hi guys,

im wanting to buy some not very expensive portable studio lighting. i honestly dont have a clue except what things i need but models etc i dont know! can any of you guys help me out?

thanks

I've used Alien Bees stuff for a few years and they've been great. Most monolights are portable, but I don't know if you meant portable or battery-powered. There is the Vagabond battery pack that you can plug the Alien Bees lights into that works really well.

portable as in home studio! with an ac power adapter!

Alien Bees are AC lights.

Alien Bees Website

Here are the alien bees:
http://www.alienbees.com/b800.html
they are only $279 each. They are about the cheepest light that is decent on the market from what I have heard. But, if you are willing to spend $50 more, you can get White lightning UZ 800's. They are being discontinued right now, but as long as they still have the parts to make them, they will:
http://www.white-lightning.com/uz800.html
I have 5 of these, and they work great. They are heavier duty than the alein bees. The casing is sturdier. I have two friends who have the bees, so I have seen them. They work nice, but the casing is plastic, and not as sturdy. They are made by the same company. I think both have a 5 year warenty on them. I had a problem with one of mine last month for the first time in the 3 years that I have owned them. I sent it to the company, and I had it back in a week and a half, no cost. They also have great customer service. I have called a couple times with questions, and they have always helped me.

If you go with the Bees or the White Lightnings, I think the 800 watt would be good. You shouldn't need more than that for an indoor studio at home. The 400's might not give you enought power for something you want to do.

I started with 2 800's, then one more, then 2 more. I also bring a set of them for formals at weddings.

The sunpak 120j is a great cost saving alternative. Zack recommends these. They run about 250 and you can purchase an AC plug for another 30 or 40 bucks.

IMO, you probably need less power from your lights than you think - I'm frequently turning the power on my DynaLites all the way down and have to use a 8xND filter on some occasions (when I want to shoot wide-open). Also be sure to include light modifiers (umbrella/softbox) in your purchase plan. Hope that helps a little.

thanks guys for the input,

i have a few hundred dollars to buy some things, well they will be wedding gifts so im thinking of gifts thta i need on that behalf as i think theyd be better presents rather than an expensive blender or something like this. although i think they kight be too expensive for most folks.

can you explain the sunpaks, ive heard alot about them but im not quite sure what exactly they do and how they r better.

Click here to see thread that Zack the One light wizard posted.

thanks aaron

If you are wanting these for studio use I would use the Bees over the 120J. The tilt/swivel head is somewhat fragile. It is also a lot easier to add modifiers like softboxes or umbrellas.

I have always used Novatron. I bought a B800 to see how I liked it. I really like that light. Great bang for the buck.