Need Advice on Portrait and Tabletop Photography Setup

Hello All,

Want to start off with Fashion and Tabletop Photography. Recently attended a Workshop and I want to try various other things that was tried in the Workshop.

I would like to get some suugestions on start off in this Area of Photography.
I use a XTI with 18-55IS lens.

Will be buying a 85 f1.8 Lens to startoff with Product and Portrait Photography. Apart from that would like to know what are things that I need to purchase like Umbrellas -Softboxes Brolly boxes Reflectors Scrims - Connecting modifiers to your flash.

I'm considering the Canon 580EX Flash but if there is any alternative that I can use. I would like to have 1 of the Canon 580EX Flash.

Product and portrait photography are both conducted in controlled environments. You probably wouldn't need ETTL features. If you don't mind setting everything manually and saving a ton of cash, go for manual flashes and ebay triggers. Sunpak 383 and Vivitar 285 HV flashes are most often recommended. Triggers from Gadget Infinity are reputed to be fairly reliable. Umbrellas are cheap modifiers that work quite well.

You can get a studio flash set from Ebay with umbrellas, stands, strobes for the money a 580 cost. That can be an alternative if you dont plan to use Flash outdoors.

Ive been using my cheap china strobes in my home studio for 2 years now.

If you want to be able to shoot bothe i"studio" and on location "shutterfiend" suggestion is good. I use Vivitars and Cactus triggers myself for location shoots.

shutterfiend wrote in post #5955809
Product and portrait photography are both conducted in controlled environments. You probably wouldn't need ETTL features. If you don't mind setting everything manually and saving a ton of cash, go for manual flashes and ebay triggers. Sunpak 383 and Vivitar 285 HV flashes are most often recommended. Triggers from Gadget Infinity are reputed to be fairly reliable. Umbrellas are cheap modifiers that work quite well.

Thank you for the suggestion Shutterfiend. I will research on that and make my purchase. I would love to set everything manually rather.. probably if I need ETTL I can wait for some more time.

pellepiano wrote in post #5955922
You can get a studio flash set from Ebay with umbrellas, stands, strobes for the money a 580 cost. That can be an alternative if you dont plan to use Flash outdoors.
Ive been using my cheap china strobes in my home studio for 2 years now.
If you want to be able to shoot bothe i"studio" and on location "shutterfiend" suggestion is good. I use Vivitars and Cactus triggers myself for location shoots.

Thanks Pellepiano. Could you please post some pictures of the studio equipments that you have.