PLM Silver w/ Diffuser OR PLM White?

What's a bigger light source?

- Group shot (20-30)
- 2 Einstein Strobe
- Outdoor Photo

86' PLM Silver with Diffuser sock OR 86' PLM White as a shoot-thru? Does anybody know?

I'm going to be doing that photoshoot soon and would like to know before I make any future purchase. TIA!

The silver with diffused will be more focused than the white shoot through plm... that's my understanding... I have the smaller version of both and that's what I noticed...

They're both the same size. The white shoot through will blast light everywhere. The silver with panel will essentially be a softbox. Slightly more directional. The silver will serve as a specular, efficient modifier with the panel off giving you more contrast then the white. The soft silver with sock is more versatile.

I shot a family group with 20 people with two 40" Westcott collapsible umbrellas and 600Ex-RTs.
That said, I'd use two white shoot through PLMs and Einsteins.
Put them above the camera, maybe 3 or 4 feet away from the lens centerline. Feather them a bit away from the center line to minimize over exposure in the center and shot away.

The silver, soft or bright, are too focused, even with the diffusion panel to work well for what you need to do which is get a broad soft light on everyone's face.

If you're doing outdoor, the extreme silver may be a good choice if you're combatting sun.
Check out what Rob Galbraith did with three of them. 20 to 30 should be easy with two.

http://www.robgalbrait​h.com …age.asp?cid=7-10046-10396

bdillon wrote in post #15554863
If you're doing outdoor, the extreme silver may be a good choice if you're combatting sun.
Check out what Rob Galbraith did with three of them. 20 to 30 should be easy with two.

http://www.robgalbrait​h.com …age.asp?cid=7-10046-10396

Thank you for that article. I remember seeing it awhile back also. I'll just pick up another silver PLM, with 2 white diffuser. That will give me a option of going with either or.

Everybody else, thank you for your input.