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11/25/2012 05:56:57 PM · #1 |
Question:
I own a pair of speedlights, and i m looking to grid em up with something more than my DYI solutions. Any good solutions that you guys use? i intend to use them to control direction and shape of light for the more detail oriented projects. Budget is about 75-100$ max.
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11/25/2012 06:19:47 PM · #2 |
| I am not familar enough to understand exactly what your looking for but I assume its a diffuser of some kind. I found this on ebay for less than $20.00 ebay speedlight grid. Forgive me if I am wrong in what I think they are I am just not use to using speedlights. |
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11/26/2012 03:19:19 AM · #3 |
Very much recommend the Honl Grids. You will need a speedstrap (either buy a Honl version or one from Lumiquest, both are about the same for the speedstrap.
Attachment is pretty solid while still being easy to remove, as well as being very well built. |
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11/26/2012 04:10:09 AM · #4 |
| A DIY grid should work just as well, but if you want to spend money I use the Opteka grids. They're the same as the Honl's, just significantly cheaper and come with a velcro strap (instead of having to buy one separately. |
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11/26/2012 04:51:35 AM · #5 |
DIY Grids work great IMHO ... a piece of card, a pack of straws and not very long at all
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11/26/2012 11:46:58 AM · #6 |
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11/26/2012 11:49:39 AM · #7 |
| I bought the Opteka one, and I have no reason to complain - other than the fact that it's MUCH larger than the head on my flashes. (Seriously, wtf was this thing made for, it's like 6" x 4") |
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11/26/2012 12:58:34 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Cory:
I bought the Opteka one, and I have no reason to complain - other than the fact that it's MUCH larger than the head on my flashes. (Seriously, wtf was this thing made for, it's like 6" x 4") |
Cory,
How far from the front of the flash head does the grid sit? I'd expect that in order to do its job, it should sit a few inches from the end of the head, and would need to be about the size you measure, ass-u-ming that the flash is set to a relatively wide angle. If the flash is set to a narrow angle, the grid isn't doing much. |
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11/26/2012 01:05:43 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by Cory:
I bought the Opteka one, and I have no reason to complain - other than the fact that it's MUCH larger than the head on my flashes. (Seriously, wtf was this thing made for, it's like 6" x 4") |
I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE my opteka grid for my flash.
Can you tell how I really feel about this?
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11/26/2012 01:13:52 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by Cory:
I bought the Opteka one, and I have no reason to complain - other than the fact that it's MUCH larger than the head on my flashes. (Seriously, wtf was this thing made for, it's like 6" x 4") |
I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE my opteka grid for my flash.
Can you tell how I really feel about this? |
Ok now that I got that out, here are the reasons:
1. The velcro strap is a stupid design. It's kind of cumbersome to put on, but I can live with that. But it's a little difficult to get it on tight. Why? I don't know. Because the second time I pulled to use it a couple of months later, the glue that holds the strap to the side of the grid, is simply a gooey mess. I can use this gooey mess to temporarily glue the strap back to the side of the grid, and it will stay for a short period of time, but then the gooey mess separates and the grid falls to the ground.
2. Of course none of this happens when I have super glue around, so I simply just stick the gooey mess back on the grid and process to swear a lot and try and use it with more and more swearing -- which increases logarithmically.
3. Have I pulled this out in the last 6 months? Nope. Because I hate the thing. And I never fixed the gooey mess.
So, since I had a strong opinion, I figured I'd give you the feedback. So I went into my lighting equipment, and when I grabbed the grid, (without the straps with the ooey gooey sticky mess, just the grid, off came one of the end supports from around the honeycomb. I don't think that's a feature....
Now that I've gotten this off my chest, It is cheap, and I can answer your other question. It doesn't sit away from the flash head -- you strap it to the flash head, so that the honey comb is actually touching the head itself. And since the holder came off the honeycomb, I can actually measure the depth of the comb which is 1/2". So it looks like they are going by the honeycomb and not the surrounding frame (it worried me since it's such a cheap design), but that part is accurate, at least.
Message edited by author 2012-11-26 13:16:32.
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11/26/2012 02:16:22 PM · #11 |
| Man, I tell you. If I had a buck for every poorly-designed light modifier I've seen or used, well, I'd at least have a real nice lunch! Beyond the basic issues with crappy mount design and quality, there's apparently very little thought given to actual optical design. There are some user tests out there that expose (pardon the pun) some of the higher-buck speedlight modifiers for what they are (I'm thinking Fong here). Some lower-buck modifiers are actually better, e.g. Lumiquest, but I still have issues with the mounting of the Lumiquest bouncers. Not well thought out at all, IMO. |
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11/26/2012 02:39:42 PM · #12 |
After these great reviews, I think I'll stick with my DIY grid.
I just used a chunk of cardboard tube that I had a print shipped in. Created the grid with some cut up black straws. I can even change the light spread angle by sliding the tube farther on or off the flash.
The thing looks pretty ugly, so if you're doing paying gigs this might be a issue. But I never have to worry about pesky things like getting paid. |
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11/26/2012 04:14:33 PM · #13 |
The grid set I had for my studio strobes was great. They used aluminum honeycomb of various sizes, anodized black and they controlled the light spread pretty close to the number of degrees listed.
They weren't cheap though.
Come to think of it, I might still have them...I sold the lights, but I still have some of the accessories...anyone need a large softbox? I also have the grid for that too. |
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11/27/2012 10:09:16 AM · #14 |
Well,
There's quite a bit to go off here. I'll look into these options, thank you all for your input.
My DYI projects rarely look great /work as well as a manufactured product(the one exception being my fitted gels for my lights). I guess that may have a bit more to do with my lack of ability as a craftsman. More importantly, they take more time than i can afford.
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11/27/2012 10:35:12 AM · #15 |
| Cool, I never even knew what a grid was before or why you might want one! Now think I'll go DIY :-) |
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11/27/2012 12:04:51 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
The grid set I had for my studio strobes was great. They used aluminum honeycomb of various sizes, anodized black and they controlled the light spread pretty close to the number of degrees listed.
They weren't cheap though.
Come to think of it, I might still have them...I sold the lights, but I still have some of the accessories...anyone need a large softbox? I also have the grid for that too. |
How big / what shape / how much |
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11/27/2012 02:02:24 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by Cory:
Originally posted by Spork99:
The grid set I had for my studio strobes was great. They used aluminum honeycomb of various sizes, anodized black and they controlled the light spread pretty close to the number of degrees listed.
They weren't cheap though.
Come to think of it, I might still have them...I sold the lights, but I still have some of the accessories...anyone need a large softbox? I also have the grid for that too. |
How big / what shape / how much |
7" diameter with the little spring clip on the side to hold them in the grid reflector. Mine are/were Speedotron branded, but grid reflectors seem to be a standard size across brands.
//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/50293-REG/Speedotron_14619_7_Honeycomb_Grid_Set.html
That's what I have/had. Before I tell you a price, I want to make sure I still have them.
If you meant the softbox, this is the closest to what I have from Photoflex's current line
//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/138243-REG/Photoflex_XT_3LLD293_LiteDome_Q39_Large_Softbox.html
and
//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/145113-REG/Photoflex_AC_GRIDL_Nylon_Fabric_Grid_for.html
and the speed ring is for Speedotron.
I'll check when I get home tonight.
Message edited by author 2012-11-27 14:02:59. |
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11/27/2012 09:43:57 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by Cory:
I bought the Opteka one, and I have no reason to complain - other than the fact that it's MUCH larger than the head on my flashes. (Seriously, wtf was this thing made for, it's like 6" x 4") |
Cory,
How far from the front of the flash head does the grid sit? I'd expect that in order to do its job, it should sit a few inches from the end of the head, and would need to be about the size you measure, ass-u-ming that the flash is set to a relatively wide angle. If the flash is set to a narrow angle, the grid isn't doing much. |
The Honl is larger too, but it fits well even with the monstrous head of the SB900's I have. Not quite 4x6 I don't think, more like 3x5 maybe.
As for the zoom and how it dictates the function of a grid, it's the inverse of what Fritz describes. The grid functions MORE the more you zoom it. A grid is designed to control spill, and the more you want to restrict that beam the more you zoom and/or grid it. I'll post some example photos tomorrow when I get home to illustrate, because I don't have my grid with me tonight. |
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11/27/2012 10:50:43 PM · #19 |
| If you aren't sure if you need a grid ,carry a peice of aluminium foil in your light bag. It is a fully shapeable snood for no money and can spill the light where you need it. It does not look impressivenit the results are. |
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11/29/2012 01:30:56 AM · #20 |
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12/10/2012 04:05:32 PM · #21 |
SaxonPC looks like an interesting option and its dirt cheap.
//saxonpc.com/
Before i pull the trigger, i wanted to ask the community here, if anyone has any experience with it. |
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12/10/2012 04:22:26 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by Devinder:
SaxonPC looks like an interesting option and its dirt cheap.
//saxonpc.com/
Before i pull the trigger, i wanted to ask the community here, if anyone has any experience with it. |
There are a number of products there, but some of them have round holes and some have honeycomb holes. Keep in mind that the falloff shape of the light will match the shape of the holes, so if you want a nice round falloff, don't get anything that has a honeycomb shape.
eta: It looks like all the photography targeted ones do have round holes, while the "air straightener" stuff had honeycomb. Continue on and ignore my ramblings :)
Message edited by author 2012-12-10 16:24:30. |
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