how often do you use barn doors vs grids vs flags?

<p>I know they're just different lighting modifiers, but I was wondering how often you folks use one vs. the other...trying to figure out if barn doors are worth trying (I've been using gaffer taped cinefoil as flags in their place so far) and I use grids fairly often to control reflections/spill...</p>

<p>I bought a set of barn doors with my strobes 4 or 5 years ago, and have used them only a couple of times since.<br>

Like you, I most often use honeycomb grids and cinefoil flags to control spill and reflections.<br>

I like the flexibility of cinefoil flags. I can make them as large or small as needed and can position them as near or far from the subject as necessary. I often tape/clip/clamp cinefoil to dowels held in grip heads to provide a black reflection or a small shadow to kill a specific highlight.<br>

But, I shoot small products, stringed instruments, and jewelry, not people.<br>

<Chas><br /></p>

<p>I use flags and grids. Very seldom do I use barndoors and when I do it's the barndoors on a large 13" fresnel spot.</p>

<p>I prefer Matthews flags because I can control the sharpness of the shadow edge transfer and the shape of the light by positioning the flags closer to or farther from the light source.</p>

<p>I use grids when I want a fast setup for a small roundish splash of light on a background.</p>

<p>It is so fluid for me, that I couldn't say. Any one shoot can have so many lighting scenarios. I use barn doors only to do mass changes to the direction of light, flags for a little more control, and grids, depending on the need for them. I could potentially use them all together. If the question is really, "what order would you spend your money on these three?", it would probably be flags, barn doors, grids.</p>

They come in handy when you don't want any spill-over from your main light on the background, but I use home made flags myself.

Rarely use barndoors but dynalight's are the best. They are the same used on Lowel omni lights.

<p>I'm finding out that barn doors aren't all that effective. I've been using grids to control spill, and am about to start experimenting with snoots.<br>

Kent in SD</p>

<p>Ken: Look at it this way -- Use the cinefoils as barndoors. When you think that you are using them a lot and that barndoors would offer more control, then buy the barndoors. If you are doing this professionally, then go with the finished products to give yourself a more professional look to the customer</p>

<p>Thanks, Gerald. That's how I've been using the cinefoil. I was mainly wondering why bother w/ barn doors if you have cinefoil. I guess they do look more pro ;-)</p>

<p>Snoot- here's one from this afternoon. Then grids.</p><div></div>