Umbrella or Soft box?

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Mr Mike

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This is a whole new subject for me and i really dont have a clue so hoped you could all point me in the right direction.

I have a D90 and SB600 which i can use off camera fine but i would like to soften the light more for portraits, i was thinking of ordering Flash in the Pans softbox but after reading more im now thinking i should get a umbrella?

So a very basic setup it will be and i do not want to spend much, £40 max. I already have spare tripod to use as a light holder and would like to replicate image 2 in the following link i think but i dont really know...

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Using-a-Softbox--studio-lighting-beginners-guide-7600

So softbox or brolley?

Thanks
Mike
 
One is not better than the other, it completely depends on what kind of light you are trying to achieve.

You can get very cheap umbrellas, and I think that would be a good place to start. It is very useful having both though!
 
I think you'll need a softbox. Unfortunately you wont get much change from £40. I have been using umbrella's (which are a lot cheaper), but I think its more difficult to model with an umbrella, as they tend to send diffuse light over a larger area, and if it has silver lining them you'll get light bouncing of the walls too.
 
Umbrella allows you to use shoot through or reflected light (if it comes with silver reflective cover) so gives a couple of options and would give round catchlights rather than square but you have to contend with extra light bouncing around.
 
OK thanks for the replies, im thinking umbrella is the way to go here but the next problem is which type?

Looking at Flash in the Pans options...

33"/80cm white shoot-through umbrellas £6.50
43"/109cm white shoot-through umbrellas £9.50
33" Convertible shoot through/reflect) umbrellas £12.50
43"/109cm Convertible shoot through/reflect) umbrellas £16
43" Shoot-through softbox umbrellas £15


Guesing the best option for me would be the 33" Convertible shoot thru/reflect?

I will also order 360° Ballhead-type umbrella adapter with coldshoe so i can make use of a spare tripod i already have.

Any opinions on this before i go ahead and order?
 
Umbrellas produce soft wide light. It's hard to control spill and drop off with them.

Softboxes are much more controllable and have a nice natural vignette drop off of the light.
 
You want both really don't you :)

Another factor to consider apart from the points above is time. You can wack a brolly on your light stand in about 5 seconds. Takes me at least 5 minutes to get a bleedin softbox set up. And then getting it packed away is another story.
 
Mr Mike said:
OK thanks for the replies, im thinking umbrella is the way to go here but the next problem is which type?

Looking at Flash in the Pans options...

33"/80cm white shoot-through umbrellas £6.50
43"/109cm white shoot-through umbrellas £9.50
33" Convertible shoot through/reflect) umbrellas £12.50
43"/109cm Convertible shoot through/reflect) umbrellas £16
43" Shoot-through softbox umbrellas £15


Guesing the best option for me would be the 33" Convertible shoot thru/reflect?



I will also order 360° Ballhead-type umbrella adapter with coldshoe so i can make use of a spare tripod i already have.

Any opinions on this before i go ahead and order?
Click to expand...
Im in exact same position as the OP - interested to hear if the 33" Convertible shoot thru/reflect comes recommend for somebody just getting into off camera flash
Dangleman said:
You want both really don't you :)

Another factor to consider apart from the points above is time. You can wack a brolly on your light stand in about 5 seconds. Takes me at least 5 minutes to get a bleedin softbox set up. And then getting it packed away is another story.
Click to expand...

This sold the umbrella over a softbox for me! (for now :D)
 
Except that won't be much better than a standard shoot thru with regards to spilling light everywhere, certainly won't be as contrlled as a softbox.
 
Nothing is easy when it comes to photography, the learning curve is massive and it only gets harder when you move towards a different area.

I have decided to go for FITP's 33" Convertible shoot through/reflect) umbrella with 360° Ballhead-type umbrella adapter with coldshoe as my first purchase down this road. Its not much money and if i find im not interested at least i didnt spend much finding out, on the other hand addiction could get the better of me and i will be back ordering softboxes, studio lights the lot :lol:
 
I purchased the 43" Convertible shoot through/reflect umbrella...

You can use it in the reflected mode which gives a wide spread of light or remove the backing and turn it around and shoot thru...

In shoot thru mode you can get different effects by moving the umbrella away or towards the flash to narrow the light to some extent...

:thumbs:
 
Dangleman said:
Takes me at least 5 minutes to get a bleedin softbox set up. And then getting it packed away is another story.
Click to expand...

Takes nowhere near that long to set them up, they are very quick to set up. Packing away on the otehr hand I have yet to figure out as i still cant fols mine down in to its circle :S and i've had it 2 weeks now :thinking:
 
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