Elinchrom Deep 39" Octobox

[Jannie]

I just wanted to wax poetic a moment about the Elinchrom Deep 39" Octobox - I love it, I absolutely love working with this tool, I use it as much with just the little metal silver reflector covering the bulbs as I do with its diffusion silks. I'm shooting tabletop stuff, food and just finished a product shot for some packaging a couple of days ago and this is the first light I grab. I also use the 17" beauty dish with the cloth diffuser often as my fill light beyond using plenty of foam core and matte card but the Deep Octa is just so versatile, with fun to feather, the parabolic reflector is just so usable and the combinations this box offers are so much more than just using a softbox...:D

I do hope the come out with a grid for it, now that they aren't going to make the new Rotolux boxes, there was a rumor to the affect that they were going to make them for some of the existing boxes.

[TMR Design]

Hi Jannie,

I'm so happy to hear about your new found love for Elinchrom products. The 39" Deep Octa is on my short list of modifiers. Quality of light from a modifier makes such a difference and the silver reflector is great in the same way that softboxes and octas with silver interiors have a quality of light that is distinctly different from those with white interiors.

I spoke to the Bogen Imaging/Elinchrom people at Photo Plus, as did Dave (tetrode) and there is talk about the add-on grids and some other new products from Elinchrom, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

[Faolan]

the new Octaboxes are here, I'm not sure if they're shipping yet but there is stock of them in London.

As to DTO, it's my softbox of choice for fashion work. It's focused light is perfect for avoiding spill you get with normal softboxes, plus it can give a beauty dish feel to the lighting.

Overall I would say this is one of the best studio modifiers on the market.

[Rudi]

I'm so happy to hear about your new found love for Elinchrom products. The 39" Deep Octa is on my short list of modifiers.


Robert,

The Deep Octa has become my favourite modifier in the short time that I've owned it! Haven't had too many opportunities to use it yet (been shooting other stuff, mainly using the 53" Octa lately), but I grin from ear to ear every time I do get the chance. :)

[Jannie]

Hmm this is conflicting information after the post where it was said they had decided not to produce the new Rotolux line, if they do I think I'll get a second Dee 39 with the grid, I've found times already when I would have preferred to have a second one, I'd used my 53" but it got kind of crowded. I thought about getting a 39" square but the way you can control the Deep Octa is just so sweet.

[TMR Design]

Are you doing mostly product work or are you also doing portraiture? I'm primarily doing portraiture and my concern is whether this Octa is a high contrast device or if that contrast can be controlled. I shoot a lot of tight shots and I've learned that in many cases, much as I want high contrast lighting it simply is not the best or most flattering light for those subjects that do not have youthful or very smooth skin. The high contrast lighting just brings out all the imperfections and so I'm very much in tune with that and my selection of modifiers is much more important and crucial.

[Rudi]

Robert,

the Deep Octa can be used with both diffusers in place, just like all the other Rotalux boxes, and you can still feather the light a lot better than with the regular square boxes, or the 53" Octa. This will provide you with nice, soft light, which is easily controlled. That is why it's become my favourite modifier - it's so versatile!

[TMR Design]

Robert,

the Deep Octa can be used with both diffusers in place, just like all the other Rotalux boxes, and you can still feather the light a lot better than with the regular square boxes, or the 53" Octa. This will provide you with nice, soft light, which is easily controlled. That is why it's become my favourite modifier - it's so versatile!

Thanks Rudi,

That's great to hear. Does the Deep Octa have a pebbled silver interior?

[Rudi]

Sure does! :)

[TMR Design]

Ahhh life is good!! :D

[Jannie]

A wonderful pebbled interior, I haven't used it for portraits yet, I have a 53" Octa for that.

[TMR Design]

I'm very drawn to the 39" Octa right now. I know I don't have to tell you (Jannie) and Rudi this but there are clearly times that you don't want large light sources. I've got a million reasons and the more I work with both simple and complex lighting, the more I see benefits or small and mid sized modifiers. Quality of light is not about the size of the modifier.

Another classic case of bigger not being better. ;)

[Jannie]

When shooting commercials I'd often use a 4'x4' frame with diffusion material inches over the product and float a light around from a boom overhead until it was just right. Other times I used for food photography what I called my Basher, and it traveled with me all over the country.

It was a 12" hardware reflector painted white on the inside with Mole Richardson Soft light white paint and flat black on the outside to reduce reflection. I drilled extra 1/2" holes in the reflector to let more heat out toward the back.

I replaced the socket with a porcelain one that had screw in terminals instead of soldered which would sometimes melt and wired it with as heavy duty wire as I could. Then I attached a flex arm I got somewhere that allowed me to run the cord through the center. I'd grab onto the flex arm with a grip arm about half way down, about 12" from the light and suspend the light right over say a frying pan with eggs in it.

I'd also attach Rosco or Lee diffusion material drooping down just enough to let the heat out the sides and I'd use grip tape to hold it on (had to be changed frequently)

Inside I'd use a 250W photoflood.

I'd look through the camera while having my left hand on the flex arm and I'd move that light around until it would get just right and then move a small table top reflector made out of matte card or sometimes silver foil to the right spot and it worked fantastic. I've even bashed the sides as in bent them to make a narrower light, it looked awful but I made a heck of a lot of money using that very small light/diffuser and am considering getting one of the Elinchrom parabolic reflectors to try the same thing, the one made for sports, a great advantage is that the BX400 has a cooling fan and it works very well. I bought a Manfrotto Heavy Duty flex arm and tried hanging the BX400 straight down and moved it around and it worked, very well so one of those reflectors might be my next Elinchrom purchase.

Using a setup like this on small subjects, the light is still often much larger than the subject to be photographed. I can do something similar using the larger 17" Elinchrom Beauty dish with the cloth diffuser and hang it from my Avenger A700 boom arm (that thing is soooooo neat!!!)

[TMR Design]

..... and am considering getting one of the Elinchrom parabolic reflectors to try the same thing, the one made for sports, a great advantage is that the BX400 has a cooling fan and it works very well.

Are you referring to one of the high intensity or the Maxi Spot reflector's?

[Jannie]

The 26137 is my first idea but there is one other that isn't so extreme but about the same diameter, but I can't find it right now http://www.amazon.com/Elinchrom-EL-26137-Performance-Reflector/dp/B0002FGDS6/ref=sr_1_104?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1223379871&sr=1-104

[TMR Design]

That's what I thought. There are 2 that are similar.

These are the 2 I was thinking of:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16864-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26137_10_1_4_High_Performance_Reflect or.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/256924-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26149_Maxi_Spot_Reflector_29.html

[Jannie]

I'm thinking the second one if in fact it is different, they don't give the degrees it works at.

[eduardofrances]

That's what I thought. There are 2 that are similar.

These are the 2 I was thinking of:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16864-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26137_10_1_4_High_Performance_Reflect or.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/256924-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26149_Maxi_Spot_Reflector_29.html

Both look like the magnum reflector (profoto) if they are like the magnum reflector they pack a lot of punch :) Have you seen "Simply well lit" by Bogen and Joe Mcnally? it is a catalogue of Elinchrom's accessories with Joe Mcnally's insights http://www.bogenimaging.us/webdav/site/bius/shared/literature/Bogen_Simply_Lit.pdf (PDF file some NSFW content)

[Rudi]

... am considering getting one of the Elinchrom parabolic reflectors to try the same thing, the one made for sports...

Interestingly enough, I have just picked up one of these recently (a deal too good to pass up :) ). Haven't used it yet, but plan to play around with it next week sometimes, when I will hopefully have time to scratch myself...

[TMR Design]

Interestingly enough, I have just picked up one of these recently (a deal too good to pass up :) ). Haven't used it yet, but plan to play around with it next week sometimes, when I will hopefully have time to scratch myself...

Hi Rudi,

Did you get the Maxi Spot for something in particular or was it just to check it out.
I'm curious as to who is using it, how, and why?

[Rudi]

I didn't get the Maxi Spot, I got this one: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16864-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26137_10_1_4_High_Performance_Reflect or.html

Basically, I got a deal too good to pass up, and I've wanted to try one of these outside for a while. I got a brand new one for $60, so I thought I might as well have it. :)

[Hermes]

Hi Rudi,

Did you get the Maxi Spot for something in particular or was it just to check it out.
I'm curious as to who is using it, how, and why?

The Maxi-Spot is often used by beauty photographers who want a hard, brilliant, directional light - more than they can get from a beauty dish. A relatively large reflector with a narrow spread like the Maxi-Spot obviously does a much better job of keeping the highlights and shadows even and flattering than a smaller reflector with a wider spread would do.

Be aware that there is also a Maxi-Lite reflector that is the same as the Maxi-Spot but with a more matted/pebbled finish which has a wider spread (around 40 degrees if I remember correctly). Also, they are bigger than you might imagine.

[Rudi]

They're quite big, I will snap a pic of it, mounted on my RX600, tomorrow (it's after 1 am here right now).

[TMR Design]

The Maxi-Spot is often used by beauty photographers who want a hard, brilliant, directional light - more than they can get from a beauty dish. A relatively large reflector with a narrow spread like the Maxi-Spot obviously does a much better job of keeping the highlights and shadows even and flattering than a smaller reflector with a wider spread would do.

Be aware that there is also a Maxi-Lite reflector that is the same as the Maxi-Spot but with a more matted/pebbled finish which has a wider spread (around 40 degrees if I remember correctly). Also, they are bigger than you might imagine.

Thank you. So it is used bare bulb but in the same way that a beauty dish is used? With a 29 degree spread how does it differ from using the 7" grid reflector with a 30 degree grid?

[Hermes]

Thank you. So it is used bare bulb but in the same way that a beauty dish is used? With a 29 degree spread how does it differ from using the 7" grid reflector with a 30 degree grid?

Yes, it is normally used bare bulb though it also works well with the small silver deflector.

The Maxi-Spot differs from a smaller reflector in that it is directional (and so will still produce deep, crisp shadows) but as a light source, it is still larger than the model's face so it will still light the skin evenly and produce natural-looking shadows and highlights. Basically it will give you beautiful shadows without ruining the look of the skin.

Putting a 30-degree grid on a 7" reflector does not change the fact that it is a small light source and so it will still produce exaggerated hot-spots, visible fall-off and elongated shadows when used close-in.

One other thing I forgot to mention, the Maxi-Spot is FRIGHTENINGLY efficient. It adds several stops to a bare-bulb strobe. If you do use it for beauty work, plan to use it with a low-powered strobe on a low power setting and with the modelling light on very low.

[Jannie]

This is great, I've got to look up the maxi-spot you are referring to.

I am a little confused, are you saying the 16" 29 degree one is better or the 43 degree 16".

[TMR Design]

Yes, it is normally used bare bulb though it also works well with the small silver deflector.

The Maxi-Spot differs from a smaller reflector in that it is directional (and so will still produce deep, crisp shadows) but as a light source, it is still larger than the model's face so it will still light the skin evenly and produce natural-looking shadows and highlights. Basically it will give you beautiful shadows without ruining the look of the skin.

Putting a 30-degree grid on a 7" reflector does not change the fact that it is a small light source and so it will still produce exaggerated hot-spots, visible fall-off and elongated shadows when used close-in.

One other thing I forgot to mention, the Maxi-Spot is FRIGHTENINGLY efficient. It adds several stops to a bare-bulb strobe. If you do use it for beauty work, plan to use it with a low-powered strobe on a low power setting and with the modelling light on very low.

Very cool Hermes. I'm intrigued by this reflector. So it's like a high intensity, small, focused beauty dish, yes?

Are people using it for portraiture, and if so, is it used as a beauty dish would be used where the subject is either youthful or have smooth skin with little to no imperfections?

[Hermes]

This is great, I've got to look up the maxi-spot you are referring to.

I am a little confused, are you saying the 16" 29 degree one is better or the 43 degree 16".

Depends what you're shooting really. I've never owned the 43 degree version but as I understand it, it's exactly the same as the maxi-spot but with a slightly more pebbled/rough interior which creates a wider spread.

For beauty work I prefer the 29 degree version as it gives a more directional, focused light. I'd imagine it is very similar to your deep octa with no diffusers, but obviously smaller and with an even more efficient/parabolic shape.

[Hermes]

Very cool Hermes. I'm intrigued by this reflector. So it's like a high intensity, small, focused beauty dish, yes?

Are people using it for portraiture, and if so, is it used as a beauty dish would be used where the subject is either youthful or have smooth skin with little to no imperfections?

I wouldn't say it was exactly like a beauty dish but it's quite similar used close-in. It's basically the hardest light source I consider acceptable as a key light for beauty work.

I wouldn't have thought it was used much for portraiture (except maybe environmental portraits or deliberately gritty work). I only use it (and have only ever seen it used) for beauty and fashion, on models with very good skin and a with very good make-up artist on hand.

[TMR Design]

That's what I thought, and makes sense. Seems like a very specialized tool.

[Rudi]

OK, took me a while, but at least I'm posting it now! :D

Here is my new reflector, on the RX600:

http://rudiphoto.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p390475100.jpg

And here it is at B&H: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16864-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26137_10_1_4_High_Performance_Reflect or.html

[TMR Design]

Awesome Rudi. Now let's see a shot taken using that beast. :D