Outdoor portrait session at dusk, just ordered this, is it okay?

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

I am Groot
Suspended / Banned
Messages
10,503
Name
Raymond
Edit My Images
No
I have 4 speedlites so might as well use it, can put 2 in 1 octobox with this. Has anyone tried this combo and how well does it work?

Thanks

EIPIJAR.jpg


(There is still a 14 day no quibble return policy if i need it)
 
Last edited:
I can't help but think that, whilst it's quality kit you've plumbed for, it's an expensive way of doing it. You could've had a Godox battery pack for that, but that softbox will stand up to the rigours of professional use. A 90cm box will house two speedlights inside, been messing with 2 in a 60 over the weekend so you should have plenty of room.
 
Im with Kris, the Profoto gear is nice but expensive.

What flashes and triggers are you using?

BTW 1 speedlight is usually enough at dusk even in a softbox. As that's when I shoot mostly I struggle to find the time where I'd need my more powerful kit :(
 
I prefer to pay a little more for quality that lasts, especially for work.

I am using the Canon 600EX-RT, I have 4 of them so that's should be plenty, normally use one as a trigger.
 
Raymond Lin said:
I prefer to pay a little more for quality that lasts, especially for work.

I am using the Canon 600EX-RT, I have 4 of them so that's should be plenty, normally use one as a trigger.
Click to expand...
juggler said:
The softbox is pricey but the prices for the speedring and speedring adapter are astonishing. You can get quality stuff for much, much less.

e.g. Lencarta softbox plus one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Godox-S-B...091604?hash=item2c92f502d4:g:D3UAAOSwj0NUiBBI
Click to expand...
There are always going to be people who are prepared to pay very high prices for Profoto (or Bron) flashes, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But that softbox is twice the price of better softboxes available elsewhere, and the prices of the little metal adapters are about 10x what you need to pay.
And yes, I do know that for a fact, I know which factory they're made in and I have their price list.
But, it's your money...
 
Garry Edwards said:
There are always going to be people who are prepared to pay very high prices for Profoto (or Bron) flashes, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But that softbox is twice the price of better softboxes available elsewhere,
Click to expand...

I'd be interested to know what Octabox is better and half the price please.
 
Raymond Lin said:
How exactly those all the metal rods from the soft box attached to that?
Click to expand...

They don't. You build the softbox like you normally would, using its speedring. Then fit that to the bracket. The Godox stuff is good, and realistically priced. I have a few of their brackets to use with my Elinchrom and Bron boxes.
 
Garry Edwards said:
There are always going to be people who are prepared to pay very high prices for Profoto (or Bron) flashes, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But that softbox is twice the price of better softboxes available elsewhere, and the prices of the little metal adapters are about 10x what you need to pay.
And yes, I do know that for a fact, I know which factory they're made in and I have their price list.
But, it's your money...
Click to expand...

I'll agree the speedring is priced ridiculously but that's probably because they sell about five a year and if you just need the ability to convert your existing Profoto kit to a speedlight they make sense (although it's much cheaper to source a Creative Light version as they go for about £40 used).

Don't agree on the softboxes though, the Profoto RFi's aren't cheap but they aren't stupid money either. So where are these ones at half price, I assume they have the same kind of range of sizes and shapes available to make it a fair comparison and they're easily sourced right?
 
Jayst84 said:
They don't. You build the softbox like you normally would, using its speedring. Then fit that to the bracket. The Godox stuff is good, and realistically priced. I have a few of their brackets to use with my Elinchrom and Bron boxes.
Click to expand...

Have you used a similar set up with a 70cm deep octa Rotalux Jay? Thinking of buying the Godox bracket and giving it a try.
 
Livin The Dream said:
Have you used a similar set up with a 70cm deep octa Rotalux Jay? Thinking of buying the Godox bracket and giving it a try.
Click to expand...

I have the 100cm deep octa on it, with a Godox AD360II either on a stand, or boomed. Holds it OK on indoor shoots, haven't really been out in the wind with it yet.
 
juggler said:
speedring and speedring adapter are astonishing
Click to expand...

Aren't they just !!! The two I use can hold either my 90cm softbox or 80cm BD and were just over £11 each, and yes metal where it matters

Still, he's bought it now so at least he's good to go :)

Looking forward to seeing the results :thumbs:

Dave
 
treeman said:
I'd be interested to know what Octabox is better and half the price please.
Click to expand...
I'm not allowed to advertise on here, so I'm not going to link to specific products, but we have a FOLDING Octa softbox for £95 - and not only is it folding, it's much bigger and that price INCLUDES the speedring.
Not only are folding softboxes much easier to use, they also do a much better job of spreading the light around the sofbox and avoiding hotspots.
We do sell Profoto fit speedrings too, these cost £17.99.
Other suppliers have similar products at similar prices.
 
mike weeks said:
Might be a bit big outdoors but Lencarta have this 150cmm Octa on special for £94.99 http://www.lencarta.com/studio-lighting/softboxes/profold-softbox/150cm-octa-folding-pro-softbox

I have a 120cm and a 90cm version of these and they work just fine

Mike
Click to expand...

Repeat to self until it sinks in..

I don't need a softbox I haven't got room to use even if it is a bargain
I don't need a softbox I haven't got room to use even if it is a bargain
I don't need a softbox I haven't got room to use even if it is a bargain
 
juggler said:
Repeat to self until it sinks in..

I don't need a softbox I haven't got room to use even if it is a bargain
I don't need a softbox I haven't got room to use even if it is a bargain
I don't need a softbox I haven't got room to use even if it is a bargain
Click to expand...

Need and want to a male photographer should be taken as the same thing and dont forget that nice to have or i always fancied trying one of those can also be translated as needed - he who has the most toys wins

I really needed this and it has without doubt the best closing mechanism of all soft boxes I own https://www.legioaerium.com/product...ith-bowens-mount-legio-aerium-limited-edition

Mike
 
Last edited:
treeman said:
But it's not the same quality is it? It's all plastic.
Click to expand...

Yes, that Godox item is plastic. Very tough plastic, I know because I've drilled holes in mine. It's a good quality product. The quad-flash bracket is alluminium.

Speaking of that bracket and push-up umbrella-style softboxes like the Lencarta Profold (which I like very much) that particular combination won't work as the umbrella mech in the softbox sits exactly where the flash guns are supposed to go.

I have to say, I've used some expensive top-brand softboxes in the last few years and it's hard to see where all the money goes. In fact, the most expensive softbox I own, that cost a ridiculous three hundred quid about eight years ago I think, the silver lining is coming away inside.
 
Jayst84 said:
They don't. You build the softbox like you normally would, using its speedring. Then fit that to the bracket. The Godox stuff is good, and realistically priced. I have a few of their brackets to use with my Elinchrom and Bron boxes.
Click to expand...

But my speed ring from Profoto can go direct into the soft box, so what does the Godox for then?
 
Raymond Lin said:
But my speed ring from Profoto can go direct into the soft box, so what does the Godox for then?
Click to expand...

You'd just need to get a Bowens fit speedring for your softbox, the Profoto one goes for £50 at retail, there's no point in doing so now you've got the Profoto bits of course.

It's kinda the wrong way to approach it though, the Profoto speedlight speedring is meant for people who already have Profoto kit so the excessive price isn't a problem considering how convenient it is or if you go for the Godox you probably aren't using Profoto etc.
 
simonbarker said:
You'd just need to get a Bowens fit speedring for your softbox, the Profoto one goes for £50 at retail, there's no point in doing so now you've got the Profoto bits of course.

It's kinda the wrong way to approach it though, the Profoto speedlight speedring is meant for people who already have Profoto kit so the excessive price isn't a problem considering how convenient it is or if you go for the Godox you probably aren't using Profoto etc.
Click to expand...
This^
If Raymond already has Profoto gear and he wants to go mobile, then the speedlight bracket makes sense, but if he's spending on this with the aim of 'buying the best' it's a little misguided with this gear. There's loads of great S mount softboxes from lots of manufacturers, and the S mount speedlight brackets from Godox work a treat.

Like Dave though, I'm looking forward to see the results.
 
Garry Edwards said:
I'm not allowed to advertise on here, so I'm not going to link to specific products, but we have a FOLDING Octa softbox for £95 - and not only is it folding, it's much bigger and that price INCLUDES the speedring.
Not only are folding softboxes much easier to use, they also do a much better job of spreading the light around the sofbox and avoiding hotspots.
We do sell Profoto fit speedrings too, these cost £17.99.
Other suppliers have similar products at similar prices.
Click to expand...

Come on Garry, you know well enough bigger isn't always better, I'm assuming Raymond wants a 3' octa for a reason. As Hopoy said, the Profold probably won't work as the mechanism gets in the way of the speedlites, and anyway, how does the Profold spread the light better than a conventional octa?

So I'm back to my original question to you, and I obviously need to be more specific, what 3' octa that works with the speedite adaptor is better and half the price?

I'm not spoiling for a fight, I'm genuinely interested, and I'm fully aware Profoto is very expensive and no doubt you pay a premium for the name, but to date, I've not seen anything, like for like, thats better quality.
 
treeman said:
Come on Garry, you know well enough bigger isn't always better, I'm assuming Raymond wants a 3' octa for a reason. As Hopoy said, the Profold probably won't work as the mechanism gets in the way of the speedlites, and anyway, how does the Profold spread the light better than a conventional octa?

So I'm back to my original question to you, and I obviously need to be more specific, what 3' octa that works with the speedite adaptor is better and half the price?

I'm not spoiling for a fight, I'm genuinely interested, and I'm fully aware Profoto is very expensive and no doubt you pay a premium for the name, but to date, I've not seen anything, like for like, thats better quality.
Click to expand...
OK - We've now discontinued all of our non-folding Octa Softboxes, but when we did sell them they were substantially less than half the price, complete with a speedring, and plenty of other people sell similar ones today.
I fully accept that our 150 Octa isn't what the OP wants. It spreads the light much better because it has a built in deflector, added to the folding mechanism, which stops the light going directly forward and which forces it to bounce off the walls of the softbox. This is a massive benefit when used with a studio flash head, and even more important with a flashgun, which has a built in reflector that prevents the light from bouncing around, and which causes hotspots.

Richard may be right about the deflector getting in the way of the hotshoe flashgun, I didn't think of that. But I would guess that simply adding a cheapo s-fit to elinchrom (or similar) adapter, which acts as a spacer, would solve that problem, and very cheaply.
Forgetting about the £30 hotshoe flashgun that Profoto sell their version of for £154, the OP has paid £291 for what I personally consider to be a basic 90cm Octa softbox with speedring, which is more than twice the price that we sell our 90cm FOLDING octa for, complete with speedring. We charge £120, which isn't the cheapest of its type by a long way, so the Profoto one is more than 2.4 times as much. If Profoto can get that kind of money for that kind of product then good luck to them, and if people want to pay that kind of money in the belief that it's worth it then that's their choice - I'm just making the point that people can get much better for MUCH LESS than half the cost.
 
Garry Edwards said:
OK - We've now discontinued all of our non-folding Octa Softboxes, but when we did sell them they were substantially less than half the price, complete with a speedring, and plenty of other people sell similar ones today.
I fully accept that our 150 Octa isn't what the OP wants. It spreads the light much better because it has a built in deflector, added to the folding mechanism, which stops the light going directly forward and which forces it to bounce off the walls of the softbox. This is a massive benefit when used with a studio flash head, and even more important with a flashgun, which has a built in reflector that prevents the light from bouncing around, and which causes hotspots.

Richard may be right about the deflector getting in the way of the hotshoe flashgun, I didn't think of that. But I would guess that simply adding a cheapo s-fit to elinchrom (or similar) adapter, which acts as a spacer, would solve that problem, and very cheaply.
Forgetting about the £30 hotshoe flashgun that Profoto sell their version of for £154, the OP has paid £291 for what I personally consider to be a basic 90cm Octa softbox with speedring, which is more than twice the price that we sell our 90cm FOLDING octa for, complete with speedring. We charge £120, which isn't the cheapest of its type by a long way, so the Profoto one is more than 2.4 times as much. If Profoto can get that kind of money for that kind of product then good luck to them, and if people want to pay that kind of money in the belief that it's worth it then that's their choice - I'm just making the point that people can get much better for MUCH LESS than half the cost.
Click to expand...

For clarity, what I actually said was that the Godox adapter with quad-gun bracket is not compatible with Lencarta Profold softboxes (and similar types) because of the mechanism which gets in the way. There's plenty of room for a single speedlite gun though, mounted without the bracket.
 
I will order up one of the godox bracket and adapters and have a play but wondering what others experience of using a similar setup is. More specifically, I'm thinking two speed lights and wondered best orientation for best output out of the box. Those that use them, are you bouncing off the side or back of the box or just straightforward?
 
Livin The Dream said:
I will order up one of the godox bracket and adapters and have a play but wondering what others experience of using a similar setup is. More specifically, I'm thinking two speed lights and wondered best orientation for best output out of the box. Those that use them, are you bouncing off the side or back of the box or just straightforward?
Click to expand...

You'll have to experiment. Every softbox is different (70cm Rotalux?) and there's not much room inside. On the quad-bracket, the guns sit a little forward - the bracket is adjustable for this, but when pushed back they'll touch the sides of the softbox. You may have to dispense with the inner diffuser - experiment. With the guns pointing back, coverage is more even but you'll lose some brightness, pointed forward, hot-spots. Using the wide-panel evens things out, Stofens too, but both lose light. TBH I don't worry too much about those, as I need brightness. Minimise hot-spots for sure but they don't actually make a huge difference to the quality of the light - you'll notice them in catchlights, but probably not otherwise unless working close. I position the guns so they bounce off the sides at a forward angle, flash head on widest zoom setting (without wide-panel) for the best evenness/brightness compromise. The smaller the softbox, the less options you have.

It's not an ideal solution. Speedlites are brilliantly versatile and can be used for pretty much anything - and that suits my varying needs well - but faffing about with adapters and brackets etc with multiple guns in a softbox is a PITA (pretty much impractical without radio remote control) and results not always optimum. If I was starting again, my flash outfit would be very different given the new options now available (Godox and others) but for occasional location work when you need to raise the power with speedlites, or need HSS or auto-TTL etc, it's a doable workaround.

I'll also add, studio stuff is one thing, but location work quite another when distances go up and ambient light is bright. I never have enough power with speedlites and recycle times can be too slow at max output. I did a location job the other day with four YN600-EX-RT guns - two in one softbox as keylight, one in another, and the fourth lighting a more distant background. I got f/8 at ISO400, but recycle times were slow and I really wanted f/11 at ISO100. If the ambient was brighter, I wouldn't have been able to raise ISO and get away with it. As it happens, I could have had mains power on an extension lead and used studio heads, but didn't know that beforehand. It was one of those suck it and see jobs so I took speedlites that I knew could be pressed into just about anything. The client was delighted and I was pleased too, but I know I could have done better and certainly a lot easier with the right gear - it's less stressful too, helps the session run more professionally, and allows you to concentrate on the subject better. I was lucky to capture an impromptu moment in one shot, as it was gone before the guns recycled and of course that's the one that's going on the wall! In fact, just writing this has decided me to change a few things. Not enough time or money before the next speedlites day out next week haha. Sorry to waffle :)
 
Last edited:
HoppyUK said:
You'll have to experiment. Every softbox is different (70cm Rotalux?) and there's not much room inside. On the quad-bracket, the guns sit a little forward - the bracket is adjustable for this, but when pushed back they'll touch the sides of the softbox. You may have to dispense with the inner diffuser - experiment. With the guns pointing back, coverage is more even but you'll lose some brightness, pointed forward, hot-spots. Using the wide-panel evens things out, Stofens too, but both lose light. TBH I don't worry too much about those, as I need brightness. Minimise hot-spots for sure but they don't actually make a huge difference to the quality of the light - you'll notice them in catchlights, but probably not otherwise unless working close. I position the guns so they bounce off the sides at a forward angle, flash head on widest zoom setting (without wide-panel) for the best evenness/brightness compromise. The smaller the softbox, the less options you have.

It's not an ideal solution. Speedlites are brilliantly versatile and can be used for pretty much anything - and that suits my varying needs well - but faffing about with adapters and brackets etc with multiple guns in a softbox is a PITA (pretty much impractical without radio remote control) and results not always optimum. If I was starting again, my flash outfit would be very different given the new options now available (Godox and others) but for occasional location work when you need to raise the power with speedlites, or need HSS or auto-TTL etc, it's a doable workaround.

I'll also add, studio stuff is one thing, but location work quite another when distances go up and ambient light is bright. I never have enough power with speedlites and recycle times can be too slow at max output. I did a location job the other day with four YN600-EX-RT guns - two in one softbox as keylight, one in another, and the fourth lighting a more distant background. I got f/8 at ISO400, but recycle times were slow and I really wanted f/11 at ISO100. If the ambient was brighter, I wouldn't have been able to raise ISO and get away with it. As it happens, I could have had mains power on an extension lead and used studio heads, but didn't know that beforehand. It was one of those suck it and see jobs so I took speedlites that I knew could be pressed into just about anything. The client was delighted and I was pleased too, but I know I could have done better and certainly a lot easier with the right gear - it's less stressful too, helps the session run more professionally, and allows you to concentrate on the subject better. I was lucky to capture an impromptu moment in one shot, as it was gone before the guns recycled and of course that's the one that's going on the wall! In fact, just writing this has decided me to change a few things. Not enough time or money before the next speedlites day out next week haha. Sorry to waffle :)
Click to expand...

Good 'waffle' Richard, thank you.

I'm only a very occasional outdoor OCF user too and so I do want to experiment but appreciate the drawbacks and as ever, it's a compromise. Maybe one day I shall plumb for a 360 or similar but for now, a cheap and cheerful setup will probably get me most of the way there.
 
Phil V said:
This^
If Raymond already has Profoto gear and he wants to go mobile, then the speedlight bracket makes sense, but if he's spending on this with the aim of 'buying the best' it's a little misguided with this gear. There's loads of great S mount softboxes from lots of manufacturers, and the S mount speedlight brackets from Godox work a treat.

Like Dave though, I'm looking forward to see the results.
Click to expand...

Truth is, short of some Bowen stands, and Calumet umbrellas, I don't have any studio gear of note. I picked the 3" October for its size and for shooting 1 model. The bracket, basically just want something that I know will work 100%, I also know that it will last and also know it is 100% compatible should I continue to get Profoto system in the future. I kinda see it as a system and not getting bits here and there.

And in my experience so far (photography and other consumer products), quality lasts, and I don't have a problem with spending more for it. I still have my Manfrotto 055Pro I bought back in 2001. My Thinktank case from 2008 etc.
 
Raymond Lin said:
And in my experience so far (photography and other consumer products), quality lasts, and I don't have a problem with spending more for it. I still have my Manfrotto 055Pro I bought back in 2001. My Thinktank case from 2008 etc.
Click to expand...

I totally get this and generally I am the same. I'm not one to flit from one thing needlessly and buy stuff to last. However, with studio gear I must say that some of the mid range product is excellent. I purposely looked at the quality of the profoto at this years' photography show as was intrigued with their softboxes but felt there's really not that much difference at all. The bulk of my kit is elinchrom but I do have some lencarta softboxes which are excellent. It really is your money and as you make a living out of it Profoto is quality gear and will last.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top