Buying Softboxes

DropDead

DropDead

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Jake Lewis
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Hey,

I've got a question which probably has a very simple answer BUT i'll ask it anyway.

I want to buy some new softboxes BUT I don't want to spend a hell of allot of money on them.. So my question to you guys is, is it worth buying my softboxes off of ebay as they are cheap or should I shell out for a decent set?

Is there a difference in the quality? Why is there such a price difference?!

Cheers,
 
Like most things, you get what you pay for, although some of the expensive brands do seem to charge over the odds for the ink in their name:)

The cheap ones tend to be cheap for a reason, they are often copies of copies of copies, and whoever made them probably has no idea of what a softbox is or needs to do, so they cut corners when they copy in terms of design, build quality and materials.

With poor design, light may leak out of the back and the light inside may not be distributed properly. The diffuser may be right at the front, where it will cause flare and can't be feathered, instead of being set back. The inner diffuser may be too close to the outer one and both diffusers may be too thin.
 
I bought a cheap ebay job. The light is not as soft as I had hoped.

Lesson learned.
 
Ah man, I really want to buy my flash gear but it's so expensive! Just for a 'small tent' with a diffuser on the front.. Anyone know any cheap alternatives?
 
DropDead said:
I like those prices on that site!
Click to expand...

Yeah, they're well regarded too - takes about 2 weeks for it to turn up.

It doesn't have as big of a lip as the Westcott (although it does have *some* lip), but it comes with a grid so its quite easy to control:

WP_000107.jpg
 
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