If you could only have 2 light modifiers - which would they be?

A

analogs

Well-known member
Based on your experiences of having a variety of project from interviews, advertisements/promos, music videos, short films, documentary, vlogs, etc.

If you have 2 COB lights, and could only have 2 modifiers in your kit, which would they be and why? Can be of the same pair or different modifiers, but just two. For a solo shooter and possibly working with a small team of 2-3 people?

-rectangle softbox - what size?
-octagon or round type softbox - what size?
-barn doors
-Fresnel attachment
-gobo optical snoot
-beauty dish
-lantern softbox
-any other type?

Thank you.
 
I would get a fresnel (hopefully with barn doors attached) and a 24 x 36" softbox, hopefully with a grid.

It's tricky, though, because it's good to have many different options even though you only use two simultaneously. Having a fresnel and a softbox gives you 2 very different options. But in real-world use, I might more often use 2 softboxes simultaneously. I have a 60" softbox that I love and produces a great, very soft light. But the box is so big that I can't use it in tighter spaces. Having 2 24x36" softboxes would be a bit more versatile.

It's good to build up a collection of modifiers over time.
 
Last edited:
If only two:

- Fresnel
- Big, gridded, octabox


But the thing that makes these new COB lights so great, is how versatile and easy to control they are (compared to pain-in-the-arse panel lights that just spill everywhere). They're even better as broad, bounce-sources than panel lights because the COBs have a wide beam, but don't spill to the sides like panel lights do. So being able to use them with:

- Spacelight attachments
- Leko attachments
- Beauty Dishes etc.

In additional to simple softboxes and focussing attachments, is precisely what makes them great.
 
Are soft boxes and grids pair-able to equal just one modifier or are they counted as two separate ones?
 
I think they're pair-able since you can buy them as a set, and I assume the original question was limited to 2 modifiers for budgetary reasons and not a theoretical exercise. (Of course, they don't come as a set for some more expensive units. I recommend Glow products - I got an umbrella-open 60" octabox with grid from them for like $100. I don't know if it's as durable as a Chimera, but it hasn't broken yet :)).
 
Two Fresnels with barndoors and diffuser to clip to them to soften them up.

I'm currently experimenting with putting LED clusters into my old kit that takes linear tungsten. The light levels are lower of course, but I'm getting similar results to the old hot sources, just dimmer. I had an old favourite Mole flood, long retired that's getting a new lease of life with a big LED in it.
 
I just bought two parabolic softboxes. Both came with inner diffusion and outer as well as a 40 degree egg crate. For $136.00 for a 47" model! I'm in heaven,
I doubt I'll be using my rectangular Chimeras very much anymore. Speedrings suck compared to the integrated Bowens Mount. I prefer round catchlights.

These new Chinese parabolics aren't built as well as the Chimeras but they are lighter, quicker to deploy and breakdown and cheap enough that if one
gets damaged, Amazon can have you a replacement the next day. They come in 27", 35", and 47" sizes, sold under half a dozen different brand names but
they are mostly made in the same factories, just in different color trims with a different brand name silk screened on.

If it were me, I would have 2 COB lights, they come with barndoors and a reflector. I would get the new Aputure 600 when it is available but barring that, I would
get the 300d II or the Godox VL300 for at least one, then possibly a smaller and less powerful 120d II or a Godox VL200. I would add a Fresnel lens attachment and I would have a parabolic large softbox
for the other. For me, having the 47" is important as I am shooting more multi camera live streaming content and there is always a wider shot. That means that a
softbox cannot be placed close to talent like I would in an interview. Meaning I need the largest softbox I can afford to use since it has to be placed physically farther
away from talent to be out of frame. I also bought a 7' diffusion umbrella for the same reason, they are only $99.00 and I can place two or three sources through it
for more softlighting horsepower to compete with windows.
 
So in my view, two fresnels with the included barn doors. Most of the fixtures come with barn doors right? So I'm not counting them.

For my two modifiers I would get a soft box as large as my light could handle and still be useful as a key, it would be nice if it was bundled with an eggcrate. My second modifier would be a Scrim kit that came with diffusion, a flag and a reflector or two.
 
ggrantly said:
So in my view, two fresnels with the included barn doors. Most of the fixtures come with barn doors right? So I'm not counting them.

For my two modifiers I would get a soft box as large as my light could handle and still be useful as a key, it would be nice if it was bundled with an eggcrate. My second modifier would be a Scrim kit that came with diffusion, a flag and a reflector or two.
Click to expand...

Are all the LED fresnels coming with them, today? They should be, in my opinion. They were extra with Arri tungsten fresnels, unless you bought the big hard case packages.
 
Grug said:
If only two:

- Fresnel
- Big, gridded, octabox


But the thing that makes these new COB lights so great, is how versatile and easy to control they are (compared to pain-in-the-arse panel lights that just spill everywhere). They're even better as broad, bounce-sources than panel lights because the COBs have a wide beam, but don't spill to the sides like panel lights do. So being able to use them with:

- Spacelight attachments
- Leko attachments
- Beauty Dishes etc.

In additional to simple softboxes and focussing attachments, is precisely what makes them great.
Click to expand...

+1
 
The only thing is - if your octabox is too big, it won't fit in the small offices you might conduct interviews in.
 
Its a dumb question IMO. Have resources not single use modifiers.

Id have some black boards ($10) some white polyboard ($20) and diff in a 4.4 or 3.3 frame.

Go on a grip truck and see if you can find any softboxes. I ve never seen one on a pro set.
 
morgan_moore said:
Its a dumb question IMO. Have resources not single use modifiers.

Id have some black boards ($10) some white polyboard ($20) and diff in a 4.4 or 3.3 frame.

Go on a grip truck and see if you can find any softboxes. I ve never seen one on a pro set.
Click to expand...

Then why do photographers use them so much?
 
ahalpert said:
Then why do photographers use them so much?
Click to expand...

Agreed.

I can pull a make shift book light out of my bum, but I can't just manifest a quick snap soft box or good fresnel lens out of parts around the house.
 
Run&Gun said:
Are all the LED fresnels coming with them, today? They should be, in my opinion. They were extra with Arri tungsten fresnels, unless you bought the big hard case packages.
Click to expand...

The way the Chinese COB lights are working, they come with a reflector and barn doors. The Fresnel attachment is a separate purchase. What I don't yet know, because I have not bought it yet, is if my barndoors that came
with the light will fit onto the Fresnel attachment or if I have to also buy the Aputure barndoors that are designed to fit onto their Fresnel lens. I'll find out when I order it.
 
morgan_moore said:
Its a dumb question IMO. Have resources not single use modifiers.

Id have some black boards ($10) some white polyboard ($20) and diff in a 4.4 or 3.3 frame.

Go on a grip truck and see if you can find any softboxes. I ve never seen one on a pro set.
Click to expand...

Most of the 10 ton big trucks do not have them and I only occasionally see them used on episodic. If you have a crew of grips, I agree, they will use big frames and diffusion, not softboxes. To me, softboxes are just
a quicker shortcut for small crews and OMBs to get softlight without building a frame and having to put flags all over a set. For small shoots, big softboxes are really convenient and quick, they just save time and space
and putting an egg crate on saves a lot of flagging.
 
ahalpert said:
The only thing is - if your octabox is too big, it won't fit in the small offices you might conduct interviews in.
Click to expand...

That's why you have two or three of them. They come in a 27" size too, very handy for small offices. Fortunately, I told my clients years ago we are DONE trying to shoot
interviews in tiny offices and cubicles. I tell them we need a conference room or larger so I can usually get away with the 47" softbox. But low ceilings can be tough too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top