which size softbox would you pick?

fletch5

fletch5

Pain in the arse
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Dean
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morning everyone:wave:

im working in a relatively small space(living room mostly) and thinking of a better softbox for my d lite 4s(i think they are 53cm and 66cm single diffuser cheap things). mostly shoot the kids and wondering whether to go for 100cm or 130/135cm octagonal softbox?
i have decided on the elinchrom rotalux set as noone seems to say anything bad about them other than the price.

any help appreciated, thanks
Dean
 
anyone?(small shameless bump)
 
thanks dd

i was midly concerned bout the size of the 130cm, but wasnt sure whether the benfits would be worth it. found a "guide" online that said get the biggest box you can afford, which didnt really sit right with me due to limitations of the lights. how close to full power do you have to run your light at and what distance away from subject?
 
i think that answers my question, thanks dave(y)
 
do you have any pics of your softbox folded? i seem to be struggling to see what they look like. do they open easily or are they a PITA?
 
I think DD has probably given you the best answer you're gonna get.

The softboxes supplied with your kit are pretty useless IMO, simply because they don't diffuse the light well and are too small anyway, in most situations.

Larger softboxes are capable of producing soft light if placed close enough to the subject but if you use them in a small space you may not be able to move them far enough away if you want to use diffused light that is not very soft, so you will need to keep your kit softboxes or buy a reflective umbrella for those situations.
 
thanks garry, i already got the reflective umbrella and a shoot through, i found that the softboxes that came with the kit were hit and miss with the kid running round and was after the softer light as well. :)
 
fletch5 said:
do you have any pics of your softbox folded? i seem to be struggling to see what they look like. do they open easily or are they a PITA?
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Personally, I think all the softboxes I've ever used have been a right PITA

Hence, I never take them down anymore !

But that might just be me and my crap DIY skills :LOL:

Your thoughts on ease of assembly/reassembly Garry ???

DD
 
DiddyDave said:
Personally, I think all the softboxes I've ever used have been a right PITA

Hence, I never take them down anymore !

But that might just be me and my crap DIY skills :LOL:

Your thoughts on ease of assembly/reassembly Garry ???

DD
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No thoughts on Elinchrom softboxes - I use other makes, which you'll see for yourself when you come here on Saturday:LOL:

The best design I've found, which again you'll see for yourself, is the Lencarta folding softbox, which is a true folding softbox - but it's Bowens fit so no help to the OP:crying:

As far as assembly/dissembly is concerned, my thoughts are that most people who manufacture softboxes can never have actually tried to put them up or take them down...
 
Thanks for the reply franchisejuan.

i went for the rotalux 100cm inc bag, hopefully delivered tomorrow by warehouse express (free delivery on orders over £50 at the moment).

thanks for all your help(y)
 
Bowens softboxes are a doddle - provided you don't break a rod! I have - I sat on it! Don't ask.......
 
Lensflare said:
Bowens softboxes are a doddle - provided you don't break a rod! I have - I sat on it! Don't ask.......
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dont think i wanna know:LOL:
 
If you are using an large octabox what is the best position to put your lights, do you just have one octabox or 2 or is that a silly question?

I was particuarly intersted in the shots that didy dave had on his other thread. I was thinking of some d lites 2's but was not sure if they were powerful enough
 
stringy said:
If you are using an large octabox what is the best position to put your lights, do you just have one octabox or 2 or is that a silly question?
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Lights are simulated daylight brought indoors. How many suns are there outdoors?
There are times when a second one might be wanted for fill, but generally most subjects are better lit with a harder light source as key light, leaving just one softbox for fill.
stringy said:
I was thinking of some d lites 2's but was not sure if they were powerful enough
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Plenty powerful enough for portraits in a small space.
 
If you click diddy daves link, he mentions somewhere in the thread that he uses 3 d lite 2s, two to get the background white and one to light the subject using the 1m octagonal softbox
 
So you would have 2 lights on the background and one through the octagonal softbox.

Is the softbox stright in front of the subject or is it to one side. If it is in front do you stand in front of the light?

Stringy
 
depends where you want your "sun"

normally it is put high and off to one side(slightly), but can be anywhere, just try for yourself and find what works best for you.

garry has some good tutorials on his website that explain quite a lot of things and are really helpful and would be a good place to start(y)www.photolearn.co.uk
 
I was thinking of getting a 4 light set-up but am now thinking that 3 lights / octabox may suffice, although like most home users I short of space
 
i would start with a two/three light setup and build from there. i only have two lights but prefer a black/dark grey background to white and for the most part only use a single light and reflector, a large softbox is helpful as it allows more movement with the kids with little change to lighting. the 2nd light may be used as a hairlight. i think i have spent as much on modifiers(brollies,softboxes, reflectors, grids etc..) as the lights.
 
ok, its just turned up(at work) attached all the bars etc... looks good, but what a pain in the arse to fold.

each bar has a little bit on the end you have to pull to release from the ring so that it can collapse like an umbrella. the supplied bag is also quite a tight fit, but im sure as you use them more, they will loosen(i hope!!)
 
I am trying to re-create the typical white background photos that seem to be so popular today.

The way I have shot so far is with two old lights through some brollies, it is ok but gives me a grey background which I have to adjust using photoshop which is not only tedious but adds time.

I would prefer to show my clients more of a finished article soon after the sitting.

Can you post some pictures when you have played with your new toy.
 
You're not exposing your background properly, and Photoshop will never recover it the same

Make sure your background is 1-2 stops brighter than your subject and you should be okay

fletch5's images will look just like these ones here http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=95357

When he's gotten used to it

(y)

DD
 
If the background is grey, you need to put some more light on it and it will go white, or turn down the light on the subject and use a wider aperture
 
stringy said:
I am trying to re-create the typical white background photos that seem to be so popular today.

The way I have shot so far is with two old lights through some brollies, it is ok but gives me a grey background which I have to adjust using photoshop which is not only tedious but adds time.

I would prefer to show my clients more of a finished article soon after the sitting.

Can you post some pictures when you have played with your new toy.
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That style is rapidly going out of fashion. Thank the Lord for he is kind:LOL:
But if you want to do it, it isn't about equipment so much as technique.
The technique is to treat the subject and the background as two separate subjects, to light the background evenly and to overexpose it by just enough to render it pure white at its darkest point - never to fix it on computer.

Reflective (never shoot through) umbrellas will do the job, special angled background reflectors are better.
 
Was I quicker than you two then ???^^^ - didn't we all say the same thing ?

White-room photography has been 'Going out of fashion' ever since I started doing it about 10 years ago, and of the options given to clients it's still the one they pick EVERY TIME

Long may it live :D

DD
 
i had the thread up for a little while, but it nice when people say the same thing as me, as it tends to mean im not talking b****cks(y)
 
Thank you all for your comments.

I have looked at DD's pictures and that is the effect I was after, sorry Garry.

Yes reading up on the subject I know I need to expose the background more but was looking for the most cost effective way to replace my kit to do it. I currently only have 2 old courtenay flash heads that do not have any way of adjusting the power.

I had assumed I would need to repalce these and then also buy some background lights, but would I be better off with 2 for the background and then one more in the front with an octagonal softbox
 
DD

Yes taht sounds a good idea, i had never considered the one large softbox until reading this thread.
 
make sure the power of the light isnt too much for your background lights though. they can only be turned down so far and the more power it has the higher the lowest setting is
 
DiddyDave said:
Was I quicker than you two then ???^^^ - didn't we all say the same thing ?

White-room photography has been 'Going out of fashion' ever since I started doing it about 10 years ago, and of the options given to clients it's still the one they pick EVERY TIME

Long may it live :D

DD
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Just be grateful:LOL:
 
Garry Edwards said:
Just be grateful:LOL:
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I am, but would only change to whatever was next in 'fashion'

Just this year we've experimented again with black backgrounds, and various levels of graduated grey, with no takers

I've shown people coloured backgrounds, and even those mottled cloth ones of old, and not one has wanted one as yet

I think people just love the simplicity of white, it goes with any decor & is especially easy with larger canvasses when they redecorate

Anyway Garry... (pre-empting this question on Saturday!)... what do you see/feel is the 'White-room's replacement?

DD
 
:popcorn:
 
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