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holty

holty

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soft box's or umbrellas ??
whats the fist choice for a small room portraits ??
 
Brollies are easy to use, but lack control. softboxes offer more control (if you can put them up ... ).
 
holty said:
soft box's or umbrellas ??
whats the fist choice for a small room portraits ??
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A white umbrella will give very similar light to a softbox of the same size, they're cheap, easy to put up/down and make better use of a small floor area because you can push them right up against walls/ceiling - you might gain a couple of feet that way.

Softboxes are more controllable with much less spilled light that bounces around a small room to lighten and soften shadows. This can be an advantage if that's the effect you're after and it works well for a lot of portraiture. Some basic softboxes can be frustrating to put up/down.
 
PaulButler said:
Have you used this at all?
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No.
I just unwrapped one.

I got it for its portability and ease of use.
I can see its advantages and disadvantages, it's cheap light, will work with any flash, and as @HoppyUK says can be pushed right up against a wall or ceiling (so great for a small space).

The downside being there's no lip, so no use for grids and less good for feathering than a more expensive Octa.
 
PaulButler said:
Have you used this at all?
Click to expand...

I've got one, and yes, they're good. They cut out any spill that goes behind an umbrella (hard to avoid if you want to fill the whole surface) and the diffuser front ensures all the light is captured to maximise brightness and that the whole inside is more evenly filled. The light spreads over a wide area, increasing spillage but also covering a wider area for groups maybe. Shallower softboxes are quite similar in that respect.

There's a lot of variety though, with both different types and sizes of umbrellas and softboxes. Depends on the kind of flash too, ie studio heads or speedlights.
 
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can you use speed lights in them or just studio lights ?
 
Phil V said:
No.
I just unwrapped one.

I got it for its portability and ease of use.
I can see its advantages and disadvantages, it's cheap light, will work with any flash, and as @HoppyUK says can be pushed right up against a wall or ceiling (so great for a small space).

The downside being there's no lip, so no use for grids and less good for feathering than a more expensive Octa.
Click to expand...

Phil
Please let me know how you rate these as i might buy one myself
thanks Grahame
 
Jeez not sure why I did it but I just ordered one of these after reeding this ! I suppose thats boredom and Christmas :-)

Gaz
 
HoppyUK said:
I've got one, and yes, they're good. They cut out any spill that goes behind an umbrella (hard to avoid if you want to fill the whole surface) and the diffuser front ensures all the light is captured to maximise brightness and that the whole inside is more evenly filled. The light spreads over a wide area, increasing spillage but also covering a wider area for groups maybe. Shallower softboxes are quite similar in that respect.

There's a lot of variety though, with both different types and sizes of umbrellas and softboxes. Depends on the kind of flash too, ie studio heads or speedlights.
Click to expand...
Hoppy, I don't suppose that you've used a photek softlighter? I have a photek and love it, but getting hold of them can be a challenge, wondering how this compared in your eyes?
 
itsdavedotnet said:
Hoppy, I don't suppose that you've used a photek softlighter? I have a photek and love it, but getting hold of them can be a challenge, wondering how this compared in your eyes?
Click to expand...

No, sorry.
 
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