Beauty Dish Grid - Light Pattern on Background

Conner999 wrote in post #8311133
For the OP (nice diagnosis and fix btw) and others who mount Eli lights to non-Eli BDs - in the cases where the mount has the tube recessed further back than you'd get with an Eli BD, how do you see it effecting the lighting - specifically at the edges, etc?

In some mods I've seen, the Eli flash tube doesn't sit fully INSIDE the BD and in one case (Speedotron IIRC), it gave a very hard edge/abrupt transition at the edge of the light pattern vs a gradual fall off.

I use the Speedotron beauty dish and have yet to see this issue. Can you show us a sample of what you're describing?

Interesting

The one that jumps to mind is this one (Norman adapter) of Speedo vs 17" Eli
http://www.flickr.com …a/sets/72157616​507737372/

This is why myself and others have chosen to remove the Speedotron diffusion disc (it's not fabric, by the way) and the mount and replace it with the Elinchrom deflector. Most beauty dishes do not have a central diffusion disc. They have a deflector of some sort.

I don't think it's a realistic comparison at all to show one dish with a deflector and the other with diffusion.

Won't comment on the test (not my fave either), but you're attributing the harder edge to the the Speedo's cloth diffuser's circular frame?

Conner999 wrote in post #8311823
Won't comment on the test (not my fave either), but you're attributing the harder edge to the the Speedo's cloth diffuser's circular frame?

The Speedotron diffusion disc is NOT cloth.

I am attributing the hard edge to the fact that there is a white translucent diffusion disc in place. With the reflective silver deflector in place it changes the characteristics of the light that projects forward.

TMR Design wrote in post #8311760
This is why myself and others have chosen to remove the Speedotron diffusion disc (it's not fabric, by the way) and the mount and replace it with the Elinchrom deflector.

TMR: where did you get the Elinchrom deflector and what did it cost? Wondering if that's a better option of the ikea mirrors. Just got a speedo dish as well (the thing is a lot bigger than an AB one...I need to figure out how to store it..LOL

kenyee wrote in post #8312102
TMR: where did you get the Elinchrom deflector and what did it cost? Wondering if that's a better option of the ikea mirrors. Just got a speedo dish as well (the thing is a lot bigger than an AB one...I need to figure out how to store it..LOL

I haven't tried using mirrors so I can't compare. You can get the mini and maxi deflectors from B&H (or any Elinchrom authorized retailer). They are sold in sets of silver and gold. Unfortunately, even if you only want silver you have to buy the sets and are not sold individually.

This is the mini:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Deflector_Set_​2_for.html

This is the maxi:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …eflector_Set_fo​r_27_.html

Elinchrom does make a translucent that I haven't tried in the dish yet. I don't know if it's any different than the Speedotron but I do know it's a smaller diameter.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ranslucent_Defl​ector.html

Thanks - for some reason thought the Speedo front diffusing disk was a fabric-in-frame design.

Ken - Have the silver, gold and translucent for my midi octa. No desire to use the gold, the silver does a great job, have yet to try the translucent.
The stalks (each disk has own) can be a bit fiddly, some tweaking with pliers is sometimes necessary when you first use one to get it to hold the disk in proper position - and avoid disk follow the natural tendency to rotate downward. A gentle one-time pinch with a pair of pliers mid way down stalk is all that's needed -- if needed at all. Since the disks screw on the stalks so easily and are easier to transport w/o stalks, I just use one stalk and keep the other 2 as reserves -- for when I inevitably mangle the current one.

It makes perfect sense that the grid must be close as possible to the light source, else, the drop off of the light is too gradual with the grid further away.

With the light closer to the grid, it wraps around the grid enough to avoid the pattern.

Conner999 wrote in post #8312353
Thanks - for some reason thought the Speedo front diffusing disk was a fabric-in-frame design.

Ken - Have the silver, gold and translucent for my midi octa. No desire to use the gold, the silver does a great job, have yet to try the translucent.
The stalks (each disk has own) can be a bit fiddly, some tweaking with pliers is sometimes necessary when you first use one to get it to hold the disk in proper position - and avoid disk follow the natural tendency to rotate downward. A gentle one-time pinch with a pair of pliers mid way down stalk is all that's needed -- if needed at all. Since the disks screw on the stalks so easily and are easier to transport w/o stalks, I just use one stalk and keep the other 2 as reserves -- for when I inevitably mangle the current one.

I've taken each of the rods and added a lock washer in between the dish and the thumbscrew. Even without it I've never had a problem with them rotating but I just like to have things fit perfectly and stay put without having to think about it.

I'm not sure why you have to use pliers for anything having to do with the rods. When inserted into an Elinchrom umbrella shaft there always seems to be more than enough tension to hold it firmly in place. I keep silver deflectors ready to go, mounted to the rods because I use them constantly with my wide angle reflectors for rendering white backgrounds.

Just mgfn variance between the rod and the mount on light in question - rod and disk wanted to rotate disk-down, simple very modest pinch to rod at one point to deform it out-of-round just a hair fixed it. No longer wants to rotate, held securely where placed, but not too securely.

Never had an issue with disk coming off or rotating ON rod, thus no need to lock washers, issue was rod+disk assembly rotating (rod not held tightly enough by light). Given Eli rod mount is friction fit, wouldn't take much of a variance between rod and mount to allow that smooth rod to rotate with large reflector on end. Given my umbrellas, etc are all held fine, the culprit would seem, in my case, to be the rod. Less hassle to tweak then to exchange.

Never heard of the problems you're having but if that is your experience then you have to do what you have to do.

Me neither, but first time for everything - and since is no longer a problem, all is fine.

I have several rods, and they fit really tight to the point its annoying to remove them. One of my translucent deflectors have a crack...my fault though. (dont step on them lol)

Underscore wrote in post #8312413
It makes perfect sense that the grid must be close as possible to the light source, else, the drop off of the light is too gradual with the grid further away.

With the light closer to the grid, it wraps around the grid enough to avoid the pattern.

It was actually the deflector that was increased in size and moved closer to the flash tube... nothing at all was done to the grid. It appeared that the light escaped around the sides of the deflector and it was this non-deflected, harder light that caused the honeycomb grid patterns to show.