Before I buy my first softbox (help needed)

[Aontacht]

Hi guys, if you could help me with this, I would be very grateful, thank you.

Wanting to take my images to the next level, I looked into softboxes and found this big beauty on ebay for €60. It's Godox 120cm/47", with grid: GODOX 120cm / 47" Octagon Softbox With Honeycomb Grid For Studio Flash Light【UK】 | eBay

I already own 2x YongNuo YN-685 speedlites + 1x YN-622C-TX trigger

Wanting to use this indoors and outdoors, my concern is this:

Will 1 speedlite be enough to light this softbox? Is it better to, or can I use, 2 speedlites inside the umbrella to power it properly?

What other accessories do I need, or do you recommend.

Money is tight, which is why I am not going for a more expensive umbrella/softbox.

Thank you in advance.

PS. I also saw some umbrellas where the light enters from a hole in the rear and I'm wondering if these are better and if I can fit two flashes inside them, or should I just stick to my original set up to begin with and grow from there.

 

[OGsPhotography]

You can get light stand attachments to hold multiple speed lights, they will have limitations but yes, they can be used like that inddor and out. I have seen even 4 taped together. Eventually the lights hit an output EV wall.

I dont personally light like that, with multiple lights stached ( yet) but I looked into it a bit.... Really like speedlights....

3-in-1 Triple Hot Shoe Mount Adapter with 1/4''-3/8'' Tripod Screw Thread for Flash Holder Bracket Light Stand Umbrella Holder fits Canon, Nikon, Olympus Flash Speedlite 3-in-1 Triple Hot Shoe Mount Adapter with 1/4''-3/8'' Tripod Screw Thread for Flash Holder Bracket Light Stand Umbrella Holder fits Canon, Nikon, Olympus Flash Speedlite: Amazon.ca: Camera & Photo

 

[Designer]

What other accessories do I need, or do you recommend..

Godox is a well-respected brand, so you can have a high level of confidence in the quality of the softbox. Something you should know is that there are different methods of installing the lights into a softbox. This one says it is for a studio flash (commonly called a monolight). You will need to obtain an adapter for a speedlight to make it all work together. The alternative is to jury-rig it using some wire and tape of your own clever design.

One speedlight should be fine in the softbox. Your other speedlight can be used as fill, background, or hair light as required.

 

[Derrel]

THE HIDDEN "FLAW" is hidden well--this type of box uses a slit in the bottom on the box, so the pivot point is up, inside of the box itself!!! This makes it slow and awkward to adjust. The "ideal" system has the flash unit mounted at the very back or rear of the box, on the OUTSIDE of the box! In that way the pivot point is on the rear, back edge of the box!

With the flash wholly contained INSIDE of the ENTIRE box...how does that bode for optical slave triggering? or manual power adjustments? Can you see the flash power or zoom settings panels with it stuck up inside of a 47 inch box? How do you tilt or angle the box?

This advertisement is VERY obviously hiding a serious,serious issue with this type of mounting system. Most people resort to a second piece of mounting hardware, an articulating,tiltable "arm" that mounts on top of the light stand, in order to get around this problem. This type of softbox/octa is designed for economy, and lacks the convenience most people really want.

THIS IS NOT the ideal way to make a softbox or octabox....putting the ENTIRE flash up inside the box causes a ton of hassles. Do you notice that there is absolutely ZERO in the way of photos showing how or where the flash unit actually sits? This is a deceptive advertisment if there ever was one!

MANY people who have bought this type of bottom-slit box have been very upset with the way this system works out.

 

[Derrel]

Every single time you want to adjust the angle of the box, or to adjust a light's power output or beam spread, the pivot point and the locking point an the control panels are are all deep inside of the box! This will make this a real hassle, and might lead to sloppy use of the light. It is very helpful to rock the light up and down, and left and right, and to also raise and lower the light, to get the just-right-shadow placement. When the lock, and the pivot point is on the very back, outside of the box, it is easy to see the light's readouts, to adjust the flash, and to loosen or to lock the clamp in the desired position. To do this requires a speed ring on the box: this type of octagonal modifier is basically built around an umbrella, with a 100% INTERNAL flash mounting location through a slit in the bottom of the box.

Having the grid is nice, especially at the low price. But this design will be a PITA to actually use once you start want to adjust things. There is a serious list of tradeoffs to this. The box will also be a regal PITA to use on a boom stand, or to tilt to extreme angles.

A conventional umbrella box (Lastolite Umbrella Box, or Photoek Softlighter, or Steve Kaeser Enterprises MIC models) have a cinchable drawstring or zipper and the flash sticks inide of the diffuser panel, so the back end of the flash is outside, and the flash and box pivot at the rear, on a simple umbrella swivel mount. No grid typically, but fairly low cost.

It would be a LOT handier to get a box that uses a rear-mounted speedring, and where the flash or flashes, shoot in from the back, outside end of the light unit. A few extra Pounds Sterling would be most helpful in real-world use, over years of use.

 

[table1349]

In your price range you may want to look at something like this. You will still have to buy a speed ring for it however if you decide to move up to studio heads all you will have to do is purchase the proper speed ring for whatever head(s) you go with.