# umbrella or softbox??



## puyjapin (Dec 18, 2009)

i was looking into buying a budget home studio kit having borrowed a friends for some shots. I used a studio flash with a umberlla in front of it. some kits have an umbrella and a softbox.... with 2 heads. what is the difference and would both be used together??
thanks


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## t00sl0w (Dec 18, 2009)

this is a question i have been wondering about as well....


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## IgsEMT (Dec 18, 2009)

in short, the difference b/n the two is spill and so called directionality. 
umbrella give you more spill and encompasses (someone will rebuke me on this one  ) great area (*BUT NOT ALWAYS). *So if you have a small home studio with only two light umbrellas might be a bit more beneficial (reflective/shoot through) b/c they will also cover the background a bit. 
Softbox is more directional. B/c it does limit where the light is coming out of you can direct the light.
BOTH ARE GREAT, Both deliver amazing results if used correctly. Many time softbox is a main light while umbrella is a fill.
If you can, get both and play around. 
good luck


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## puyjapin (Dec 18, 2009)

is there any minimum wattage reccomended? like is this any good?
B Series MEGA Studio 2 - SALE PRICE!


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## Pugs (Dec 18, 2009)

IgsEMT said:


> in short, the difference b/n the two is spill and so called directionality.
> umbrella give you more spill and encompasses (someone will rebuke me on this one  ) great area (*BUT NOT ALWAYS). *So if you have a small home studio with only two light umbrellas might be a bit more beneficial (reflective/shoot through) b/c they will also cover the background a bit.
> Softbox is more directional. B/c it does limit where the light is coming out of you can direct the light.
> BOTH ARE GREAT, Both deliver amazing results if used correctly. Many time softbox is a main light while umbrella is a fill.
> ...


This is what I just spent the last few minutes typing up... Only better worded...


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## IgsEMT (Dec 18, 2009)

> is there any minimum wattage reccomended? like is this any good?
> B Series MEGA Studio 2 - SALE PRICE!


not sure, but probably will be ok - if to dark then you boost your iso, open up a bit, or drag the shutter.

On this one for example 
AlienBees: Illuminating the Galaxy with Professional Photographic Lighting Equipment at 15feet  1/4 power at iso 400, 1/60sec I get about f5.6 with reflective umbrellas I think its 60" (don't remember).


Many of the cheaper kits can do an OK job but here few things to consider
Recycling Time. Not a bit problem if you are 1/4 power but at full power long recycling time can/are a problem ESPECIALLY when you're shooting kids - waiting for 3seconds for next shot isn't much fun.
Light Control. Some cheaper models allow you to modify light in full stop increments. If you have room to move back and forth it isn't a big issue but if you're bounded by light that extra 1/2 that you need or don't need might be a pain in the _ _ _ (depending on your style of shooting). 
Shooting style - some folks will set the lights, won't move them and shoot shoot shoot doing all of the adjustments as needed in the camera. Others will be keep camera setting same while moving lights as needed.


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## IgsEMT (Dec 18, 2009)

> This is what I just spent the last few minutes typing up... Only better worded...


Type faster, and save my fingers  :lmao:


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## Big Mike (Dec 18, 2009)

> Guide No.:   GN36


They don't say if that's feet or meters...I'd guess Meters.  To put that into perspective, the Canon 430EX has a GN of 43m and the 580EX has a GN of 58m.  
So in other words, those strobes are not very powerful.  That might be enough for a small studio, but for anything bigger, it isn't much power.  

They are also listing the 'Power Range' as 160 Watts.  The units used to measure flash/strobe are Watt Seconds.  Small point maybe, but I'd expect them to know that.  


HERE is a site that nicely compares different light modifiers.  

My personal preference is for softboxes because they allow you to constrain the light more than an umbrella.


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## puyjapin (Dec 18, 2009)

so for home use it would be fine with a simple backdrop, for a few portraits and photographing the kids etc>?


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## Big Mike (Dec 18, 2009)

It depends on your set up and what you want to do.  For example, if you want to shoot something with a dark or black background, that might be difficult because an umbrella throws light all over, which will likely get onto the background, making it lighter than you want it to be.

If keeping light off of your background isn't an issue...then umbrellas are probably fine.


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## puyjapin (Dec 18, 2009)

but with a softbox a dark background would be fine?
has anyone heard of yake lights?

i found this on e bay, looks like a good deal but i dont know the make ...
YAKE Studio flash Kit on eBay (end time 19-Dec-09 09:49:27 GMT)


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## Derrel (Dec 18, 2009)

I think the two photos at Zak Arias' web site will show the difference quite well.

Zack Arias  Atlanta based editorial music photographer » Shoot Through Umbrella vs. Softbox

Keep in mind that there *is* a hybrid type of umbrella, produced by a select few companies, in which the light head is inside the umbrella. The umbrella that performs more like a softbox than any other is made by two companies. Annie Liebovitz uses the Photek Softlighter, and many European photographers use the Lastolite Umbrella Box; both are very,very similar. I use the Lastolite Umbrella box 40 inchers and am happy with them. These are NOT to be confused with the cheaper "Brolly Box" style. A "Brolly Box is usually just a cheap umbrella, a shoot through, with a black backing on it,and it is not very popular with serious studio lighting people. The Photek SOftlighter and the Lastolite Umbrella Box are *not* what is called a Brolly Box style--they are much,much better, and actually doubly diffuse the light. He light is bounced off of a reflecting surface inside the umbrella, bounces back, and then goes through a front diffusion panel, creating a very soft light, much like a softbox. The cheaper Brolly Box just shoots light through a shoot thru umbrella that has a black backing on it.

Take a good look at this page's two photos, and you will see that a shoot-through umbrella sends MORE light "backwards" and into the room than it send the direction the flash is pointed; that light bounces all over the room, creating what is called "ambient spill light". When using a reflecting umbrella, which is not shown in the above photos, ALL of the light goes in one direction. A convertible umbrella is a reflecting umbrella with a removable black backing fabric that you can take off, and is the type of umbrella shown on the Zack Arias page (with its black backing removed); look at his caption--where is says the "silvered" side of the umbrella, that means a satiny-finished silvered side, typical of most convertible umbrellas--not a metallic silver side. Metallic silvered umbrellas are available, and they produce crisp light with a lot of specularity,and are wonderful for Black and White. Speedotron's Super Silver metallized umbrella is excellent.

One big advantage the softbox has is its ability to be fitted with grids, either vertical strips (not as common this decade as in the past), or square "egg crate" grids, with further reduce spill light,and keep the light contained and heading straight out of the box,and not all over the shooting area. Softboxes can alsi be had with a recessed face, which keeps the front panel back 3 to 4 inches from the leading edge, and produces less spill light as well. A recessed-front softbox with a grid added keeps the light going "forward" more so than a flush-face softbox with no grid.

Zck's site has a lot of wonderful tutorials on it.


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 19, 2009)

Derrel said:


> I think the two photos at Zak Arias' web site will show the difference quite well.
> 
> Zack Arias  Atlanta based editorial music photographer » Shoot Through Umbrella vs. Softbox
> 
> ...




Thanks for the link, I just bought his Onelight Workshop DVD. :thumbup:


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## rokvi (Oct 5, 2012)

bruisjem said:


> Choosing a softbox or an umbrella can make difference between taking a great photo and taing one that is under or over exposed.




:scratch:


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## Dao (Oct 5, 2012)

rokvi said:


> bruisjem said:
> 
> 
> > Choosing a softbox or an umbrella can make difference between taking a great photo and taing one that is under or over exposed.
> ...


 
I believe that user just want to promote his/her product in a very cheap way.


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## Ballistics (Oct 5, 2012)

I'm surprised that no one mentioned bounce umbrellas, which is softer than shoot through and you have more control over direction. I use bounce umbrellas.


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## bruisjem (May 10, 2013)

Umbrella and softbox both of these work by softening light from  flash,but they are better in different situations. Choosing a softbox or  an umbrella can make difference between taking a great photo and taing  one that is under or over exposed.


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## cptkid (May 10, 2013)

bruisjem said:


> Umbrella and softbox both of these work by softening light from flash,but they are better in different situations. Choosing a softbox or an umbrella can make difference between taking a great photo and taing one that is under or over exposed.



Zombie thread. This is over 2 years old.


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## IByte (May 10, 2013)

Why not get a combination of both?  Do not limit yourself on one or the other, I would even throw in a all-in-one reflector and experiment.


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