Archive 2022 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

AMD300
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

I’m looking to purchase 2 strip banks to use for some sports portraits. I will be using these for full length and half length photos of athletes both on location and in studio. I have D1 and B1/B2 lights.

Anyone have any recommendations for which length they would use? Is the 4’ long enough or will I regret not having the 6’ for when I want a full body. I will be using these as rim/edge lights going for a 3 light “gritty” look.

Thanks!

Mar 10, 2022 at 10:00 PM

docusync
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

The recessed Profoto strobes may not fill a 6' strip box.
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1385531/0&year=2015#13892442

Mar 10, 2022 at 11:18 PM

story_teller
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

Unless you're really close to the subject, the 4-foot should be sufficient for what you want to do. The only exception might be if the subjects are jumping or unpredictable in their vertical movements, but even then you should be OK most of the time. I've got 4-ft RFI strips and they work fine for most situations.

Mar 11, 2022 at 07:50 AM

AMD300
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

Thanks for the info. I was hoping just for ease of assembly that the 4’ would suit my needs. I’m 6’3” and several of the athletes I will be doing photos for are taller which is why I was concerned about the 4’ being enough. The lights I will likely be using these on are 1000w D1 air so I didn’t assume I’d have any problems filling them with light, however now I have something else to research.

Mar 11, 2022 at 08:07 PM

JohnSil
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

AMD, this is generic as I’ve never used anything Profoto.
I’ve got several strip lights and I think the longest is 54”.
In full body shots and laying down shots I very often wish my boxes were 5’ or longer.
IF you shoot any models, as I do, they tend to be tall and my short boxes are not adequate. It also makes a difference if you’re trying to control spill and using grids which makes the light even shorter.
That the inset Profoto bulbs may not fill the box is a different issue.
Personally I’d opt for the longer. For me it would solve some of my issues. You can always flag/cover the ends if the light is too long but you can’t easily make it longer. Good luck
John

Mar 11, 2022 at 11:00 PM

story_teller
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

Rent a couple stripboxes for a few days from a Profoto rental company. If you do plan to use grids, then, as John suggests, the 6-ft boxes might offer a better solution.

Mar 12, 2022 at 08:12 AM

docusync
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Profoto strip soft boxes 4’ vs 6’

AMD300 wrote:
Thanks for the info. I was hoping just for ease of assembly that the 4’ would suit my needs. I’m 6’3” and several of the athletes I will be doing photos for are taller which is why I was concerned about the 4’ being enough. The lights I will likely be using these on are 1000w D1 air so I didn’t assume I’d have any problems filling them with light, however now I have something else to research.

It's not about power but more about light distribution / hot spots. A regular Profoto "Pro" head (or any other non-recessed head / strobe) distributes light much better compared to B1/D1 which have 77 deg beam. The B10-series are the worst - 68 deg. What I'm trying to say here - you may not get a proper fill after 4' (so you may not need a 6' box). It's very easy to test - just take a picture of the strip box itself and that will be your light pattern. I personally gave up on recessed strobes after getting a couple of large parabolic reflectors.

Mar 12, 2022 at 10:12 PM


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