Your favour softbox brands

Having been doing portrait photography for a whole, I consider getting my

lighting equipment updated by purchasing a lighting pack. I need to purchase at

least one softbox or octobox as I perfect, to go with my new lighting equipment.

I will use them in either in a studio sitting or a location sitting. The size of

an octobox need to be big enough for full body shots. I would like to hear

others? opinions on the brand and size of an octobox I shall get. To my

knowledge, Chimera is the best brand in the business. Any other brands I also

need to consider?

 

BTW, none of those portraits under my profile were took with a softbox.

 

Thanks.

hahah dream2maker ebay seller. 31x47 inch softbox.. $60!

Larson - the best

The over all best for full body portraits is the Elinchrom Octa Light, about $1100 and there really isn't any thing to compare to it as single diffused source. With an adapter you can use it with virtually any brand of strobe.

 

as a very close second would be a Plume Wafer 200

 

Very close in quality after that maybe even equal, is a 54 x 72" (approx) Chimera Super Pro especially when used with a 6 ft. x 6 ft diffusing scrim in front of that.

 

The trick of double some times triple diffusing the light (large softbox or umbrella with scrim in front of it,) is quite often used by the big time advertising and celebrity photogrpahers; photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger, Greg Gorman, etc.

Thanks for your inputs. Can all of you provide your photo samples to back up your opinions?

Wow, triple diffusion... Elis... that would make me think that they just fire it at higher power due to the immense amount of light loss. Whats the technique... shoot at higher power... and triple diffuse it for evenness of light?

>>To my knowledge, Chimera is the best brand in the business<<

 

A tool may be favorite with one photographer for one use but, not for another. There are quite a few EXCELLENT brands out there (Chimera being one of them). Which one works best for YOU only you can tell.

I agree Giampi... If I bought a chimera and still photographed the same and got the same results then I couldnt consider the chimera the best in te business.

Chimera softboxes are one of the best on the market not just because of their quality of light but also because of their build quality. They make a great softbox. I've used Chimera exclusively for over 25 years.

 

I did buy a Photoflex once about 10 years ago and it fell apart in less than 2 years. The wands punched through the thin fabric channels at the front face of the softbox and the mounting ends of the metal wands deformed and bent. Cheap crap.

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There are quite a few EXCELLENT brands out there

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Can you name them please, Giampi?

it has little to do with eveness of light and more to do with overall quality of light and gettign a different look from other photographers. . Rosco diffusion materials come in many different kinds and strengths.