Umbrella Softboxes?

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Vivid Art

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Does anyone have any opinions about umbrella softboxes. I am thinking of using them on location with multiple speedlights as I find I lose a lot of power through a brolly and I find setting up a softbox a bit of a pain.

I am looking at the Lastolite versions but, I see they can also be had from ebay for about £8. I am guessing the ebay ones are like ebay umbrellas ie use once then throw them away as they implode in crumpled mess.

Any thoughts.
 
Vivid Art said:
Does anyone have any opinions about umbrella softboxes. I am thinking of using them on location with multiple speedlights as I find I lose a lot of power through a brolly and I find setting up a softbox a bit of a pain.

I am looking at the Lastolite versions but, I see they can also be had from ebay for about £8. I am guessing the ebay ones are like ebay umbrellas ie use once then throw them away as they implode in crumpled mess.

Any thoughts.
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I dont think the light loss through a softbox will be significantly better than a brolly ? Westcott also do a decent brollybox for speedlights but if I remember correctly it was about £100.
 
Ive got a westcott apollo orb, fantastic piece of kit, , much better than any of the pop up square softbox's I've used and own.

I have had 4 speedlights in it nicely, I'll be shooting with it on Saturday (weather dependant) if you want a setup shot with my home made 4 speedlight bracket I'll happily take some.

Ok so its not cheap but its good.
The one issue I do have with it and I think most of them suffer in this department, they are somewhat limited in the angle you can tilt them, you can overcome this one of two ways. either buy a boom or have the stand through the front opening rather than the designed hole, I'll show you in a shot at the weekend, if your interested.
 
Vivid Art said:
Does anyone have any opinions about umbrella softboxes. I am thinking of using them on location with multiple speedlights as I find I lose a lot of power through a brolly and I find setting up a softbox a bit of a pain.

I am looking at the Lastolite versions but, I see they can also be had from ebay for about £8. I am guessing the ebay ones are like ebay umbrellas ie use once then throw them away as they implode in crumpled mess.

Any thoughts.
Click to expand...

Not used the eBay ones. I have had 2 Lastolite ones and they are really well built and surprisingly cheap (40 quid?). First one lasted well until I did something stupid. Bought a second which is fine but a bit melted from using it in an unauthorised fashion.

It's not the losing light with the brolly - it's the light going everywhere else that's the issue/benefit. I like brolly boxes.

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I've thought hard and I can't remember Lastolite ever giving me money or goods of any kind in exchange for my opinion. I do remember their PR firm lending me some kit once but I'm pretty sure I sent it back.
 
As Jonathan says, it's about light scatter, not light loss.
Different types of modifiers spread light out in different ways - as an extreme example, a laser beam goes in a dead straight line, it doesn't spread out at all and so, in free space (a vacuum) at least, it just goes on for ever. At the other end of the scale, a candle flame goes in all directions so very little of the light produced by it will reach any single part of the subject.

Umbrellas, softboxes, just about everything else in fact, will fall somewhere between those two extremes. Your reason for choosing one type of light modifier over another should be based on the different effects they produce, not on light 'loss'. If you're concerned about lack of power, use a more powerful light source.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Not used the eBay ones. I have had 2 Lastolite ones and they are really well built and surprisingly cheap (40 quid?). First one lasted well until I did something stupid. Bought a second which is fine but a bit melted from using it in an unauthorised fashion.

It's not the losing light with the brolly - it's the light going everywhere else that's the issue/benefit. I like brolly boxes.
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Thanks for the feedback on the umberlla softboxes. I think I will probably go for the Lastolite versions rather than wasting money on the ebay version, then buying the more expensive version.
 
Vivid Art said:
Thanks for the feedback on the umberlla softboxes. I think I will probably go for the Lastolite versions rather than wasting money on the ebay version, then buying the more expensive version.
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The cheap ones are NOT a waste of money at all. I have them and have used them professionally for a couple of years and they're still going strong. I have tried the Lastolite ones and they're decent build, but I see no difference in the light.
 
The23rdman said:
The cheap ones are NOT a waste of money at all. I have them and have used them professionally for a couple of years and they're still going strong. I have tried the Lastolite ones and they're decent build, but I see no difference in the light.
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Thanks for the feedback, do you think the difference in price ie £11.00 (ebay) or £40 (lastolite) is worth it. I am happy to spend the extra but I am also happy to pay £11 providing they don't fly apart on the first shoot like the ebay brollies I brought.
 
Vivid Art said:
Thanks for the feedback, do you think the difference in price ie £11.00 (ebay) or £40 (lastolite) is worth it. I am happy to spend the extra but I am also happy to pay £11 providing they don't fly apart on the first shoot like the ebay brollies I brought.
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The Ebay ones, assuming they're the same ones I used to sell, are of pretty decent quality although £11 sounds very cheap for them, so they may well be different and/or smaller. Personally I like Lastolite gear though, so I'd be tempted to spend the extra if it's for more than occasional use....
 
11 quid does sound cheap. Do you have a link?
 
The23rdman said:
11 quid does sound cheap. Do you have a link?
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I had a quick look and the only ones I could find at that sort of money were 33" ones (UK) or 36" (HK)....
 
Mine is 36", but I only use it for babies and headshots really.
 
There are 2 styles available in the first one the umbrella is black and the diffuser is across what would be the open part of a normal umbrella. The second style is a normal shoot through umbrella with a black infill panel across the opening, as far as I can tell there is no reflective material on the inside of the second version. The first 2 links below are to 36" style 1 and style 2 and are both less than £11 inc shipping. The second 2 links are to the same 2 styles in 43" and are about £15 inc shipping.

The lastolite versions are 100cm or about 39" and the best price I have seen is £37.64 plus postage, please let me know if you've see them for less.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36Umbrella-Softbox-Soft-Brolly-Box-Soft-Flash-Silver-Reflector-Studio-new-/120906705646?pt=UK_Light_Controls_Softboxes_Diffusers&hash=item1c2699eaee

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36-studio-translucent-umbrella-diffuser-softbox-brolly-/390368134841?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5ae3c106b9

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Umbrella-Softbox-Soft-Brolly-Box-Reflector-Studio-43-/110733655280?pt=UK_Light_Controls_Softboxes_Diffusers&hash=item19c83d7cf0

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Umbrella-Softbox-Soft-Brolly-Box-Reflector-Studio-43-/110733654774?pt=UK_Light_Controls_Softboxes_Diffusers&hash=item19c83d7af6
 
The last one is the one you want.

What I do with mine is cut about 8 inches of the metal off the stem as this allows the brolly to be placed closer without fear of taking someone's eye out. I am planning on working a way of removing more of the stem temporarily for the same reason but still allowing it to be opened and closed.
 
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Vivid Art said:
Does anyone have any opinions about umbrella softboxes. I am thinking of using them on location with multiple speedlights as I find I lose a lot of power through a brolly and I find setting up a softbox a bit of a pain.

I am looking at the Lastolite versions but, I see they can also be had from ebay for about £8. I am guessing the ebay ones are like ebay umbrellas ie use once then throw them away as they implode in crumpled mess.

Any thoughts.
Click to expand...

My only thought is: get quality stands or sand bags, umbrellas catch the wind without the diffuser on!!

Jack Westhead
 
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