# Parabolic umbrella tips



## pixelboy (Nov 15, 2013)

Hi folks. I've just taken delivery of a 62 inch Lastolite Mega silver parabolic umbrella. I also have recently bought the UK version of the Godox ( Cheetah ) 360 flash. I'm new to both of these so I'm on a bit of a curve.

Can someone please give me a couple of basic pointers as to how to use the umbrella. I'm guessing I want it pointed a bit above, to the side and angled down towards the subject as per normal and I'm guessing this umbrella would function best a few feet away rather than close up; maybe about 10ft. Does this sound about right?

I'd appreciate a correction if I'm on the wrong track here.

Second re the flash. I've loads of power in this one and I'm guessing I should use it bare bulb ( without the supplied reflector ) to bounce the light all over the surface area of the umbrella. Does this sound right?

Again if I'm wrong, please correct me.

Thanks for your help


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## D-B-J (Nov 15, 2013)

Your best bet is to set it up, and practice. Move it far, close, up, down, vary the angles, vary the power, etc. That practice swag will be a million times more useful than any tips I could give you.

Jake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## tirediron (Nov 15, 2013)

There's so much more than can be put in a hundred posts; check out YouTube and this will be the best $30 you EVER spent on lighting!


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## Derrel (Nov 15, 2013)

I looked at the flash design on-line here CHEETAH Light CL-180 ? Bare Bulb HSS Flash ? Review | FLASH HAVOC

My gut feeling is that no, it'd probably work better to use it with the reflector ON the flash, not in the bare-tube mode. Try each method and see. When the reflector is removed, watch out for "raw light" that does not travel into the bowl of the umbrella, but which instead, flies all over the shooting area, causing stray light, and possibly unwanted reflections. "Most" studio flash heads and monolight flash systems have a designated "*umbrella reflector*" with often around a 110-degree beam spread angle. This new Cheetah is neither a studio flash head nor a monolight, but a hybrid shoe-mount in the old Sunpak 120-J style. I just think that using it with the reflector with the umbrella will probably be the normal mode of operation.


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## pixelboy (Nov 16, 2013)

Thank you for your replies. I gave it a go without the reflector and it performed better, filling the umbrella much better, but the reflector I have isn't an umbrella one so I will order it and see how it goes with that. They're pretty cheap ones so no worries.

Thanks for the book tip too. I'm on it


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## Derrel (Nov 16, 2013)

Wow, I checked out the Cheetah home page! They have some nifty flash gear there! I have a feeling that this stuff might just become very trendy and popular with a certain segment of the internet-based photo community.

https://www.cheetahstand.com/


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## pixelboy (Nov 16, 2013)

Derrel the Godox lights are amazing value IMHO. They have some great modifiers and the light quality, power, and sheer rugged performance are astonishingly good. I was looking for a Quantum for a while but couldn't afford one. These ( Atom in the UK ) lights do it all apart from TTL which I'm not too bothered about. If I need TTL I have my speedlites. I've only just got my Atom 360 and I've been laid low with a bug this week but I'm desperate to get to grips with it once I'm out and about again. Stick one of these in a softbox and you very nearly have the equivalent of a studio light and certainly it is much more convenient than strapping 3 speedlites together 


Oh yeah, and you can use the battery pack with your speedlite if you want too


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