Barndoors vs honeycomb grids

[Nimitz]

basic studio lighting question. If you have a full set of grids for your strobes (10-40 degs) is there really any value to also getting barn doors for the strobes? How about snoots?

 

[Garbz]

While I am far from an expert in studio lighting I have found various things to give different results, mainly in how the shadow looks where the light falls off to the edge. Mind you I have tried these on a speedlight strobe not a proper studio one but I think the results may translate across.

 

[Big Mike]

That sounds right to me. While they basically do the same thing, there are subtle (or not so subtle) differences. The fall off, for example. Honeycomb grids, in a reflector dish, have little or no light spillage. Some barn door are terrible for spillage...which may or may not be important to you. I had an instructor who said that the grids were worth their weight in gold, so that's what I went with.

 

[gizmo2071]

I'd go more along the lines of honeycombs and snoots being similar rather than Barn doors, and then again it depends on what degree honeycombs you get.
I personally like barn doors, I think I have more control even if they do have some light spill. Like using them wide open like a normal reflector, but maybe having just the top or bottom gate partically closed to act as a flag and give more direction sort of thing.
But I also find that having snoot/honeycombs very useful for harsher light in specific areas.

So I'd have both barn doors and honeycombs, but not a snoot if you have the honey combs or visa versa. (I much prefer honeycombs to snoots aswell)

 

[Nimitz]

thanks all, that's kinda what I thought. I've played around with barn doors before but was looking at getting a full set of honeycom grids with my new studio strobe setup.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

focusing spotlights with barndoors are pretty useful as a background light since you can control the shape of your light. You can't do that with gridspots.