First lighting setup, need advice on what to buy

Ok so I own a 430ex and two older Vivitar 285's, for triggering I've decided to go with Elinchrom Skyports. To connect my flashes I know that I'll need two Vivitar to minphone MV1 cables and a female hot shoe to miniphone adapter for the 430ex. What I'm having trouble with is what stands, umbrella swivels, and umbrellas.. The best deal seems to be the Impact kit http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Flash_Umbrella_​Mount.html two 8ft air-cushioned stands, two umbrella swivels, and two 32" umbrellas. From reading reviews it seems people have issues with all aspects of this setup so I'm debating whether I should just buy these things piece by piece instead of in a kit. The issues I've read about are:

1. The cold shoes are too tight and many have replaced them with strobofoam cold shoes ($13.95 each). At that price I could skip the kit and just buy a whole other umbrella swivel in the first place, anyone have issues with these? http://www.flashzebra.​com/umbrella_adapter.s​html and http://www.mpex.com/br​owse.cfm/4,4721.htm

2. The air cushioned stands cannot be collapsed quickly/easily. Is this a genuine issue? Is air cushioned generally preferred over non air cushioned? Are the 8' Impact stands pretty decent? If I went piece by piece these would still be the best value bought individually.

3. That 32" umbrellas are too small. Am I better off with one 45" umbrella than two 32"? How often do you guys use two umbrellas? If I was to skip the kit and buy things piece by piece, with my flashes, would I be better of with a 45" umbrella or a 60"?

4. Not related to the kit but would this bag http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …36_INT436_All_i​n_One.html be large enough to hold three stands, one umbrella, my flashes, skyports, and my Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPRO tripod legs?


Thanks!

nothing?

Read this link....

i did, it does not answer my questions. no one can tell me whether air cushioned is ideal or not, or whether i'm better off with one 45" umbrella vs two 32" umbrellas..?

you'll find all you need on strobist.com including the setups that those dudes have distilled it all down to (well, at least the popular setups). there is a good review of the lumpro vs. bogen compact stands. they seem to recommend a 43" compact umbrella from westcott.

i just put a setup together and went with good names on the swivel (photoflex heavy duty for $22 at BH photo).

email flashzebra (Lon). he'll give you al the data you need on cords and cables.. cheers

by the way, while building my kit the other day, i had a realization that the # umbrellas, strobes, their size and all that other gear related stuff has virtually zero impact on the quality of your images. yeah, gear selection can make setup easier, but creating is a function of your brain, not your gear.
a guy like zack arias and others make stupidly beautiful images with near-zero credit attibutable to their gear. the gear is all just a paintbrush. you can create absolutely nothing with the best gear, or everything with almost no gear..... hand me Dali's brush and paints, and i'm still me, not Dali.
check this out for some cool insight on mindset.. www.onelightworkshop.c​om

matthew blake wrote in post #4899859
i did, it does not answer my questions. no one can tell me whether air cushioned is ideal or not, or whether i'm better off with one 45" umbrella vs two 32" umbrellas..?

Did you not read the link thoroughly???

Air cushioned stands is a benefit as opposed to non air cushioned. As I have stated before, they provide a way to lower the stand without it slamming down hard if it slips out of your hand. Instead it slowly bounces down due to the air cushion. So ask yourself, do you want this feature or not? Ask yourself is this ideal for you?

Once again in that link I posted, there is a discussion between the benefits and pro's and con's between the two sizes. Based on that discussion, you need to ask yourself the question, do you want 32 or 45 based on your equipment or what you are trying to achieve or whether the larger size is within your budget or not..etc.??

What exactly don't you understand??? Did you even read the topic?

If you don't want to read it, then here watch this video!

I can't hold your hand enough from here.

Matthew,

I just purchased the Impact kit last week so I read the same things you did and here is my initial impression. The kit seems great overall for the price. The air cushioned stands need to be manually collapsed(they don't just fall when released) but it's just a matter of getting used to it. I have Sunpak 383 flashes and they seem to fit just fine on the stands without feeling tight. I did spend the extra money and bought a Westcott 45" umbrella so I would have the option. Overall it seems like a great value for a starter kit.

fastdiablo: Great site, thanks for the link

thanks