nolaguy Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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silvermesa1 wrote:
I understand it sounds like a simplistic question. However, since I have never used any brand of modifiers before it might be a reasonable question. For example, Elinchrom softboxes have few grids available and the one's that are available are quite expensive. Is it reasonable to buy into this brand of softboxes? Should a person look at other brands that have grids readily available or could you just flag the Elinchrom boxes?
I understand there are other nice brands that have grids available. For some reason I seen to navigate towards the look that is achieved with the Elinchrom boxes.
Good morning, John,
Your question is entirely reasonable and it could be said such questions are one of the cornerstones of FM. No apologies necessary.
I'm an Elinchrom guy - and a big reason is their softboxes. Many accomplished photographers think highly of them and while slightly pricey, in my opinion they hit a sweet spot of value. You can spend a lot more and probably get slightly better boxes but it definitely becomes a matter of diminishing returns per dollar spent.
That said, there are a few things I wish they did differently. Their products are solid, but Elinchrom isn't perfect.
Grids. It's curious that Elinchrom offers so few grids/eggcrates for their softboxes - and you're right, they are costly. I have one for my 35x43 (I think?) box but only because it came with a combo purchase I made off the B/S board. I've wanted grids for all my boxes but keep avoiding the decision because they do seem so bloody expensive.
Certainly eggcrates will give you a measure of inherent control that's appealing but it's useful to understand what they will and won't provide. A flag will be better at almost completely shutting off light spill at a given angle based on its size and placement, but the flag doesn't constrict the "beam" ...it just creates a wall. An eggcrate/grid can minimize light spill in general, and thus, for example, may more easily help control unintended reflected light as opposed to just keeping the light off your background.
The flag vs grid uses are similar, but not at all identical.
Lastly, I'm pretty sure an eggcrate is an eggcrate for all intended purposes. The variables would be the size of the openings and the depth of the grid. Assuming those dimensions are similar, I wouldn't hesitate to rig a no-name brand eggcrate to my Elinchrom boxes. You might want to shop no-name brands for less expensive options.
Regards,
Chuck
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