Chimera Octoplus 5'-7' expandable box?

[Jannie]

Has anyone seen one, has anyone used one? At $535 if this works well, it's a very good deal, but I have always thought Chimera as being really good softboxes, is that still the case?

Here's the link for what I'm talking about.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354758-REG/Chimera_6050_Octaplus_Expandable_Light_Bank.html

[tetrode]

Has anyone seen one, has anyone used one? At $535 if this works well, it's a very good deal, but I have always thought Chimera as being really good softboxes, is that still the case?

Here's the link for what I'm talking about.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354758-REG/Chimera_6050_Octaplus_Expandable_Light_Bank.html

It doesn't seem like such a great deal to me, Jannie. The expansion kit needed to convert the 5' to a 7' Octaplus costs an additional $498:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354759-REG/Chimera_6051_7_Light_Bank_Expansion.html

Even if you buy the 5-footer with the expansion kit bundled, it's still almost $800:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354760-REG/Chimera_6057_Octaplus_5_Light_Bank_.html

Dave F.

[Jannie]

Okay that's a lot but if it works really really well then you aren't carrying as much stuff up the stairs and if it offers really, really good light then all is forgiven anyway.

My inclination is to go with a 5' box if I get a strobe setup, that and a beauty dish, a 2'x3' softbox and I should be set if I include some scrims or I guess they are called honeycombs.

But I'm having a hard time finding consistency in reviews as to whos Octobox type units are good and which are bad.

I've been most interested in the Elinchrom 53" Octobox but does it offer really lovely face light or is it worth it to tighten the belt and go with the Profoto 5' box and heads, ouch the prices on those really are high with the monoblock 600 heads.

But compared to lenses, the whole kit for what I want will run between $2,000 and $3,000 but I also have to figure out if it's going to get used enough to make sense.

Predominently two heads for use with tabletop and portraiture and a good set of boxes/modifiers, reflectors etc. Possibly add a third head if needed.

But who makes a Octobox that gives out the nicest light and is a really good, well made box, I should be able to use it some for over a table as well but it's kind of big, will have to think that one out although I've used 6'x6' silks over the top before to get the wrap.

[Rudi]

I've been most interested in the Elinchrom 53" Octobox but does it offer really lovely face light or is it worth it to tighten the belt and go with the Profoto 5' box and heads, ouch the prices on those really are high with the monoblock 600 heads.

The 53" Octa really throws out nice light! Really nice light!!!

This was my first session with the Octa Midi after I got it - I was sick with the flu and miserable as a dog, and no one to play with - so it's a self-portrait of my misery! One light only and a light-coloured wall on my left side, about 10 feet away. That's all. (And this is my first semi-serious self-portrait, so I was putting a lot of faith into the Octa Midi...). You be the judge...

http://rudiphoto.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p430032456.jpg

[Jannie]

Okay I want that look, thanks, I don't know how much PP you did on that Rudi but what impresses me is that your fingers which are flat to the light aren't harsher, even with that side of the face being on a similar plane, I often find that parts of a hand will be too bright or edgy. And yet it wraps ever so sweet to your far eye...Very nice.

Which strobe head were you using and approx how far away was the light from you? I would believe the different heads might make a difference on how the light spreads in the Octobank. Do you have to peel back the white covering to make adjustments on that one, it's the Elinchrom Octobank isn't it?

I'm getting excited, it was this one wasn't it...http://www.amazon.com/Elinchrom-EL-26184-Octagonal-Diffusers/dp/B00009XVNA/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1220971186&sr=1-23

[Rudi]

Jannie, that's the one (I bought it for the same price from B&H), and there is no PP on that image other than conversion to B&W. Like I said, I got the Octa and was sick for several days, finally couldn't stand waiting to get better any more, and there was no one around to pose for me, so I did a self-portrait! :)

That was shot with a D-Lite4. Single light, 53" Octa Midi, one sick, errr... photographer. :D

P.S. The front diffuser was about 4 or 5 feet away from me.

[Rudi]

BTW, now that I have both the 53" Octa as well as the 39" Rotalux square softbox, I will do a little comparison between them when I have some time and a willing model. I like the square softbox because it's a lot easier to fold in a hurry (you only have four rods to deal with :D). Both very nice modifiers! (Oh, and they share the same rods, which is handy for me, I have lots of spares. For some reason I ended up with quite a few).

[Jannie]

Thanks Rudi, really nice shot, sorry about the sick photographer but the light made him look well LOL. I really like the wrap and the way it wraps and does not have too much skin snap on the high points yet looks alive...does that make any sense. I guess it's getting it the right distance for it's size with the inverse square law fall off and everything. I'll need to do a lot of testing when I put this together.

It's almost enough to convince me to go with Elinchrom, yes please do show a comparison, the 39" box would probably be a lot better for table top work and although I really love large sources, putting assembly time and bother is important.

[Rudi]

Jannie,

Another one from a portrait shoot with the new RX600 and the Octa. One light only, no reflectors but a light-coloured wall to the right, about 6 feet away. Octa is camera left, a bit further away than that. The subject is sitting on a white sofa, so is right up against the "background",if you know what I mean. :)

http://rudiphoto.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p235420196.jpg

[TMR Design]

Hi Jannie,

Chimera boxes are quite good but if I were you I wouldn't look any further than the Elinchrom Octa. I think you'll be blown away by the quality of light and of Elinchrom products. A 7 ft box sure sounds wonderful but it's not all that practical and I guarantee you that you'll not be limited by a 53" modifier. Me thinks you're overthinking this. :D

[Rudi]

What Robert said. :) Both shots were done with the 53" Octa BTW, I don't have the large Octa... yet. :D

[TMR Design]

Jannie,

Another one from a portrait shoot with the new RX600 and the Octa. One light only, no reflectors but a light-coloured wall to the right, about 6 feet away. Octa is camera left, a bit further away than that. The subject is sitting on a white sofa, so is right up against the "background",if you know what I mean. :)

http://rudiphoto.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p235420196.jpg

By the ay Rudi, that's a great shot and a really nice black and white conversion.

[Rudi]

While I can take some of the blame for the lighting, the praise for the conversion should go to Lightroom. Straight out of camera and into Lightroom, convert to low contrast B&W. Done!

Thank you Lightroom! :D

[TMR Design]

While I can take some of the blame for the lighting, the praise for the conversion should go to Lightroom. Straight out of camera and into Lightroom, convert to low contrast B&W. Done!

Thank you Lightroom! :D

I don't care how you got there Rudi. It's wonderful. :cool:

I happen to like Lightroom for B&W conversion as well, whether it's a simple one click conversion, using the channel mixer or a preset. ;)

[Jannie]

You just have to believe you'd want to know the kid in the picture just from looking at him, nice job Rudi, really nice!

I'm now just waiting, I can't think of anything that's come out in my research that would appeal to me more than the 53" octobox. I'll be starting first doing table top so it's real important there, the portrait stuff is kind of a fantasy at this point, I'm doing okay with stuff for fun with natural life portraits but my experience is much more applicable with table top and food.

I'm kinda old to be doing this but I'm so darn excited, it's that thing about packing everything you can into each year becoming more important as you get older,and since getting back to taking pictures life just seems so much more meaningful. Good grief I even have been looking at fashion magazines for more than the fantasy of being able to wear beautiful clothes like that, I've been trying to tell when photos were taken with a Beauty Dish, Softbox or Octabox. In my many years shooting commercials I'll bet I didn't do more than a dozen that had anything to do with fashion. Food yes, lifestyle yes, soap, bleach, cookie mixes-yes but fashion was just about as few as car commercials which I totally could not relate to other than to make them pretty. Now...it's all about the lighting and that look, you know, the eyes OMG when I get a good one it just thrills me.

I told some friends recently that I would love to spend the rest of my life trying to take one picture, a picture to show the world what love looks like and I can spend the rest of my life trying to take that picture...now that just thrills me; but in the mean time I live where it rains all winter and doing table top will definitely help me get through that, besides it's kind of like a fantasy world being that close.

Honestly lightingwise though, I noticed that Elinchrom makes a 250w tungston and some quarts lights which fit their speed rings and are configured like their strobes to fit their softboxes and I've been thinking about that too for table top stuff. Just don't know if that's enough power, I used to use some much heavier lighting shooting commercials but then again I often had an area often about 3'x5' to light.

This brings back a lot of neat memories.