Double edge transfer Beauty Dish

This is interesting. I just performed a quick experiment comparing the shadow pattern produced by my Speedotron 22" dish using the stock translucent central deflector and using a solid aluminum central deflector:

tetrode wrote in post #11552190
This is interesting. I just performed a quick experiment comparing the shadow pattern produced by my Speedotron 22" dish using the stock translucent central deflector and using a solid aluminum central deflector:

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …12135423_34962d​1aa4_o.jpg

The results speak for themselves. Next, we need to try this with a smooth-contoured dish.

Dave F.

Dave, how far in (or out) did you have the deflector set? I experimented with the silver deflector on the Speedotron myself just after New Years and observed that you can control the double shadows effect by the placement of the deflector relative to the back of the dish.

PacAce wrote in post #11552214
Dave, how far in (or out) did you have the deflector set? I experimented with the silver deflector on the Speedotron myself just after New Years and observed that you can control the double shadows effect by the placement of the deflector relative to the back of the dish.

What silver deflector, Leo? Do you mean an Elinchrom deflector? I don't own any of the Elinchrom deflectors. As you know, the position of the central deflector on a Speedotron dish is fixed by the length of the three standoffs. Consequently, in my experiment the flashtube and the deflector were spaced the standard, out-of-the-box distance apart.

To block the center, I have an 8" diameter aluminum disk that I place over the translucent deflector:

tetrode wrote in post #11552269
What silver deflector, Leo? Do you mean an Elinchrom deflector? I don't own any of the Elinchrom deflectors. As you know, the position of the central deflector on a Speedotron dish is fixed by the length of the three standoffs. Consequently, in my experiment the the flashtube and the deflector were spaced the standard, out-of-the-box distance apart.

To block the center, I have an 8" diameter aluminum disk that I place over the translucent deflector:

http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …85197003_927cc8​2e29_o.jpg

Dave F.

Oh, I see. I thought when you said "solid aluminum" deflector, you were referring to the Elinchrom silver deflector. Sorry about that.

Anyway, it seems to me that the different circular light patterns created by the BD are causing the multiple shadow effect. Each bright circular pattern seems to be creating its own distinct shadow. Maybe BDs aren't meant to be used with solid deflectors because you certainly don't get multiple shadows when no deflector is used or when a translucent deflector is used.

PacAce wrote in post #11552596
Oh, I see. I thought when you said "solid aluminum" deflector, you were referring to the Elinchrom silver deflector. Sorry about that.

Anyway, it seems to me that the different circular light patterns created by the BD are causing the multiple shadow effect. Each bright circular pattern seems to be creating its own distinct shadow. Maybe BDs aren't meant to be used with solid deflectors because you certainly don't get multiple shadows when no deflector is used or when a translucent deflector is used.

The plot thickens! Here's a shot taken using a generic 16" beauty dish/wok with a smooth rather than stepped contour:

tetrode wrote in post #11552930
The plot thickens! Here's a shot taken using a generic 16" beauty dish/wok with a smooth rather than stepped contour:

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …13182594_e1d284​5ca9_o.jpg

You still get the double shadow pattern. Interesting.

Dave F.

Can you show us what the light pattern (both dish shot and wall shot) from this dish looks like, please? I'm curious to see what it looks like.

This sort of testing and experimenting certainly is enlightening (no pun intended). The deflector standoffs with the Kacey dish are in 4 threaded pieces each. I'm going to see what effect moving the deflector further into the dish has.

PacAce wrote in post #11553017
Can you show us what the light pattern (both dish shot and wall shot) from this dish looks like, please? I'm curious to see what it looks like.

This is the dish itself:

my 22" original PCB beauty dish just produces a nice, soft shadow lines.

tetrode wrote in post #11553979
This is the dish itself:
\http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …13236233_9bc972​27b9_o.jpg

Looking into the dish, all we see is a *really* bright donut:

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …13236387_9b38d7​55b1_o.jpg

Not much luck capturing the pattern thrown by this dish. It's pretty featureless. There's a central hotspot but no concentric rings as are seen with Speedotron, Mola, and Kacey dishes:

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …13236341_7edf3e​4c5a_o.jpg

The white vinyl background is a bit wavy hence the irregularities in the pattern.

Dave F.

I was hoping to see something like this:

The 1st image in the 3rd set, or...

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=10195969&p​ostcount=9

like this in the 2nd image, with a bright inner ring and a bright outer ring.

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=10195964&p​ostcount=7

PacAce wrote in post #11554219
I was hoping to see something like this:

The 1st image in the 3rd set, or...

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=10195969&p​ostcount=9

like this in the 2nd image, with a bright inner ring and a bright outer ring.

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=10195964&p​ostcount=7

No, my generic 16" beauty dish with its ripple-free contour performs just like Rob's. Here are two catchlight images from the 16" dish. The first is properly exposed while the second is underexposed:

tetrode wrote in post #11554988
No, my generic 16" beauty dish with its ripple-free contour performs just like Rob's. Here are two catchlight images from the 16" dish. The first is properly exposed while the second is underexposed:

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …13860065_428f83​e363_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …14456126_f964b1​d8e5_o.jpg

The underexposed image does show a slightly darker inner ring area that, I would suppose, has some relationship to the double shadow phenomenon.

Dave F.

That's exactly what I'm thinking also. Had the difference between the brighter part and the darker part been more pronounced, I'm sure you would have more distinct shadows rather than what looks like thick shadows with a dark outline along the edges.

Thanks for posting those extras images, Dave. This is interesting stuff.

windpig wrote in post #11553058
This sort of testing and experimenting certainly is enlightening (no pun intended). The deflector standoffs with the Kacey dish are in 4 threaded pieces each. I'm going to see what effect moving the deflector further into the dish has.

Yes, it should be interesting to see moving the deflector closer in would do.

And if you can't get the double shadows to get any better, there is the option of using a translucent deflector you could try to see if that works out better for you.

I just tried the shadow test with one of my DIY BDs (the 18qt SS mixing bowl variety). Same result as with the Speedotron and the 16" generic:

tetrode wrote in post #11560284
I just tried the shadow test with one of my DIY BDs (the 18qt SS mixing bowl variety). Same result as with the Speedotron and the 16" generic:

http://farm6.static.fl​ickr.com …17725097_180865​1331_o.jpg

This is the dish:

http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …21317318_b453f5​e0cb_o.jpg

I don't know why I find the double-shadow phenomenon so interesting, but I do.

Dave F.

You're intrigued by it because, like me, you want to know why the shadows are coming out like that whenever a deflector is used within a reflector.

There was even a moment when I was suspecting that the shape of the flash tube had something to do with it. In other words, would you get the same shadows if you used a hotshoe flash instead of a strobe?