"Do it right the first time" apply to beginning OCF setup?

I always hear the advice "Do it right the first time," when talking about buying your first tripod. I think it makes sense because being cheap on your first tripod can be devastating.

I'm going to start OCF soon and am looking at an inexpensive 1 flash/umbrella setup. There's a complete beginner set made by Westcott, but with some research, I've also pieced together my own using a lot of the popular products recommended on this forum.

The question is, is there that much of a difference between a beginner "cheap" umbrella set (Westcott 43" Umbrella kit) versus piecing your own using quality products? Can anyone who have used either the Westcott kit or any of the pieces chime in on whether or not I should be fine with the Westcott kit, or spend more money and piece together my own setup?

Westcott 43" Umbrella Flash Kit: $70
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …sible_Umbrella_​Flash.html

Or piece together my own:
Manfrotto Swivel Umbrella Bracket: $30
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …vel_Umbrella_Ad​apter.html

Shoe Mount Bracket for Manfrotto Swivel: $9
http://www.adorama.com​/SB300SHO.html

Manfrotto 9' Air Cushion Light Stand: $97
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …BAC_Alu_Ranker_​Light.html

Adorama 40" Umbrella: $17
http://www.adorama.com​/LTU40BC.html

Here's what I tell everyone to get when embarking into OCF

1) Flash: YongNuo 460 Mark II ($50)

2) photographerswarehouse​.com for cheap stands (here's an 8' for $12: http://www.photographe​rswarehouse.com/detail​.aspx?ID=2867)

3) If the above stand is out of stock, find something cheaper. Air cushion is a bit over-rated in my opinion. Only needed if you're using bigger heads or monoblocks. I'd rather get a 13' Heavy Duty stand with no air cushion than a 9' stand with air cushion for the same price.

4) Flash Mount/Bracket: http://flashzebra.com/​products/0200/index.sh​tml ($20)

5) YongNuo RF602 Triggers/Receivers ($50/set and up depending on how many triggers and receivers you get)

6) Forget regular umbrellas. Go with the 46" or 60" Photek Softlighter. It's a shoot through, reflective, and umbrella box in one. Produces beautiful light and you wont get bored with it. Just ask Annie Liebovitz, she uses them in pretty much all her shoots.

Dont get stuck on name brands. Just coz something is cheaper and less known doesn't mean it's not a good product.

Thanks a lot Geek Chick Photography. That's the advice I was searching for.

I wasn't sure whether "air-cushioned" were necessary, but I assumed since it was more expensive that it should be a sturdier stand. I'll look into the items you listed.

Air cushion just slows down the speed that the stand breaks down. So if you plan to put up heavy monoblocks with huge modifiers on it, it may be worth it. Otherwise, just control everything with your hands. It doesn't really have much to do with sturdiness. If you want sturdy, look into C-Stands or stands with pipes that have a 1" diameter.

Lighting is an area where making a solid investment can pay off in the long run.

Having the right gear makes your life so much easier than having to work around limitations and cobble togethter bits and bobs to try and make something work.

Don't go nuts and buy an entire suite of Profoto or Hensel stuff, but don't "cheap out" for even the mundane things like stands and umbrella mounts. You'll be glad you did...

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10947479
Don't go nuts and buy an entire suite of Profoto or Hensel stuff, but don't "cheap out" for even the mundane things like stands and umbrella mounts. You'll be glad you did...

I "cheaped out" on a stand, umbrella, and flash. I'm glad I did.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10947479
Lighting is an area where making a solid investment can pay off in the long run.

Having the right gear makes your life so much easier than having to work around limitations and cobble togethter bits and bobs to try and make something work.

Don't go nuts and buy an entire suite of Profoto or Hensel stuff, but don't "cheap out" for even the mundane things like stands and umbrella mounts. You'll be glad you did...

Yea, I don't want to buy a "cheap" component and only have it fail and have it replaced later. Its probably not as devastating as a cheap tripod falling over and breaking your body+lens.

I'm sure that even the "cheaper" OCF components POTN users recommend here are great for a beginner setup?

A coworker was in the same situation yesterday and this is what I sent him:

Yea they’re really cheap but work in certain situations. They’re portable but you need a wireless trigger and receiver. I used the RF602’s that are also on they’re site. They work ok and are definitely for the budget minded photog. I think my overall lighting was around $300-$400. The packaging is great but the quality is subpar. Sometimes I’ll turn the flash on and I hear it working but the back doesn’t light up. They also eat up AA’s quickly. For the occasional user I’d suggest them but they’re pretty much useless during mid day shoots outside and doesn’t have enough power to counteract the sun. They also have really slow refresh rates. At full power I can burst maybe 3 pics and it’ll take awhile for them to charge up again which is really annoying when you’re trying to keep the shoot moving.

It basically says that if you're just planning to dabble in it and slowly learn the basics then there's nothing wrong with the YN's and RF602's. They work but don't expect it to work in all situations. I've recently gotten comfortable enough with that setup that I'm moving on to a full AB setup. I also have 2 43" Westcott white satin shoot through umbrella's and they worked great. The only complaint I've heard from them is that the screw on the impact stands to keep them in place collapse the tube of the umbrella but that's been fixed with the new version of the umbrellas with a solid bar.

I also told him that it's not the equipment, it's the person behind it. Just like every other gear. I'm sure pham could out light me with one YN light and a cheap umbrella against me with a full ranger studio setup. It's how you use it and what you know.

watt100 wrote in post #10947951
I "cheaped out" on a stand, umbrella, and flash. I'm glad I did.

Are you gonna show us a photo of those planes again?

Get the Cheetah umbrella holder ($24.95 USD). It's metal with interlocking teeth, so it will hold your modifier securely.