Photography News 15

Flash guide

27

Interfit EX400 Ti 2-Light SoftboxKit £449

Elemental Trinity NanoTriple kit £499.99

Light & versatile flash

Cheap &cheerful clubkit

to 12m away and the lights can also be fired via the built-in IR trigger, optical slave or with a sync cable if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic for the good old days when you could easily break your neck tripping over wires. Recycle speeds are a brisk 2secs at the full 400Ws power setting, and the heads are fan cooled to prevent overheating, weighing in at a fairly modest 2.2kg and benefitting from moulded carry handles. Adding another EX400 Ti head will set you back around £290 and for additional modifiers the system uses Interfit’s own EX bayonet fitting which offers a wide range of light shapers and other accessories.

There’s also an 80cm 5-in-1 reflector, three lighting stands, three sync cables (should you still use them) and a transmitter/receiver kit, all of which packs into the included padded case. Output, covering six stops, can be precisely controlled in 0.1EV increments via the display, and recycle times are as a little as 0.2sec (rising to 1sec at full power), while each light features a sensor, so they can slave off other flashes up to 10m away. Coming in at only half the £1000 budget, you’ll have plenty of spare cash to split between further light shapers, model hire – or even extra Nano heads at £125 apiece.

This great starter kit includes two EX400 Ti heads, each boasting a power output of 400Ws – plenty for most situations, and adjustable through six stops using 0.1EV increments. The kit also features two 20cm spill-kill reflectors, two 100cm softboxes, two 2.6m air-cushioned stands, a Dynamic Ti wireless trigger and carry case. The trigger, which operates across seven channels, syncs with the EX400 Ti heads’ built-in Ti Radio Receivers, meaning that you can set the power of each flash as well as the strength of its modelling lamp, from your shooting position. Triggering is possible up

This affordable, lightweight kit is a top choice, coming with three Elemental Nano 300Ws heads as standard, meaning you can quickly get to grips with most styles. Amazingly, the compact heads weigh in at less than 1kg apiece, and are constructed from durable rubberised ABS plastic shell. Control is via a smart digital panel, and the Nano uses S-fit modifiers, making it compatible with a huge range of accessories. That said, you get plenty to start off with in the set: two spill-kill reflectors, one 40in black and silver reflective umbrella, one 40in black and gold reflective umbrella and a 50x70cm softbox.

π To find out more, go to www.interfitphotographic.com.

π To find out more, go to www.studio-flash.com.

iLuxDelta Pro 300GTi TwinHead SoftboxKit £528

Lastolite Lumen8 Kit F400 £595.95

Super speed& value

Agreat all-in-one choice

Thanks to its short recycle times (from 0.05sec to 0.8sec), the 300GTi head is able to fire at up to 10fps and flash duration is as fast as 1/5000sec (1/1000sec at full power); a very creditable specification. Power covers six stops and the heads are compact and fairly light in weight at around 1.9kg. There’s also a neat function for the forgetful – or those in a rush – which remembers your last-used settings when the flash is turned off and on, rather than resetting. Additional heads cost £209 and the 300GTi uses modifiers with an S-type fitting, allowing a wide range of styles to be employed.

Radio Trigger (£51.95) which, being mains powered, doesn’t require batteries, sitting in line with the head’s power cable and working up to distances of 15m – which is bigger than most studios. With built-in IR sensors, the heads can also be fired by slaving them off other flashes and cost £209 when bought individually. The rest of the change from your initial £1000 you can use to stock up on Lastolite modifiers like a couple of 78cm PVC white bounce umbrellas (£23.95 each), a snoot (£81.95) and a barn door and gel set (£102.95) or honeycomb grid (£35.95) for the 18.5cm reflectors.

Aimed at serious enthusiasts and working pros, the iLux Delta Pro 300GTi Twin Head Softbox kit offers some very attractive features at a pleasingly affordable price, including very speedy flash duration and recycle times, making the kit perfect for high-speed shots and other creative effects. The kit comprises two Delta Pro 300GTi heads, each with a 300Ws output, along with twin ILS 280 (2.8m high) stands, two 60cm softboxes, a bag to fit the two heads and an iPort Sky Ranger trigger set. The kit is also available with twin 100cm umbrellas for around £100 less.

This kit is designed for photographers who need to be mobile, which is a great start if it’s being used by multiple club members. Made up of two Lastolite Lumen8 F400 heads (400Ws), you also get two 18.5cm spill-kill reflectors, two softboxes, two stands, two sync cables and two cases to pack it in. F400 flash heads use S-type bayonet fittings, so they’re compatible with a huge range of light shapers, including Lastolite’s own and with a reassuringly chunky construction, each weighs in at 3.3kg. There’s no wireless triggering built in, but with the kit costing under £600, you can easily add a Lumen8

π To find out more, go to www.photomart.co.uk.

π To find out more, go to www.lastolite.com.

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Issue 15 | Photography News

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