Correct umbrella setup

[Guido44]

Excellent thread guys. Very informative.

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Dan

 

[RacePhoto]

It says Enclosed umbrella. The curve of the back could produce this effect just as easily as the transmission of light from the reflecting back. One photo saying "the difference is obvious", doesn't tell the whole story.

In the case of shooting through or reflecting, it's just a piece of stretched diffuser, no great science. You could be using something stretched over a hole in a cardboard box from a dumpster.

The answer is, more expensive will probably have better materials and construction and should last longer.

Just because something costs six times more and is not coming out of Hong Kong, it doesn't mean it's not suitable and functional.

Are some umbrellas better than others?

DSC_1115_SKE silver left Lastolite right.jpg photo - Derrel photos at pbase.com

On the left is a cheap eBay umbrella box firing with 200 watt-seconds fired through a Speedotron light head, while on the right is the "original", genuine, $79 Lastolite Umbrella Box on which the cheap, Chinese copy is modeled after.it too is firing at 200 watt-seconds, with the same power pack powering both heads.

Q:Which do you think is the better umbrella? Answer: It ain't the $29 knock-off on the left. The "original" product is the better quality, better-performing umbrella.