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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Portable Softboxes for Nikon SB600
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 08/15/2006 08:30:58 PM · #1
I have an SB600 flash for my Nikon D70. Right now, I have a lightsphere, and I HATE IT! I really do!

So, I have been looking into other softboxes for my flash.

I seen The Photoflex On Camera XTCII Large Softobx at B7H and I was wondering if anyone has ever used this kind? Or, what about the Westcott Micro Apollo Softbox? I looked at the larger, more expensive ones on B&H... and while I don't really have the $$ for one, if it's a better piece, I will get that.

What's your opinion?

Thanks!
Lorrie

*EDIT I just saw the Photoflex LiteDome Q39 Softbox, and it looks ok too... but do I need to buy all the extras for it as well?

Message edited by author 2006-08-15 20:32:58.
 08/15/2006 08:34:44 PM · #2
I'm not any help with your current issue at hand, but I'm wondering why you hate so very much the lightsphere? I've been looking into portable diffusing units and would like hear what about the LS irked you...
 08/15/2006 08:36:43 PM · #3
I have Westcott Micro Apollo and it is nice. It looks a bit different from the link you posted. The only problem with it is it covers the autofocus assist on flash. So it sucks when it is really dark.

Nick
 08/15/2006 08:48:42 PM · #4
Originally posted by tryals15:
I'm not any help with your current issue at hand, but I'm wondering why you hate so very much the lightsphere? I've been looking into portable diffusing units and would like hear what about the LS irked you...


I get really bad shadows when I use it. If I point it at the subjects, it's too bright. If I shoot it straight up, it gets too dark! If I angle it, I get really bad shadows. Ugh
 08/15/2006 08:50:11 PM · #5
Originally posted by nsoroma79:

I get really bad shadows when I use it. If I point it at the subjects, it's too bright. If I shoot it straight up, it gets too dark! If I angle it, I get really bad shadows. Ugh


Try taking the dome off and pointing it up. Also, you may want to set your Flash exposure compensation higher.

BTW, you will also have to make compensation for flash exposure with softboxes, so it's worth trying now.

Message edited by author 2006-08-15 20:51:26.
 08/15/2006 09:04:20 PM · #6
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Originally posted by nsoroma79:

I get really bad shadows when I use it. If I point it at the subjects, it's too bright. If I shoot it straight up, it gets too dark! If I angle it, I get really bad shadows. Ugh


Try taking the dome off and pointing it up. Also, you may want to set your Flash exposure compensation higher.

BTW, you will also have to make compensation for flash exposure with softboxes, so it's worth trying now.


When you diffuse your flash you always loose some power and some conpensation is needed.

A difuser looses between 1/2 and 1 stop and reflecting the flash in to the ceeiling or other kind of surface you loose between 2/3 and 1 1/2 stop of light in the flash.

You can eithr conpensate the hole exposition (in most situations I use +1 EV compensation permanently when reflecting), or if you are doing fill flash outdoor you can do the compensation only in the flash.

My suggestion for a more diffused light is different from alll suggested here.

For almost the same money of those reflectors you can buy a cheap stand and a translucid humbrella. This will really make a difference in difusing the light.

Know I do this in all the weddings I shoot. 1 sb800 on the stand with the humbrella for fill in or reflecting in the ceilling and fill at the same time and the other sb800 in the camera. As the d70 has the commander mode you can even give up the sb800 on the camera and control the one on the stand with the camera. Very nice light almoust studio quality and very easy to do.

I'm now planning in getting a second stand and humbrella for this.

You can buy an hombrella and stand for about 80-100§ and you will never regret it
 08/15/2006 09:09:43 PM · #7
Do you have the camera and flash set to TTL? I have the SB-600 and use if off camera with a ligthsphere and it does great. I thought that was the whole point of TTL - it keeps the shutter open until it senses it got enough light. So, I agree with more exposure compensation but is flash compensation necessary - other than to increase light in cases where shutter speed is too slow (high zoom). Someone please explain TTL. Also, good info here about off camera flash Strobist

Here's some pics using the off-camera flash and Lightsphere.




Message edited by author 2006-08-15 21:45:29.
 08/15/2006 10:18:34 PM · #8
Nuno....

Is that a humbrella as in the thing that goes over bird feeders? I did a search for them and that is all that came up?
 08/15/2006 10:29:47 PM · #9
Here are 2 quick examples from the wedding I just shot using the LS.

This one shows how bad the shadows get:


This one shows the yellow "fog" that I sometimes get as well:


At the reception, I didn't do too bad. The ceiling was low and I bounced off that.... but churches are another story. Ugh
 08/15/2006 10:34:59 PM · #10
Originally posted by nsoroma79:
Here are 2 quick examples from the wedding I just shot using the LS.

This one shows how bad the shadows get:




Those shadows will happen when you have a flash on the side of the camera (ie in portrait mode) even with the LS, I prefer to have the flash on a Quikflip flash bracket.
 08/15/2006 10:49:22 PM · #11
Wait a minute? Am I reading this right? You guys are talking about the sb-600 and lightsphere like they are two different things. Might be a horribly stupid question, but isn't the 600 a lightsphere or am I just naive?
I just got one and it hasn't arrived so I don't know.

ETA:
Oh wait. Google comes in handy again. The Gary Fong thing? Is that it?

Message edited by author 2006-08-15 22:50:33.
 08/15/2006 10:54:20 PM · #12
Originally posted by nsoroma79:
I have an SB600 flash for my Nikon D70. Right now, I have a lightsphere, and I HATE IT! I really do!

So, I have been looking into other softboxes for my flash.

I seen The Photoflex On Camera XTCII Large Softobx at B7H and I was wondering if anyone has ever used this kind? Or, what about the Westcott Micro Apollo Softbox? I looked at the larger, more expensive ones on B&H... and while I don't really have the $$ for one, if it's a better piece, I will get that.

What's your opinion?

Thanks!
Lorrie

*EDIT I just saw the Photoflex LiteDome Q39 Softbox, and it looks ok too... but do I need to buy all the extras for it as well?


Lorrie, this is what I used at my last wedding...I dressed it up in black and had several comments (very positive) about it. If you want to see how it faired in testing against the LightSphere and Lumiquest Softbox check this thread. The results are posted near the bottom of page three.
 08/15/2006 11:03:37 PM · #13
ARGH! I just wrote a huge long post and accidentally clicked off somewhere!!!

Nuno: TTL does not shut down the flash via the shutter. TTL evaluates the flash exposure using evaluative metering Through The Lens via the cameras light meter.

Flash exposure is NEVER set with the shutter. It is ALWAYS set by the duration of the flash itself.

Nsoroma:

Pic1: I think that the pic exhibits two problems in addition to the angle issue. If you want to shoot with different angles, you will need to significantly increase the apparent size of your light source to avoid such shadows.

#1 the subjects are too close to the wall/BG

#2 you have too strong of a flash for the ambient light. This is related to the aperture, which is probably cutting out most of the ambient light. I am guessing 5.6+

The role of aperture in flash shooting helps control the balance of ambient light to the light from flash. Regardless of the aperture, the flash will attempt to light the scene the same in relation to the metering.

If your aperture is too narrow, you will get much less light from the ambient sources and your flash light will overpower everything, causing lots of shadows in the process.

Small aperture numbers (wide) will shift the balance towards ambient light because the camera will gather more.

Large aperture numbers (narrow) will shift the balance towards your flash light because the camera will gather less.

Shooting in Av mode is a good idea because this is how you can control this. Usually the shutter speed does not change much (either 1/60 or 1/500 or 1/250) when using the flash, so changing the aperture is going to work out to being fairly consistent.

If you want to give yourself a bit more breathing room, you can actually go into the custom settings on the D70 and change the sync speed down to 1/60 or something and get even more light from ambient sources for better balance.

This is my best guess, as I cannot see the actual shooting details.

In the second picture, I believe that this has happened by accident.

The reflective surface behind probably showed up to the flash and caused the flash to 'prematurely' shut down, reducing the amount of flash light in the picture. This has helped a bit with the lighting and shadowing too which is actually a bit less of an issue than in the previous pic. (check the shadow from the mic)

Remember that i-TTL metering is evaluative, so it WILL consider that reflective surface... Again, I think they are still a bit too close to the background though...

An interesting thing happened when the balance of light shifted away from the flash though, the light gathered has shifted towards the ambient light.

Now ambient light is usually very soft, but it also usually has a color temperature.

That's where things get really tricky.

Flash light is very neutral, but ambient light is often quite yellow (particularly in churches).

Color casts happen because of mixed light temperatures. This will be accentuated as the primary light source changes.

Particularly if the flash is used and you aren't using a custom white balance, it's also quite likely that the camera automatically switched to using the flash white balance, which will assume a fairly neutral level of correction and all that ambient yellow light will show through in your pic.

EDIT: my first post also contained the same links to jemison's device. that's the ticket right there! cheap and extremely effective.

I want to make two, one with a mirror in it so I can point the flash up and move the light source a bit higher, if just for experimentation value.

Message edited by author 2006-08-15 23:05:26.
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