New Cheetahstand QBox 30 review

I came across THIS review and thought it might be useful information.

It sounds like a nice complement to the Cheetah Light CL180 as well as for speedlites.

And for those who might like the original QBox 24 review HERE is the thread.

As many know, I've been doing some testing on the Cheetah Light 180. I bought a QBox 24 a couple of years ago and think its great. No reason to expect the 30 to be any different. QBox 24 works with CL-180 and I expect the 30 will as well.

Wow, that looks like a nice softbox indeed. I've got the QBox 24 and it's done great for me, a 30" model would be a great addition. It's a good value too.


Side note... good to see that Rob is still alive and posting gear reviews. I was getting worried since he hadn't logged on in a couple months since getting pardoned.


Edit: Scratch that, he's back online lurking.

Sheldon N wrote in post #15986838
Wow, that looks like a nice softbox indeed. I've got the QBox 24 and it's done great for me, a 30" model would be a great addition. It's a good value too.


Side note... good to see that Rob is still alive and posting gear reviews. I was getting worried since he hadn't logged on in a couple months since getting pardoned.


Edit: Scratch that, he's back online lurking.

Sheldon,
I stop by his site from time to time to see what he's unto. Saw the review there and thought it would be useful info.

how much more does 30 inch vs 24 improve in terms of how much of the subject it can light? those sample headshots look like they can all be done with the 24inch. would 30inch give u ability to do almost full body? 3/4 shots? sorry not exactly sure how to phrase the question

john_galt wrote in post #15988083
how much more does 30 inch vs 24 improve in terms of how much of the subject it can light? those sample headshots look like they can all be done with the 24inch. would 30inch give u ability to do almost full body? 3/4 shots? sorry not exactly sure how to phrase the question

I am curious about this as well. Also curious how well a slightly larger softbox would work with a speedlites power.

john_galt wrote in post #15988083
how much more does 30 inch vs 24 improve in terms of how much of the subject it can light? those sample headshots look like they can all be done with the 24inch. would 30inch give u ability to do almost full body? 3/4 shots? sorry not exactly sure how to phrase the question

1/2, 3/4 and full body shots are no problem at all with the Qbox30. I'll add some more samples in the next week or so to demonstrate. The first image in my review is more than just a head shot.

You can light any shot with any size light source. The difference is in the quality of light you get and at what distance the lightbox has to be from the subject to achieve a similar quality of light. A 30" softbox gives you greater flexibility in terms of creating the same soft light at greater distances with a larger central area before falloff occurs.

For many that already own a Qbox24 there may be no need or desire to also own a Qbox30. If you don't already own a Qbox then the 30" version may make more sense. That all depends on what you light and your preferred style of lighting.

Ratjack wrote in post #15988086
I am curious about this as well. Also curious how well a slightly larger softbox would work with a speedlites power.

My review detailed the meter readings and setup I used for my testing.

Common misconception: Speedlight's don't work well with large softboxes. Nonsense.

See here: Time To Dispel The Myth About Speedlights and Softboxes

Will be picking one of these up shortly. Thanks for all the info.

Ratjack wrote in post #15988086
I am curious about this as well. Also curious how well a slightly larger softbox would work with a speedlites power.

We have a tendency to forget that any light source can illuminate any subject. Its then a question of what that illumination does. i.e. a speedlite at 50 feet is going to be a very sharp light source. It is also going to be a very sharp light source at 10 feet. A 24 or 30 inch soft box is going to be a relatively sharp light source at 50 feet. At 10 feet they are going to be softer but still sharp. At 24" they are going to be nice soft sources.

An 80 inch PLM is a sharp light source at 50 feet. At 5 feet its a soft wrapping light source, even without a diffusion panel. And, it can be filled with a single speedlite. It takes some care positioning the light but it can be done.

I use modifiers to control and shape my source when I can get them close to the subject. Generally, I like to have them just out of camera view, sometimes even in the frame if it can be easily cropped out. I probably would use a larger modifier for a full figure shot. That said, I've used my 24" Q Box for 3/4 shots and it delivers nice light, the 30" would do the same.

Strobe tube light sources are similar, the differences are the physical size of the tube and the output, usually measured in joules or lumens. A speedlite has a smaller tube and much less output. That impacts the volume of light not the size modifier that can be used to shape the light. An 80" PLM with a speedlite creates similar light to an 80" PLM with a 640Ws Einstein. Just a lot more volume coming from the second source.

It is good to see you back Rob!

TMR Design wrote in post #15988538
.

Robert,

Your back. Glad to see you posting again, you were missed.

Enjoy! Lon

I just noticed Robert is back... That is fantastic, I've benefited much from your findings!

If I didn't have the 24" I would get the 30" for sure. I'm picking up the mount so I can use it with the einstein as well.

TMR Design wrote in post #15988538
...

Rob, long time no see, it is a pleasure to run into you again!

TMR Design wrote in post #15988538
1/2, 3/4 and full body shots are no problem at all with the Qbox30. I'll add some more samples in the next week or so to demonstrate. The first image in my review is more than just a head shot.

You can light any shot with any size light source. The difference is in the quality of light you get and at what distance the lightbox has to be from the subject to achieve a similar quality of light. A 30" softbox gives you greater flexibility in terms of creating the same soft light at greater distances with a larger central area before falloff occurs.

For many that already own a Qbox24 there may be no need or desire to also own a Qbox30. If you don't already own a Qbox then the 30" version may make more sense. That all depends on what you light and your preferred style of lighting.

Nice to see you back, Rob. It’s also nice to see your review of the 30” Qbox. It looks like it will be a very convenient softbox, especially for people who are looking for something that can be assembled quickly and then packed away just as fast.

Is there a reason why you tend to describe the light output in your reviews and modifier comparisons with the word “quality”? Would “character” be a better choice? Light is merely one particular manifestation of energy. Certainly, the characteristics of light can be modified in a repeatable, controlled fashion, and the resultant “character” of the light can be used to one’s advantage in creating different images. A fundamental understanding of how the “character” of light can be changed and what affect such lighting characteristics may have on different types of objects is an important stage in improving one’s photographic skills. But the characteristics of light are neither good, nor bad. They are simply physical properties, and the person using the light must evaluate the aspects of such light in the context of what he/she is trying to achieve.

While the character of light produced by a particular lighting assembly at a fixed location will remain unchanged, the user must evaluate whether such lighting characteristics achieve the desired artistic effects. Swap out a female model (typical portrait) with a bonze sun-dial (typical product shot), and it becomes obvious why the exact same lighting characteristics may be considered “good” in one case, yet “bad” in another. Since it would be rather bold to presume that we know what somebody else is thinking, it may be safer to leave evaluative judgments regarding the “quality” of light to the consumer, and instead rely on strictly objective & neutral descriptions of the character of the light. Just my $ 0.02.

The 30" Qbox does seem intriguing since I really try to use my speedlites and leave the BXRis at home if at all possible. I find using a portable kit quite flexible, and a medium sized Qbox seams to fit the bill. Thanks again for the review.

When discussing lighting, at least in my experience, we use the term quality, not to define good or bad, but to describe the character of light. We talk of a soft or hard quality of light. The word quality certainly can be taken literally but this, like so many other aspects of lighting, should not be taken literally and should be seen as a description of the character.