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Reflectors


12 years 1 month ago #210491 by ChrisPenn
I was just wandering if there was a difference between the cheap reflectors and the really expensive ones. Is it the fabric material? Also, what size reflector do you find most useful? Is 42 to 52 inches a good size for full body lighting?
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12 years 1 month ago #210492 by Hip Hop3
I have the cheapo 42 inch and the difference between that one and the expensive lastolite one doesn't worth the extra money.

Construction is the same. the thickness of the material seems like its the same, reflection material look the same and produce the same amount of light.
the only difference is the zipper which is a little more flimsy but nothing to worry about if your take care of your crap.

A 42 is not enough for full body. I've tried it and its all good good for half to 3/4 body of a 5.5 feet tall model :P

The 52 inch should be a bit better. However, I shot a couple times using a 42 inch and the result were pretty good to shoot 1 person.

For full body there is the 4 X 3 feet square reflector or larger but they are not cheap
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12 years 1 month ago #210493 by d0wn
There may be a difference in the reflective qualities of the material.
A big name photographic company has to rely on the quality and reputation of their gear...and they probably go to great lengths to ensure that their reflectors don't introduce any color cast that shouldn't be there.
Cheaper ones, may just be using the cheapest 'white' material that they can find. It's certainly possible that the material may not be all that color neutral.

Of course, if your work isn't dependent on very accurate colors, a cheap reflector can still do it's job of reflecting light very well.
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12 years 1 month ago #210494 by ChrisPenn
Do you have any recommendations? Lastolite, Impact, Photoflex?
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12 years 1 month ago #210495 by Hip Hop3
The Lastolite products are professional build and material quality. The thing I like about the TriGrip is the ease of handling in your left hand and still being able to shoot with your right. The round diffusers/reflector are much more cumbersome.
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12 years 1 month ago #210496 by d0wn
What's your budget? The 'best' ones will probably be the most expensive ones...although there is likely some 'brand name' padding in the price as well.

I certainly can't afford the most expensive gear, so my philosophy is usually to avoid the most expensive stuff, but also avoid the cheapest stuff.
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12 years 1 month ago #210497 by d0wn

ChrisPenn wrote: Also, what size reflector do you find most useful? Is 42 to 52 inches a good size for full body lighting?


The bigger the better, but then it comes down to convenience and practicality. A 10' x 30' reflector would be great...but that's not practical. A 6' circular or oval reflector is manageable, but you'll need an assistant (maybe two) to hold it...especially outside....not to mention that they only fold down to about 2.5 feet, which can still be plenty big to haul around on a shoot.

Reflectors are very handy, but some of my favorite lighting come from using diffusion panels. So if I were to get a reflector, I'd get one of those 5-in-1 models where you can take the cover off and have a diffusion panel as the base layer.
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12 years 1 month ago #210498 by ChrisPenn

d0wn wrote: What's your budget? The 'best' ones will probably be the most expensive ones...although there is likely some 'brand name' padding in the price as well.

I certainly can't afford the most expensive gear, so my philosophy is usually to avoid the most expensive stuff, but also avoid the cheapest stuff.


Well I'm just like you, I can't afford the most expensive gear, heck even if I could I may not even buy it knowing something cheaper can do the same job.
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12 years 1 month ago #210885 by Sandy Smith Photos

ChrisPenn wrote: Do you have any recommendations? Lastolite, Impact, Photoflex?


Personally I use and like Lastolite :thumbsup:
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