Westcott Halo vs. Softbox vs. Umbrella

[linda williams]

Has anyone used the Westcott Halo Mono? I like the effect I get from shooting through a diffused umbrella, but I tend to get some flare problems when the light is in close to the subject . Since the Halo is enclosed with a black backing, I thought it might lessen the flare. Is the light from a Halo as "soft" as the light from a similar sized softbox? Are the ribs visible in the catchlights? Is it easy to set up?

Thanks in advance for any info!

Linda

 

[Matt Chroust]

Why don't you look at their Apollo softbox? It has (or is available with) a recessed front that would help with your flare problem, and there are no ribs across the front if you are concerned about shadows.

As to the ease of use of the Mono, it depends on what you are mounting the it to. What flashes are you using? The ribs won't show any more than the ribs on an umbrella show. They might be visible if you were shooting a reflective surface at a very close difference. Since you have only one diffusion layer, you won't be as soft as a softbox. Softer than a bounce umbrella and slightly softer than a shoot thru umbrella.

Hope that helps, Linda.

Regards,

Matt.

Has anyone used the Westcott Halo Mono? I like the effect I get
from shooting through a diffused umbrella, but I tend to get some
flare problems when the light is in close to the subject . Since
the Halo is enclosed with a black backing, I thought it might
lessen the flare. Is the light from a Halo as "soft" as the light
from a similar sized softbox? Are the ribs visible in the
catchlights? Is it easy to set up?

Thanks in advance for any info!

Linda

--
Matt