What studio flash diffusers would you start out with?

scottduffy

scottduffy

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Hi folks,

I've just managed to buy a triple set of Lencarta smartflash 200 watt heads and I'm wondering what to purchase as modifiers. I don't really want umbrellas but was wondering if I should stick with 100 x 100 pro fold softboxes for them or should I mix it up with strip boxes, beauty dishes etc. I've not used anything other than softboxes as yet so don't know the advantages I might get from other modifiers.

I will mainly be shooting in a room with an 8 foot ceiling.

Actually I could save some cash and buy softboxes that are not easy up as I can hang these permanently on the walls.
 
What types of photography are you planning to do? My answer will depend on your answer...
 
Almost exclusively portraits Garry. Probably not full length mainly half body and kids.
 
OK...

Beauty dishes, and especially silvered ones, are a bit specialised - great for 18 year olds with very good features, very good skin, very good makeup and who slept in their own bed the previous night - for most people though, they should be called ugly dishes, as they emphasise all defects.
Strip softboxes (with honeycomb grids) are invaluable for fashion, glamour and art nude. Useful for portraits too, but not my first choice.
Personally, if I were you I would keep the 100 x 100 Profold softboxes, but don't get anything bigger with an 8' ceiling. If you sell them and get non-folding softboxes the light quality won't be as good.
One modifier that's well worth getting is a silver umbrella, used normally it produces a much more specular light. Used half-folded (a clothes peg on the shaft will maintain its position) it gives a different and more dramatic effect, and it also works very well as a hairlight half-folded. And slightly more specialised, but very useful, is a honeycomb for the standard reflector, this can also be used as a hairlight but is also invaluable as a backlight.
 
Thanks Garry. I think the pro fold ones are the way ahead. I didn't know whether to save some money and buy a couple of cheaper softboxes and one of the better ones.
 
Garry have you heard of walimax? I'm being offered three softboxes of theirs for 120. There is a 120x90 plus a 120x30 plus a 60x90. I can't see too much online about them though.
 
scottduffy said:
Garry have you heard of walimax? I'm being offered three softboxes of theirs for 120. There is a 120x90 plus a 120x30 plus a 60x90. I can't see too much online about them though.
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Yes, German firm re-selling all sorts of mainly cheap brands, they've been around for a few years now.

So, I don't know what you've been offered but they won't be "theirs" as they don't make anything, they could be good, bad or indifferent, depending on who actually made them.
 
scottduffy said:
Garry have you heard of walimax? I'm being offered three softboxes of theirs for 120. There is a 120x90 plus a 120x30 plus a 60x90. I can't see too much online about them though.
Click to expand...

I was given one, I gave it to somebody else starting out, would certainly do the job but for how long is a different question and as somebody that puts their lights up and down a lot then a folding mechanism is the way to go

Mike
 
Do any of you know whether calumet nova is the same as genesis? I've now been offered a nova 48 inch softbox but can't see it on calumet's website but can see a genesis the very same size.
 
scottduffy said:
Do any of you know whether calumet nova is the same as genesis? I've now been offered a nova 48 inch softbox but can't see it on calumet's website but can see a genesis the very same size.
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The Genesis one is for their version of the Lencarta atom, so the fit is different....I think.
I've got a godox version of that softbox and it only fits my atom flash.
 
Thanks for that. I'll keep looking for reviews of the nova.
 
I have Lencarta and Bessel easy to put up softboxes, they are both from the latest ranges of each company. I do not know what stock from previous years has been like for either company but to be honest right now from what I ordered, I cant see the difference between the material or mechanisms - they both seem well built and good quality and come with storage sacks. I would be very happy to have either again. Would suggest the 4cm grid ones if buying from Bessel, they come with the box as part of the kit. Lencarta grids are things you order as extras so remember to add one on if you want one. If someone can see a notable difference other than price variations, do feel free to comment as I may have overlooked something that is obvious to others.

http://www.bessel.co.uk

The service I have received from Lencarta and Bessel has both been excellent.

Product guarantees and warranties may be different between them - I did not bother to check for softboxes.
Lencarta do very good warranties on Lighting etc.
 
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