Large 5-in-1’s in home studio

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Mozthecat

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Has anyone used the larger collapsible 5-in-1 reflectors in a home studio environment?

I am looking at a pair of either 100*150cm or 120*180cm for high key and low key type portraits & projects, but am wondering how easy they are to position and work with day to day if anyone has any experience they can share?

(I would prefer solid flats but suspect the authorities may have thoughts on that one…)
 
To use as backdrops? Or as reflectors?

For use as backdrops, go as big as you can, even larger than 180cm if you can fit them in.
For reflectors - I'd go smaller for home use.

If you want a black backdrop you'll do better with fabric in a small space. The 5-in-1s are too shiny.

For a white backdrop I sometimes wedge one in a doorway & fire a light (fitted with a brolly for double diffusion) through it.
 
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juggler said:
To use as backdrops? Or as reflectors?

For use as backdrops, go as big as you can, even larger than 180cm if you can fit them in.
For reflectors - I'd go smaller for home use.

If you want a black backdrop you'll do better with fabric in a small space. The 5-in-1s are too shiny.

For a white backdrop I sometimes wedge one in a doorway & fire a light (fitted with a brolly for double diffusion) through it.
Click to expand...

Sorry should have more concise rather than letting everyone guess...It would be for use as reflectors/light absorbers rather than backdrops.

I am really thinking of use in place of v-flats as I suspect storage will be easier (I already have one suitable boom arm).
 
For a home studio environment I think of reflectors like brollies, they’re ephemeral. So just get cheap ones.

In a pro studio where you’d feel the benefit of a mechanism that’ll work twice a day and last years, it’s worth paying the extra for.

But for a home studio, you’re unlikely to wear them out, and if you got cheap ones it doesn’t matter if they don’t last.
 
For size advice, I have small med and large, the small ones get most use, they’re easier to manage. The large one gets very little use and isn’t much fun to manage.

But I’m as likely to be using them outside as in the studio
 
They can be a faff in a small home studio, but incredibly useful.
You haven't told us what you're shooting, if it's large subjects such as groups, then you'll need large ones, if it's headshots or similar then go for something small, and if it's small products then a bit of paper the size of a business card is probably most useful, we just make our own.

The closer they are to the subject, the greater the effect, governed of course by the Inverse Square Law, and getting bigger than needed ones close is just a waste of limited space, and makes it more difficult to work.

Or, in other words, buy various cheap ones of different sizes.
 
Mozthecat said:
Sorry should have more concise rather than letting everyone guess...It would be for use as reflectors/light absorbers rather than backdrops.

I am really thinking of use in place of v-flats as I suspect storage will be easier (I already have one suitable boom arm).
Click to expand...
They do work in place of flats but as mentioned - the black can be a bit shiny
 
For tabletop work, I frequently use pieces of white or black foam core cut to the size needed, white to reflect light and black to absorb light. Some friends use flat white or black matt board the same way. Photographers that do framing tend to have matt board scraps available, I don't frame. I clamp a piece of wood to the bottom edge so they will stand easily on the table, or just prop them up with something if they need to be angled. Small A-clamps of several sizes help here too. I keep a fabric shopping bag full of small blocks of wood in various sizes to use for this and for building blocks to raise and lower my small props, much like how "Apple Boxes" are used in modeling shoots. Small pieces of black felt or black velvet and some chemistry stands come in handy too for hiding / covering these to keep them from being seen by the camera.

For larger needs, like portrait shoots, I made myself some large panels from insulation board, painted one side ceiling white and the other flat back. I can tape these together when a V-flat equivalent is needed, or place them each in a DIY stand with a slot to hold them upright. Each of these was made from 3 pieces of plywood. The bottom piece is about 12 X 12", and the two sides about 6 X 12". The gap between the upright pieces needs to allow your insulation board to slide easily in and out, so determine this by the thickness of your insulation board plus a little so it slides in and out easily. These stands are also the same white on one side and flat black on the other. My home studio ceiling is only 8', so the high dollar V-Flats are too big (too expensive for what they are too.). My DIY versions were cut to about 7'4" so they fit easily, even under my ceiling lighting support grid. I painted the walls and ceiling of my 19 X 26' DIY home studio shooting room is painted the same ceiling white color, so I can frequently bounce light off of them for larger shoots.

I have 5-Way reflectors in several sizes up to about 40", with several tripod reflector support stands, but use them when doing shoots outdoors more than in the studio. For outdoor shoots of people, I tend to travel light, using reflectors more than powered lights, as long as the Sun cooperates. It's much easier to carry several 5-ways than several 6-1200 w/s lights and batteries, so I usually take two or three Godox AD200 Pro II lights and reflectors. About all that I use the AD200's for is for fill when a 5-way doesn't quite do the job, or to get more light onpretty face.

I'm 85 now, so I no longer do many outdoor shoots, but when I do I try to travel as light as possible and keep the gear to a minimum.

Charley
 
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