Need help on buying a softbox.....

Some $12 shoot though umbrellas and $12 light stands would get you going with portrait strobes, but yes.. I am the extreme budget photographer on the forum.

Lol... I need to be. I seem to either be all in or nothing. Then after the new wears off, I have a lot of stuff to sell that I dont use. ߘ

Ive shot quite a bit with a budget Godox softbox with the Bownes mount and like it a lot!

The camera doesnt know if you spent a tonn of money on your gear or were a tightwad.. 5500k is 5500k.


https://www.amazon.com …T=_SY300_QL70_&​dpSrc=srch

https://www.amazon.com …T=_SY300_QL70_&​dpSrc=srch

https://www.amazon.com …t+stand+photogr​aphy&psc=1

I like my soft boxes, but I also like the wrap around light a shoot though gives me too..

GL,
Andrew

Are you kidding me... those prices!!!! Sold

Thanks for the links.
That's what I dont understand only because I've never does this.... differences, shoot through/softbox

Relax... Attend some sessions on Youtube University, then play with your gear.. over and over and over. You will be frustrated at first, but it will all come together!

Heres some shoot though umbrellas.. that Bowens mount for speed lights I linked, will work with these too! It has the "socket" for the umbrella rod to go into...


https://www.amazon.com …T=_SY300_QL70_&​dpSrc=srch

I shoot all Godox speedlights and the Pro controller, if your shooting Canon, Nikon or Sony.. they make controllers for your camera. The strobes
are "universal".


heres the pro controller: (Nikon shown, you can also search for Canon, etc..)
https://www.amazon.com …ds=godox+contro​ller&psc=1

And some good speedlights to get started: (I have 3 of these)
https://www.amazon.com …T=_SY300_QL70_&​dpSrc=srch


I have one of these, for HSS:
https://www.amazon.com …rds=godox+speed​light++685


Amazon has some decent Lion AA batteries, I keep spares charged when I go out, and I like the Nitecore charger:
https://www.amazon.com …s=nightcore+cha​rger&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com …_SY300_QL70_&dp​Src=detail


Going to get 1 or 2 of these, EBL makes pretty good stuff, Ive used some before:
https://www.amazon.com …8-19&keywords=ebl+charge​r

GL,
Andrew

reefvilla wrote in post #18687704
Are you kidding me... those prices!!!! Sold

Thanks for the links.
That's what I dont understand only because I've never does this.... differences, shoot through/softbox

I own Wescott, Godox, & Neewer Octo boxes. Wescott is a little better quality, but literally 4x the price.

I should caution, do *NOT* buy the Godox remote slave triggers.. Just buy the Godox flash with the built in trigger.
I had a few really nice strobes, that refused to work with the slave triggers, however the Godox speedlights with built in trigger, a joy to use and 100% reliable!

Andrew

So you're starting to see why a convirtible umbrella is a good starting point. So many options it gets wacky.

You can put two lights in one large softbox, but most people want another light in a different location and doing that will open up so many more options than being stuck with both lights in one box trying to fill 47 inches.

If you buy brand x now, will the color temp of brand y that you want later be the same or will it cause weird effects?

There are so many variables, the reason the strobist blog suggests something simple is so you can learn lighting before learniing gear. Once you have the lighting know how, then dive into gear.

Yes, there is a lot to learn but I appreciate all the help and pointers

reefvilla wrote in post #18687704
Are you kidding me... those prices!!!! ...

You should see what the Godox flashes and triggers cost vs. the Canon -RT gear. Or maybe not...

V860II-C : $180
TT685-C: $110

X1T-C: $45
XPro-C: $70

And then there are the bigger lights in the system...

Many of us have drunk the Godox kool-aid. But. Completely different triggering system from the Canon RT one. Feature-wise it differs, and there's no manufacturer warranty repair or customer support (hence the low-low prices). And the Godox gear isn't as nice on-camera. But off-camera, particularly if you shoot more than one camera system or want to mix speedlights with larger lights, there are definite advantages.

I was looking earlier at the Westcott Rapid Box Duo(32") and Octa(26")
and recently think there is a new Rapid Box Switch which is modular.

ShutterKlick wrote in post #18687749
I should caution, do *NOT* buy the Godox remote slave triggers.. Just buy the Godox flash with the built in trigger.
I had a few really nice strobes, that refused to work with the slave triggers, however the Godox speedlights with built in trigger, a joy to use and 100% reliable!

Andrew

What strobes was that? Other rhan an update issue I've had no problems triggering my speedlights and AD360 from either the X1-s or X-pro F triggers.
Of course going all godox eliminates those problems

Much good advice above.

A few additional thoughts:

Shape influences the catch light in the eyes. A round-ish shape like an octabox gives you a round shape more like the sun or a round lamp. A square or rectangle gives you a shape more like a window. Neither is better. Some have a strong preference.

If you get a four sided box, I recommend considering a rectangle where the sides are not the same size. This gives you two different edge sizes you can play with.

Umbrellas are cheap, quick and easy. You are more likely to get acceptable results because they throw light everywhere. Their downside is the same: they throw light everywhere. This means little control and less ability to shape the light.

A grid restricts the light, giving you even more control.

I suggest you make yourself a v-flat as soon as possible. Google will reveal instructions. A v-flat is a very versatile tool which gives you loads of options. It can be a reflector, a blocker or a guider of the light. You can even use a v-flat to create a large soft source without a softbox and you can shape how the light bounces. An extremely versatile tool. And a v-flat with a softbox is enough to create a huge range of looks.

All the studio images are created with a softbox and a v-flat:

https://www.instagram.​com/storyinpictures_co​m/

In my case, the softbox is virtually always octagonal, but a rectangle would have been fine, too.

Man, I can see where a V flat would come in very handy for studio work! Thanks for the info!!!

reefvilla wrote in post #18692746
Man, I can see where a V flat would come in very handy for studio work! Thanks for the info!!!

Yes.

A portable v-flat is more of a challenge and requires a compromise one way or the other. I have not figured out a solution which is convenient, easy to transport and inexpensive.