Chimera 36x48 w/Elinchron 400BX ?

[Jannie]

I'm feeling more confident, like I'm starting to understand my needs more for a strobe setup.

To be used for food/tabletop and portrait.

Start with a Elinchrom 400BX kit
w/2 umbrellas
w/2 stands
w/cases

Elinchrom reflector and grid set

Chimera 36"x48" softbox with 2 diffusers and Speedring for Elinchrom http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/118310-REG/Chimera_1135_Shallow_Super_Pro_Plus.html

3rd stand with grip setup for my
Lastolite 48" triangle reflector


I want the 53" Octobox and the Beauty Dish but maybe it's more versatile to get the Chimera because I expect to do a lot of tabletop photography and the Portrait stuff is more of a wish.

[Rudi]

The Octa will give you the same nice wrap-around effect for whatever you wish. See HERE (http://www.rudiphoto.net/For_Sale/Selling/Selling.html) for real-world examples (not advertising, it's just some gear that I was selling, and these are the product shots). The Octa is just a large softbox, but it's a very versatile large softbox. :D

The BX400 kit is a great choice!

[Jannie]

Forget the Chimera, loving it! Now I've just got to wait until an investment can be cashed out. Wish I could buy those lenses too. Nice pictures, great way to sell stuff, you really covered everything but actually letting the buyer be able to shoot with the lenses over the internet.

Have you ever used the Elinchrom Beauty Dish. I'm getting really excited now. This afternoon I was plain worn out, I've been obsessing about this stuff every day for a week, it's the way I research stuff until I get some kind of comfortable feeling and then I'm okay.

Thanks Rudi, hope you sell that stuff soon, it all looks brand new!

I cannot believe anyone would give up a 300mm f2.8!!!

[Rudi]

Don't get me wrong, the Chimera is a very nice softbox! What I'm saying is that if you really want the 53" Octa, it's not going to hold you back for product photography. If a large softbox is needed for the job, and you want the Octa, it will serve you well. :)

[FlyingPhotog]

This was shot using the 53" Octa as the main front light camera right:
http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/image/102630305.jpg

Two Speedlights for the BG and one Speedlight camera left as a kicker (which I shouldn't have used...note the specular highlight on the bottle)

[holrd]

This was shot using the 53" Octa as the main front light camera right:

Two Speedlights for the BG and one Speedlight camera left as a kicker (which I shouldn't have used...note the specular highlight on the bottle)


How far away was the 53 octa from the bottle on this shot?

[Wilt]

I have never been convinced that Octa-whatever sources provide any different characteristic light than an equivalent area rectangular softbox, apart from the shape of reflections (catchlights in eyes, highlights in product shots). Can anyone provide direct comparison shots with the two?

[Jannie]

Wilt I think you are correct in this, it is the shape of the reflection and because I think the 53" Elinchrom is considered a particularly sweet softbox more than just because it's a octobox. It might be the size or just the way they made that one or not.

My interest is to have something fairly large for using with people and had intended to get a slightly smaller rectangle box for table top but if I can do both with the Octobox then cool, but also because the photos I've seen where one of them has been used, for both portraits and product, it looked very lovely, yes technique comes into play big-time but I think I can figure that part out.

I'd like to own/store/carry/pay for--as little as possible with the greatest amount of beauty ability with the lighting package.

I hate carrying stuff but won't even bother if I don't have confidence that it'll offer me really good options when I get there. It's not something I have to do-it's something I want do to and still find lighting really rewarding.

My only concern with the 53" is that it's a little bigger and maybe heavier for when I want to get the box right over the top and will have to rig a heaver stand setup with boom than might be necessary with a smaller/lighter rig.

But I kind of think the 53" will be about the same as the 36x48" softbox when all is said and done.

I'd also like to play with a beauty dish with and w/o diffuser for table top, when you work it close overhead and let the background fall off.

There's more options but the 53" Octobox with either the D-400 or 400BX is a good solid place to start.

[Wilt]

Wilt I think you are correct in this, it is the shape of the reflection and because I think the 53" Elinchrom is considered a particularly sweet softbox more than just because it's a octobox. It might be the size or just the way they made that one or not.

Ran the numbers...my conclusion is that you see the effect of size. 53" circular area is 2200 sq.in., so round down that to 2000 sp.in. for the octagonal edges. The 36x48 softbox has 1824 sq.in.

[Jannie]

Thanks...I guess what's left is if we were able to compare the quality of light. Chimera has a great reputation and I picked that one to look at from the book Food Styling For Photographers by Linda Bellingham and Jean Ann Bybee. It's always a good place to start to see what others have experience with.

So far though I'm still more inclined to go with the Octobox because of the images I've seen in the last few days. I have to wait a bit for the money anyway so it's not a rush to buy.

In the way past I used Chimeras set up for motion picture lights when shooting some commercials and table top and almost always had to soften them even more by putting 1000H tracing paper on the front, even better if I could hang it about 4 inches in front of the box when vertical like on face shots.

But that's not the same unit nor the same light source, a little change can make a big difference.

Besides when I do buy, I can rent the boxes and try them out and my place will apply the rental of the one I buy to the purchase price so that's a win/win.