softbox for tungsten 650 fresnels

B

Bruce Watson

Veteran
What softboxes work well for 650 fresnels like Arris and Mole-Richardon tweenies? Something that sets up easily, is transportable, can take the heat, has enough depth to work with a fresnel and works with light controls like egg crates? It's interestingly difficult to find this information out through websearches, so I'm looking for recommendations from people who actually use softboxes like this.

An alternative of course is to throw up a scrim (like a Scrim Jim, say 72" square) with some level of diffusion. I'm thinking softbox to eliminate the back spill that you get from simple diffusion.

What say you, wise lighting experts?
 
Softboxes aren't that optimal with fresnels - most of them attach to the gel slot, so you're projecting light onto the fabric vs. a bulb fully inserted into the box (like a starlight). And fresnels already sacrifice a lot of efficiency for the "look". So... depth isn't an issue - heat is, and the proper mounting hardware for your fresnel.

Fresnels do work well with scrim jims (I pop the lens out sometimes). But if spill's an issue, there ya go. Any decent brand should be fine, but they cost a lot more than a strobe softbox because of the heat issues. Just make sure you get one intended for hot lights.

But honestly, getting something that uses, say, a couple of those giant flo bulbs... you may find an entire unit for less than just a video/high-heat softbox.

I'm waiting for someone to come up with a softbox for a 4-tube biax flo. Seems like a no-brainer, add mounting holes to the case (making the case into one big speed ring) and a stubby little tent that flares out to a large (say 36x48") size with a fabric grid. That would freaking rule.
 
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