Flash Umbrellas

[Don Hoey]

Duncan

A sketch to give a rough idea of using straight bounce from a brollie and shoot through.
It has to be remembered that a camera flash has a horizontal tube so coverage is greater on the horizontal side than in the vertical side. Also without fitting a stofen diffuser the widest angle is less than that from a studio unit so at a distance will give light fall off which I have called Spill Light here. This spill is fine on portraits but a pain in tabletop as more black flagging is required.

I hope this makes sense.

Don

PS : Sorry I took so long but Stevie had Flash Gordon on the DVD

[yelvertoft]

Just an update for those that may be interested. I bought a white/silver brolly with removable backing from Calumet. As the 46" version was only 50p more than the 36" version I thought I'd get that one. I was intending to use it with my Metz 58AF-1 which has plenty of power so figured it would be able to cope. What I hadn't factored in was the sheer volume a 46" umbrella takes up. If you want big and have a light source that can power it, then fair enough, but you'd better have a big room to house your setup. Try borrowing someone's golf umbrella and get your significant other to stand in the room with the brolly open, held at an angle. See how difficult it is to walk around the room without bashing into it.

I've had to pay 2 lots of postage to get it changed, but there's no way I was going to be able to use the bigger item. Incedentally, I tried buying from a local shop where I could see the item before buying, I tried a range of shops within 50 miles but no-one had anything in stock or could even get one in for me. Bowens are only up the road in Clacton but couldn't supply direct and my local shop didn't want to order from them because I'd be waiting months apparently. I was told I'd be better off buying this sort of stuff online and now I've had to send it back. Seems sometimes you just can't win.

[Canis Vulpes]

Agreed, its sometimes difficult to get around my dining room with a 36" brolley. A smaller brolley may allow to to get the light closer for macro shots that may require lots of light.

I was in the same quantry as you over the two sizes as the cost for 46" was minor over 36". The assistant in the Calumnet shop advised me to go with 36" and I was still in doubt until I realised Don uses a 36" (or thereabouts)brolley.

[Don Hoey]

Mine are from the early ninties so an oddball dimension by todays standards 32". Also not nearly as fancy as Foxy's or what you are getting.

Don

[Rudra Sen]

Duncan, for your tabletop shots, a soft box would be just right. A soft box has a much better concentration of diffuse light. It’s ideal for your tabletops and very often, for portraits.

However, this is my personal view only.

My sincere request to you is this: Go for a 500joules mono-block with preferably a warm tone flash tube. Get a 100X100cm box at least.

Since you’ve already invested, keep it as your future plan.