I am looking to suspend a 42" or 48" panel over my subject to block the overhead light for outdoor portraiture (subtractive lighting). Between the scrimjim, lastolite skylite, and chimera frames, which is:
1). The lightest?
2). The fastest to setup/tear down?
3). Has the most secure system for attaching to a lightstand?
photobear wrote:
I am looking to suspend a 42" or 48" panel over my subject to block the overhead light for outdoor portraiture (subtractive lighting). Between the scrimjim, lastolite skylite, and chimera frames, which is:
I can't speak to the Chimera, they make great products but I haven't used their reflector panels. However I own both the Lastolite SkyLite and the Westcott Scrim Jim. Both are great products and both have their advantages. I can highly recommend both, but on to your specific questions:
1). The lightest?
I'd give the edge to the Scrim Jim here. Frame is thinner and fabrics are lighter. I prefer the SJ diffusers and nets, but then I prefer the white and black reflectors of the SkyLite.
2). The fastest to setup/tear down?
Edge to LL SkyLite, since the tubes are connected with a bungie cord. The SJ collapses smaller though. The fabric set ups are different but both take about the same time.
3). Has the most secure system for attaching to a lightstand?
Both are robust fittings. The LL SkyLite has 2 types of holders. The D200LL knuckle is the strongest and most versatile of all. The SJ uses a flag post which fits in a standard D200 knuckle and has it's advantages if you are going to be repositioning or twirling it a lot.
I personally have the lastolite skylite and have used it for years. I like the build and its super easy to set up and tear down. I use it mainly for beach shots and use the gold / silver most of the time. Good luck tho, I don't think that you can go wrong with any of those listed !
Just to offer another point of view, I'd recommend the Chimera panel kits. They are super fast to put together (bungee cord inside), they offer a 42" compact frame that folds to 24", and their kits come with more useful fabric choices (for me, at least; comes with a reversible black/white and a 1/2-stop diffusion). What I like best about them is that they require no proprietary mounting hardware -- the frame tubing fits into a standard grip head. My recommendation, however, is only for their 42" or 48" versions for outdoor use. The only downside of the Chimera is that they're less rigid than the Scrim Jims or Skylites; I wouldn't hesitate to use the larger 42x72" or 72x72" in the studio, but I think the competition is better outdoors. The panels attach quickly, elastic loops around the corner, which is great for the small versions but makes the larger sizes less taut than the competition (especially troubling if it's windy). In the 42" size, indoors or out, I think the Chimera can't be beat in light weight, speed and ease of use.
While you're shopping, I'd highly recommend you add California Sunbounce (www.sunbounce-usa.com) to this list of alternatives to consider. A bit harder to find, but exceptional quality and great design.
I highly recommend the black/white fabric if you go Chimera. Of all the panels I use, it gets the most use by far. The Lastolite I'm using is completely opaque.
Unfortunately B&W panels are no longer available from either Lastolite or Wescott last time I checked.
For what it's worth, the current Lastolite (and Bogen) catalogs show Black & White combination fabrics available for all sizes of Skylites (however, they are not available bundled with kits); B&H's website has them for sale. Westcott, on the other hand, does not offer a B&W reversible fabric, so each color panel must be purchased separately.
