Elinchrom Rotalux 135mm light distribution test

Anyone ever tried this with a DIY deflector similar to the perforated metal disk in the Mola BD's?

Conner999 wrote in post #8385067
Anyone ever tried this with a DIY deflector similar to the perforated metal disk in the Mola BD's?

Tried what? Are you referring to evening the light out from center to edge?

Indeed

I've never seen that metal disk. Got a picture of it?

The image on the bottom right of this 'news' page on Mola site illustrates it well

http://www.mola-light.com/html/latest.​php

Have a Demi sitting in office, but still waiting for mounting ring so can not personally attest to how well it reflects vs allow pass-thru (a balance its perforated design is obviously trying to achieve).

MIGHT be an interesting balance between solid silver disk and translucent.

Oh I see. It's really just a scrim. More than likely a full stop scrim.

Conner999 wrote in post #8385121
MIGHT be an interesting balance between solid silver disk and translucent.

could be.

Having completely even lighting for my own use is less important than the way the light looks when it's hitting the subject. Most of the time I really don't think about how even it is but more about how the light wraps. If you do need even light for a large surface, you can create that buy fiddling around a bit. I do understand the need to have enough spread of even light in some circumstances though, as many have said, for the photographing of a full figure, and sometimes when you need to get a cyc or background very even.

Often when shooting a larger scene like a room, I'll be more concerned with having a broad even fill and the rest of the scene is lit with individual key or accent lights. That's when it gets really fun and where I find that speedlights really mix well with my monolights.

But for most of what I do, I use several methods of working with the Elinchrom Octoboxes, with disc, with just middle diffusion, with just front diffusion and with both diffusion. And then sometimes I'll flag the top and bottom so it's just a slit of light like a strip light and then I generally only use the front diffusion.

The more ways a light can be used, the more valuable it becomes. I occasionally find the use of feathering a light to the extreme very useful as well, and I've done that with diffusion and without but then I use the disc and swing it to the side of the octobox that I've got the subject on so that the raw bulb doesn't hit it.

Where I find the biggest vacancy of options with strobe lighting is not having a selection of really good fresnell lights, they offer so much control.

Another way to eliminate hot spots is to use a point source type light in a softbox. I use a 400w/s Litelight head in both my Wescott Apollo and Photek Softlighter II. The readings with my Gossen Digipro F are well within .1 center to edge. If you use power packs, most have a bare tube accessory...the Litelight tubes are available for most US made power packs.

My setup can be seen on my Flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/​davedct

David

Jannie wrote in post #8390161
..... Most of the time I really don't think about how even it is but more about how the light wraps.....

I agree completely Jannie. That sums it up very nicely.