Umbrella's for Elinchrom?

I recently purchased the Elinchrom D-4 light kit and would like to get some umbrellas. Am I stuck getting the Elinchrom version because they use a specific shaft size (7 mm, I believe?), or is there a way to use other brands? Also, if I'm shooting a group of people, maybe as many as 8-10, which size umbrella would work?
Thanks!

Photek make 7mm umbrellas (softlighter) and so does Lastolite.

I have two Photek's - useful it doubles as the normal reflective or shoot thru or you can use a diffuser cloth to provide a softlight and some of them take silver or gold reflective inserts as well. They come in various sizes - up to 60 inches.

B+H stock both brands.

irishman wrote in post #5561742
I recently purchased the Elinchrom D-4 light kit and would like to get some umbrellas. Am I stuck getting the Elinchrom version because they use a specific shaft size (7 mm, I believe?), or is there a way to use other brands? Also, if I'm shooting a group of people, maybe as many as 8-10, which size umbrella would work?
Thanks!

A pair of 45-inch umbrellas should be more than enough.

You will have to get the 7mm size. Phototek and Lastolite makes 7mm shaft umbrellas.

As others have stated, the only umbrellas you can use umbrellas are from Elinchrom, Photek or Lastolite due to the 7mm rod.

There is another option that works just fine. In the same way that you would mount a flash on a swivel bracket and point the flash head towards the center of the umbrella, you can do the same thing with a strobe.

If you mount an umbrella swivel bracket on a lightstand and then attach the strobe, you can attach a standard umbrella to the bracket and then point the flash towards the center of the umbrella. Give it a try before you start investing in other umbrellas or doo-dads.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Time was a factor because of a weekend shoot, so I went with a pair of 40"Lastolite Umbrella boxes. Hope they're alright.

irishman wrote in post #5564917
Thanks to everyone for the advice. Time was a factor because of a weekend shoot, so I went with a pair of 40"Lastolite Umbrella boxes. Hope they're alright.

I haven't worked with those but I've heard really nice things about them. How did you like using them? Any pros or cons to share?

i have the same kit and had/have an umbrella(photek) prior to having the kit.. i had to buy an umbrella adapter. bought the impact one from b&h and it works just fine.. something like $14. well worth it because it comes with the hotshoe post. now i can use my 580 off camera and not have to drag my kit around, especially where there's no power supplied like a park or something..

TMR Design wrote in post #5564978
I haven't worked with those but I've heard really nice things about them. How did you like using them? Any pros or cons to share?

Robert, just ordered them today from B&H---will be here Friday and I'll work with them Saturday and let you know.

bigbaby987 wrote in post #5565044
i have the same kit and had/have an umbrella(photek) prior to having the kit.. i had to buy an umbrella adapter. bought the impact one from b&h and it works just fine.. something like $14. well worth it because it comes with the hotshoe post. now i can use my 580 off camera and not have to drag my kit around, especially where there's no power supplied like a park or something..

Ouch! There's always something less expensive.

irish.. no offense here, but 14 bucks will not break the bank.. you have thousands of dollars in gear in your sig. i don't know your money situation, but it's 14 dollars..

that's a steal in my book for a multi purpose adapter, or maybe i don't understand your response.

bigbaby987 wrote in post #5566224
irish.. no offense here, but 14 bucks will not break the bank.. you have thousands of dollars in gear in your sig. i don't know your money situation, but it's 14 dollars..

that's a steal in my book for a multi purpose adapter, or maybe i don't understand your response.

My point is I just spent nearly $200 when I could havegotten by with about $50!

If you think the $14 is expensive, try the Bogen 2905 for ~$29.

Expensive, but well worth concidering how heavy duty it is.

Everything my teacher told me to get I was always skeptical about.

I no longer was questioning it when he turned out to be right every time I only bought one of something he said to buy two of. Or if I bought a cheaper model...

-Mario

Hey Mario,

I use the Bogen 2905's and they are great. Until you own a better, more solid bracket you don't really appreciate that one could be better or different from another.

With the inexpensive Impact, if I used a larger, heavier modifer, I always felt like I needed to overtighten to get things stable and it felt like at some point the plastic was going to crack.

With the Bogen you can't overtighten and it's rock solid.

TMR Design wrote in post #5569421
Hey Mario,

I use the Bogen 2905's and they are great. Until you own a better, more solid bracket you don't really appreciate that one could be better or different from another.

With the inexpensive Impact, if I used a larger, heavier modifer, I always felt like I needed to overtighten to get things stable and it felt like at some point the plastic was going to crack.

With the Bogen you can't overtighten and it's rock solid.

I agree completely, I own 5 now and use every one usually with a minimum of 4 in use at all times!
Along with the Morris dual flash umbrella bracket with ratcheting action for super hold!
My only beef (small) with the 2905 is the small knobs for the umbrella and stud. But I guess they did that so you wouldn't crush the umbrella shaft.
(Did you recently start buying them, or was it a post a made a while back that you saw. I started buying them a couple years ago and love 'em!)

One othe purchase, I was only going to order 1 or 2 Bogen Superclamps as well, but he said get 4.
I was tempted to order only two, but got the 4 and glad I did.

-Mario

P.S. Still debating monolight purchases as I use all Speedlite's...