Your Favorite Diffusion Is

G

ggrantly

Veteran
Thinking about a fast to set up diffusion scheme for LED panels for a basic interview. What do you use? I'm trying to broaden my horizons here. I have some decent daylight panels and a few bi-color units as well. But I have just never really warmed (pun intended) up to them much. I so much prefer using fresnels and traditional soft boxes in either spectrum.

TIA
Grant
 
I can totally relate to not "warming up" to your LED panels.
I tend to mostly use mine these days on low end jobs - where setting up fast and being mobile (via batteries) is of utmost importance over a larger source. I almost always prefer at least a 3x4 soft box or octobox or larger silk - if I have the time & room.
Having said all that... I have to admit I own this and confess to using it more than I care to admit:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1023167-REG/airbox_ab_799918_model_1x1_softbox.html

It's not worth full retail - but a decent value at the current $30 price. I usually keep an opal frost - or other diffusion in the front panel. It does work pretty well in those tight spaces where adding extra stands or large soft boxes just won't fit. (But it is always strange blowing it up.). I've honestly been surprised at how long mine has lasted.
 
I would suggest a 4x4 frame of diffusion but you indicated fast to set up, so I assume that also means nimble and easy to pack.

It's been a minute but there were times in the past where I slid a roll of diffusion on a horizontal arm of a c-stand or boom stand and unrolled it down as needed. Instant large source. A smaller instrument like a 1x1 panel with bare LED's would need a heavy grade of diffusion to properly fill it, so use 216 or 129. A soft 1x1 or a larger source, you might be able to get away with 250. If you needed a one-size fits all, you could go with 250 and just double it back on itself (or use two cuts sandwiched together) with C47's or spring clamps when required.

Obviously without flags and a control grid, this will go everywhere, so certainly not ideal for a two camera interview. But in a larger space where you don't need to protect the back wall and the side spill isn't an issue, it can work out great.
 
Last edited:
I have a 3.3 frame with 216 (I think) stuck on it. Fast to set up and stores well in the side of my van - its a simple diff for a 1.1 panel

Can be placed on a second stand or a 20in arm/mathelini/knuckle on the first stand.

Next scale up is using my 6.4 lastolight straight or as a booklight with a 8.4 poly - thats a nice source that eats enough to need at least two (lupo super) panels

Better IMO than twonging with a stupid easybreak softbox.
 
It's a vague question. My take on it even with 1x1 panels, a good look can be achieved with 4 lights (Key, Fill, Hair, & Background) and add some modifiers to shape and soften the light... What's not so simple is dealing with locations. Maybe it's a small room, a cluttered space, low ceilings, unshaded windows, ugly surroundings, outdoors changing sun/weather, no power source, audio acoustics, background noise...

Where panels hold an advantage is setup time. If you're shooting by yourself you'll be hard pressed to load your car, drive to the location, decide where to shoot, unload and setup, before the subject arrives or while they're waiting. Often it's more important to get the content even if the light was a little harder than being late or unable to complete the shoot or being distracted from other important issues because you were to occupied with your light setup.

So with all that said while a deep large parabolic light dome is really nice, you can get by with a simple frosted plastic diffuser/gel mounted on your light panel.
 
Last edited:
I have a couple used Chimera universal 1x1 soft boxes for my Astras (1655, I think). Those of course offer the fastest setup, and I'll run around with that on battery all day long for location b-roll.

When spill isn't a huge issue and I might have a little more time, I've done a cantilever setup with a C-stand/grip arm arrangement with a larger ~3-4' round collapsible silk... so one stand, grip arm clamped at about 1/3rd, undersling the Astra from the short end, and clamp the diffusion off the arm's grip head. Maybe flag a side with whatever's handy. It's cumbersome, but yields a nice large round soft source without having to cough up more for a big snapbag than I paid for the light itself.

My oldest daughter is into sewing... I really need to convince her to start churning out egg crates for a less-than-insane price.
 
Razz16mm said:
New tech diffusion options from Rosco look interesting. I'd like to try a sheet or two on my 1x1 panels.
https://www.redsharknews.com/rosco-opti-sculpt-is-a-totally-new-way-to-diffuse-and-control-light
Click to expand...
My light didn't come with a diffusion panel option so that's what I did. I attached a Rosco diffusion gel and it works great. I've played around with strap on diffuser light boxes. They no doubt diffuse the light better, but can be cumbersome, ill fitting, limit the movement, expensive, and some don't offer grids to control the spill. I actually ran tests and could post stills. My conclusion I liked the softbox diffusers but was surprised difference wasn't as noticeable as I thought. It's a subjective thing about the type of light you want and level of quality needed. Things like the subject's positioning and the background seemed far more noticeable that the quality of the diffusion.
 
Last edited:
Razz16mm said:
New tech diffusion options from Rosco look interesting. I'd like to try a sheet or two on my 1x1 panels.
Click to expand...

1x1 is still 1x1 if you stick a diff on it. 1x1 is generally not big enough for soft portraiture.

I think my 3x3 or a 36in lastoloight is kind of the minimum for soft portraiture.
 
Peter C. said:
Things like the subject's positioning and the background seemed far more noticeable that the quality of the diffusion.
Click to expand...

Definitely. In simplest terms, my thought pattern is source size and output first (to, say, match windows in the bg), then I bother with spill, and lastly any other peculiarities of the diffusion material. In a quick setup, I don't care if it's beadboard or a bedsheet, I just want the light softened in the most expedient way possible.
 
OP here. Thanks all for the terrific responses. I was intentionally vague just to hear different ideas. When I think panels, it is usually due to some combination of lack of space, need for speed, and possibly battery operation. Otherwise, I'd do something different.

I thought Mr. Paperts' paper towel roll diffusion was pretty clever.

Seems like there is room for a "new type speedring" to adapt panels to diffusion. Imagine a mattbox of sorts where diffusion could be changed out easy and quick....just thinking out loud here. Maybe someone has done this. I use scrim-him type frames a fair amount, but I'm thinking something more compact which might velcro onto the panels flags to avoid spill. It would still need a stand I suppose.
 
ggrantly said:
Seems like there is room for a "new type speedring" to adapt panels to diffusion. Imagine a mattbox of sorts where diffusion could be changed out easy and quick....just thinking out loud here. Maybe someone has done this. I use scrim-him type frames a fair amount, but I'm thinking something more compact which might velcro onto the panels flags to avoid spill. It would still need a stand I suppose.
Click to expand...
The only softboxes for light panels are the velcro strap type. They're ok but don't fit so well. If you want a speed ring you would need to get a flood mono style light like the Aperture 120 or Godox VL150, then you would have a large variety of light modifiers to choose from.

These are the panel light diffusers I've owned:
D-Fuse:
Pros: compact storage, fits in small spaces.
Cons: expensive ($54), shallow as a result limited diffusion, don't funnel the light, didn't fit my lights properly, little bit wonky to setup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lglQWzCwDDg&t=22s

Fovitec StudioPro: ($50)
Pros: amplifies and diffuses the light well, quick setup
Cons: no grid/crate, folds down flat but shape isn't the easiest to pack, didn't fit my first set of lights but would probably fit my current ones.
I'm tempted to get it again just don't want to diy a grid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBl6MK0S8xE

For my purposes, it needs to be compact, easy to setup and transport, and both diffuses and controls the light. If it doesn't look professional I'm not bringing it on a paying job.
 
Last edited:
ggrantly said:
OP here. Thanks all for the terrific responses. I was intentionally vague just to hear different ideas. When I think panels, it is usually due to some combination of lack of space, need for speed, and possibly battery operation. Otherwise, I'd do something different.

I thought Mr. Paperts' paper towel roll diffusion was pretty clever.

Seems like there is room for a "new type speedring" to adapt panels to diffusion. Imagine a mattbox of sorts where diffusion could be changed out easy and quick....just thinking out loud here. Maybe someone has done this. I use scrim-him type frames a fair amount, but I'm thinking something more compact which might velcro onto the panels flags to avoid spill. It would still need a stand I suppose.
Click to expand...

C-stand with a grip arm and a roll of 216 was pretty much standard operating procedure on a quick and dirty sets 20 years ago. One product you should look at is Mathews Roadrags. Quick and easy and no need for a second stand.
 
ggrantly said:
Seems like there is room for a "new type speedring" to adapt panels to diffusion. Imagine a mattbox of sorts where diffusion could be changed out easy and quick....just thinking out loud here. Maybe someone has done this. I use scrim-him type frames a fair amount, but I'm thinking something more compact which might velcro onto the panels flags to avoid spill. It would still need a stand I suppose.
Click to expand...

The Chimera 1655 is exactly this. I have no idea if they make different diffusion panels for it, but once the 'box' is in place (via straps), the diffusion panel slaps on via velcro very easily

Downside (and upside, depending on your needs and point of view) is that it isn't very large. The diffusion effect is noticeable, though.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1046477-REG/chimera_1655_universal_led_tech_lightbank.html
 
Liam Hall said:
C-stand with a grip arm and a roll of 216 was pretty much standard operating procedure on a quick and dirty sets 20 years ago.
Click to expand...

I sure as hell didn't invent it, true! I do find that a lot of the older techniques get forgotten in the shuffle and sometimes they can still be helpful.
 
CharlesPapert said:
I sure as hell didn't invent it, true! I do find that a lot of the older techniques get forgotten in the shuffle and sometimes they can still be helpful.
Click to expand...

Along those lines, and also “tried and true”, I’ve got a 6x grid cloth that I often clamp onto a C-Stand arm.
 
Hampshire Frost


If for no other reason than I get to do a bad New England accent when saying "Hampshire".


I remember arrogantly snickering when we'd see someone using the tissue that comes between sheets of gels as diffusion, not knowing it wasn't meant to be used as diffusion. And yes, I'd go over and save them. Politely.
 
I have the uber-cheap DFuze soft boxes for my two 1x1 panels. Quick, easy set up, although I find just the Dfuze by itself can make a shiny person look really shiny. Another level of frost on the front of the soft box if you have the room to truck the panel in can really help.

I find that my go to key light set up these days is a C-stand with an arm. I take one of the 4x4 scrim panel fabrics out of my Scrim Jim kit and hang it from the arm with two clamps. (usually the 1+ stop white one) Then i set up the two 1x1 panels behind it to make one big source. As Charles noted, spill can be an issue in tight spaces, so if it's not a run and gun situation, a 4x4 floppy cutter strategically placed is a life saver.

If I need more firepower, I can get out the two 400 par HMIs, put some diffusion in front of them, and then punch those through the fabric. That gave us enough to match up with the well lit stained glass in the background.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top