Wescott Scrim Jim..?

[jtk]

Wescott Scrim Jim (42X72) sounds like a super alternative to a 60" umbrella and maybe less hassle than a medium

soft box...maybe better diffusion shooting two or three people full lenght... but I have not seen one.

 

Is Scrim Jim easy to break down and assemble for location use? Are the frame fittings relatively durable?

 

I'd use this strobist-style...maybe a synched pair of Vivitar 285HV or similar ...two stands... rarely with a

800ws Norman.

 

.... thinking 3/4 stop diffusion (rather than 1 1/4 stop etc)..

 

What are the drawbacks? Alternatives? DIY?

[Charles_Webster]

It's going to require a couple of heavy-duty stands, such as Century Stands, to hold it up, and will become a sail in the slightest breeze. I don't know if a couple of 285's will be enough power, or whether the 3/4 stop will provide even enough diffusion from such a small source.

 

I've used them to provide diffuse sunlight for outdoor product shots, not with strobes.

 

In the studio, I'd use the scrim in front of a Vee-flat and a couple of 400WS heads to provide a nice soft source for full length portraits.

 

You can buy the fabric separately and make your own frame from EMT or PVC tubing.

 

<Chas>

[brooks short]

Any scrim is less convenient than a softbox for the simple reason that you have to support two items, the scrim and the light.

 

A 42"x72" scrim is not quite large enough for full length shots of 2-3 people. Lastolite makes a nice 78" square aluminum framed silk which is shock-corded and has full velcro along the edges for a taught fabric stretch. It is just large enough for a 2-3 people full length shot. The Scrim Jim frames are also aluminum though I have no experience with their ease of setup.

 

Why wouldn't you use your 800ws Norman with a scrim like this? It would be good to be able to actually see the light you're creating and 800ws is not that much power.

 

Just the other day, shooting fiberglass doors in the studio, I put almost 4800ws from a medium 3'x4' Chimera softbox through the 3/4 stop Lastolite at a distance of 10 ft from softbox to scrim and another 10 ft from scrim to subject and was shooting at f/16 and 100 ISO.

[greg_reinacker]

It's not hard to put together and break down; the frame is aluminum, and the joints are plastic. Sometimes they're a little

hard to get stuck together, but it breaks in with use.

 

FWIW, the "3/4 stop" diffusion is actually about 1/3 of a stop (at least it was when I got it, and when I got the replacement

hoping it would be more like 3/4).

[jtk]

Good comments...

 

I'm looking for something big and rectangular to use on location ( indoor...so wind isn't a problem) ....a

specific portrait project.

 

It'd be nice if that rectangular thing could also be a good reflector, or to have one of each.

 

I've hauled medium soft boxes around with various studio strobes... the little Norman is a pain because of the

cables...I don't want to deal with cables in somebody's home or studio...guess I need to rethink light sources.

 

Chimping is making me too confident... modeling lights (and Polaroid) used to be so important!

[jtk]

...I've concluded that yes, I do want something like a Scrim Jim, or the Calumet version, but that I know I can build one that's better in every respect, including weight and durability and assembly/disassembly...using same or better fabric (I've just explored a fabric store..the right fabric is in the "dance wear" area) and replacement aluminum or fiberglass tent poles or raw fishing pole shafts.

[bob_osullivan]

John:

 

For location work I just use the 60" umbrella, a beefy stand and sandbag. For my studio I make a scrimjim out of 1/3"x8' furring strips and cloth from a local fabric store. I hold it up with a stick in a bucket stand made from another furring strip in a paint pail with cement, and a builders clamp. This whole setup cost under $20 in materials and gives a quality of light similar to an extra large softbox 52"x72.