anna_nielsen Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 hi. After been talking to Scott i have looked on some threads about on camera softboxes. (Im about to shoot a wedding and im looking for some easy and soft light).These threads leaves me with a doubt if they are any good.However- i my self have an idea that it will work better than just a flash. Ive looked on the new canon 580 EX - and that combined with fairy large on camera softbox maybe could do the job.Or could it . Does anyone have some ideas of a good combination of flah and softboxes. (maybe i should say that i shoot with a canon d20 and a 24-105 4.0.) thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Tiny little softboxes, only work on tiny little subjects. A softbox has to be larger than the subject, and closer than it's diagonal to the subject in order to soften. Most small on camera diffusion devices are useless at best, unless you have a low (white) ceiling, and close (white) walls. These surfaces create bounced light, that wraps around a subject, and causes a softening of "shadow edges". Outdoors, for example there isn't any thing to reflect the light off of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_needham Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Any good compared to what? Sure a big studio softbox does a better job, but you should also be able see the difference between direct on-camera flash an on camera flash with even a small softbox. No, the mini softbox isn't anywhere as good as the big softbox, but the point is you can't carry a big softbox. Get the most powerful flash you can, and the largest softbox you can handle carrying around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna_nielsen Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 thanks steve. Garry edwards taught me that once but that was for studio strobes and softboxes - but i guess that this is the same.Hmmm this leaves me with two choices when shooting weddings outside - either the use of a esprite gemini strobe with a travelpak and a large softbox or reflectors and diffusers.I cant see any other way if i want to avoid the use of a hard flashlight.Again this is really unflexible lightning methods but what else can i do?thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna_nielsen Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 You see - there is a lot of different views - and thats great. "The most powerfull flash and the biggest softbox i can handle" Could you point me in any direction - espacally to wich brand/kind of on camera softbox. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Steve Levine has the right answer. You get very little diffusion from a softbox small enough to mount on a camera, unless you are within inches of the subject. Plus you have an awkward, rube-goldberg setup to carry around and to try to keep in one piece. Personally, I don't tolerate any on-camera gear that restricts my mobility to this extent. I find that a Sto-Fens works well in an an average room - diffusion results from light bounced from all directions. The Sto-Fens also gives better coverage than the plain, rectangular flash head in a room of any size. I generally use a Nikon SB-800 on the camera for events. I have a Litesphere for a Quantum T4d, but haven't done any damage with this setup yet. I mostly use the Quantum on a light stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_madio Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 "looking for some easy and soft light" ... use a bounce card if you have neutral coloured and low ceilings. If ceiling bounce is not an option, use a Lumiquest Pocket Bounce or similar device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picturesque Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Everyone has good advice for indoors--bounce card, OmniBounce, Lightsphere are products that rely on ceilings and walls for bounce, while on-camera softboxes or Lumiquest Pocket Bounce don't, although they diffuse the flash a little. Outdoors, you want to choose your locations so that you don't have to rely on flash for the majority of your exposure. Flash used as fill for just a touch of light is almost (should be) unoticeable. Used this way, it doesn't matter if there is a modifier on your flash, although the OmniBounce is useful for broadening the beam and cutting specular highlights off shiny skin, etc. The only time you would need to make the flash a big part of the exposure is if you are trying to balance a really bright background and a shaded subject. Not a whole lot you can do, except taking the flash off the camera helps not in softening but in making the light less flat/frontal. Shooting in bright sunlight where the subject is also in bright sunlight, it doesn't matter that the fill flash is diffused--the overall lighting pattern is already hard--you use fill flash to lighten the existing shadows. And the use of reflectors at a wedding, in my opinion, is limited unless you have an assistant. Here is a site that might be useful to you. http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-4.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_walton2 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 There are many tools for you to use... for every situation! A small softbox IS effective and you will see it in the softness of the "specular hilights" especially. You will also see the difference in the soft, gradually feathered tones your shadows will have. I'm not saying use a 20x30 softbox for on camera weddings... I have used the bounce cards (they work great when you have a low ceiling!), straight flash (when a bride gets nervous, her skin will get shiny and a straight flash will emphasize this) sure it lights the situation and if you like hard edged shadows... that's wonderful. I personally don't. Anna, I was giving you something to think about, yes. It has been my experience, having (tested first) tried and used many different light altering devices, I have come to love using my 12x16" softbox, on camera with stunning results and wonderfully soft light that gradually feathers off creating very soft shadows and highlights that have the same delicate look. For those of you who are talking diagonals and sizes larger than the subject... you all may want to test equipment again, in and out of a controlled studio... Anna, I wouldn't recommend going out and buying a new piece of equipment for this wedding! Use and do what your already comfortable with. A wedding isn't the place to test new equipment. You will not find a "softbox" to fit your on camera flash (except the Stofens which will help a tiny bit...), softboxes, along with the equipment that they fit on are in a bit higher category, strobes that have changeable flash tubes and are a bit more powerful. In the previous postings, I was mearly giving you some ideas and I still say that walking around with a boom holding a large reflector would be a bit unweildy. Hoping that the driver would want to help is also a nice thought but personally I don't count on those things. Shooting weddings you'll find that your going to be going with soem "gut feelings" about being at the right place and shooting what feels good to your eye. As I said earlier... try to KISS (aka keep it simple) and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picturesque Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Well if you want suggestions for mini softboxes in the 16"x16" size, which some photographers do put on camera (with a flash bracket), Photoflex makes a Lite Dome XS 12x16 one and Westcott makes the Apollo Mini, which is 16x16. The nice thing about the Apollo is that it opens up like an umbrella so no speedrings. Either one could be fitted to a 580EX, whereas the Norman and Quantum mini softboxes are made to fit where those types of bulbs plug into the respective units. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=62804&is=REG&addedTroughType=search This size softbox will make a difference in softness of light, but not a huge difference, especially the farther you move away from your subject(s), plus it cuts your flash's reach. A 580EX may struggle at distances of 10 feet or more at ISOs up to 400 unless you habitually use the widest f stops or higher ISOs. These type of softboxes are best used with flashes that have a little higher guide number, like the Metz 45, 60 or Norman 200/400B or Quantum Q Flash X models, maybe. If you have an assistant, it is feasible to have him/her hold the flash with softbox where you want it instead of using it on camera. If you don't it would be very difficult to manage due to the wind, fiddling with stands, etc. Also, you could have the assistant hold it pretty close to your subject(s) which makes the light softer on them, yet you can stay further away to shoot with your telephotos (customary on singles and couples shots). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twmeyer Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Nadine and Scott are correct in every instance. A 12x12 box on a powerful strobe (Quantum, Metz, Lumedyne, Norman, etc.) can make a <i>huge</i> difference when compared to a stofen on a shoe mounted strobe (580ex, SB800dx, etc). <p>To support Nadine and Scott's opinions, I will post an example of a image made with a 12x12 Quantum softbox on my 400ws Lumedyne... t<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna_nielsen Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 hi -and thanks everyone - i really have to swallow this and think again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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