Apollo Orb versus the Softlighter II

I have used the Apollo orb for quite q while now. It's a really good modifier. I have not had a lot of experience with the Softlighter II but I have heard its great and seen good results from it.

I have found the orb to be a little less rugged than I would like. I have broken two of them recently. The first was understandable as it blew over in the wind after someone bumped the stand and knocked off my sandbag. The second one is still usable but bent". I raised a light stand a bit too quickly and bumped the ceiling lightly. It bend the orb.

Is the Softlighter II build quality higher or the same as the orb? What's I the feedback on it?

Isn't that basically an umbrella with a cover? I agree with the quality of the orb, one fall and it was broken. Even cheap umbrellas are more strong but I guess the cover, grid and speedlite inside makes it way heavy for the rods inside.

Softlighter II build quality is outstanding. I don't think I'd compare the two from an application standpoint. The Softlighter is versital in that it can be used as a reflective umbrella also. Most excellent product. I think the Orb looks nice in use with a bare bulb light (Cheetah Light CL-180 https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1270039)

Thank you. Can you elaborate on your comment about usage? TO me, they are both similar. The Orb is deeper, but they both can be used with diffusion or not. I always thought the advantage of the orb was it's depth and felt it let the light spread out inside. I may be way off, but that was my thought.

If the softlighter II is better built, I will order the 60inch and use it. I only have 2 of the smaller knock off ones from Kaeser right now, but they are fairly well built too.

Because of the depth it can be limiting when in tight spaces. I like the fact, among other things that the Orb has a grid available.

The Orb now come with fibreglass rods, I'm not sure it the Softlighter do now or not, but they didn't used to.

Many of the parabolic umbrellas with diffuser cover have fibreglass rods now too.
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I gotta find one of those then. I got my latest one about a month or 2 ago and it had metal rods that bent.