Light box usable as light source for photography?

I have a Canon Elan 7 and am in the process of getting a 420EX flash

and a 2-bulb Porta-Trace light box (for slide viewing). With my very

limited budget, I'd like to be as creative as possible with the

equipment I have. I was wondering if anyone had had any experience

using a light box as a primary light source for their photography? I

was thinking it might be usable for backlighting or lighting a still-

life subject from below, or perhaps even usable as a low-power

softbox if stood on its side? I realize the light is not very

powerful and the shutter speeds might be relatively long, but with a

still life this wouldn't matter much within reason. Any tips or

ideas? Thanks.

It can work, but I wouldn't combine it with flash for color photography, because the color temperature is likely to be slightly different--test to be sure. Look for films with good reciprocity characteristics, since a lightbox isn't usually very bright, and exposures could be long. Fuji Astia 100F and Provia 100F are good candidates.

Yes, definitely. It can be great for still lifes/close ups. You might get color shifts, but many light boxes are daylight balanced. Depending on the power, you might not get enough shutter speed for portraits, but it's a great resource for inanimate subjects.

Hi Philip, I've seen some great shots of small subjects - like colorful fall leaves - that were laid on a lightbox and photographed. Best wishes . . .

Works great ... in black & white.