Which modifier should I go with ?

Davidoff

I'm going to use this to modify an sb-800, for shooting people, using the built in remote slave. I already have a silver umbrella, so I was thinking about buying a white shoot through ( sp ? ) so I could have the coice and see how they compare first hand, altough I have a hunch I'll prefer the white one because I can position it closer and it won't spill so much. I was thinking of buying a bigger one, around 110cm, like this one:
http://www.niobo.pt/shop/index.php?m...od ucts_id=66

But I also saw this one http://www.niobo.pt/shop/index.php?m... ucts_id=1013 that has a black cover behing the umbrella and is smaller.

I'm guessing I can use the one that comes with the black cover the same way I'd use the other one if I take it off, but it's smaller at 72cm.

Which one do you think is a better choice ? Is the black part of any real advantage ?

ziggy53

Davidoff wrote:

I'm going to use this to modify an sb-800, for shooting people, using the built in remote slave. I already have a silver umbrella, so I was thinking about buying a white shoot through ( sp ? ) so I could have the coice and see how they compare first hand, altough I have a hunch I'll prefer the white one because I can position it closer and it won't spill so much. I was thinking of buying a bigger one, around 110cm, like this one:
http://www.niobo.pt/shop/index.php?m...od ucts_id=66

But I also saw this one http://www.niobo.pt/shop/index.php?m... ucts_id=1013 that has a black cover behing the umbrella and is smaller.

I'm guessing I can use the one that comes with the black cover the same way I'd use the other one if I take it off, but it's smaller at 72cm.

Which one do you think is a better choice ? Is the black part of any real advantage ?

If you get a convertible umbrella that is shoot-through with a silver-lined black cover I believe that is the most versatile overall. It has relatively little light loss in reflective mode with good dispersion of the light and the shoot-through is not too bad compared to a soft box, for instance.

A "SoftLighter II" is probably a better choice still if you need something very portable, fairly quick to set up and simulate the light from a soft box.

pathfinder

A silver lined umbrella will be brighter than a white umbrella with a removable black cover. But the silver lined, removable black cover allows using the white shoot through umbrellas very close up ( just out of the frame) and only requires that you carry one umbrella with you to a location shoot, if you have to carry all your gear yourself.

A 43 inch size ( 1.092 meters ) is a convenient size to use and carry, especially if it is the double fold style that is only about 15 in ( 38 cm) long when folded.

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,4635.htm

Courtesy of the Strobist Kit set ups at Midwest Photo Exchange (mpex.com) Nice folks to do business with.

I see you beat me to the draw, Ziggy.:D

Davidoff

Unfortunately, around here I can't find those umbrellas with removable covers So, I'm trying to decide between these two, the first is kind of like the softligher, but if I remove the cover it's just like a silver umbrella, which I already have, it's this article:

The other one is this version, which I'm more inclined to go with because it will be a white brolly, that I don't have, my doubt is that if this is any better than a reguler, larger white shoot-through.