Question about soft boxes

anonymouscuban

I've seen a few soft boxes but only the one I recently bought up close. Mine is internally lined with a silver reflective material and then has a white diffuser that velcros to the front. Is this the only diffuser that most soft boxes have or do they have another diffuser inside or maybe doubled up on the front?

Nikolai

anonymouscuban wrote: »

I've seen a few soft boxes but only the one I recently bought up close. Mine is internally lined with a silver reflective material and then has a white diffuser that velcros to the front. Is this the only diffuser that most soft boxes have or do they have another diffuser inside or maybe doubled up on the front?

All mine (profoto and AB) have two - one up front, one in between. All removable.

anonymouscuban

Nikolai wrote: »

All mine (profoto and AB) have two - one up front, one in between. All removable.

Good to know and that's what I thought. The one I bought is a small one - 24" - for a speed light and only has the diffuser up front. I haven't had a chance to shoot with it to see if it needs the second one inside.

Do you know if the Brolly boxes are designed the same way?

Nikolai

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Good to know and that's what I thought. The one I bought is a small one - 24" - for a speed light and only has the diffuser up front. I haven't had a chance to shoot with it to see if it needs the second one inside.

Do you know if the Brolly boxes are designed the same way?

Brollyboxes are essentially glorified ubmrellas with black/silver fabric on the back end. I never saw one with a double diffuser and I frankly don't think it's possible/feasible.

anonymouscuban

Nikolai wrote: »

Brollyboxes are essentially glorified ubmrellas with black/silver fabric on the back end. I never saw one with a double diffuser and I frankly don't think it's possible/feasible.

Nik... as soon as hit submit on my question, I pictured a Brolly in my mind and considered that it would be impossible, as you state, to have an internal diffuser because of the umbrella hardware. I had already posted the question so figured I leave it just to confirm. Thanks,

tomnovy

I have a Bowens softboxes and this one has as well an inside diffuser. It is mounted on the 4 corners of the softbox in the middle distance between the lamp and the outer diffuser. Bowens suggests that this will make the light soften even. - sorry for my English, is not my first language.

ARKreations

As I understand it (and also from one of Scott Kelby's studio lighting videos), smaller softboxes used with speedlights that fire to the back of the box do not have/need a second diffuser. The boxes used with studio strobes that fire from the rear towards the front need the second internal diffuser to eliminate the hot spot caused by the higher power strobe. (My Westcott Apollos only has one...)

pathfinder

I have softboxes of both kinds, and as Ross said, the ones for the monlights have a diffusion screen internally, and the ones for speedlights ( which tend to be smaller and fold flatter ) do not have internal diffusion.

If you are concerned about the lack of internal diffusion with a smaller softbox, just put a Stofen or similar device over the front of your flash tube on your speedlight.

Art Scott

Another reason that speedlite softboxes do not have the 2nd panel is to keep from having too much light loss.........