Softbox purchase help needed!!

[lindseydy]

Im looking to purchase a new soft box. I currently have a 7ft PLM and don't love the results. I typically shoot children, newborns and families in my studio. I am looking for something that produces a very soft light, I *think with a recessed front, white interior and an interior baffle. Im currently looking at these various options, but am struggling to find reviews on them. I was initially going to get the wescott, but it has a silver interior. Any recommendations? I have an Alien bee 400 and 800, but will hopefully be upgrading my lights before long.

 

[lindseydy]

Westcott Softbox, Silver Interior - 54x72" 4833 B&H Photo
Dynalite Rectangle Box from Rime Lite - 56 x 79" RBRR-5679
Broncolor Softbox 120 x 180 cm (47.2 x 70.8") B-33.566.00
Photoflex Extra Large LiteDome (54 x 70 x 35") XT-4XLLD293

 

[tirediron]

What is it about the results from your PLM that you don't like? I have seen some absolutely gorgeous results from those big umbrellas. I'm willing to bet that your dissatisfaction lies with your use of your current modifier and not the modifier itself. That said, if I were doing this I would want a bog-standard softbox somewhere in the 42x48 to 48x60 which had a deep front recess, removable front panel, second interior panel, was white lined, and to which I could attach grids. Chimera, Photoflex and Wescott all provide decent products.

If you're planning on upgrading your lights, then you will have to buy new speedrings for whatever softbox you do get. I would have thought ABs were ideal for this sort of work.

 

[pixmedic]

Don't forget that the light Is greatly affected by it's proximity to the subject. The closer the light, the softer it is.
If you haven't tried lower power and closer proximity, you might want to before committing to buying more gear.

I used 43" umbrella softboxes, maybe 2 feet away from the subject (or less) for most of my portraits.

 

[Derrel]

You could get that soft light by using a large diffusion panel and shooting the light through it. The "box" aids mostly in moving it around and raising and lowering it easily. Recessed front would offer a grid option, but that might not be as useful on such a large box as it is on smaller boxes. Do you have a diffuser fabric for the PLM?

Giant umbrellas, like the 7-footer I bought, are in many cases, a giant PITA in anything except a full-blown, 16-foot-ceiling area...all they give is a massive "wall" of light, and it's hard to get much direction off of such a giant, parabolic reflector...it's like the front end of a wheat ...

Very soft light is also relative to the distance and the size of the object. If you want softer light inside, consider adding a diffuser in front of the flashtube, inside of the box, so the light that starts out is scrambled (ie Einstein frosted diffuser, JTL, Profit, that type of a frosted diffuser cover that goes over the flashtube assembly), and only then hits either the umbrella fabric or the diffusing baffle. TuffSpun for example, or frosted mylar.

All of the boxes you mentioned look okay. I've had good luck with Westcott and Photoflex brand products for years now.