a900 and Elemental studio flash

[malcy]

Hello all, I have over the last few months been looking at Elemental studio flash kits. They seem to have had good reviews from various web sites and photo mags. The question I have is what extras will I need to connect my a900 wirelessly to fire the flash, is it as simple as a hotshoe adapter. Actually I did a course on studio flash but can't remember the set up. Oh, and if any of you have used this system I would be grateful if you would give me your opinion. My budget will be about £400-£650. I currently have been using the HVL58 as controller and the HVL42 with very good results. Thankyou in anticipation.

[David Kilpatrick]

I wouldn't waste money on Elemental. For your budget you can buy the same kit I use - Elinchrom - but in a better form for digital. I use the BR Xi 500 kit and it is too powerful, you are forced to stop down to f/16 with ISO 200 for any table top subject even with both heads at minimum power. I know the A900 has a 100 setting which helps but even then, it can be hard to get a portrait to f/5.6 or f/8 and keep the heads close for nice wrap-round lighting. If you are forced to move softboxes or brollies further away to cut down light, you lose all the benefit of their surface area and soft light effect. Ideally a 60cm softbox should be used only 60cm from the subject (etc) - moving it back, and increasing flash power, makes the light harder and shadows more defined. I sometimes use mine almost like a light tent over subjects.

Elinchrom make a D-Lite IT 2 kit (not the D-Lite IT 4, again the issue is it is much too powerful for today's optimum apertures with digital SLRs). You can get it with excellent bags, stands, two 60cm Portalite softboxes and a complete wireless remote control which allows you to change the flash power from your camera position - the heads have built-in receivers. Cost - £465 from the Flash Centre or dealers.

It comes with a cable as well, and you can just plug this in to the A900 flash coax. You need a small Chinese hot shoe adaptor (£10) to use the Skyport wireless trigger on the A900, that's what I use. Do not buy the Sony accessory it's a rip-off and entirely not needed.

The D-Lite 2 IT heads have another bonus, they can be set to 'learn' your on-camera flash preflash sequence, and then they will sync with any digital camera's built-in flash - or sync with your wireless remote Sony guns, and fire at the correct time instead of firing before the exposure. They need to be put through the learning process for on-camera pop up, HVL-F58AM, or wireless Sony protocol before changing to each method of flash control.

But they can be integrated completely with your existing kit (no auto exposure of course, just manual adjustment in very fine steps) and they are in a different class to Elemental or any of the other stuff despite being Elinca's very much entry level plastic body option.

David

[malcy]

Thank you David, Elinchrom was next on my list and I had also had a look at Bowens, both of which would seem to be of a very high standard. I think someone on the forum had already mentioned staying away from cheaper options as ''you get what you pay for''. For this reason I would always check 'photoclubalpha' as the information given is second to non. I will make a trip to London soon to have a look at the Elinchrom system you mentioned. Thank you once again