Parabolic umbrellas and flashguns...

macro_man

macro_man

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Sharif
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hi i am looking to buy a couple of Parabolic umbrellas. These ones to be precise.

i have a couple of questions:-

1) is it possible to get good results with speedlites +stofen (eg 430ex2) on location? (i have yet to invest in generators for my studio strobs.)
2)what is the difference in the light compared to run of the mill umbrellas?

thanks in advance,

Sharif
Ps. i have tried looking for reviews, etc of parabolic U on the web but didnt find anything usefull.
 
1) Speedlites outdoors struggle for power, especially in a big umbrella like that. Don't use a Stofen. I use a smaller silver brolly outdoors, or white if I can get away with it but only for fill-in. Quite strong fill-in at times if it's not too bright (find some shade) but if you want to go beating bright sun, forget it. Your success outdoors will have more to do with the brightness of the ambient light than anything else. Cloudy, overcast, shady, you have a chance.

2) No difference in the light - they're no more parabollic than any other brolly. They do produce nice round catchlights though (very easy to do that in photoshop if you're bothered) and should be a bit more robust.

Edit: personally I'd get two or three different size/finish regular brollies for the same money - try Kood, from Premier Ink.
 
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1- As HoppyUK said, drop the Stofens (they'll have no positive effect - in fact I personally think they're a waste of time). I've got good results from single speedlites and brollies outdoors but you need a few factors in your favour. The ability to use high speed sync close in to the subject is one. And another is using smaller brollies (the one you linked to is pretty big for a speedlite, might be ok with two). I'd also go for a silver inner as I've found them more reflective (but cooler) than white.

2- A parabolic is more directional than a standard umbrella. However there seems to be a craze at the moment to label all umbrellas parabolic - and this one doesn't seem like a parabolic to me, it's not deep enough for a start (if you compare it to the Profoto version you'll see what I mean - the Profoto is over £1k...).

Also I'd bear in mind when you use large umbrellas you need a good mounting point as they tend to sag if you're not careful.
 
See, I do it differently. I use white reflective brollies as I like the softness of the light, but I'll double of even treble the speedlights with a bracket designed for the job. I don't use stofens outside as they eat light, but they do make a difference to the spread and softness of the light.
 
Seems a bit of a waste to have a parabolic shoot through such as those pointed to (other than the catchlight which Hoppy mentioned). However, a parabolic reflective brollie is a different animal, and a stofen is certainly worthwhile.
With the reflective version, you need to have the light source in line with the outer edges of the brollie, and the light source must act as a bare bulb (hence the stofen). You can focus the light quite effectively by moving the light source in or out of the brollie etc.

I have a couple I use occasionally. Great for specific jobs, complete waste of time for anything else!
 
I love parabolic umbrellas, I often use them for on axis fill, as they dont chuck light out everywhere like a soft box or umbrella. Though it's very unlikely that the one featured on that link has parabolic qualities, the cheapest one I've found that mostly works is the PLM by paul.c.buff but after that you're talking £0000s for a genuine parabolic
 
Michael Sewell said:
Interesting you feel that softboxes chuck light everywhere. Not something I've had a problem with, to be honest
Click to expand...

Don't remember saying I was having a problem?

I'm sure you know the physics when diffusion panels are used....they literally scatter light, I don't call that control. When lighting a whole scene with a model on location, if I want on axis fill for the model, I'd use a parabolic because I like the ability to focus it, and the fall off. Of course I could shoot in front of a 150cm octabox but then I'd be lighting the entire room wouldn't I.

Depends how you light. If you shoot weddings/portraits and barely ever use more than one or two lights then being a control freak isn't an issue. But given the choice, and how I go about my lighting these days, I'll take as many heads as I can, and I'll grid every single one of them, hell I'd grid my grids if I could, and flag them for good measure.

:)
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
But given the choice, and how I go about my lighting these days, I'll take as many heads as I can, and I'll grid every single one of them, hell I'd grid my grids if I could, and flag them for good measure.

:)
Click to expand...

:lol::clap:

Well, as wedding tog, I guess I go against the norm, as I use quite a few lights myself. I choose my softboxes carefully, with decent recesses and optional grids too.

I'd certainly agree with the "chuckit all around" opinion when looking at some of the 'boxes with flush front panels. (usually the cheaper models, I might add)

No, you didn't say you had a problem, I meant I would see it as a problem if I encountered that kind of behaviour from a softbox.
 
HoppyUK said:
2) No difference in the light - they're no more parabollic than any other brolly.
Click to expand...

Michael Sewell said:
However, a parabolic reflective brollie is a different animal, and a stofen is certainly worthwhile.
Click to expand...

adamgasson said:
2- A parabolic is more directional than a standard umbrella. However there seems to be a craze at the moment to label all umbrellas parabolic - and this one doesn't seem like a parabolic to me, it's not deep enough for a start (if you compare it to the Profoto version you'll see what I mean - the Profoto is over £1k...)
Click to expand...

ok so a true 'parabolic' Umb would really have to be reflective otherwise is just another shoot through umb. and bases on my research on parabolic 'reflectors', a para umb should in theory be able to focus the light far better than a std umb.
but the reaality is that most para umb's are just 'labeled' parabolic and the ones i was looking at are no different.
right wont be buying them then...
cheer guys,
S
 
macro_man said:
ok so a true 'parabolic' Umb would really have to be reflective otherwise is just another shoot through umb. and bases on my research on parabolic 'reflectors', a para umb should in theory be able to focus the light far better than a std umb.
but the reaality is that most para umb's are just 'labeled' parabolic and the ones i was looking at are no different.
right wont be buying them then...
cheer guys,
S
Click to expand...

This is true on the most part, however, don't discount them all completely, I've seen good examples of the ability to focus the light from the PLM from paul.c.buff the company that builds alien bees and einsteins, and the PLM from them isn't expensive at all
 
Danny's right, the Alien Bee brollies are pretty good (range from £50 to £94). They still don't appear to be as deep as the Profotos but I've got an 86" that works well (although I'd debate whether it's a true parabolic as the light fall off isn't far off any other brolly I've used). I have found it's a lot more reactive to the light source being moved though, so you can focus it a bit more creatively.

The one you linked up to looks very similar to the Alien Bee ones.
 
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