Few tech lighting questions

1) How do you mount a flash on a tripod?
2) I need to get a three-prong splitter for PC cable. Any cheap ones?
3) Where to get cheap PC to flash plate cables?
4) Where to get cheap flash stands?
5) Are there any powerful fully manual flashes which are cheap because of an old technology?

I need to put together a small fully manual studio on a budget. I know it's been discussed a zillion times... but pleeeeease?

6) Would it work if...

I get 3 vivitars, hook them up with a PC cord and get some reflectors in? Would flashes rated 40 meters be ok for studio stuff?

What is the guide number?

---Bob Gross---

Guide number 42

Guide number 42. I assume that is meters at ISO 100.

Then divide that by the widest f-stop of your best lens, and that will tell you the maximum range that you can shoot at ISO 100. That ought to be plenty, if it is a small studio. For each ISO stop you increase, multiply the range by 1.4.

However, of course, you may need to stop the aperture down to get your necessary effect. Do the math again and again, and you will see what works.

---Bob Gross---

Careful on being cheap it can cost you more in the long run. Cheap cables & lightsticks can do some major damage to good equipment or fail when you need it the most.

what's your max out of pocket?

That's why Canon promotes its wireless flash photography.

---Bob Gross---

http://www.vivitar.com …/Flashes/flash.​html#285HV

AFAIK this is 120 feet flash at ISO 100.

And I guess I'd want an option to shoot at F/8 or maybe F/11.

What should I do?

120 divided by F/11 is about 11 feet, for ISO 100, or about 22 feet for ISO 400. Is your camera to subject distance any greater than that in a studio?

---Bob Gross---

No more than 11 feet... that may be too much actually

MAYBE it's gonna be 15 feet... VERY VERY big maybe...

But then I won't be using the flash directly. I would be bounching it off umbrellas... or cardboard or something...