Help a newbie

I'm looking at picking up either a shoot through umbrella, or a softbox. I'm very new to ocf, and righ now I have a 580ex II I will be using, and I just got a 16ft ettl cord from flash zebra. I know this is a pretty general question, but I would appreciate any suggestions on brands, or kit's that include 1 umbrella or softbox with a light stand and everything I need to mount my 580. Also, what do you prefer, umbrellas, or softboxes? Any other suggestions would also be appreciated

Thanks,
-Sean

I actually made my own light stands out of regular tripods!
It all depends on what you plan to use them for. I have two 33" Shoot through umbrellas, with two Vivitar 285HV's and I love them. Im also new to OCF, just got my gear in the last week and a half!

If your interested to see my home made light stands let me know!

For a single flash off camera, you're going to get broader coverage with an umbrella. They're also less expensive to start with. Wescott makes some that are a good value...and some you can use as reflective or shoot-thru (removable back). With a lightstand (Impact makes good quality, inexpensive ones) and a hotshoe adapter with an umbrella slot, and you're good to go. Mount the adapter on the lightstand, your flash on the shoe mount, umbrella through the slot, and connect your cable.

I should have looked at the cable BEFORE posting my last reply. The cable has the hotshoe mount for your flash. So you don't need a hotshoe adapter like I was thinking. It has a mounting hole on the other side for attaching it to a bracket of some sort. So that's the missing piece. You need an umbrella adapter bracket that attaches to a lightstand where you can mount the hotshoe at the end of your cable. Something like this:

http://www.flashzebra.​com/brackets/0041.shtm​l

03civicsi wrote in post #9620873
I actually made my own light stands out of regular tripods!
....

If your interested to see my home made light stands let me know!

I would love to see your home made light stands. I'm a newbe too and in the same situation as icebat. I've got a couple of tripods that I already had - if I can do some DIY for light stands, I can get more modifiers and lights!

Thanks!

Kevin

03civicsi wrote in post #9620873
I actually made my own light stands out of regular tripods!
It all depends on what you plan to use them for. I have two 33" Shoot through umbrellas, with two Vivitar 285HV's and I love them. Im also new to OCF, just got my gear in the last week and a half!

If your interested to see my home made light stands let me know!

I would definitely like to see those. I do have a extra tripod I could use.

sdipirro wrote in post #9621123
For a single flash off camera, you're going to get broader coverage with an umbrella. They're also less expensive to start with. Wescott makes some that are a good value...and some you can use as reflective or shoot-thru (removable back). With a lightstand (Impact makes good quality, inexpensive ones) and a hotshoe adapter with an umbrella slot, and you're good to go. Mount the adapter on the lightstand, your flash on the shoe mount, umbrella through the slot, and connect your cable.

Thanks for the advice, if I go the umbrella route, I'll definitely go for the reflective/shoot through.

sdipirro wrote in post #9621206
I should have looked at the cable BEFORE posting my last reply. The cable has the hotshoe mount for your flash. So you don't need a hotshoe adapter like I was thinking. It has a mounting hole on the other side for attaching it to a bracket of some sort. So that's the missing piece. You need an umbrella adapter bracket that attaches to a lightstand where you can mount the hotshoe at the end of your cable. Something like this:

http://www.flashzebra.​com/brackets/0041.shtm​l

Thanks for that information, you've been very helpful.

Anyone else with any suggestions, as far a umbrellas or soft boxes and which they prefer for a one light setup, please feel free to chime in

Thanks,
-Sean

Here is my home made stand

03civicsi wrote in post #9622706
Here is my home made stand

How is the umbrella being held up?

With the hotshoe adapter you can get on eBay. It has the hotshoe mount for your flash and also a clamp to mount your umbrella!

One of these....

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http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Flash_Umbrella_​Mount.html

You can also look at this umbrella lighting kit. It's pretty lightweight, its air cushioned, and they're pretty cheap. Plus it comes with 2, so if you decided to buy another flash, you'll have another setup. It's the setup I plan on buying once I get the money. My cousin and friend use it right now, and they like it. It gets the job done basically.

Island_Chelu wrote in post #9625444
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Flash_Umbrella_​Mount.html

You can also look at this umbrella lighting kit. It's pretty lightweight, its air cushioned, and they're pretty cheap. Plus it comes with 2, so if you decided to buy another flash, you'll have another setup. It's the setup I plan on buying once I get the money. My cousin and friend use it right now, and they like it. It gets the job done basically.

Thanks for the link, I may actually go for that kit. Wish it had a little bit bigger umbrellas.