Which umbrellas and soft box, help please.

I'm purchasing some umbrellas and a probably a soft box to use with my Speedlite 580 ex II's. I've chosen the Manfrotto 1052BAC stands and 026 swivel umbrella adapters and 143s flash shoe adapters. I was thinking about umbrellas that are about 45". What do you recommend? I've seen the ones from Wescott and Others but I'm not sure what are good, reasonably priced. What type of diffusion or reflective types should I get? I notice some are multi functional.

Finally, I plan to take these with me not just use them in a studio environment.

Nice choice for a stand

You can't go wrong with the following, you can use it as a reflective umbrella also
46" Softlighter II
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …rella_Softlight​er_II.html

Also: this works very well for getting you speelight laying horizontal to aim into the umbrella.
http://www.adorama.com​/GTBHMI.html

windpig wrote in post #14082282
Nice choice for a stand

You can't go wrong with the following, you can use it as a reflective umbrella also
46" Softlighter II
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …rella_Softlight​er_II.html

Thanks, don't really understand where the speedlite goes when the diffuser is on it?

swldstn wrote in post #14082368
Thanks, don't really understand where the speedlite goes when the diffuser is on it?

The Softlighter sets up just like a reflective umbrella except it can use a diffusion panel. See the following, except you'd be using a speedlight.

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=OCuXvecl1po

Westcott 43" shoot through convertible umbrella is certainly more pricey than the $10 chinese cheap one but the material is better and it's better built too.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Umbrella_White_​Satin.html

Convertible umbrella won't be as reflective as a true reflective one so it burns more power. PLMs from Paul C. Buff are pretty good for this purpose. The parabolic focuses the light and helps direct it. However it is not as soft (well unless you get a HUGE one) as a shoot through.
http://www.paulcbuff.c​om/plm.php

If you're going on location, be careful about the wind picking up the umbrella. Might want to get sandbags or sucker a friend

If you are outdoors, might I recommend a cheap $10 5 in 1 reflector? These things come in handy too.