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Archive 2022 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc

  
 
LinuxHack3r
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


I almost just bought 1-2 V-Flats from V-Flat world. I wouldn't mind spending the money if they were quality, long lasting construction but after seeing that they are essentially foam I'm definitely questioning whether they would be an investment or not.

I definitely would love something roughly that size, primarily for reflecting light but using them as flags also would be helpful.

I may go to Hobby Lobby and see what sorts of foam board I could use. That being said, I figured I'd check into FM just to see what others recommend.

I have a studio shoot this weekend that I'd to experiment with reflector type setups. If ordering from Amazon I'd like for it to get here Thursday/Friday which is still possible but perhaps I should have thought about this a week ago.

I guess I could always throw something together from Hobby Lobby.

What are your suggestions?



Apr 26, 2022 at 03:52 PM
rico
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


V-flat is an easily-constructed studio element, requiring nothing more than a flat substrate that is strong enough to support its own weight and having a suitable color. The carton from last night's takeaway pizza is a V-flat. My smallest was a folded bit of styrofoam about 1 inch on a side. The two sides of a V-flat are angled so the element can stand upright on its own, and the hinge can be tape or just a fold. V-flats are an expendable and the proper price is $0.

If you want to spend money, the best alternative is a panel system. These can be folded down for storage or transport. They look quite professional, too. For starters, take a look at Photoflex LitePanels:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=photoflex%20litepanel

These can stand upright with a hinge, with an accessory leg, or by attachment to support (stand, wall, furniture, etc).



Apr 26, 2022 at 05:11 PM
CharleyL
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


I bought 1/2" thick 4 X 8' insulation panels, primed both sides, and painted one side ceiling white and the other flat black. I made wooden stands with a center slot that's about 3/4" wide, so the panels will slide easily in and out of the slot. I cut mine a little shorter, so they are no longer 8' high, because the ceiling in my home studio is 8', so these were cut to about 7 1/2' tall. I put White Gaffer tape around the edges to seal the foam after priming, and before doing the final color. They don't fold, but are otherwise working well for use as flats in my studio. I made them about 1 1/2 years ago. When not in use I store them behind my backdrops, leaning against the wall. 10' wide backdrops hide a lot of big flat things. The only reason why V-Flats hinge down the center is to make them stand up on their own. With my plywood stands, I can use two of what I made, held in a V if I should ever want to, with a piece of Gaffer tape up high to hold them tightly together. The stands keep them upright, singly or in V shape, and a whole lot cheaper than buying foam core or V-Flats.

Charley



Apr 26, 2022 at 08:30 PM
tcphoto
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


I think that V Flats are a waste of money and much prefer homemade foamcore or Gator board V Flats. I like the reflectance and they lasted twenty years, I moved and simply threw them out. I have a set of Road Rags and a Scrim Jim which I use for flags and reflectors but will make a set of V Flats when I have the space.


Apr 27, 2022 at 09:26 AM
jeffbuzz
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


Your local hardware or art supply store has everything you need to make V-flats. Cheapest way is taping together whatever foam boards you can find. Obviously thicker is stiffer and more expensive. Bonus is that you can buy foam boards and tape in white or black so assuming that's the color you want you don't have to paint anything.

If you want sturdier construction you can use foam insulation sheets. 1.5" x 48" x 96" boards are going to cost $20+ each and you'll almost certainly need to paint them. Duct tape will be enough to hold them together.

Leave a gap between the boards when taping the hinge joints if you want to be able to fully fold them.

Also look at folding room dividers at furniture stores. Sometimes you can find relatively cheap ones that are already all white. More expensive but often nicer looking versus the DIY options.



Apr 27, 2022 at 11:19 AM
ShotByTom
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


I've been using V Flats for over 2 years now and love them. I use them on location for high volume headshots, so portability is important to me. Easy to use reflector, flag or background...hey are well worth the $200. I may be a snob, but I don't like the look of homemade reflectors...


Apr 28, 2022 at 08:54 PM
jlafferty
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


Proper V flats are made from 4x8' 1/2" foam core and cost around $90 + more for some 3" gaff. Diversified Display Products out of Jersey sells the foam core in packs of 10, I think shipping is free, and they're the cheapest supplier I've found so far.

But, that said, I also have a semi regular client and they want me shooting in their production office, and I can't fit the V flats in my car, and didn't like the idea of transit with them on top, especially in the rain. So I went to Blick Art Supply, and grabbed 2x3', 1/8th foam panels, and made a three panel, folding setup that works for my needs - just hang it from a kit stand with an A clamp. I made two black, one white. They travel well And I think they cost about $40 each.



Apr 29, 2022 at 10:24 AM
LinuxHack3r
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


https://www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supplies/Painting-Canvas-Art-Surfaces/Foam-Board/White-Foam-Board---40-x-60/p/107595

If I were going to experiment with these tonight, buying two of these and taping them together would be sufficient? Probably tape them to create a 60"x80" design.



Apr 29, 2022 at 10:50 AM
MRomine
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


4'x8' 3/4" gator board works really well and gator board is non-warping. Gator board is a little harder to find than foam core. The problem with big sheets like this is that they are primarily studio bound. Some of the commercial reflectors mentioned above are significantly better for location shooting.


Apr 29, 2022 at 10:59 AM
ilkka_nissila
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


V-flatworld's foldable V-Flats seem easily worth the cost. The materials cost almost what they charge for the finished product; it takes a few hours of work to construct if DIY (with exposure to acetone), and the product comes with a carrying bag which should increase longevity if one needs to transport them frequently.

I made my own but probably should have bought the commercial product instead (I was not aware of it). As for the usefulness, I think V-flats are great as they don't need stands. Stand legs reduce the working space and by using V-flats, I can use more of the space effectively.



Apr 29, 2022 at 11:10 AM
LinuxHack3r
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


I'm not against buying the commercial ones but I think I'll throw a cheapie version together for now.


Apr 29, 2022 at 11:15 AM
LinuxHack3r
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


Interesting:



I really like that fold hinge. I'll me attempting this, just out of white foam core board.



Apr 29, 2022 at 01:38 PM
LinuxHack3r
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


Threw this together last night. Was rather quick/sloppy but it works amazing. I essentially did a sloppy version of the instructions in the video. I used white duck tape. Instead of messing with Velcro I placed tape on each surface at the top to protect the board and then placed a gentle bridging piece of tape between the two boards (making sure it only connected the tape. I should be able to peel that piece off or just just cut it. Later on I may make a cleaner version overall and use Velcro or button snaps.

















Apr 30, 2022 at 02:28 PM
CharleyL
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


ilkka_nissila wrote:
V-flatworld's foldable V-Flats seem easily worth the cost. The materials cost almost what they charge for the finished product; it takes a few hours of work to construct if DIY (with exposure to acetone), and the product comes with a carrying bag which should increase longevity if one needs to transport them frequently.

I made my own but probably should have bought the commercial product instead (I was not aware of it). As for the usefulness, I think V-flats are great as they don't need stands. Stand legs reduce the working space and by using V-flats, I can use more of
...Show more

The stands that I made for my panels are 18" long, 8" wide and 6" tall. These were made from 3/4" plywood, but I would have used 1/2" if I had it. Each has four 1" felt furniture feet on the bottom to protect the floor. Under one of my DIY panels, they are almost unnoticeable as one side is black and the other white as well as being small, and are certainly never in the way. If I want a "V" format I can position two panels in a V with black or white sides facing the camera. I then add a 1 ft long piece of Gaffer tape up high across their joint to keep the panel joint tight together. The stands keep the bottoms together. Everything, including the paint for two panels will cost about $35 plus your labor.

Charley



May 05, 2022 at 04:48 PM
ilkka_nissila
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


Well, if I were to use paint on the surfaces, just the paint alone would cost more than $35 where I live.

V-flats have some advantages; they fold for compact storage and easy transportation (if made so that they fold both vertically and horizontally), and they're extremely lightweight if made from foamcore.They can appear as flat surface or like a room corner as background. The apparent size of the reflector formed by the V-flat is adjustable by adjusting the angle between the two sides. The construction time is also short. If you can make something equivalent that better fits your needs and costs less (including time of construction), brilliant. To me the commercial product (which even comes with a carrying bag) makes the most sense and is probably what I would buy now (though I did make my own, with no bag, alas). However, there is more than one way to do things; it has been an interesting discussion.



May 05, 2022 at 05:34 PM
ShotByTom
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


LinuxHack3r wrote:
Threw this together last night. Was rather quick/sloppy but it works amazing. I essentially did a sloppy version of the instructions in the video. I used white duck tape. Instead of messing with Velcro I placed tape on each surface at the top to protect the board and then placed a gentle bridging piece of tape between the two boards (making sure it only connected the tape. I should be able to peel that piece off or just just cut it. Later on I may make a cleaner version overall and use Velcro or button snaps.


If you use that as a background, that tape will be a nightmare.



May 14, 2022 at 09:06 AM
Silverwolf
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


jlafferty wrote:
Proper V flats are made from 4x8' 1/2" foam core and cost around $90 + more for some 3" gaff. Diversified Display Products out of Jersey sells the foam core in packs of 10, I think shipping is free, and they're the cheapest supplier I've found so far.

But, that said, I also have a semi regular client and they want me shooting in their production office, and I can't fit the V flats in my car, and didn't like the idea of transit with them on top, especially in the rain. So I went to Blick Art Supply, and grabbed
...Show more

I like this idea for travel



Dec 22, 2022 at 04:34 AM
sungphoto
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


ilkka_nissila wrote:
V-flatworld's foldable V-Flats seem easily worth the cost. The materials cost almost what they charge for the finished product; it takes a few hours of work to construct if DIY (with exposure to acetone), and the product comes with a carrying bag which should increase longevity if one needs to transport them frequently.

I made my own but probably should have bought the commercial product instead (I was not aware of it). As for the usefulness, I think V-flats are great as they don't need stands. Stand legs reduce the working space and by using V-flats, I can use more of
...Show more

I'd much rather use a traditional DIY one in studio. I have the v-flatworld ones in my studio and the velcro doesn't stick very well after a year of use, so on top of having the usual wear/damage, they'll often just fall apart at the seams when we move them.

V-flats are a valuable tool in studio, but the v-flatworld ones seem more like gimmicks with fancy marketing. My guess is that a properly made DIY v-flat would have a longer lifespan - I've certainly used several year old ones that are beat up and bent that still work great.



Dec 27, 2022 at 07:15 PM
Malisa Suntech
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


Buy a new one for better efficiency and good results.


Dec 28, 2022 at 03:30 AM
JBPhotog
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · White Panel/V-Flat/etc


I have no experience with these but the materials used seem to be durable and not foamcore. They are transportable, can be used as a traditional V-flat and a translucent scrim option is avaialble.

https://strobepro.com/collections/flags-scrims/products/strobepro-rapid-v-flat



Dec 28, 2022 at 04:40 PM
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