Quick question...

Would a shoot-thru umbrella be equivalent to a softbox? Are there any big differences that would make someone choose one rather than the other?

ebann wrote in post #5826825
Would a shoot-thru umbrella be equivalent to a softbox? Are there any big differences that would make someone choose one rather than the other?

I would choose an umbrella over a soft box in a house fire because with the umbrella I could jump out the window and make it safely to the ground without injury. The soft box only comes in handy when I want to ship something across state lines as the softness gently holds the items in place safely.

I hope this answers your question!

As a newbie, I am sure one of the more experienced will correct me, but I can think of two differences.

You will lose more light on the brolly (light going backwards, reflecting off the inner surface of the unbrella) where the softbox captures the light and directs it forward.

The umbrella only has a single defraction layer. A softbox has two layers of cloth, with space to defuse the light, between the subject and the flash.

Not all softboxes have two layers of diffusion!

If you use a softbox with a single layer of diffusion, vs. a shoot-thru umbrella...the size of the two is a major differentiating factor, along with the fact that the shoot-thru umbrella will have its ribs visible in the catchlights seen in the eyes and the reflective surfaces in the scene, along with the fact that the umbrella will be prone to bounce back off adjacent walls and ceiling whereas the softbox will control that much much better.

Thanks. I will try a shoot-thru umbrella and if needed upgrade to a softbox.

Chuck Gardner, over on FM forums, gave a good explanation of the differences in this post: http://www.fredmiranda​.com/forum/topic/66120​2/0#5894138