Softboxes for 580EX

BiNg

BiNg

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Can you buy a softbox to fit Canon 580EX Mkii flashguns?

Does anyone here use a flash set up of a couple of these types of flash instead of studio flash or continuous lighting?

Apart from the obvious portability of them, what are the advantages/disadvantages of using them for portrait work?

:)
 
Softbox examples - http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/product.asp?P_ID=1988&PT_ID=462&P=Lastolite-Ezybox-Hotshoe-Range

I've just recently tried a basic/crude dining room studio setup with a 580EX and 580EX II and the immediate problem I have run into is the lack of a decent continuous modelling light. How do you position your shadows exactly, when you can't see where they fall? How do you visually check your light ratios until you get the balance you want? How do you ensure you have enough light falling upon the eyes?

If you want to pick up the pace, for more glamourous shooting then recycle times could become a bit laboured and after 20 shots in fairly quick succession you will need to rest the flash for several minutes.

I use cheap 2-in-1 bounce/shoot-through brollies (£17 each), rather than fancy softboxes. It's all I need at the moment for my simple experiments and first foray into portraiture. My stands were only £10 each and the coldshoe flash/umbrella stands were only a fiver each. Since I already had the flash guns and wireless triggers it was not a big investment to assemble a cheap portrait lighting kit with these few bits - £64 in fact. I do have a third stand (£10), with a reflector boom (£30) and a 110cm 5-in-1 reflector (£15). That should keep me going for a while. If I wanted to upgrade to studio strobes then I could do that and still reuse the kit I have so far.
 
BiNg said:
Can you buy a softbox to fit Canon 580EX Mkii flashguns?

Does anyone here use a flash set up of a couple of these types of flash instead of studio flash or continuous lighting?

Apart from the obvious portability of them, what are the advantages/disadvantages of using them for portrait work?

:)
Click to expand...

I picked up a softbox that was designed especialy for use with speedlights for iirc £30ish from photomart.co.uk which gives a nice diffused light. You can also get softbox umbrellas for about £10 delivered on Ebay which are pretty decent quality too.

The main advantage is, as you say, portability. With speedlights you can do location shoots without the need for a power supply for studio lights, plus a couple of 580EXs are a lot lighter than a couple of studio lights ;)
 
Thanks for the replies guys. :)

Flash, do you have a link to the softbox you bought from Photomart please?

:)
 
I have a Lastolite Ezybox hotshoe which was meant for flashguns also use umbrella but it spills light everywhere.
I cant think of other advantage of using these except portability.
 
Can anyone confirm if the EZYBOX will be OK with a 420EX ?
 
Thanks Paul - looks ideal and a lot cheaper than the Lastolite
 
I've just bought two Vivitar 285HV's so I can have a portable setup for shooting outdoors. (There is a distinct lack of plugs outdoors) and I wanted something I could lug over sand dunes and fields so plugging studio lights into a generator was never going to be an option.

I still use the studio lights indoors and adapt my lighting stands for the Vivitars for outdoors. Because it's outdoors I can use brollies without the spill problem. And I'm looking forward to getting shooting with them :)
 
I picked up eight wee Hanimex slaves for a quid each which I've fitted with optical triggers for fill and effects. Great for doing coloured backgrounds etc
 
Odd the things you spot around the house. I put the washing in the machine earlier and noticed that the persil tub that holds the washing capsule type thingies (Can you tell I'm technical) would make a brilliant light modifier for a flashgun. Cut a hole in the bottom for the gun and you could make all kinds of grids and spots for the top of the box. The tops just clip on so after a couple of month of doing the washing in this house I'd have a few. A quick coat of white inside and black outside to spruce it up and off we go :)
 
Ha ha I just noticed you are in East Kilbride. I'm originally from Cambuslang. You just know we are going to be accused of being tight now don't you? :D :woot:
 
AliB said:
Ha ha I just noticed you are in East Kilbride. I'm originally from Cambuslang. You just know we are going to be accused of being tight now don't you? :D :woot:
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And now you're in Stockport? What happened, you on the run from the provi man? :LOL:

Anyway, that beauty dish cost me over £2 to make, can't say I'm tight if I'm willing to lay out that sort of money ;)
 
It may not be a popular thing to say, but hotshoe flashes don't really perform well with softboxes.

Lack of power and lack of a modelling light are just secondary problems. The real problem is that hotshoe flashes simply can't distribute their light sufficiently, owing to the built in reflector and mirror-like surface they have. Setting the flash to the widest possible zoom setting does help, but not enough IMO.

Umbrellas work better with hotshoe flashes because they cope better with a light source that can't throw light in all directions
 
Garry Edwards said:
It may not be a popular thing to say, but hotshoe flashes don't really perform well with softboxes.

Lack of power and lack of a modelling light are just secondary problems. The real problem is that hotshoe flashes simply can't distribute their light sufficiently, owing to the built in reflector and mirror-like surface they have. Setting the flash to the widest possible zoom setting does help, but not enough IMO.

Umbrellas work better with hotshoe flashes because they cope better with a light source that can't throw light in all directions
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I quite agree,each has it's place, but it's good to have both if funds allow. A couple of different sized umbrellas are probably best to start with, being available much cheaper than even the photomart softbox
 
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