Reflectors

foodpoison

foodpoison

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Sean
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Thinking of getting a reflector, but I'm not sure if its worth the money.
Advice = Ace :)

Do you have (and more importantly, use frequently) a reflector?
I was hoping to spend about £20 on one about a metre diameter, and have seen the portaflash 5 in 1 for £35 which I can get at an amazing discount at Jessops, so was wondering if its worth the money.
 
I bought one from Vastpeace on eBay a few weeks ago. It's not something I use often - only once so far - but it's something I want in my armoury for when the need arises. I haven't any experience of any other reflectors so I can't compare quality but this seems perfectly OK. It's a little tricky to zip up the outer cover (not the storage cover, but the alternate reflector surfaces, which zip over the top of the central diffusion panel) but the materials and construction of the reflector surfaces seem perfectly fine to me. Here's the exact item I bought....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150242038811

Prices seem a bit haphazard. Here's the same item available for sale now, for £12.99 with free delivery, but they also have it priced at £13.99 and £14.99....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....o=CRX&its=S%2BI%2BSS&itu=ISS%2BUCI%2BSI&otn=4
 
:bonk:I have quite a few reflectors, IMO they're the most useful and most underated studio accessory you can get - they can often replace a fill light, they can be placed in positions that are difficult to get a fill light, they don't create conflicting shadows and they're cheap - or they are if you don't get the Portaflash one....

I've got this one from Lencarta, which includes a black absorber and a diffuser, useful both for bright sunlight and in the studio
 
Yup, Garry summed it up pretty much. I've got a 110cm 5-in-1, that's shiny gold / silver / white / black / and then the diffuser in the middle. I use it all the time. Portraits inside, outside, studio. Product type shots, you can even use them in landscapes to illuminate dark foreground details if you're that way inclined.

For how cheap they are I don't see any reason why you wouldn't get one.
 
Check out the last issue of PhotoPlus, there was a review on a number of reflectors on it.

I will post the results of the review when I get badck from work. This may help you decide on which one to get.
 
A lot cheaper:

get (a) foam core panel(s) from a home improvement/hardware store.

Or D-I-Y!

Get a lightweight panel of the desired shape and size. Crumple and (very carefully) stretch out aluminium household foil, and spray-glue that onto the panel (shiny side up!). Iron flat (without heat!) and finish the panel's edges with gaffer tape.

Tada!
 
When it's only £13 for a robust and flexible 5-in-1 (gold, silver, white, black, translucent) that is 110cm across and can fold into 1/3 that size, is it really worth going the DIY route?

I'd rather stick a 38cm (when folded) 5-in-1 reflector into the car, or under my arm, or in my camera bag, than a set of relatively fragile 110cm square foam core panels. Where do you get translucent foam core, anyway?
 
I most definitely would prefer that, too!
I think I'm going to get one soon.
I need to get all my pretty girl mates together for a shoot sometime :p
Obviously only for the sake of the shoot ;)

Try out my homemade soft box and 5-in-1 reflector!
 
tdodd said:
When it's only £13 for a robust and flexible 5-in-1 (gold, silver, white, black, translucent) that is 110cm across and can fold into 1/3 that size, is it really worth going the DIY route?
Click to expand...

It's worth about £12...

I'd rather stick a 38cm (when folded) 5-in-1 reflector into the car, or under my arm, or in my camera bag, than a set of relatively fragile 110cm square foam core panels. Where do you get translucent foam core, anyway?
Click to expand...

"Translucent foam core"? Afaik this thread is about reflectors, tdodd! Not shoot-thru umbrellas.
And who said the foam core panels need to be square?
 
Who mentioned umbrellas, or shooting through anything, other than you?

The 5-in-1 "reflectors", which is what this thread is about, include a white diffusion panel, which you can fire a flash through or simply use to soften natural light by allowing the sun to shine through it.

I have no idea why you are yapping on about umbrellas, or splitting hairs between £12 or £13. Where do you get the figure of £12 from anyway?
 
tdodd said:
Who mentioned umbrellas, or shooting through anything, other than you?
Click to expand...

You mentioned 'translucent'. That is quite different from reflecting, last time I looked.

I have no idea why you are yapping on about umbrellas,
Click to expand...

Because you brought up translucency.

or splitting hairs between £12 or £13.
Click to expand...

Because you asked "is it really worth going the DIY route".

But if money is no object, why ask it in the first place?
 
I've just brought the latest issue of Digital Camera Magazine and one of the sub offers is a free 5 in 1 reflector.
 
Fine, so let's do the maths on this.....

For £13 you can get a 5-in-1 "reflector" that will give you black, white, silver, gold and translucent materials, that is resilient and robust and packs away neatly, and will not break if a gust of wind catches it or you sit on it or lean on it. That price includes delivery to your front door.

By the way, a pedant might argue that a black surface is not a reflector either but I can see you're not here for an argument, so let's not argue.

Now, going the DIY route, you have to find a place that stocks foam core, and I haven't found any on the shelves of a UK based DIY chain, so you'll no doubt be driving around to find some, and at today's prices for fuel that could be £2-£5 quite easily, never mind the time it would take. So let's say you find some and it's £3, for example. B&Q do some spray adhesive for £3.98 and we'll say you can pinch the foil at home.

So your running total so far is around £10, plus your effort and all you'll have to show for your trouble is a fragile, unwieldy, reflector that only offers white and silver options. So if you do want gold and black, that's another £3 for some more foam core and more money for black and gold finishes, whatever they would be and whatever they would cost. That just leaves your diffusion material and a suitable frame across which to stretch it.

I will not make any comment as to which route offers the better value. You can decide for yourself.
 
Well, I do like a challenge, and I do have money to burn :lol:
I think after this weekend its going to be a definite purchase.
Now, for portraits, do you think anything bigger than 80cm is necessary? Or should I go for the 110cm one for the hell of it?
 
The only negative I can think of in going larger is that it will take more holding, and in windy conditions could be a bit less easy to handle. Also, for your impromptu home studio it might simply be too big to fit in, together with you, your model and the rest of your lighting gear. So you really need to think who or what will be holding it in position and where you will be using it.

The benefit of going large is that whatever you want it to do, it will do more of. If it is doing too much then just back it away a bit, or hang a cloth/shirt etc. over part of it to reduce its effect. You could also simply position it a little to the rear of your subject so the reflected light does not hit your subject where the camera will see the light. If you're doing head shots then 80cm will be plenty. If you're doing mid length or full body shots then the 110cm will be more helpful. You can make 110cm act like it is smaller but you can't make an 80cm act like it is bigger.

I may actually get a smaller 5-in-1, just for convenience when I don't need anything big. The reflector (or diffuser) could be handy for "macro" shots in the garden - flowers and the like, or bugs. I think there that 110cm would definitely be too much to handle.
 
tdodd said:
[...] for "macro" shots in the garden - flowers and the like, or bugs. I think there that 110cm would definitely be too much to handle.
Click to expand...

For '"macro" shots in the garden - flowers and the like, or bugs' here's a still cheaper – and much more portable – solution:

BrilliantQuickDirtyMacroSoftBox.jpg


:lol::lol::lol:

And you may use it indoors as well, if you like.
 
For £1 you can get a car windscreen sun protector from Poundland that can be pressed into service as a reflector..........
 
I've got two and yes I do use them quite frequently. One is a zip up job and the other is a Bowens gold/silver which I love. The gold can really help to lift some skin tones but you do need to be a bit careful with it and not turn people funny colours!
 
I've got a shoot with one of my VERY pretty female friends soon, so I'll have the reflector by then.
I'll probably use the flash softbox for soft light with the gold reflector to warm up the skin tones. But we'll see how it all goes together :p
 
Softbox above but depending what side her parting is on her hair have the softbox on the same side. Therefore if her hair goes to the left have the softbox on the left ;)

Then just have the reflector below her chin to the right to bounce back that light ;)

:)
 
A couple of alternatives:-

Bubble pad
You can get a roll of silver or gold sided bubble pad from Partners / Stationary box, 50x100cm, £4.99. Can be used as a triflector type thing, also can be used to kneel or sit on. cheap enough to cut up and position around a macro subject.

Survival or Space Blanket
Reasonably strong double sided foil gold and silver, not sure of the size, but its pretty big, improvise a bamboo frame, use bulldog clips to secure. £3.99 in outdoor shops.
I have a white reflector /diffuser that came free on a magazine, the space blanket adds gold and silver reflectors at little additional cost or weight.


Both seem a bit DIY and fragile compared to the Lencarta Bargin in my opinion, but offer additional possibilities, and the usefull possibility of cutting them up.
 
My 2 p worth...

Get 2...the slip on covers are a bit of a pain to swop while shooting. The gold colour is an absolute treat on model shoots...
 
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