Soft box size decisions.

magicaxeman

magicaxeman

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I'll start this by saying I was always told bigger is better when it comes to soft boxes and herein lies my dilemma.

Having had intermit EX outfits in the past and not been happy with their 60 x 60 soft boxes and the system in general I'm now sorting out a speedlite system based around Godox V850 speedlites.

I'm severely disabled and live 24/7 in a small 14ft x 10ft 6in room and am confined to bed permanently, however I have an area to the front of the bed where I can suspend a back ground and enough room to fit in a main light, fill/hair/separation light on the other side and a background light, with the intention of shooting waist up/head and shoulders portraits.
I've been doing so using natural light for sometime but due to the low light levels in here ( ISO 3200 is my most used ISO) and an unexpected windfall have decided to try a speedlite based system.

I was originally looking at the Lastolite EZ box 2 octo 80 cm but the more I have looked at it being used the more it looks a little bulky/heavy and I think it may cause me a few problems setting it up.
I should add I'm trying to avoid the cheaper boxes where you have to insert rods each time as I find this difficult to do.

This led me to search this section last night and I came up with several other options namely the Microsat dodi boxes in 70 cm & 90 cm and the SMDV 70cm & 90cm speed boxes.
The opening and folding mechanism seems ideally suited to my needs, in fact its almost tailor made & both seem to provide the kind of light modification I'm looking for, but of course at a price, therefor its very important I get the right sized product in the first place, almost as important as getting the right product as I know from experience if something is to heavy/awkward or difficult to use it won't get used and will just sit in the cupboard.

I already have a decent Speedlite /bowens S adaptor to attach the soft box so I don't have to worry about using their flimsier looking speedlite brackets but can use the bowens s adaptor ring thats also supplied, the only downside I can see when compared to the Lastolite octo is that the octo has a dual speedlite mount available though having said that using the basic 80 cm umbrella box I have at present I find I'm shooting the V850 main light on 1/4 power and getting F4 - 1/200th - ISO 200 so power wise I think I can get away with a single speedlite, 2 would just increase the coverage if anything.

Finally I fully realise I will have to buy either of these boxes from Europe as none seem to be available here.

Your thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated.

Ian
 
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All sizes of soft boxes, (in a same given type, shape, and at the same distance
from the subject) will always give you the same centre hot spot, spread, and
falloff.

The only difference is in the "light wrap" a bigger box will produce as it is brought
closer to the subject.
 
As above, but to clarify:
If the softbox is larger than the subject and is actually touching the subject (not practicable but keep reading anyway) then light from it will light the edges as well as the front, this is basically what is called wraparound. As you move the light further from the subject, the inverse square law kicks in, which means that every time you double the distance, you will lose 3/4 of the light - this may not be important in your situation but, the inverse square law affects the effective size of the light source as well as the effective power, so when you move your softbox back it will very rapidly become a smaller, harder light source that will not wraparound your subject.

So, "bigger is better" can apply, but only if you want the light to be as soft as possible. Sometimes, soft light isn't what's wanted.
But, you're going to be sticking a hotshoe flashgun inside it, complete with fixed reflector, and the fixed reflector doesn't allow the light to bounce off the walls of the softbox as it should and therefore cannot produce well-diffused light on the front diffuser - you'll get a hotspot. There seem to be plenty of people who think that's OK but I'm not one of them and because of this I would advise you not to go bigger than 70cm with a fixed reflector hotshoe flashgun, because the bigger the softbox, the bigger the problem of poor light distribution.

The softbox you're linked to seems to be well designed, I know who makes them and they should be good, but they are expensive for what they are.
 
Thanks Kodiak and Gary, I think the main appeal that gets past the cost is just how easy it will be for me to set up and take down. I've found the Microsat Dodi box version for the same price as the Lastolite EZ box 2 octo med and that with both a bowens mount and they're own adaptor so its not to bad with an all up cost of around £138 delivered.
I just wish someone in the UK was selling them, it would be so much easier.
 
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Gary am I right in thinking that a bare bulb speedlite will better illuminate larger soft boxes and negate some of the negative aspects such as hot spots?

I was thinking that once Christmas is out of the way I could look at picking up a Godox 180 or maybe even a 360 as either will work with my trigger system and still allow me remote control of the power levels.

I must admit I'm getting drawn towards that idea and the larger 90cm box plus maybe adding an interfit folding beauty dish to the Christmas list for a bit of variety.
 
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Speedlights have a lens fitted to throw the light forward, which is a good solution when you're trying to light something at a distance but not so well when you're trying to evenly fill a modifier and the problem gets worse the larger the modifier. Which makes perfect sense for what they were designed to do.

With a bare bulb the light goes in every direction so comparatively there's less going to the front but even so it's still the shortest distance from the front of the tube to the front of the softbox so you'll still probably get a hot spot depending on the design and size, that's one of the reasons better softboxes have an inner diffuser.
 
magicaxeman said:
Gary am I right in thinking that a bare bulb speedlite will better illuminate larger soft boxes and negate some of the negative aspects such as hot spots?

I was thinking that once Christmas is out of the way I could look at picking up a Godox 180 or maybe even a 360 as either will work with my trigger system and still allow me remote control of the power levels.

I must admit I'm getting drawn towards that idea and the larger 90cm box plus maybe adding an interfit folding beauty dish to the Christmas list for a bit of variety.
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Yes, for the reasons explained by Simon. But I feel that the "folding beauty dishes" - which are nothing like real beauty dishes in terms of light quality - are worth getting.
 
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Garry Edwards said:
Yes, for the reasons explained by Simon. But I feel that the "folding beauty dishes" - which are nothing like real beauty dishes in terms of light quality - are worth getting.
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You missed the 'not'.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Yes, for the reasons explained by Simon. But I feel that the "folding beauty dishes" - which are nothing like real beauty dishes in terms of light quality - are worth getting.
Click to expand...

Seems to be more of these softbox beauty dishes popping up, even Broncolor: http://www.hasselbladukstore.co.uk/beauty-box-65/

I'd like to see how much difference there is between it and their Beauty dish in terms of output, especially as the beauty box thing looks kinda flimsy.
 
Phil V said:
You missed the 'not'.
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Oops - well spotted:)
simonbarker said:
Seems to be more of these softbox beauty dishes popping up, even Broncolor: http://www.hasselbladukstore.co.uk/beauty-box-65/

I'd like to see how much difference there is between it and their Beauty dish in terms of output, especially as the beauty box thing looks kinda flimsy.
Click to expand...
It has nothing to do with output and everything to do with the design, and the fact that instead of having a circular reflector, they have 8 separate flat panels that direct light in a very different, and unsatisfactory way.
The Bron one seems to be pretty good in terms of shape of design, most just seem to be really just overpriced cheap softboxes sans diffusers, sold at high prices
 
Thanks Gary, Phil & Simon, I'll ditch the beauty dish idea for now but took on board what you said and seeing as I'll be lighting fairly close grabbed a Godox Witstrio AD 180 & also picked up a new Godox V850 for £25 on eBay last night, so thats my three lights sorted now.

I looked at a few articles last night showing the difference in the quality and spread of light between a standard speedlite and the bare bulb Witstro 180, it was quite a difference, enough to convince me to rethink things.

I wonder if now with the Witstro 180 as the main light if the 90cm SMDV is a viable solution or should I stick to going for the smaller 70cm?
 
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Yes, the Witstro is a barebulb flash, and will fill any softbox just as well as a studio head. The recycling will be much slower and there is no modelling lamp, but the light quality will be fine
 
Thanks again Gary its just a case of waiting to hear back on a final price inc delivery for the 90cm SMDV from MMF in Paris.

I wish someone carried this gear over here as the newer mk2 or A versions of these soft boxes with the reworked speed ring look amazing, also Microsat do the Para-Dise boxes which are a much much cheaper rebranded Zeppelin box and also all the same accessories you can get for the original... there's a huge difference between £800 for the original and 200 euros for the Microsat version.
 
Ok to update, I made a few changes to my proposed rig due to a sudden price hike on the SMDV and in the end went for:

1 x Godox Witstro AD 180 bare bulb speedlite - main light

2 x Godox V850 speedlites - background light & side/hair/separation lite

3 x Manfrotto mini compact light stands

1 x Mikrosat "Dodi-Box" (Dodecagon) 95cm (bowens mount) - main light soft box

1 x Lastolite strobo direct to flash gun adapter + Grid set & Gel holder/gels for side/hair separation light.

1 x Lastolite blurred pop up background - summer foliage/night in the city

various odds & sods such as clamps, umbrella mounts to allow angling the speedlites etc.
All lights are triggered/power adjusted via the Godox RT 16s wireless transmitter/triggers.

I also have a 6ft x 4ft multi reflector and a 3ft x 2ft one as well. (5 in 1 type)

I plan to add the other blurred back ground and replace my old reversible black and white background at a later date, the main thing is waiting for the room to be re wallpapered (cream/off white rustic planks, photo realistic paper) which should be done in by the end of January.

Also my younger brother who's recently completed several studio portraiture courses has said he'll come up and spend some time with me going through various lighting set ups etc.


For now its just a case of practice, practice and more practice


I can't thank you all enough for your help and advice, you've helped me make the right decisions and avoid what could have been costly mistakes.
 
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