What softbox to use for lowel tota/omni
 

I am wondering what low-budget softbox would work well for both the omni and tota lights (assuming there is one that can do both). More specifically, I want to be able to fit gels inside the softbox for both. Any ideas?

Photoflex makes a speedring. It's funny they call these things speed rings, because theres nothing speedy about putting together one :)
Here is a link Photoflex Products

and Chimera makes some as well Photography Lighting, Film Video Lighting, Portable Lights || CHIMERA Lighting

When you can, take a look at the Lowel Rifa light too. Now that's speed.

Thanks for the info. Can most softboxes be attached to photoflex speedrings?

The speed ring, softbox, and omni or tota lights cost less than a rifa of equal power, so, despite the rifa's quick on-set assembly, is the quality of its light much higher than than a tota/omni with a softbox? I'm looking for a good quality soft light for lighting subjects for interviews.

If non-lowel lights in this price range work better for this, please let me know!

I'd just use the Photoflex brand softboxes with their speedrings. The spec tolerance is tight enough as it is. You would want to you another manufacturers poles when setting up a different tent right?

Bang for buck, you're better off getting the Omni, Tota, or DP and doing what you're doing. You'll get more output, and with the money saved, you can get an egg crate for even more directional soft light. I just wanted you to be aware that the Rifa light is fast and easy to set up. For some that is more crucial. Whenever I have to set-up the Photoflex, I cringe. I have their "Constellation" and it's a bear.

Excellent.

I have an additional question:

If I want to have a good key light that I can easily switch between 3200K Tungsten color and daylight, what are your suggestions?

My only ideas are getting either a fluorescent or a tungsten fixture where I can gel them or change the bulbs, but I'm trying to figure out what makes economic and practical sense.

Any info would be appreciated.

How big of a soft box could you go with an Tota?

Garrett

Guy, I checked reviews of the Photoflex speed ring for the Lowel Tota and many people complain that the speed ring impinges on the power cord. Have you heard of this problem? What alternative speed ring would you recommend?

I have this setup. . .tota, photoflex speed ring, and chimera 2x3 box.

I don't find that the power cord is "impinged upon." The thing can be a little annoying to put together 'til you get the hang of it, but it works fine once you do.

The tota has to be screwed by it's spud mount onto a similarly shaped bold, and just sort of hangs there, with all the weight on one side of the speed ring. But hey, it's never fallen apart or killed anyone.

Chimera makes a speed ring for the same application. . .maybe that one's better? It's not cheaper.

I can post pics if you want.

By the way, if it takes you a long time to put one of these together, you're doing it wrong. These more unconventional setups, with totas and speed rings and chimeras, can be a little more annoying than the typical arri open face 1K and speed ring and chimera, but if you're doing it right, you should be able to pop one of these together in less than thirty seconds. It took me forever until this dude showed me "the way."

Josh, you should throw a video together and put it up on YouTube!

I suppose I could, but what if I just describe the process? or take a series of pictures?

When I first started, I used to try to put the softbox on while the light was already on a stand. WRONG! This makes the whole process very difficult.

Basically, with the speed on the light or off it (your preference, really), put the softbox face down on the floor, try to "expand" it as much as possible, so that the rods are sticking in the general direction of up, at least a little bit.

Now, bring your speed ring and light (or speed ring by itself) down near the box, and insert a rod. Any rod. Now, insert the rod diagonal from that. Do the other two the same way (order is irrelevant, but you want to move diagonally). BAM! Should be done. If you haven't put the ring on the light, do that next. With an arri 1K open face, if you leave the ring on the light all the time, it really is super fast. The tota setup can be more of a pain.

When you're taking a speed ring apart, I do it the same way I put it together. Here's the thing though: you kind of have to pull up (bend the very tense metal toward your body, if the box is on the floor) on the rods as you're attempting to pull them out, to counteract the. . .uh. . .torq? of them being pulled down against the metal of the speed ring. So kind of bend the rod toward you and wiggle a little bit as you're attempting to pull it out, and they should come out fairly easily. Diagonals, folks.

I've used what Josh describes on smaller Chimera boxes - I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Although the technique works, I still find this style of box irritating, love the Rifa! Of course Rifa is a dedicated light+box, and if you're sticking a box on a Tota you have other ways you can use the Tota without the soft box. But I'm almost always lighting people, and almost always wanting a softbox or two to get the job done, so Rifa seems to work fine for me.

Natan.. I understand your question and have enjoyed reading the excellent responses from others posted in reply, but have to wonder aloud that unless you already own the Tota or Omni's, and assuming you will be doing interview type headshots, have you considered a flo softbox? A change of a bulb can go from Tungsten to Daylight. No light loss or hassle with a CTB and all that as on a Lowel tungsten unit.

You can pick up a decent 500W equiv flo softbox with one bulb and a grid for what the photoflex box and speedring alone would run you. Photoflex gets $100 for the grid alone.... and it is a must have accessory to a softbox IMHO. The 2nd bulb for your flo softbox (to give you 3200K and 5500K) would run you about another $80.

Natan, I use Photoflex speed rings with both Photoflex softboxes and Chimera softboxes. Both are good solutions, though the Chimera strikes me as better constructed -- the diffusion material is recessed a bit, which helps with spill, and the flaps on the back close better around the light. The Photoflex looks to have better venting holes (the Chimera has none -- though I don't think you should infer heat overload problems.) I use the 24"x32" (small) size. I tend to gang them to get enough light on my subject.

If it's in your budget, considering a large flo softbox satisfied many of your needs - primarily the easy switch to different temperature light. If reducing the heat on your subject is a big deal, you'll find any flo vastly better than what you have.

Chris or Dana, could you provide a link for the flo softbox(es) you're talking about, since I'm having trouble finding them.

Changing bulbs seems more logical to me than than losing light to CTB gels, but I'm trying to think it through to make a wise purchase.

Never mind, I found them (the Rifa ex units). These are great, but they are pricier than Totas/Omnis with softboxes, and the versatility is lost. There's too much stuff to pick from.

I bought a softbox from Calumet, they have their own brand and they are definitely less expensive than Chimeras. I'm very happy with mine, so just passing the info along. Here's an example, the medium size is $70 without the speedring. (I got mine on sale, which they have if you get on their mailing list.)
Calumet Nova Soft Box, Medium - RM3132 - RM3132

It fits perfectly on my Coollights 600 LED, even down to having a square opening in the back. I just orange clip it to the handle.

I've got a few Plume Wafer boxes that I use with still/strobes.

Is it correct to assume that mounting an Omni lite would be a potential fire hazard in combination with the Plumes?

Those Omni's get hot. Are the Photoflex boxes specific for video apllication with hot lights?

Jonathan

Dana, would you recommend coollights Fluorescent lights, such as the cl-255md, as well as their led ones? If you get 5600K coollights, what's the most efficient way of changing the color to 3200K and vice versa?

I'm having trouble coming up with an economical way to use the same lights in daylight and 3200K tungsten. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Natan: The Coollights fixture link is here: CL-SFT1 Cool Lights Fluorescent Video Softbox Fixture - Cool Lights USA. You should be able to find your way around from there.

You need to buy a bulb (the flos come in both 3200K and 5500K so there is your ability to match light) and the softbox itself. Richard Andrewski of Coollights can set you up with one of their softboxes to match, and they used to sell a complete kit, I just didn;t search far enough possibly. That light setup with their softbox is one of my flo softboxes and I like it very much, especially for the price. I also have a mogul base halogen bulb I can use with an open softbox...

The fact that his softbox includes the grid is a nice bonus!

Chris: Two questions about the coollights:

1. On their website, it says not to use the softbox diffuser with the CL-SFT1 very often because it could get hot etc. This is a problem, because that light may be too strong for certain circumstances.

2. The CL-255MD and CL-455MD look great, but when you dim them, does the color temperature change/go down? If they don't, I think these lights would work pretty well with or without a softbox.

1. I use the diffuser most of the time and have not noticed a heat build up problem.

2. I cannot comment on those units as I have not used nor own them

I see there IS a kit, at the bottom of the page link I sent you. It is $194 for everythying but the stand... but that only includes your choice of ONE bulb. Still a good deal in my estimation and I am very happy with mine.

Really? Thats great. I bet there's a lot more people out there that would like to hear that. Dan Brockett for one had been searching for a square speedring that could work so he had to make one since he didn't find it. Can you post any pictures of the setup here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/photon-ma...speedring.html


Sounds basically like you didn't need a speedring, are just using the softbox itself and clamping it somehow to our carry handle?

Thanks for sharing that!

On item 1, its no longer a problem, we took care of that issue.

On item 2, yes there is a change in color temperature when you dim past 50% or so. It is the same for all fluorescent units, its just the behavior of fluorescent (and LEDs for that matter) when you dim them. HMI would have the problem as well but you can't dim it below 50% anyway without losing ignition, so you won't see the issue. Even tungsten has some change when dimmed.

We also include bank select switches on the dimming models to help for when you think it might be too severe. But, these are very popular units and no one is complaining so I would say its not a problem for most people. Those that do find it a problem just buy the non-dimmable bank select only models.

I use totas with chimera and photoflex. Chimera is noticeably better made.

for smaller fixtures go with rifa. On the new ex line you can switch from tungsten to daylight balanced compact fluorescents.

Aiyeeeeee! just noticed someone say they use Calumet. - you are sure that those Calumet softboxes are for video (hot) lights and not for photo strobes. You will start a fire if you use a photo box with a tota

Thanks Chris, we do still have the kit. Just look under product categories and "Kits".

Hi Peter,

What size Chimera are you using with your Tota. And, how much do you cook your subjects. Those little lights get really hot.

Garrett

Yeah, you're right about using hot lights with the Calumet softbox. I wouldn't recommend it either. It works great with the LED light, however. I will post pics soon, but just want to clarify that the speed ring is still round, and the opening of the softbox is square.

Please do!

Exceptionally hot. Two or three in a home setting for more than about an hour and it's balmy. It's also a bear to power them from a single breaker. Both the heat and the power consumption are the big reasons we started buying flo lights.

Natan, there's efficient and there's economical. The lowest cost way is to put a CTB gel over a 3200K source. That costs you (other than the gel, which is cheap) light output, and doesn't impact the temperature of the lamp. The nice thing is you can dial in the temperature a bit, with either a 1/2 CTB or a full. I'm not a lighting designer - so when I say "a bit", part of that is my saying "it's a bit less like math than it looks."

But absolutely, the lowest cost route is to use your existing Totas and Omnis and gel them as needed.

That solution is warm. When we put two Omnis and two Totas up in softboxes, all about four to six feet from our subject to achieve what we feel is proper lighting, the temperature on the subject pops from 70 to about 90 in 30 minutes. That's in a room with 10 foot ceilings, about 18 by 30 in size. Add another 30 minutes and they get warmer still...amplified by the need to cut off the AC during takes, and the poor air handling of residential AC units.

That's why flo lights were so important to us. Figuring out where you're going to shoot, making the most use of your money, and finding the best solution are always key - but they're always in conflict, at some level. We went looking for the best solution at our pricepoint with the strong condition that it work as the package grew. The Omni and Totas now serve as fill lights, and even hair lights when on a truss or a boom.

@Dana LED lights ok

@garret -I use 300W & 500W. The 750W bulbs are flat out dangerous in a tota. Chimera is 2x3.

Richard: The bank select switches allow you to turn individual bulbs on and off? And to confirm, these switches are available on both the dimming and non-dimming models?

Yes bank selects on both dimming and non-dimming but they allow control by 2 bulbs at a time. 1 bulb at a time requires 1 ballast per bulb and we were trying to keep the weight and cost down in those fixtures.