Which Comes First... The Sock Or The Grid?

Recently, beauty dishes are the rage and these days there seems to be as much talk about using diffusion socks as there is talk about using grids. How we shape and control light is a very personal thing and there really is no right or wrong. Putting aside the rules that ensure proper exposure and color, the only real rule in lighting is to create the lighting that appeals most to you and/or your clients.

Having said that, one of the most common questions that comes up in the grid and diffusion sock discussions is whether using the sock and grid together is effective and whether it makes a difference which is closer to the light source and which goes on the outside.

Well, I'm not going to give you an answer. I'm just going to give you some images to compare and then you can make up your own mind as to the quality of light you like.

The first set of images shows how the light falls on the subject from a distance of 33" (1.5x the diameter of the Speedotron 22" beauty dish) and 45 degrees off axis, angled down towards the subject in a 'standard' main light position.

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Here you can see the difference in coverage as the light is projected straight forward on to a white seamless background from a distance of 33".

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And finally some close comparisons.

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When you say diffusion sock + grid, it mean you put the sock first and then install the grid?

Correct. That is the order. Grid + Sock means the grid is installed first and is closer to the light source. The sock is on the outside. Sock + Grid is the exact opposite.

Well Robert, outstanding as usual. This is truly helpful in understanding the differences in light quality. I'm hoping to get my hands on a BD pretty soon.

Nice one, Rob. I see both coming in very handy, each with its own advantages. Thanks so much for doing this. Now I know what a sock can do even with a grid on and what a grid can do to a BD with a sock on. Very nice.

Awesome post Robert.

I used my Kacey BD without grid or sock and the catchlights looked kinda sinister. I think next time I'll use a sock or grid.

Grids limit the cone (area) of illumination. Socks reduce the directionality of the light within the illuminated zone. Your examples show these functions clearly, Robert. The illustrations help people to understand the tangible evidence of the fundamental concepts. Different tools for different purposes, and what you use is dependent upon your goals of illuminating the subject. And whether the sock goes on first, or last, the lesser directionality of the sock last is consistent with the examples posted. Nice work.

Nice post Robert!

Ill never used the sock+grid combination, and i dont really see my self doing it either. Im having a hard time fitting the sock it self on my 70cm BD, i could just imagine trying to fit the grid with the sock on... disaster strikes..lol

TMR Design wrote in post #10272627
And finally some close comparisons.

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Pardon the ignorant question, but how do you post pictures with multiple images in them? Is there a procedure that you do to do this? thanks!

Hi Robert,

Excellent analysis. I was asking myself this question too. Thanks for time and effort.

-Pete

Demi, speedo grid , sock. Sock first, then grid (when used together) to get same effect as 22" gridded softbox. The speedo grid, due to it's design, goes over the installed sock with no hassles whatsoever. Sock on top of grid diffuses the already 'gridded' light, diminishing the effect - which I guess may be desired in some cases. No different than taking a softbox putting grid in first THEN diffuser vs 'normal' approach.

Thanks everyone. I hope that the images and comparisons prove to be useful.

We can all sit around here and talk about diffusion, directionality, falloff, etc. but sometimes principles and concepts can be hard to understand if you're not seeing the effects or how it appears on a subject.