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SaltyPeanut
Guest
Anyone used/compared these two by any chance? Looking for a portable setup for outdoor shooting. Umbrellas are hard to control outdoors. Assume the octa would have the additional deflector.
TIA
TIA
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FJ Westcott
Forum Enthusiast
Gonna let some others chime in first but wanted to point out that the 26" is a speedlight modifier and the Beauty Dish comes in one of several studio strobe mounts and would require an adapter for use with speedlights. In addition, you may want to consider the Rapid Box Duo (my personal favorite).
Pete@Westcott
Doug MacMillan
Senior Member
I was considering the Duo, but I'm changing cameras and speedlights. I plan to eventually go with the Godox AD200 (I do this for fun). I'll then be in the market for Bowens mount modifiers.
Back to the Westcott Rapid Box 27". Here's a one light (not counting ambient) photo taken with it. I mounted it on a paint pole using an adapter to create a voice activated light stand.
Back to the Westcott Rapid Box 27". Here's a one light (not counting ambient) photo taken with it. I mounted it on a paint pole using an adapter to create a voice activated light stand.
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SaltyPeanut
Guest
Pete, I don't see how, but is there any way to mount a Godox AD200 to the 26" speedlight box?
Sailor Blue
Forum Pro
You could use an umbrella bracket between the 26" octabox hot-shoe mount and the AD-200. A kludge that is necessary because of the way the AD200 is made vs a hot-shoe flash.
You could use an AD200 with the Godox S-Type Bracket for Bowens/Elinchrom with the Westcott Joel Grimes Rapid Beauty Dish. This is the only collapsible beauty dish that seems to actually produce light that is like that from a metal beauty dish and it requires the use of a bare bulb flash such as the AD200 to get that light.
If you are after a long lasting professional quality softbox for head shots then the Westcott 26" Rapid Box is a good choice. It could be stretched for waist up portraits but is too small for anything else.
For general amateur use you should check out what is available from Cheetah Stand. The quality won't match that of Westcott but the softboxes are of good quality.
Cheetah Stand - Creative Photography Equipment and Accessories
Don't believe anyone who tells you that they have a collapsible beauty dish for a hot-shoe flash that is as good as one for a studio strobe. They simply don't exist. Most are simply more or less round softboxes with a shiny interior and possibly an added deflector plate. The light output is nothing like that from a real beauty dish. Here is the review of the hot-shoe hexadecabox/beauty dish I bought. I am happy with it as a softbox but the light output is nothing like from a real beauty dish.
Sailorblue - Review of Selens 65cm 26" Softbox.pdf
You could use an AD200 with the Godox S-Type Bracket for Bowens/Elinchrom with the Westcott Joel Grimes Rapid Beauty Dish. This is the only collapsible beauty dish that seems to actually produce light that is like that from a metal beauty dish and it requires the use of a bare bulb flash such as the AD200 to get that light.
If you are after a long lasting professional quality softbox for head shots then the Westcott 26" Rapid Box is a good choice. It could be stretched for waist up portraits but is too small for anything else.
For general amateur use you should check out what is available from Cheetah Stand. The quality won't match that of Westcott but the softboxes are of good quality.
Cheetah Stand - Creative Photography Equipment and Accessories
Don't believe anyone who tells you that they have a collapsible beauty dish for a hot-shoe flash that is as good as one for a studio strobe. They simply don't exist. Most are simply more or less round softboxes with a shiny interior and possibly an added deflector plate. The light output is nothing like that from a real beauty dish. Here is the review of the hot-shoe hexadecabox/beauty dish I bought. I am happy with it as a softbox but the light output is nothing like from a real beauty dish.
Sailorblue - Review of Selens 65cm 26" Softbox.pdf
I can't answer about the 24" rapid beauty dish but had a request to shoot this at an outdoor wedding for my nephew. It was already dark and I was not really prepared for a large group shot in the area they chose. I only had speedlights with me a couple of umbrellas and a Westcott 26" octabox.
I used the Westcott 26" octabox with a Canon 600EX-RT speedlight.
I needed a little extra light for some shadows after a test shot so I used along with this an icelight.
I used the Westcott 26" octabox with a Canon 600EX-RT speedlight.
I needed a little extra light for some shadows after a test shot so I used along with this an icelight.
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SaltyPeanut
Guest
What would make more sense, a ad200 on a 36" rapid box, or a 32" duo with 2 speedlights? For portable outdoor use, 1-2 adults to small families, aided by a reflector if needed. Box sizes are so close I assume light coverage/falloff are close enough to be negligible (could be wrong). With all the mounting options out there, is it possible to use either set of lights on either or these boxes? Just trying to get a sense of how much versatility is possible.
Nikonparrothead
Veteran Member
I see you did a rather extensive test on that Selens. Yes in the end, there's nothing like the hard dish.
i just checked over at FlashHavoc and see that in the U.S, Adorama is going full in with a 16-ribbed Glow softbox. Likely sourced at the same place as that Selens (and Phottix and Cheetahstand).
i just checked over at FlashHavoc and see that in the U.S, Adorama is going full in with a 16-ribbed Glow softbox. Likely sourced at the same place as that Selens (and Phottix and Cheetahstand).
Sailor Blue
Forum Pro
The bigger the subject the bigger I want my light source to be. For portrait soft light I want the diffuser to be as large as or larger than the subject and I will use it at a distance of 1 to 2 times the diameter/diagonal of the diffuser.
A 32" or 36" softbox is fine for waist up portraits of a single person, and can be stretched for a thigh up portrait, but they are too small for a full length portrait.
If I had to chose between these two softboxes I would definitely choose the larger one.
If you try to light a group or a full length portrait you don't get even lighting if you stay with the 2 times diameter/diagonal limit for a small diffuser. If you position it further from the subject(s) you can get even lighting but it is harder lighting.
Umbrellas have a bad reputation for some reason but they are great. Low in cost, easy to transport (especially the 43" collapsible ones). Using white reflection umbrella with a black backing gives you great soft light and the black backing eliminates most of the stray light you get with a shoot through umbrella.
For a small family of 3 or 4 people (Clay Blackmore - Group Posing Guide) I might use a single 43" umbrella but would expect some fall off at the feet for a full length portrait or slightly harder light for a group. I would prefer either a 60" umbrella or two 43" ones side by side for such a group. In most cases I use a white umbrella with a black backing in the reflection mode.
B&H - Westcott 43" White Umbrella, Collapsible 2011 B&H Photo
B&H - Westcott 60" White Satin Umbrella with Removable Black 2021
Adorama Westcott 43" White Satin Umbrella 2011
Adorama Westcott 60" Optical White Satin Umbrella with Removable Black Cover - Fiberglass Frame
You can use a GN 60 hot-shoe flash in a 43" umbrella if the subjects are indoors or in the shade outdoors.
For a 60" umbrella I would look at the AD200 with the Godox S-Type Bracket for Bowens and a 120° reflector to prevent the spill of light beyond the rim of the umbrella.
Amazon.com - Godox Aluminum 120° 12.2" Wide Angle Reflector Bowens Mount Diffuser Dish for Photography Studio Strobe Light : Camera & Photo
To use this reflector with an umbrella you need to mount the reflector, slide the umbrella stem in from the back of the S-Type bracket until it butts up against the reflector, tighten the umbrella holding thumb screw, and mark where the stem hits the reflector. Drill out a hole at this position so the umbrella can pass through the reflector and into the S-Type bracket.
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SaltyPeanut
Guest
Thx. I might try this, with them sitting down on a blanket.
Wouldn't the ad200 be too close to the reflector? Bare bulb on the ad200 for best results?
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FJ Westcott
Forum Enthusiast
I understand that the current S-bracket offering will fit the AD200 for mounting to any of the studio mount Rapid Boxes including the 24" Beauty Dish. I have mounted an AD200 to the 26" Rapid Box and a Duo using the tilter (included with many AD200 Including the Evolv kits but not all) and replacing the cold shoe on the Rapid Box with a 1/4-20 female spigot. I think The limited depth for inserting the AD200 into the 26" Rapid Box make the speedlight head a better choice for that modifier but I prefer the Deeper Rapid Box Duo (larger opening) combined with the Bare bulb head of AD200. For the Duo, do not attach the twin cold shoe bracket and screw a 1/4-20 spigot on in its place.
Pete@Westcott
I think that this vid has some useful info. It's a bit difficult as I can't turn up the sound right now
Also, as far as I understand, with the new Godox S-Type adapters, there is no longer a need to do the modifications shown in the vid.
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Sailor Blue
Forum Pro
No.
Not necessarily so.
You can use the regular reflector with any umbrella but it means the light must be further from the umbrella because the angle of illumination is smaller than with the wide angle reflector.
You can go bare bulb in an umbrella without using a reflector if you position the light inside the umbrella. The reason for not doing this is that light travels off to the sides and even backward some from a bare bulb. You tend to get light spilling past the rim of the umbrella unless you position the light far enough inside the umbrella that the body of the flash blocks this light.
Think of the wide angle reflector as something to prevent light spill.
The wide angle reflector is best for shoot through mode. It can be used in reflection mode but you might find it causing the center of the disk of light to be slightly darker because it is throwing a shadow. The closer the umbrella to the subject the more influence the shadow will have.