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[danceonred]

for all the photographers on my FL:
if you were buying your first off-camera lighting setup would you go with a soft box or a brolly box and why? i already have a speed light and i'm definitely going to get some umbrellas but i can't decide between a soft box or brolly box.. helpppppp!

Comments

[alejjandraperez]

I guess a brolly box is a little cheaper, and can replace a beauty dish as well as a soft box.
it seems like a soft box isnt as versatile, but either way I don't think you can go wrong. a brolly just may be more in budget reasoning. but if you're going big time, which it seems like, you may just go soft box. i researched a little before commenting this. either way, i wish you luck! (i'm watching my friends go through lighting at school with soft boxes and beauty dishes and it's intense)

[danceonred]

thanks for the response! the main difference to me is that a brolly box is best for like groups of people (4+) while a soft box is better for portraits or couples because it's more controlled light.. ah! i think i shoot more portraits so maybe i'll go for a soft box? i don't know.. i also like that brolly boxes give you round catch lights as opposed to square ones -____- i don't know LOL

[otherjoseph]

I don't know either, so...

"The softness or otherwise of a light is really a product of relative size - get the light really close to the subject and it wraps around the subject, producing soft light. Move it further away and the light becomes less soft.

Softboxes can be placed extremely close to the subject (maybe not for children unless you nail them to the floor) so can produce the softest light, size for size.

Shoot through umbrellas can also produce soft light for the same reason, but the light is pretty uncontrolled because a lot of it bounces around the room.

Reflective umbrellas (and brolly boxes) can't produce such soft light because they can't be placed as close. The can't be placed as close because they're facing the wrong way.

Softboxes can have a very even distribution of light, due to their deeper design and their (normally) use of internal diffusers - but there can be considerable variation between makes, which is the reason why some people spend more to get Chimera or similar."

From here

I hope it helps!

[danceonred]

thank youuuuuu, you're lovely ^__^