p.1 #2 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
jzucker wrote:
There are a few chinese softboxes on ebay that are 9x36 and 14x36 that are reasonably cheap and come with grids.
If you want real quality, look at Chimera.
Photoflex make decent small strip boxes; the ‘quick release’ tabs aren’t quick, but are definitely helpful with stripboxes, which are much more difficult to knock down than regular softboxes. The Photoflex HalfDomes come with a front mask for an even narrower opening. (They may well be made in China.)
Grids for small boxes are generally less expensive than for larger boxes. There is a lot of hand work in sewing those small squares, so they are expensive. Some of the Chinese grids aren’t true grids, they are what used to be called louvers. They have stiff vertical sections with cloth horizontal strips – they don’t collapse as small as real cloth grids and are usually 40º x 60º or 40º x 80º, rather than 40º both ways.
p.1 #3 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
I use a cheap 9x36 with a YN-560 (via a coldshoe > bowens adapter) for my hairlight, the system works well for me. I set the flash to 28mm zoom, diffuser panel out, and at around 1/16 power I get close f2.8 at "hair level". A little fiddling with the height of the boom allows me to tweak exactly how much light I get across the model's hair/shoulders.
p.1 #5 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
unknown_photog wrote:
Have a look at phottix...the quality is above the regular chinese brands and the prices are just a little higher but completely worth it!
where can you buy them? I have phottix transceivers but I don't see their softboxes listed anywhere
p.1 #11 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
Thanks for the info Brian. That's really helpful. I guess like anything else, you get what you pay for.
do the photoflex strip lights have true 40 degree grids?
p.1 #15 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
You can always use a softbox and mask off some of the area to create a strip box light. I clamp black felt to the facing of a 24 x 30 soft box to create a 12 x 30 strip - works just fine, even if you use a grid. Their site forces you to buy the bowens adapter and then purchase your specific adapter for $25 above that price. Hate that!
p.1 #16 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
jzucker wrote:
Thanks for the info Brian. That's really helpful. I guess like anything else, you get what you pay for.
do the photoflex strip lights have true 40 degree grids?
They have the grids with the square openings. They could be 38º x 38º or 43º x 43º, but close enough.
Not that louvers aren’t handy. They are generally lighter and cheaper than grids, and I wish that more manufactures offered them as an alternative.
If you want to see how it is at the top end, look at Chimera: they offer grids in 20º, 30º, 40º, 50º, and 60º; louvres in 20/60º and 30/50º, and cloth barndoors for the sides of softboxes to further reduce spill. Also silver or white interiors, and recessed front or flush front for combining two lights and two boxes to make one larger box.
p.1 #17 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
Chimera also offers metal honeycomb grids like those on a reflector, except bigger. I find that notion intriguing because I don't like the crude catchlights and reflections from cloth grids.
p.1 #18 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
I prefer using 7" reflectors with 10 or 20 degree grids. If you're looking to add a rim light that extends beyond the head and shoulders, then a strip light is a better option.
p.1 #19 · Thinking about picking up a couple strip lights
Thanks Deezie. I just picked up a grid set for my 7" reflectors so I will definitely be trying that out but yet, I do want to extend the rim light to full length or at least 3/4 length.
