studio flash question - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

01/03/2006 06:03:33 AM · #1

I've got a few doubts regarding the studio flash strobes.

I only can afford a entery level one. My aim is the Digibees pack from AlienBees. But the question is not related directly to them.

Is this:

In what situations do you use:
1Âº) The silver humbrella
2Âº) The translucent humbrella
3Âº) The softbox

The DigiBee pack is two sb400 with a translicent and a silver humbrella. So I got to know where to use what. Help is wellcome.

Chiqui

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

01/03/2006 06:37:37 AM · #2

A silver umbrella is used to bounce light off it and onto your subject. It goes a softer effect than straight on flash.

The translucent umbrella is used to shoot light through it and it acts as a diffuser.

The softbox is also used to shoot light though it and it has the most diffusing power of all three. Light from a softbox is a lot softer than from an umbrella and the shadows won't be as dark.

I am no expert but that is right to the best of my knowledge. As far as when you would use one over the others, I think it's a personal choice based on what you are trying to achieve.

June

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

01/03/2006 06:44:27 AM · #3

So a trnslucent humbrella is like a cheap softbox?

The kit that I want come swith a translucent and a silver humbrella. Probably I would do better in changing one of them.

aKiwi

Canon EOS-7D

01/03/2006 07:09:03 AM · #4

Originally posted by Nuno:

So a trnslucent humbrella is like a cheap softbox?

The kit that I want come swith a translucent and a silver humbrella. Probably I would do better in changing one of them.

Sort of.
The main disadvantages of a shoot through umbrella are its lack of efficiency. A lot of light is reflected back, and if you are in a room with white walls this reflected light can mess up any lighting effect you are trying to create.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/03/2006 07:51:20 AM · #5

You can also use the "translucent" umbrellas the same way you use the silver umbrellas only the light will be softer.

Prof_Fate

01/03/2006 08:38:44 AM · #6

a softbox offers more control over teh direction of the light. most softboxes have the outer panel you see and an inner one (removeable). Some of the shoot trhu umbrellas are also called 'brolly box' - the white translucent is the same, but it has more cloth that goes over the strobe like the back of a softbox does.

I have not had much change to play, but a softbox willl leave a reflection or catchlight teh shape of the sofbox (rectangular usually, but you can get stip or octabox shaped ones also). It is a softer light than you get from an silver umbrella, and more directional. a 2x3 foot softbox should be placed about 3' back from the subject for the best softbox effect - so good for head shots or other small subjects. You want full body, then you need a large (and expensive) softbox.

A silver umbrella is better for larger subjects. Silver is more efficient a reflector than white, but slightly less soft. gold will give a warmer tone.

if you want to add gels to color the light, then you need gel holders, usually part of a barn door set up.

cheap sotboxes will yellow with age and use (strobe and modeling light will discoloer them). good ones (like photogenic) will not, but you pay a bit more. Most kit/included softboxes are more difficult to assemble than the better ones you can buy.

01/03/2006 01:03:19 PM · #7

So in other words I will be better served with 2 silver hubrellas?

I'm planning in using it for weddings (that includes full body and close up photos as you all know) and some (less probably) portraiture.

And a usage question also... for example with one translucent and one silver humbrella what configuration should I do? Use the silver one to fill/light the person/subjetc and the translucent bounced on the ceilling to light up the background and minimize the shades?

I never worked with sudio light nor I know how... so my head is just running high speed trying to figur it out... Or maybee I would do better just getting a new lens instead :)

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

01/03/2006 06:26:26 PM · #8

Just a bump for another opinion

hsteg

Fujifilm X-T20

01/03/2006 06:31:44 PM · #9

bump cuz i want umbrellas for my flashes too....

cbeller

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

01/03/2006 06:39:29 PM · #10

I use the brollies with my Bees for weddings and portraits and they work fine. My preference would be to have a couple softboxes for the portraits though, just because the lighting is even more diffused. Didn't have the money for decent softboxes at the time, so the brollies had to do.

It's really all preference though. I like soft boxes, a local pro I work with has a couple silver umbrellas for his portraits.

If you are working with a low ceiling you might have a problem bouncing off an umbrella.

Just some more info for ya.

deapee

Kodak V803

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

01/03/2006 06:58:31 PM · #11

Just remember that the harshness of a shadow will be a direct result of the SIZE of the light source IN PROPORTION to the DISTANCE that light source is from your subject.

So an umbrella placed 5' from your subject will yield less harsh shadows than a similarly-sized softbox placed 10' from your subject.

Take the sun for example, yes it's a HUGE light source, but being that it's so far away, it creates some pretty bad shadows...now take a slightly overcast day -- HUGE light source, pretty much no shadows anywhere.