Reflectors

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martyp

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Marty
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I was going to post this in the 'lighting' section but figured its so basic I really shouldn't. :D


Decided to add a reflector to my kit and have a question.

What is the difference between a 'reflector' and a 'reflector/diffuser for flash'?

I'm after a fairly large reflector disc (gold and silver sides) which I can use to bounce the sunlight in order to fill-in any harsh shadows. Maybe one day I'll use it with my flash gun but not just yet.

So are both the same or is there a difference in the material. I found loads of reflectors for flash but only one just classed as a reflector at Jessops. :thinking:

Any recommendations would be good too.

Thanks! :thumbs:
 
Diffusers are usually white and you shoot the flash Through it to diffuse (make softer) the light.
A gold reflector will give you a warmer image whereas the silver is coolish.

A white reflector will be pretty neutral
I have answered because no one else has and think the above is correct.:D
 
Have a little look at the Latolite ones. I know they are not cheap but the addition of that handle is worth the difference. It helps to stabilise it on a windy day and you can actually use them one handed.
 
Thanks for the info, so the flash reflectors are the same thing then.

Now I think about it yeah, diffusers are white to shoot the light through - gotta get a clip-on one for my flash.

Alison, I was looking at getting this Lastolite reflector in Silver/Gold as that seems the most popular looking at YouTube videos.

I saw one for 12 quid on Google that had 4 different reflectors and one diffuser in one but I question the quality...
 
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-Lastolite-Large-TriGrip-Sunfire-Silver/p12313?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Lighting-Control-_-Reflectors-and-Snoots-_-Lastolite-Large-TriGrip-Sunfire-Silver_12313

That's the one you really want :)

The sunfire side is made up of thin strips of silver and gold and it's brilliant at just warming the subject up a little.

With something like a reflector you can buy a cheap one to get you going but then I find that three years down the line I end up buying the expensive one that I should just have forked out for in the first place. These things last for years so my personal advice would be to hold off and get the best you can.
 
Oooh, I see what you mean now...

Okay you've sold me, I'll wait until next month and order one of those. :D

I know what you mean about buying a cheap one and then wishing you didn't down the line too.
 
After many years I've found the best reflector to carry around (by far) is a white bed sheet. You can make it any size you need in seconds, it doesn't matter if it rips (because the charity shops are full of them), I've got a white one a yellow one and a pink one in the second bag. You can use it as a diffuser, or even hang it as a background if you really need to.

Best wishes
Monty
 
Hahahaha, brilliant idea Monty!

I'll give it a go, not sure about using it in public though...

Great idea for a background too, especially for the size and price.
 
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