Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

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Archive 2009 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

plastic_lens
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p.1 #1 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

OK, I'm very happy with my purchase last month of a ColorTran 1k studio fresnel (came with great set of spring-loaded barn doors and Avenger spigot and new 1k bulb)

I bought a used Chimera small Video Pro softbox (24"x32") for it, but I don't have a speed ring. It seems a bit overpriced to buy a new Chimera speed ring to fit this light (I need one that 7 and 5/8ths inches). This costs like $140.

Has anyone tried to make their own speed ring? It seems like it should not be hard too hard to do. Also, the Photoflex speed rings look to be a more reasonably priced than the Chimeras -- I see from a previous thread that a Photoflex ring can be used with a Chimera softbox?

Thanks,
R.J.

Nov 12, 2009 at 03:17 PM

shatterkiss
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p.1 #2 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

Not to detract from your original question, but why do you want to put a softbox on a fresnel head? The diffusion will really eliminate a big portion of the focused nature of the light, making it almost indistinguishable from a bare-faced continuous source in a softbox. Fresnels are usually used because people want that focused light.

For your original question, since the fresnel is going to limit the spread of light close to the face anyway, you might be better off just clothespinning a couple of sheets of diffusion gel to the barndoors - you'll get an effect very similar to a single-diffused shallow softbox. I'd recommend something like Tough Spun just to stand up to the heat output.

Nov 12, 2009 at 03:35 PM

plastic_lens
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p.1 #3 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

Shatterkiss -- thank you for your suggestions. I think the softbox idea was influenced by seeing the uses for video/tv and interview work. A diffusion gel sounds like the way to go.

I was blown away by the power of the 1k fresnel at full spot. It's just not usable to light-up a face without the subject squinting and wanting to get out of the way. I tried reflecting the light off a silver reflector, and that worked pretty well, especially for fill. I don't have any scrims for this light, so I suppose that should also be a key accessory for controlling the light.

Thank you sharing your knowledge -- I've learned a lot with your lighting posts.

R.J.

Nov 12, 2009 at 03:58 PM

PeterBerressem
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p.1 #4 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

In regard to low-cost scrims: get some fine (inox at best) wire mesh from a hardware store.

Nov 12, 2009 at 04:08 PM

shatterkiss
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p.1 #5 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

plastic_lens wrote:
I was blown away by the power of the 1k fresnel at full spot. It's just not usable to light-up a face without the subject squinting and wanting to get out of the way.

Yeah, totally...for modern video work a 1k is actually a fair amount of light. When I'm shooting video interviews I'll use either a 1k or 650w head as my key source, but I'll also put it into the same medium Chimera softbox that you're trying to use and which eats up a lot of light.

If you don't want to invest in scrims or nets you can always just layer multiple sheets of diffusion...some of them will eat up as much as a full stop of light each. The more you layer, the more heat they'll absorb and the less clarity the light will have, but it's a totally valid way to knock down light intensity without having to own dedicated accessories and modifiers. Television and film DPs are used to layering gels where somehow still photographers seem to forget that gels can be combined and laid on top of each other.

Nov 12, 2009 at 04:39 PM

Littlebike
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p.1 #6 · Any suggestions for DIY speedring for fresnel?

A product studio I am familiar with does not use soft boxes, they use foam core of various sizes and the barn doors to limit stray light, extremely effective and cheap.

Nov 13, 2009 at 03:14 PM


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