Which is better? Which is better for indoor portrait work and which would be better for outdoor, daytime, portrait work? ........or am I comparing apples to oranges here? Thanks in advance for the help!!
There is no simple answer to your question. Both options are great for both indoor and outdoor portraiture, but one is not really better than the other. I use both, and lately have used the octabanks the most. I love the way the light from an octabank wraps around the subject. Light from a rectangular softbox tends to fall off a bit more sharply, depending ofcourse on size of the box and its distance from the subject. A lot of people prefer the rectangular reflection in eyes, since it looks more like light from a window. Also, a softbox is typically lighter and faster to set up since its just 4 wands. One thing I would say for certain though, buy the very best quality of whichever type of modifier you choose. Especially if you plan to use it outside much. A cheap brand won't last long at all if being used on location and outdoors.
