Coollights LED600 Flood w/ Softbox?

[Sam Pat]

I picked up a pair of daylight LED600s from a fellow member. They are both the flood version. I've experimented briefly but would really prefer them to throw a softer light. I intend to use them as key and fill.

I understand that Coollights makes a softbox right now for 100 bucks. Does anyone have experience with this? I did do a search but it seems like the recommended use of the softbox is with the spot version and not the flood. Is the worry that the flood will not have enough output for the softbox?

Can you recommend any alternatives to soften and enlarge the light? What if I use reflectors? I've never used them before.

Thanks for any help.

[Brett Sherman]

I definitely prefer the look with the softbox on. Takes the harsh edge off. I think you'll have plenty of light when daylight balanced. However when you gel it for tungsten you might not have enough for key. It's barely enough with the spot version. But a lot depends on how much ambient light there is.

The softbox is going to have more output than a reflector, so it's definitely the way to go. Bottom line for $100 it's worth the cost. If it's not enough light with it on, you can always take it off.

[Robert Turchick]

I just clip on a sheet of Rosco diffusor paper...about $7. Awesome results and cheap!

[Sam Pat]

Thanks gents.

I think I will try Robert's suggestion first.

[Nino Giannotti]

I own at least two dozens of LED lights. Mostly Cool Lights and the main reason I went with Cool Lights was because it's the only LED light that had a soft box available. Diffusion gels don't even come close to the quality of light from soft boxes. Cool Light also make fabric grids for their soft boxes, another very indispensable tool.

[Sam Pat]

Originally Posted by Nino Giannotti

I own at least two dozens of LED lights. Mostly Cool Lights and the main reason I went with Cool Lights was because it's the only LED light that had a soft box available. Diffusion gels don't even come close to the quality of light from soft boxes. Cool Light also make fabric grids for their soft boxes, another very indispensable tool.

Thanks, how is the build quality on the coollights softboxes?

[Nino Giannotti]

Well.... I can't compare them to the $2,000 LED fixture but for the price in my opinion are the best value on the market. As I said, I have more than 2 dozens LED lights mostly Cool Lights, still I'm not entirely sold on LED, still too many problems particularly when it comes to accurate color renditions.

I'm a regular at NAB every year and I've seen the LED industry growing out of nowhere. China has pretty much taken over the LED business as far as volume and low prices go. Even on the lights displayed on the trade show floor by the third day half no longer work. I would say that everything manufactured in China should be handled gently.

I had good luck with the Cool Lights and most impotent they have a good representation here in the US, that's important. Richard at Cool Light provides impressive service. Service is the problem, most of these light manufacturers have no US distributors, when asked what if something goes wrong they tell you to send it back to China for repairs. The few US companies that I spoke with that try to become distributors told me that these Chinese companies are impossible to deal with, takes forever to gets thing done and clients get frustrated and move on to other products.

They need to do what most serious manufacturers have done for years, get more working photographers involved in the testing and marketing of their products, not some bright eyed salesman that knows absolutely nothing about our business. Most of the people working at the Booths at NAB hardly speak english, I ask a technical question and I get smiles back, but at least they smile nicely.

[Andrew Dean]

Thanks Nino,

But i believe the question was specifically about the soft boxes, not the fixtures or the company.

As an owner of a couple cool light leds, I have the same question: How's the build quality on the cool lights soft boxes?

Cheers!
-Andrew

[Nino Giannotti]

Sorry, I was referring to their entire products including the soft box. Considering that the Cool Lights soft box is made only for the Cool Light fixture and will not fit any other light my first concern of course would be that the light works well or no matter how good the soft box is it would be useless, but to answer your concern, I had two for almost two years and they behave the way they should, gave me no problems.

[Sam Pat]

Thanks for all the feedback!

I've experimented with diffusion paper and was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked! No need for the softbox for now.

I did order two sets of the slide-in filters that coollights includes with newer LED600s but did not come with my first gen ones.

[Sean Seah]

I just wanna add that the softbox is good quality and works well. Love the look.