

bigjon0107 wrote in post #4810481
When you are looking at buying everything from scratch, you could just pick up some AB800's for about $200 more...

Than the $660? Does that include stands, wireless radio triggers, umbrellas, etc?

Village_Idiot wrote in post #4810494
Than the $660? Does that include stands, wireless radio triggers, umbrellas, etc?

2x AB800's - $560
Skyports - $185
2x 6' Stands (similar to what he mentioned) - $40
2x Umbrellas - $40

Total: $825 (only $165 more)

Unfortunately the 660 was already pushing the limits of my budget, so i think what i'll end up doing is getting the ABR800 that I've wanted so badly with a stand, moon unit, and 15 foot sync cord so i can play with it off camera for a while. And add on a light to that and skyports once i have some more cash.

edit: For the additional light, I'll stick with the same sunpak strobe and everything mentioned before so that I still maintain the portability with that one light if needed. It'll cost me more in the long run since im going with the ABR800, but i think it will be more versatile, and worth every penny.

bigjon0107 wrote in post #4810535
2x AB800's - $560
Skyports - $185
2x 6' Stands (similar to what he mentioned) - $40
2x Umbrellas - $40

Total: $825 (only $165 more)

And you can dump the Skyports and get (admittedly not as good) AB RFT1s for $120. But since the ABs also have optical triggers you can dump another $40 off the price by just getting one and letting the one light trigger the other. Or you could skip the wireless completely - they come with PC cords.