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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Soft Box Diffuser for Flash....
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 05/12/2009 02:30:40 PM · #1
Hi All,

Can anyone tell me if a 10" soft box for a flash unit is a good buy?

I thought SB's need to be big so you can get distance?

thanks

Tony
 05/12/2009 02:49:11 PM · #2
They won't replace a larger softbox, but the small ones can be useful. I've seen them mentioned often over at Strobist. You can get nice soft light from them, but you do have to keep them close to the subject. Much softer than a bare speedlight when you can't bounce the flash off a wall or celing. Softboxes are alot easier to use in close than umbrellas, too, and safer.
 05/12/2009 02:58:34 PM · #3
I bought one of these recently. HonLPhoto Speed snoot/diffuser Seems to works nicely, though it's not quite the same thing as a softbox.
 05/12/2009 03:24:18 PM · #4
Originally posted by TonyUK:


I thought SB's need to be big so you can get distance?



I've found the best use of softboxes is to get them as close to the subject as possible while staying out of frame--this is when the softness of the light really works best. Larger is "better" depending on how you define "better" (working in a studio is one thing, working in the field, alone, is another!). If you take a big softbox and back it up 20 feet from your subject, it is "just a light" but bringing it in close is where the really beautiful light is.

This shot was with a 5ft by 3 ft sb off to camera right--nearly touching the model's shoulder (and with some white foam core down in front and on the camera left side). The "back" vertical edge of the box is aligned roughly with her shoulder, so that most of the box is to the front--if you stood behind her and leaned in to her camera left ear, you could see the front edge of the softbox.


So a small softbox on a strobe will definitely soften up the harsh strobe light, and this can be very helpful when shooting on-camera strobe. If you can get your strobe off camera and bring the strobe/sb closer to your subject, wow!
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