Rotalux as beauty dish

[Livin The Dream]

Was wondering whether there's really any noticeable difference using a large octa rotalux as a beauty dish than a conventional type?

 

[Mahoneyd187]

Yep, depending on what size you use and how you use it.

For example, a 44cm eli beauty dish, in an identical position as a 100cm octa with deflector fitted is going to produce different results.

Octas with deflectors fitted may produce "beauty disk-esque" results but its not gonna be the same,the size of the source, characteristic of light, and fall off will be unique to each modifier. And you can tightly grid a beauty dish, and in my opinion that's when they really shine as oppose to a beauty dish with diffuser which is essentially a small round softbox

 

[Mahoneyd187]

Having said that, I've seen some gorgeous shots with the 100cm deep octa and a deflector

 

[HoppyUK]

Was wondering whether there's really any noticeable difference using a large octa rotalux as a beauty dish than a conventional type?

There's the quality of the light, which is not hard to mimic, and then there's the ability to position and control it. Beauty dishes are relatively small, like 70cm.

For example, in terms of basic light quality, what you get from a small silver reflective brolly of similar size is pretty much the same as a beauty dish. But you just couldn't use it in the same way for beauty dish style lighting, ie close to, directly above, perfectly circular catchlights.

 

[EOS_JD]

Beauty dish has a harder edge to the light - soft but harder than a larger softbox.

Both produce beautiful light - but different.