When to user a beauty dish soft box vs normal soft box?

4 years 6 months ago #661377 by Rudy Sosa
I was looking at soft boxes and noticed they offer soft boxes that are beauty dishes too.  What's the difference between using a normal soft box and beauty dish one?  

I'm sure there is a difference in light, but what is it? I noticed there is a silver metal plate you put in the beauty dish soft box, I'm wondering if I could get this one, use it when I want for beauty dish, and remove the metal plate when not after what ever difference that creates.  

Thank you


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4 years 6 months ago #661380 by Nikon Shooter
A soft box may come with a grid. Both will behave like
soft boxes but the gridded one will have a much lesser
spread and faster falloff.

A soft box, to behave somewhat like the soft reflector
does, must have a peripheral output by having a dead
centre spot like the soft reflector has.

A soft reflector will produce at the same time both a soft
(through its larger diameter) and crisp light via the dead
center.

Both must, in any case, be used very close to the model
otherwise they both behave like a normal light source.

Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 6 months ago #661410 by effron

Nikon Shooter wrote:
Both must, in any case, be used very close to the model
otherwise they both behave like a normal light source.


Yup, simply.

Why so serious?
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4 years 6 months ago #661465 by Rudy Sosa
Thank you, but when you say must be used close to the model.  How close are we talking here?  


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4 years 6 months ago #661479 by Nikon Shooter
It all depends on the wrapping effect you want Rudy,
The closer the more.

Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 6 months ago #661808 by garyrhook

Rudy Sosa wrote: Thank you, but when you say must be used close to the model.  How close are we talking here?  


Every photographer should read "Light: Science and Magic". Go. Now. Get it.

Every photographer needs to understand the inverse square law. Go. Now. Study.


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4 years 6 months ago #661836 by Dana Leeson

garyrhook wrote:

Rudy Sosa wrote: Thank you, but when you say must be used close to the model.  How close are we talking here?  


Every photographer should read "Light: Science and Magic". Go. Now. Get it.

Every photographer needs to understand the inverse square law. Go. Now. Study.


My husband got me this book a couple years ago, and I started to read it and you are right, it's a true winner.  I just need to find it and finish it! 


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