# Softbox suggestions for speedlights



## DaveAndHolly219

I'm looking for some suggestions for cost effective (decently priced but not junk quality) softboxes for use with speedlights. I'm not ready to make the jump to strobes but I want to start playing with softer and more controlled light than I get with umbrellas. 


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## Derrel

There are a lot of vendors for these. Maybe look at Steve Kaeser Enterprises, online. Adorama sells a number of these. In recent years, there haver been some marked improvements in rounded plastic mounting rings, where the flash sits in a shoe, and blasts the beam right thru the rounded, rear mount for the softbox. Adorama has its newer "Glow" line of modifiers. I used to use Chimera, but thiose were expensive, and for strobes back then; since 2007, I've gone Steve Kaeser, or Amazon made in China from various vendors.

The MIC stuff has improved over the years, but is still a notch below Chimera or Photoflex stuff, but the prices make it a good value.


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## DaveAndHolly219

Derrel said:


> There are a lot of vendors for these. Maybe look at Steve Kaeser Enterprises, online. Adorama sells a number of these. In recent years, there haver been some marked improvements in rounded plastic mounting rings, where the flash sits in a shoe, and blasts the beam right thru the rounded, rear mount for the softbox. Adorama has its newer "Glow" line of modifiers.



I did see the Glow 31"x31" that includes the mount for a single speedlight and the mount for up to four lights all for $40. It's on backorder, of course. 


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## Derrel

Yeah...on backorder because it is a SCREAMING value!!!!


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## TamiAz

I love my 26" Rapid Box Octa. Super easy to set up and take down and it produces nice, soft light.


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## bluewanders

I've been using a couple of these for a while.
Amazon.com : Godox S-Type Bracket Bowens Holder+ 80x80cm Softbox + Grid + Bag Kit for Camera Flash : Camera & Photo

At $50 bucks a piece they pack a lot of value.  Dual diffusers, recessed face, a grid, a bowens mount, collapsible.  Even though the mount is plastic it's pretty beefy, I haven't had any problems out of it yet in about a year of frequent on-site use but I'd like to spend more time with it before I give the plastic a full seal of approval.


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## DaveAndHolly219

Let's toss in another point of discussion. 

Size. 

Does one typically use a smaller softbox than they would an umbrella for the same shot? For example, I have 45" umbrellas. I use them for portraits (headshots all the way up to full length shots).  Would I want a similarly sized softbox or could I go smaller? 


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## DaveAndHolly219

bluewanders said:


> I've been using a couple of these for a while.
> Amazon.com : Godox S-Type Bracket Bowens Holder+ 80x80cm Softbox + Grid + Bag Kit for Camera Flash : Camera & Photo
> 
> At $50 bucks a piece they pack a lot of value.  Dual diffusers, recessed face, a grid, a bowens mount, collapsible.  Even though the mount is plastic it's pretty beefy, I haven't had any problems out of it yet in about a year of frequent on-site use but I'd like to spend more time with it before I give the plastic a full seal of approval.



This looks like a hell of a deal.  Does that package include everything needed, minus the speedlight, trigger, and light stand? 


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## bluewanders

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> bluewanders said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've been using a couple of these for a while.
> Amazon.com : Godox S-Type Bracket Bowens Holder+ 80x80cm Softbox + Grid + Bag Kit for Camera Flash : Camera & Photo
> 
> At $50 bucks a piece they pack a lot of value.  Dual diffusers, recessed face, a grid, a bowens mount, collapsible.  Even though the mount is plastic it's pretty beefy, I haven't had any problems out of it yet in about a year of frequent on-site use but I'd like to spend more time with it before I give the plastic a full seal of approval.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This looks like a hell of a deal.  Does that package include everything needed, minus the speedlight, trigger, and light stand?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yeah it does... you get the sofbox itself, a carrying case, both diffusers, the egg crate, the bowens mount, a sleeve for the softbox and a larger bag for the whole kit.  The entire thing breaks down into a square bag roughly the size of a large toaster.  I typically don't break it down that far, the softbox itself folds flat and I find it much faster to put up and take down by folding it in half and shoving it into a portfolio case. 

The mount, btw can be used without the softbox for any modifiers that have a bowens mount and the softbox itself doesn't block the face at all so it's possible to use a bowens mount modifier inside the softbox.


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## Derrel

I feel that a 24 x 24 inch softbox creates about the same "main swath" of light as a 42-inch reflecting umbrella. I will often use one, or two 24 x 24 boxes and a pair of 42-inch umbrella boxes on a shoot, more or less switching between those types of setups a couple times or more.

I like a 24" x 24", square box with a fabric "grid"...thre 31 x 31 box linked to above, with the grid, looks pretty good.

A 45 x 36 inch softbox is pretty "big"....a 45-inch unbrella does not seem to me to feel "as large".


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## bluewanders

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> Let's toss in another point of discussion.
> 
> Size.
> 
> Does one typically use a smaller softbox than they would an umbrella for the same shot? For example, I have 45" umbrellas. I use them for portraits (headshots all the way up to full length shots).  Would I want a similarly sized softbox or could I go smaller?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I honestly never really liked umbrellas, so I didn't play with them a whole lot and I am the furthest thing from an authority about them.

I will say that I use that 32" square softbox I linked for headshots all the way to 1/2 length portraits.  Obviously a softbox has different sort of falloff (especially once you start playing with the distance from light to subject) and the spill is much more controlled than an umbrella.

If I want to do a full length I'll typically pull out a couple strip softboxes... like this:
Amazon.com : RoundFlash Strip Light Softbox For Speedlights and Most Flash Units : Camera & Photo
These are the ones I use on site for a lot of different things, but if I want full body shots in a vertical orientation these are my go-to. They pack down to practically nothing and are super fast to pull out and set up (and they can be hung from just about anything including each other, since I do a lot of more intimate types of shoots the spaces are often indoors with questionable access to natural light, in smaller rooms where not that many light stands might fit, and the light from the speedlights needs to be controlled with an iron fist)  The light from these tends to be a little weaker at the top than the bottom, for obvious reasons, and they are only 35" long so the upper area of the body still typically gets it's own speedlight and modifier (if full length).  These make pretty good rim lights too. It's not an ideal solution, but it is a very workable solution for the way I shoot and allows me to control the exposure/gel independently for each angle.

If I think I need a full length horizontal shot (laying down etc) I'll unpack one more like this:
Amazon.com : Valufoto 12"x60" Strip Light Softbox with Grid and Bowens Speedring for Nikon, Canon SpeedLight and Studio Strobe : Camera & Photo
I can't vouch in any way for the quality of this one, I don't own it, but it is very similar to mine.  The greater flexibility in positioning/angling makes this one a decent hair/shoulder/accent/detail light in a pinch... at the cost of being unweildy, slow to set up and take down, etc.

Edited to add: The reason I use strip lights is because I often feel like I need to both control the light from my speedlights, but also to be miserly with it because they have such low power output compared to studio strobes.  A large square softbox has a pretty big face that produces a really nice draping of light but it also puts out a pretty big swath of light which is just fine in many situations, but I like being able to be very surgical when it matters and apply light exactly where I want it and nowhere else.

I also really dislike the catchlights in the eyes from strip softboxes, I feel like it gives the eyes a certain sort of inhuman/serpentine look to it (which works out in many fantasy/cosplay shoots) but doesn't look as good when I am going for pretty much anything else.


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## Derrel

Look at this Zack Arias photo   59698c3984533286982a555c2dbcb163.jpg  and then look at this photo  e17715bcb2320372b309c0afeb98fb37.jpg  and maybe do some searches around this topic   umbrella vs softbox • Search Results  • Photography By Zack Arias • ATL • 404-939-2263 • studio@zackarias.com


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## adamhiram

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> I'm looking for some suggestions for cost effective (decently priced but not junk quality) softboxes for use with speedlights. I'm not ready to make the jump to strobes but I want to start playing with softer and more controlled light than I get with umbrellas.


I'm glad you started this thread - I had the exact same questions and have been researching different modifiers that fit this description.  I love the soft light and nice clean round catch-lights of a shoot-through umbrella, but not the light spill.  Bounce umbrella addresses this somewhat, but then I get a catch-light that looks like a bounce umbrella.



TamiAz said:


> I love my 26" Rapid Box Octa. Super easy to set up and take down and it produces nice, soft light.


I've actually been looking at this and the 32" version.  From what I've read, these sound like solid performers, with none of the issues people have had with the Apollo Orb.  Glad to see a solid recommendation here.



DaveAndHolly219 said:


> Let's toss in another point of discussion.
> 
> Size.
> 
> Does one typically use a smaller softbox than they would an umbrella for the same shot? For example, I have 45" umbrellas. I use them for portraits (headshots all the way up to full length shots).  Would I want a similarly sized softbox or could I go smaller?


This is my biggest question right now.  I am also coming from 45" umbrellas, so the thought of dropping down to a 26" Octa seems counter-intuitive.  The 32" version seems like a better fit, but then the price goes up accordingly.  I've read various rules of thumb about matching your modifier size to the subject's, and limiting subject-to-light distance, but in the end I'm really just looking for comparable soft light without the spill.


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## Derrel

If you want soft light but not a lot of spill, look at the Lastolite Umbrella Box...or the Photek Softlighter II, or if you need it to be inexpensive, check into the the Steve Kaeser Enterprises umbrella box pair for $29 or so (for a set of two!) All of these devices give a MUCH better,less-specular,more-diffused light than any shoot-through umbrella. A shoot through umbrella scatters light all over the shooting area,and often has a rather sickly look to its light.


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## JonA_CT

Amazon.com : Godox 32"/ 80cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector with Carrying Bag for Studio Photo Flash Speedlight : Camera & Photo

I've had super good luck with that octabox. $23. Then again, I've never worked with anything else besides my reflecting umbrella. A couple of examples...


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## DaveAndHolly219

JonA_CT said:


> Amazon.com : Godox 32"/ 80cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector with Carrying Bag for Studio Photo Flash Speedlight : Camera & Photo
> 
> I've had super good luck with that octabox. $23. Then again, I've never worked with anything else besides my reflecting umbrella. A couple of examples...
> 
> View attachment 138565
> 
> View attachment 138566



Looks like the downside is I'd need an assistant in order to angle the light using this product. Still looks like a good deal though. 


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## JonA_CT

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> JonA_CT said:
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com : Godox 32"/ 80cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector with Carrying Bag for Studio Photo Flash Speedlight : Camera & Photo
> 
> I've had super good luck with that octabox. $23. Then again, I've never worked with anything else besides my reflecting umbrella. A couple of examples...
> 
> View attachment 138565
> 
> View attachment 138566
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks like the downside is I'd need an assistant in order to angle the light using this product. Still looks like a good deal though.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Nah. It attaches to an umbrella mount. I can't get quite as steep as my reflecting umbrella, but both of those pics are angled down on my stand.


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## Derrel

With these Godox boxes, you have to reach up inside the box to adjust the angle of the front face, right? And there is a somewhat restricted angle of light movement that might be an issue in some types of photography, like say table-top product work, right?


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## JonA_CT

Derrel said:


> With these Godox boxes, you have to reach up inside the box to adjust the angle of the front face, right? And there is a somewhat restricted angle of light movement that might be an issue in some types of photography, like say table-top product work, right?


Correct...about 45 degrees is it.


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## JonA_CT

Although, I did take these with the Godox.  Flat lay work is probably out though. 

What's in a title?


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## bluewanders

JonA_CT said:


> Amazon.com : Godox 32"/ 80cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector with Carrying Bag for Studio Photo Flash Speedlight : Camera & Photo
> 
> I've had super good luck with that octabox. $23. Then again, I've never worked with anything else besides my reflecting umbrella. A couple of examples...
> 
> View attachment 138565
> 
> View attachment 138566


I used one of these for a while.  It was one of my first attempts at a "soft box" and it taught me a lot about what I wanted in a light modifier.

The lack of a recessed face showed me that trying to feather my light was a lot harder.  It also made it really hard to find a grid and get it attached (as in I had to make a grid out of gaffer tape, I worked on a shoestring budget for a long time)

Because the flash mounted and aimed very far off center I found the light output wasn't very even it was consistently hotter at the bottom than the top. And mine had a noticeable cool spot in the center where I assumed the flash and mount were blocking some of the light. 

Because it went on an umbrella mount inside the soft box I always felt limited in how I could position and angle the light source.  Most egregious was the inability to tilt very far in a downward angle... And to get it to the lowest angle I could I had to adjust the umbrella really close to the mount which made the cool spot much more noticeable. 

Because the flash was inside the umbrella I couldn't reliably slave it optically which meant buying a radio trigger (not a purchase I regret)... And adjusting any settings on the flash was a complete pain in the pants and very disruptive to my flow. I ended up buying flashed with built in radios and a commander... But before that leap in quality of life I had come to truly dislike that modifier... Any adjustment to my flash settings inevitably caused me to take time to readjust the position of the box again and more test frames to get the shadows back where I wanted them while avoiding the cool spot.






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## Derrel

As far as *umbrella softbox* type modifiers, here are some URLS and a comment or two:

Umbrellas For Speedlights
Steve Kaeser Enterprises: Umbrellas etc at
ACCESSORIES - Softboxes, Umbrellas and Reflectors - Steve Kaeser Photographic Lighting
A PAIR of 42-inchers sells for $29.95,  Softbox Umbrella Reflective 42inch

I own a pair of these—pretty decent, especially for the cost. PROS: light unit is at the front face of the umbrella, so triggers work, and the light can be swung up and down at steep angles if needed, even up to 90 degrees on a boom arm, so it can be placed over a table, or over a person, and the light ”rained down” directly as a hair light, etc. The monolight can be either inserted INTO the entire unit, OR can be allowed to stay outside! These will work with a monolight reflector as large as the Speedotron M90’s 8.5 inch diameter bowl reflector, and with ALL 7-inch monolight reflectors, and with all speedlight flashes mounted to an umbrella swivel mount. The drawstring closure system is fast and easy: I prefer it to the 3-zipper system the Lastolite Umbrella Box uses.

B&H Photos list of 19 models of “Softbox umbrella” products   Lighting Umbrellas | B&H Photo Video

The Photek Softlighter II is a more-rounded, 10-ribbed unit, for a more-rounded catchlight.

****AS mentioned above--this type of modifier typically does NOT offer either a grid accessory, nor a recessed front face; for those options, a rectangular or square softbox-shaped modifier is the most logical choice. Sometimes a grid accessory is super-helpful! At other times, not so much! The *recessed face *of a square or rectangle box keeps side-spill to a minimum, and that can be handy to have that controlled without needing to "flag-off" side-spilling light rays with a card and another light stand.


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## DaveAndHolly219

Ended up going with this kit.  Shows as on backorder but a quick chat session with their sales department got me one.  (They just got a shipment in and I snagged one).

Glow S-Type Bracket


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## Designer

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> .. a quick chat session with their sales department got me one.


It's not really a secret, but surprisingly few people will take the trouble to give them a call.  I have received excellent customer service from Adorama.


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## table1349

Late to the party, but here are a couple of ideas.  Complete kits with a nice size box:
Impact Parabox Softbox Speedlight Solution Kit for Nikon Cameras
Impact Parabox Softbox Speedlight Solution Kit for Canon Cameras

Again, it is a reach in type.  

Or this if you want an octibox box kit.  Impact  Dual Speedlight Modifier Kit  B&H Photo Video


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## DaveAndHolly219

Designer said:


> DaveAndHolly219 said:
> 
> 
> 
> .. a quick chat session with their sales department got me one.
> 
> 
> 
> It's not really a secret, but surprisingly few people will take the trouble to give them a call.  I have received excellent customer service from Adorama.
Click to expand...


Turns out the speed ring mount IS on backorder, so the hunt continues.


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## ronlane

@DaveAndHolly219, search for that same speed ring mount on Amazon, under the Godox brand. (It's made in the same factory) I purchased a bowens mount s type from there for my Glow parapop octabox.


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## DaveAndHolly219

ronlane said:


> @DaveAndHolly219, search for that same speed ring mount on Amazon, under the Godox brand. (It's made in the same factory) I purchased a bowens mount s type from there for my Glow parapop octabox.



So just to clarify, order this softbox: Glow Softbox for Bracket

And use it with this mount: Amazon.com: Godox S Type Bracket Stable Bowens S Mount Holder for Speedlite Flash Snoot Softbox Photo Studio Plastic Umbrella Mount Bracket: Electronics

Alternatively, isn't this product suggested by an earlier poster essentially the same thing with extra goodies (grid etc)?: Amazon.com : Godox S-Type Bracket Bowens Holder+ 80x80cm Softbox + Grid + Bag Kit for Camera Flash : Camera & Photo


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## adamhiram

ronlane said:


> @DaveAndHolly219, search for that same speed ring mount on Amazon, under the Godox brand. (It's made in the same factory) I purchased a bowens mount s type from there for my Glow parapop octabox.


If you look at the reviews from some of the Glow softboxes, several people also recommended sticking with the Bowens mount and adding the Godox S-type adapter for easier mounting anyway.

@ronlane: I'm curious what size Octabox you went with, and do you use it with a speedlight or studio strobes?  I've been eying the 38" ParaPop, but worried it might be too big to light with a single speedlight.


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## ronlane

adamhiram said:


> ronlane said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DaveAndHolly219, search for that same speed ring mount on Amazon, under the Godox brand. (It's made in the same factory) I purchased a bowens mount s type from there for my Glow parapop octabox.
> 
> 
> 
> If you look at the reviews from some of the Glow softboxes, several people also recommended sticking with the Bowens mount and adding the Godox S-type adapter for easier mounting anyway.
Click to expand...


I really liked the way that the S-type adapter looked and worked, so I ordered my octabox with the bowens mount and bought the godox adapter separately. I really like the bowens type moutning, it seems secure and is easy to put together and take it down.


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## ronlane

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> ronlane said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DaveAndHolly219, search for that same speed ring mount on Amazon, under the Godox brand. (It's made in the same factory) I purchased a bowens mount s type from there for my Glow parapop octabox.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So just to clarify, order this softbox: Glow Softbox for Bracket
> 
> And use it with this mount: Amazon.com: Godox S Type Bracket Stable Bowens S Mount Holder for Speedlite Flash Snoot Softbox Photo Studio Plastic Umbrella Mount Bracket: Electronics
> 
> Alternatively, isn't this product suggested by an earlier poster essentially the same thing with extra goodies (grid etc)?: Amazon.com : Godox S-Type Bracket Bowens Holder+ 80x80cm Softbox + Grid + Bag Kit for Camera Flash : Camera & Photo
Click to expand...


Godox and Glow are basically the same products made at the same location just Glow is Adorama's house brand and Godox is sold overseas.


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## DaveAndHolly219

Seems like the full kit with the grid is the way to go then! 


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## bluewanders

DaveAndHolly219 said:


> ronlane said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DaveAndHolly219, search for that same speed ring mount on Amazon, under the Godox brand. (It's made in the same factory) I purchased a bowens mount s type from there for my Glow parapop octabox.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So just to clarify, order this softbox: Glow Softbox for Bracket
> 
> And use it with this mount: Amazon.com: Godox S Type Bracket Stable Bowens S Mount Holder for Speedlite Flash Snoot Softbox Photo Studio Plastic Umbrella Mount Bracket: Electronics
> 
> Alternatively, isn't this product suggested by an earlier poster essentially the same thing with extra goodies (grid etc)?: Amazon.com : Godox S-Type Bracket Bowens Holder+ 80x80cm Softbox + Grid + Bag Kit for Camera Flash : Camera & Photo
Click to expand...

Adorama sells a number of rebranded Godox items. And yeah... That's one of them.  Another one that they rebrand is the Godox TT685 speedlight. I assume the two companies have some sort of deal.

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