Do I need the $988 Elinchrom Octa Light Bank...

Recently I've been obsessed with natural light. I have balcony doors which open up and I'll pose the model in the doorway and just let the soft natural light cover the model. Of course this becomes a problem when it becomes dark or raining outside.

Will the large indirect light from the Octa Light Bank give me the soft wraparound lighting I've obtained with here natural light? My usual RX600 with Mola Demi BD could never give me this kind of lighting.

How large are your balcony doors? If they're around the same size as the EL Octa then yeah, you will get similar results. Given that the Octa is most probably smaller than your balcony doors though, you will have to move it in closer to get a similar effect. But in short - yes, the EL Octa will give you soft, wraparound light... within reason.

P.S. Great images!

No, you don't need it at all. I have two 8' x 4' foamcore boards that cost me £4 each. I bounce lights into them to give me effect of large window lighting. They are the right shape for windows and give much more natural catchlights than the Octa did. You can add fake transoms, mullions, e.t.c. to make them look exactly like windows in reflections.

If you need it to be an octabox then I'd suggest getting the 7' Photoflex Octadome for 1/3 of the price as it is a MUCH more practical softbox.

Hermes wrote in post #8700401
No, you don't need it at all. I have two 8' x 4' foamcore boards that cost me £4 each. I bounce lights into them to give me effect of large window lighting. They are the right shape for windows and give much more natural catchlights than the Octa did. You can add fake transoms, mullions, e.t.c. to make them look exactly like windows in reflections.

If you need it to be an octabox then I'd suggest getting the 7' Photoflex Octadome for 1/3 of the price as it is a MUCH more practical softbox.

My balcony doors are standard double doors about 8ft high.

Ahh yes, the foamcore sounds great. I'll look around for some. I have 2 RX600's would you use both into one foamcore V-bank? White foamcore?

Yep, plain white foam boards from a builders' depot. I tend to use my boards with a slight gap in between them so they'll imitate full-length double windows. One 600RX + reflector should be enough to light both of them up

Damn....those are some beautiful shots you've got there. Well done.


I too lust after the indirect octa, so I'd love to see your results if you do go the foamcore route. It certainly should work just as well, but without the rotalux name printed on there.....you never can be too sure! (maybe elinchrom will sell me some rotalux stickers to adhere to the backside of my foamcore? )

Hermes wrote in post #8700469
Yep, plain white foam boards from a builders' depot. I tend to use my boards with a slight gap in between them so they'll imitate full-length double windows. One 600RX + reflector should be enough to light both of them up

Hermes, do you V-bank the boards or just put them side by side?

Cathpah wrote in post #8700880
Damn....those are some beautiful shots you've got there. Well done.


I too lust after the indirect octa, so I'd love to see your results if you do go the foamcore route. It certainly should work just as well, but without the rotalux name printed on there.....you never can be too sure! (maybe elinchrom will sell me some rotalux stickers to adhere to the backside of my foamcore? )

thx Jeff. Saw your Mayhem port. Some really good pics in there.

I'll see how the foamcore works. But if it doesn't work out I'll consider the Octa Bank. Doesn't Mr Dolittle have one?

Make a similarly sized frame (to your balcony doors) out of PVC pipe. Go to a yardage store and buy sufficient translucent material to stretch over the frame. Light it with a standard studio strobe head.

(I will waive my usual consulting fee for the model's name and phone number in a private email!)

Wilt wrote in post #8702860
Make a similarly sized frame (to your balcony doors) out of PVC pipe. Go to a yardage store and buy sufficient translucent material to stretch over the frame. Light it with a standard studio strobe head.

(I will waive my usual consulting fee for the model's name and phone number in a private email!)

Another good idea. Wonder if that'll work better than foamcore?
Posted pic of her on single strobe thread, her name is on the pic, no email. lol

need is such a relative term...

pnmd wrote in post #8702925
Another good idea. Wonder if that'll work better than foamcore?
Posted pic of her on single strobe thread, her name is on the pic, no email. lol

Please forget my suggestion, since the phone number isn't provided!

Wilt wrote in post #8702942
Please forget my suggestion, since the phone number isn't provided!

LOL. Still considering your suggestion.

The shoot-through panel is also a good solution.

I prefer the foamcore because it's more versatile to have in the studio. if you paint one side white and one side black, you now have a giant reflector, bounce board, flag, a white background and a black background all in one. It's also light as a feather so it's effortless to move around, and it won't damage any equipment or injure anyone if it falls over.

I prefer the shoot thru because you can also use it as a scrim, or as a gobo when you are stuck shooting outdoors in bright sunlight!

Hermes raises good things done with foamcore, too. The solution is to have both available.