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Softbox for SB800 and SB600


brian_hubbs

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Hello, my first post on here after lurking in the Lighting Forums for quite awhile. It all has been extremely informative.

 

I'm looking for a Strobist approach to softening the light coming from my SB800 and SB600. I currently have two

Manfrotto 8' stands with umbrella swivels for this setup and have currently been using a Lightsphere clear and

cloudy. I have a Savage Port A Stand sytem on order thru B & H Photo. The Lightspheres work great indoors with

white walls but leave a little something to be desired outside. I was think of just going the white translucent umbrella

route, but want something that won't take off on me like a sailboat in a gale if it gets a little windy.

 

I've read of the Micro Apollo, the Morris softbox, the Lastolite Ezybox, and the Lastolite Trigrip diffusers mounted on

a lightweight lightstand. Is there anyone using any of these that can tell me of their experiences and how they

work? I realize that these will also be prone to the wind, but not nearly as much as an umbrella.

 

Also can the Elinchrom Portalites, particularly the 21" version, be used with my flashes? What would I need to adapt

these for hotshoe use?

 

Thank you very much.

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I've got a Lastolite Ezbox (the 60cm / 25-inch version). Some thoughts:

<br><br>

1) As with any softbox, the farther away you place it from your subject, the less soft the light on your subject will

appear. A two-foot softbox needs to be pretty close to your subject to provide a noticably soft, wrapped-around

looking light source. So, completely aside from any question of how much light you'll lose through such a modifier

(when dealing with only a hot-shoe flash's horsepower) and how wind-sensitive it might be, the real question is

whether or not filling with a flash <i>outside</i> is any better - at much or a working distance - through a smallish

softbox than it is from a naked (and thus more efficient) strobe.

<br><br>

2) That being said, if you can get that Ezybox-ish device relatively close, it does produce pleasing results. You lose

less of your strobe's power than you do when using a shoot-through umbrella, which throws it everywhere.

<br><Br>

3) Wind? Use sandbags. Cheap - whether purchased or home-brewed - and very helpful. A strong enough breeze is

going to mess with you no matter what, but the Ezybox seems less likely to be easily damaged than is an umbrella.

<br><br>

I like the Ezybox, but you have to use it within the bounds of what a 2-foot softbox can constructively do for your

image. It sure packs down to a tidy little portable package when you're on the go.

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I have the Morris small softbox kit.

Comes with the softbox, universal speedring and L bracket.

You do need to supply the foot that came with your flash or buy one.

 

I have used it with Impact 8ft cushion stands indoors without any troubles.

 

The speedring it comes with also will allow me to attach my medium Photoflex softbox.

However, with the medium softbox, I opt for my Impact 9.5ft stand which is much better.

 

-Mario

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Why use umbrellas/softboxes outside? When competing with harsh sunlight and trying to fill shadows it's usually best to go reflector only or even bare bulb.

 

On the rare occasions when you need to, I don't think you'll find much difference between a box and an umbrella as far as the wind taking off with it.

 

Get some 30lb sandbags.

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Ted: the Ezybox comes with hardware... there's a metal ring that slips into the rear portal of the softbox's spring-steel skeleton. The metal ring has a threaded assembly onto which you attach a provided L-bracket that comes with a hot-shoe (well, it's an inert cold shoe, actually) so that you mount the strobe. The strob's position, forwards/backwards can be adjusted.

 

At the bottom of the provided hardware, you've got what you need to attach the whole rig to the top of a tripod or standard light stand lug. I added an adjustable jointed stand adapter that allows me to point the box up/down, rather than just straight out, perpendicular to the ground. That's an inexpensive item from any number of sources.

 

So, you can mount a hot-shoe strobe to an Ezybox right out of the bag. Making it more useful means using a hinged adapter for extra control.

 

Where this has been particularly useful for me has been when needing to do some up-close or table-top type stuff with a rig that's very easy to haul along. With that, and a collapsable reflector, it's pretty easy to keep it small. The softbox definitely keeps the room spill under control much better than an umbrella can. Only think I need to make it more useful would be a removeable soft grid for the front of the Ezybox. I'm surprised they don't sell one as an accessory, but it's hardly a show-stopper.

 

I'm on the road at the moment, but will post a related shot or two later.

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Here's a shot of a Nikon SB-800 sitting in the Ezybox hot-shoe mount, on the provided L-bracket, attached to the

provided speed ring, which is tucked into the rear of the 25" Ezybox. That whole assembly is, rather than directly

perched on a light stand, mounted onto an adjustable elbow adapter to allow up-and-down aiming. That adapter, in

turn, is sitting on a simple, lightweight light stand.<div>00REnJ-81221784.jpg.dad4a846de8852d097dd97a2a4c8c812.jpg</div>

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Here's a typical stand adapter. It also has a pass-through hole for an umbrella, with a set screw-knob. So, you can use your SB-600's tripod adapter (the table-mount, with the threaded mount on the bottom) to mount to this, and angle it and an umbrella... or, this, and a small softbox.<div>00REo6-81225584.jpg.b3e19c8ff9685d01fe1e0604d4f28c67.jpg</div>
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I've got big hands, but you can still get a sense. This is the actual body of the 25-inch model, coiled/folder up. It's surprisingly small - but those spring-steel bones are also surprisingly energetic. Be careful opening it up, or you could get whacked in the nose.<div>00REoX-81233584.jpg.05a3f50cfe2877524b99d8e90dcc68aa.jpg</div>
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Here's the shoe mount. You can see how the strobe can be moved vertically and horizontally so that its lens will get into the center of the softbox's opening. Note also the white, non-conductive material on the shoe, which prevents any shorting of the strobe's contacts. It is a truly cold shoe. The SB-800 and 600, at least, seem very solidly mounted when installed.<div>00REpx-81251584.jpg.f9e23f7a70be4f582c69f640dddff67e.jpg</div>
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I have the Morris set-up and use it regularly with SB600 off camera and am happy with the results (in doors) I have tried it a bit outside and if you can use it close seems to do a good job.

 

Most of the images here are shot with that as part of the set up - http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=816173

 

All of the indoor images here are done with the Morris - http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=855448

 

Good Luck.....Ken

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Thank you for your response Matt! That was very comprehensive. I'm considering buying a Photoflex Q39 litedome for an upcoming wedding. What size would you recommend? I need to light group shots and the reception on a fairly medium sized room. What is the difference between the Photoflex Q39 litedome and the 25-inch Ezybox shown above? Where is the best place to buy the Ezybox? Thanks!
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T C: You can usually find several Lastolite vendors <a href="http://www.laurphoto.com/prdr/lastolite_ezybox" target="_blank"><b>competing on price at Amazon</b></a>, where that unit is right around $200. If you poke around, you'll see it a kit with a Manfrotto stand, carry bag, handheld pole mount, and a tilt adapater. But I think those kits get a little spendy - you can usually get a tolerable stand and tilt adapter <a href="http://www.laurphoto.com/prdr/kaeser_stand_adapter" target="_blank"><b>for pretty cheap</b></a>.

<br><br>

The Photoflex softboxes are aimed more at studio-style strobes, by the way. You have to purchase strobe connecting ring - and they sell several flavors - but they aren't rigged up for a hot-shoe type strobe, the way the Ezybox is.

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