Elinchrom background reflector, example shots?

[symbolphoto]

Anyone have some example shots of using this in the background?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/124514-REG/Elinchrom_EL_26165_Background_Reflector_for_Elinch rom.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/largeimages/124514.jpg

[Gentleman Villain]

oh man...I had some on my old computer that just died a few days ago..sorry about that

I love that background reflector. It makes a nice and even oval shape...most people mount it on a floor stand behind a subject and point it up at the background...but it works just as well mounted on a boom and pointed down or up high on a stand and scimming across a background from the side. It generally has to be placed relatively close to the background so elinchroms are always too powerful....expect to add 2-5 stops of neutral density to tame the light....it can also help to add a diffuser of some kind

If you choose an exposure that controls the center hotspot then that makes the oval gradations really smooth from the center and slowly get darker at the edges....I've seen photographers overexpose the center hotspot and that creates a really harsh oval shape without any of the smooth gradations

[Gentleman Villain]

goto http://www.elinchrom.com/

products>>lighting solutions>>reflectors & grids>>multi reflectors

scroll down the page a bit and you'll see the background reflector
There's a link that says "reflector illumination"...there are a couple of sample pics there. Those examples are exactly how I would say not to use the reflector. The center hotspot is way too overexposed.

Also, the smoothest oval patterns can obtained when the light head is tilted at an angle so that the oval edges of the reflector are perfectly parallel with the background. In that sample shot, the oval edges of the reflector are not parallel with the background so the oval starts looking crooked. Notice how bright that center hotspot is with a 300rx?...that's because it really requires the use of ND filters to tame that reflector. All of the elinchrom heads are too powerful to use without some kind of filtering over the background reflector

[symbolphoto]

goto http://www.elinchrom.com/

products>>lighting solutions>>reflectors & grids>>multi reflectors

scroll down the page a bit and you'll see the background reflector
There's a link that says "reflector illumination"...there are a couple of sample pics there. Those examples are exactly how I would say not to use the reflector. The center hotspot is way too overexposed.

Also, the smoothest oval patterns can obtained when the light head is tilted at an angle so that the oval edges of the reflector are perfectly parallel with the background. In that sample shot, the oval edges of the reflector are not parallel with the background so the oval starts looking crooked. Notice how bright that center hotspot is with a 300rx?...that's because it really requires the use of ND filters to tame that reflector. All of the elinchrom heads are too powerful to use without some kind of filtering over the background reflector

hmmm fantastic info. Thanks! Too bad they don't have some sort of diffuser for it. Have you used gel's with it at all?

[symbolphoto]

It's funny i was picturing the oval being place facing the background(like in the image i posted up top, in that orientation). Not mounted the way they did it in the video. Though it has a decent cutoff, I wonder what it'll look like, low behind the subject with the oval pointed at the sky but facing the background...

[Gentleman Villain]

hmmm fantastic info. Thanks! Too bad they don't have some sort of diffuser for it. Have you used gel's with it at all?

Yeah definitely, everytime I used it there had to be gels mounted or else it would be too bright.

There seems to be 2 different versions. There is the one with the white interior like the picture you posted above....and then there is another one with silver pebbled surface and clips for gels http://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/product_images/info/prd%7BC1BAFBE4-E4FF-4290-A7CB-9AB4AB33454A%7D.jpg

I had the one with white interior...but it would have been better to have the other one with clips for gels

It tends to work best with plain solid color backgrounds because that makes the best oval gradations. It works really well with plain fashion gray seamless paper and stuff like that. Textured backgrounds don't work as well because the oval gradation pattern gets lost in the texture. Here's a pic from a google image search that kinda shows how the oval pattern can get lost on a textured background http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00G/00GLcQ-29872684.jpg

[symbolphoto]

Man you are a mountain of useful information! Thanks!

I'll have to keep an eye out for the silver version, doesn't show up on BH's site.... maybe the white version was the successor to the silver version?...

[Gentleman Villain]

I'll have to keep an eye out for the silver version, doesn't show up on BH's site.... maybe the white version was the successor to the silver version?...

You might be right...I ordered mine from BH a few years ago and they sent me the white version...maybe the other one is the old version. Good luck man :D

[TMR Design]

It's the same as with the 135 degree wide angle reflector. The image shows a silver interior but the item they stock and have stocked for quite some time has the soft matte white interior.

[symbolphoto]

Hmm i have some 135's coming in tomorrow. We'll see what i get. It's like a box of chocolates. :)

[TMR Design]

Hmm i have some 135's coming in tomorrow. We'll see what i get. It's like a box of chocolates. :)

They're white. I guarantee it. The silver isn't made anymore.

[abdul10000]

They're white. I guarantee it. The silver isn't made anymore.

Why? Any advantage to the white, or is it cost saving?

[tetrode]

...I'll have to keep an eye out for the silver version, doesn't show up on BH's site.... maybe the white version was the successor to the silver version?...

If you REALLY have your heart set on a silver background reflector, there are Elinchrom mount clones with silver interiors available from a seller on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Snoot-for-Elinchrom-NEW-BOXED_W0QQitemZ380126714983QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPort able_Flashes_Strobes?hash=item5881515c67&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C 301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50#ebayphotohosting

The clone doesn't rotate while it appears that the Elinchrom original does (I could be wrong; I've never seen one in the flesh).

Dave F.

[symbolphoto]

Ahh, there it is! That's another good question, Gentleman Villain, does your's rotate?

[TMR Design]

The Elinchrom reflector does rotate.

As to why the design was changed from silver to white I don't know but there hasn't been a silver wide angle or background reflector in a while.

[Hermes]

I'd prefer the white-lined version, but having said that I don't find the reflector too necessary overall - grids give more precise control of background lighting and can create many different types of fall-off.

[TMR Design]

I'd prefer the white-lined version, but having said that I don't find the reflector too necessary overall - grids give more precise control of background lighting and can create many different types of fall-off.

That was my initial feeling every time I looked at this reflector. My guess is that it makes it a little easier to create the oval or elliptical shape without having to angle the strobe and without the same degree of falloff from top to bottom (or vice versa).

[symbolphoto]

My guess is that it makes it a little easier to create the oval or elliptical shape without having to angle the strobe and without the same degree of falloff from top to bottom (or vice versa).

That's what i'm hoping for... some cool shapes based on placement. Ordering on monday. I like the clips in case i'm shooting with a diffuser or gels in a windy location. We'll see how it goes.

[abdul10000]

If you REALLY have your heart set on a silver background reflector, there are Elinchrom mount clones with silver interiors available from a seller on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Snoot-for-Elinchrom-NEW-BOXED_W0QQitemZ380126714983QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPort able_Flashes_Strobes?hash=item5881515c67&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C 301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50#ebayphotohosting

The clone doesn't rotate while it appears that the Elinchrom original does (I could be wrong; I've never seen one in the flesh).

Dave F.

this seller is basically falsely advertising his items and the worst part, he is charging full prices!!

he does point out in some listings that the items are third party, but who would want to pay full elinchrom prices for that?

[TMR Design]

this seller is basically falsely advertising his items and the worst part, he is charging full prices!!

he does point out in some listings that the items are third party, but who would want to pay full elinchrom prices for that?

Technically he's not falsely advertising. He's playing word games and has been doing so for a long time. He uses the marketing term "For Elinchrom" and never states he is selling authentic Elinchrom brand items.

I'm not defending him but I've seen that seller and others that do that and obviously they fool many people.

[Gentleman Villain]

Cool..now we know those pics are afaik and the source is an off-brand seller. Last year, BH photo actually had similar pics listed with a silver interior + clips background reflector, that's why I thought there might be 2 versions since it was on the BH website. I'd still prefer to have some clips for gels and maybe a custom sock