Softbox Choices

I'm looking to get into shooting fashion/beauty work soon and would like to have some softboxes.

I already have a bowens lighting setup (Gemini 400/400) and use shoot through, however i like things that can be achieved using softboxes (more even light etc). The ones i find that are bowens made are expensive (for me anyway) usually about £200 each or so, however ive found some by interfit and other third party type ones for less than quarter that cost, they are compatible as well (S-type fitting)

My questions are these:

- Are they comparable to their expensive counterparts?

- Which brands/makes etc are comparable/better than bowens?

- What size is going to be usefeul to cover the things i need (beauty/fashion) I know that a smaller ones (perhaps 60cm x 60cm) might be better for head/etc but a longer one such as something around 100cm x whatever width for full body? or can this be achieved using smaller softboxes but move their distance further away as a work around etc?

I am new to this area of photography so please forgive my ignorance! Ive looked around and found things like this comparison site here, but im still unsure.

Anyone? i need to order these within a few days

In terms of quality of light, you'll find more of a difference when it comes to size and shape than you will from brand to brand. A good deal of what makes one brand's modifier different from another is design, materials, construction, and durability over time.

Cheap items are usually cheap in all respects and you do get what you pay for in most cases.

If you're only working indoors and not setting up and breaking things down regularly, then durability isn't as much of an issue because a modifier will usually break or tear during setup or breakdown and generally not white it's set up and in use.

TMR Design wrote in post #11800092
In terms of quality of light, you'll find more of a difference when it comes to size and shape than you will from brand to brand. A good deal of what makes one brand's modifier different from another is design, materials, construction, and durability over time.

Cheap items are usually cheap in all respects and you do get what you pay for in most cases.

If you're only working indoors and not setting up and breaking things down regularly, then durability isn't as much of an issue because a modifier will usually break or tear during setup or breakdown and generally not white it's set up and in use.

Thanks for your reply, makes a great deal of sense! thanks you for that. In that case, i will be indoors doing this but i would like a nice look to the images, durability isnt an issue as you say...

What about out of these here? i have heard interfit are usually quite nice in their versions of products, i just find that they have the same version of their products with different model numbers but are twice as expensive? i will be needing an S type fitting as well:

Interfit 100x100

Interfit 60X60 INT419

and this one which is the same as above but costs a good deal more??:

Interfit 60x60 SSBR60

I took a quick look at those softboxes. The more expensive softbox is in the Pro line and although I didn't see a description, I suspect that materials and build are probably better in the Pro boxes.

Both indicate they can be used with Tungsten lights and strobes but the Pro boxes give the impression that they are more suited to high temperature hot lights.

One thing I didn't see mentioned that will always add to the cost is a silver interior. Typically, a softbox with a white interior is less expensive but it's hard to tell with the Interfit boxes. The fact that both can be used with hot lights makes me think that they both have a silver interior but I can't confirm that.

The Interfit web site isn't very good but an email to Interfit would probably get all your questions answered accurately and more completely.

Cant get to a contact part of their site to even enquire, a bit silly really

Here you go.

sales@interfitphotogra​phic.com

Telephone: 0121 522 4800

TMR Design wrote in post #11801004
Here you go.

sales@interfitphotogra​phic.com

Telephone: 0121 522 4800

Cheers again! Just had word from them, the SSB60's DO have a silver interior.

Is there anything else i should ask them before making a decion? its either 2x of those SSRB60's (60cmx60cm) which are roughly £90 or getting 2x bowens 80cmx60cm at £137

Im trying to find softboxes that will cover beauty, ie head and shoulder shots as well as some fashion, full body shots. So i assume 80x60 is reasonable? or there is strip boxes as well of course....

?

Sometimes you have to be patient.

Personally, I'd rather have a pair of 80x60 but even 80cm is not really large enough to do full length work. It can be done but it's also challenging with a small modifier like that.

80 x 60 is a great size for head shots, head and shoulder, 1/2 or even 3/4 shots as long as the falloff works for the shot. An example of it not working would be a wedding gown or a white article of clothing that you wanted to render as white.

TMR Design wrote in post #11811238
Sometimes you have to be patient.

Personally, I'd rather have a pair of 80x60 but even 80cm is not really large enough to do full length work. It can be done but it's also challenging with a small modifier like that.

80 x 60 is a great size for head shots, head and shoulder, 1/2 or even 3/4 shots as long as the falloff works for the shot. An example of it not working would be a wedding gown or a white article of clothing that you wanted to render as white.

I also considered this:

http://www.warehouseex​press.com …rip-Light-Softbox_1007466

a 50x100 size but i wasnt sure how it effects head and shoulder shots having it much narrower

setsuken wrote in post #11814120
I also considered this:

http://www.warehouseex​press.com …rip-Light-Softbox_1007466

a 50x100 size but i wasnt sure how it effects head and shoulder shots having it much narrower

Strip boxes are great modifiers and in many cases they can be used for main and/or fill lights with great results.

The narrower column of light helps to control spill and it keeps more of the light where you want it. Of course you can add grids to just about any size or shape softbox, strip or octa and gain even more control.

Using a 50x100 strip works great as a main light and you could comfortably do 1/2 to 3/4 shots, but you won't get the broad coverage or be able to make as much use of the natural falloff but that's not a bad thing, just something to know.

I use strips a lot as hair lights, accent and edge lights, as well as main and fill. Size of the strip is dictated by the shot and desired coverage.

Thanks guys! Keep it up - I'm learning a lot!

TMR Design wrote in post #11814386
Strip boxes are great modifiers and in many cases they can be used for main and/or fill lights with great results.

The narrower column of light helps to control spill and it keeps more of the light where you want it. Of course you can add grids to just about any size or shape softbox, strip or octa and gain even more control.

Using a 50x100 strip works great as a main light and you could comfortably do 1/2 to 3/4 shots, but you won't get the broad coverage or be able to make as much use of the natural falloff but that's not a bad thing, just something to know.

I use strips a lot as hair lights, accent and edge lights, as well as main and fill. Size of the strip is dictated by the shot and desired coverage.

Superb, this is great to know. I am looking at those then really, i prefer to use two lights and use them evenly when doing a lot of face/head/head and shoulder images so the light is 'wrap around', however to achieve this i was unsure weather strip lights or normal square sized boxes would work best?

Similarly if i were to just use one strip light as a main light and then use the other as a hair light, would this size be as suffcient as say a 60x60 sized box? (im on such a tight budget at the mo, i have to get the softboxes that will cover the majority of the work i will be doing)

SOrry to ressurrect this but i am still stuck a little here,

Ive just got it narrowed down to a medium sized softbox (100cmx100cm) or should i get something a tad smaller? anywho, i dont get why there is such a price difference between the SSRB interfits and the INT ones, according to interfit they both use silver insides, confusing!