|
Forums >
Photography Talk >
Alien Bees "beauty dish"
Anyone know how the "beauty dish" compares with umbrellas? Softer or harder light/shadows? More portable or less portable? Thanks. From https://modelmayhem.com/post_reply.php?post_id=201439 Bill Sylvester wrote: Nov 02 05 01:18 pm Link Much softer. Nov 02 05 01:22 pm Link It's substantially less portable than even a softbox. I find mine too cumbersome to carry around. So far as the light goes, the spread is more controlled than an umbrella's, and it gives nice shadow edges that are not as soft as a softbox. Also, the catchlights will be round, which many prefer. But they're a huge hassle to carry around, particularly if you don't want yours dented! Nov 02 05 01:23 pm Link  In that I've got 13 cubic feet of trunk space plus fold-down seats in a 3.8L Mustang, the beauty dish is portable (I keep it in the box it came in), but there's no comparing it to an umbrella in that regard. In that I like heavily back lit shots, I'm starting to carry a small studio umbrella to shade a lens when I'm walking around. That's another order of portability altogether. As long as you're looking, the octabox may do some soft work for you too. I have a "sock" for that do-not-open-on-a-stairway wonder, but much has to do with how you place your lamp in regards to your subject. This is the octabox close, really dominating the products.  --Jim Nov 02 05 03:14 pm Link It's a lot less portable than an umbrella, and the light is totally different. The thing I don't like about umbrellas is the light goes everywhere and it's hard to control. The beauty dish acts more like a softbox in that regard. I let my light fall over with the dish attached, and it bent the hell out of the mounting area of the dish. Still haven't been able to get it quite straight. The dish also has a noticable warm cast, so you'll definitely need to do a custom white balance. Makes it difficult to use along with a softbox, as the light temp will be quite different. Nov 02 05 03:28 pm Link Beauty dish is amazing. Get one Nov 02 05 10:09 pm Link This was shot with the Alien Bee 22" Beauty Dish with diffision sock:  Dec 26 06 01:22 pm Link Beauty dish, vs, umbrella, vs soft box discussions are pretty useless with out positioning discussions to go along with them. I personally love my dish (22" Speedo/Norman) with a translucent center filter (sort of like a mola but plastic not glass) vs the opaque center spot in some dishes. Using a dish far away from your subject is a lot like using a smaller box far from the subject. The magic comes when you get the light in really close and use the fall off and unique feathering characteristics to your subjects advantage. If you go with a dish I find a good boom pretty much a must have piece of equipment to go with it. As some others have stated big dishes are not that easy to transport and tend to get damaged pretty easily, I have gone through three in about 5 years due to knock over incidents and other crap doing location work (thankfully the speedo unit is not near the price of the molas) Just my 2 cents, love to hear other's positioning techniques. RB Dec 26 06 02:12 pm Link I have the alienbees beauty dish & I love it so much I can't even tell you. For most of the reasons stated above. I work with umbrella strobes, as well, but I will always use the dish if I can. (I have a pink one! I'm such a girl. lol) Sadly, though, it is NOT very portable as entioned above. It's heavy as hell - especially for a little person like me.  Other than that, it's stellar. Worth every penny! Here's an example of one of the shots I took with it:  Dec 26 06 02:22 pm Link I like mine. I don't get the point of the sock - seems like it's not quite a beauty dish any more if you use it. I tried side-by-side with and without the sock and to be honest didn't see a difference. AB doesn't make a grid for it - neither a big 22" inch grid nor a 7" central disk replacing grid. I have a Hensel dish too. Haven't tried it yet. If silver is offered in dishes in lieu of white I heard don't get it. These things are designed and shaped with the assumption that they are white. Dec 26 06 04:01 pm Link Speedotron makes a 22" grid that works on the AB 22" dish. LOVE IT! Dec 26 06 04:09 pm Link
Post hidden on Nov 14, 2009 05:20 pm
Reason: gobbledegook Dec 26 06 04:13 pm Link Lit with the AB beauty dish... https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=1091709 https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=1356595 https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=1365007 https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=1913295 I'm starting to take it on location a lot more for my outdoor shoots. Yes, it's big and cumbersome and the extra equipment needed (boom arm + counterweight) makes carrying it long distances a chore, but I've had my lightstand with umbrella fall over too many times in the wind. Dec 26 06 05:55 pm Link I use a Profoto Beauty dish/reflector. with shower cap. for my portrait shots as it is feathered but downward looking light source, I use a triflector to push light back up into the eye sockets. Also have the Profoto 7b 1200 w Pro ring which is another part of the Profoto kit I cannot recommend enough. I could manage with just these at a push. Mind you nice to have some other modifiers too, sadly NOT profoto...Peter Apr 17 09 05:31 am Link I use a gridded BD on my Alien Bees. I can't imagine using it without the grid. But then, I am a grid addict. I love the way it controls spill without compromising the quality of the light. Apr 17 09 05:47 am Link 50409 wrote: They have a grid now. I like it Apr 17 09 06:02 am Link Ok, this is a bit of a follow-up question I see many people use the Beauty dish with the sock on. How is that any different than a softbox? Apr 17 09 06:10 am Link Daniel Kwan wrote: Less portable because of it's bulk. I can carry my camera back, light stand, alien been bag, and an umbrella all by myself. Even toss in the vagabond. Apr 17 09 07:44 am Link I like the beauty dish alot. But i wont use it without a grid. Otherwise might as well just use a soft box or brolly box. Apr 17 09 10:41 am Link really old thread. Apr 17 09 11:09 am Link Andrew Thomas Designs wrote: Has light changed enough that it's no longer applicable? Apr 17 09 12:33 pm Link So would you suggest getting a ab dish vs ab umbrellas at the start? Nov 12 09 07:46 pm Link 77 Foto Inc wrote: Yes get the dish and a grid for it. Nov 12 09 07:51 pm Link The new high output beauty dish is light and the ultimate in portability. Has a 45 deg spread and doesn't topple over in the wind. Get one. Put it in the back seat of your car. Clip it to the light and carry it by the stand. Nov 12 09 07:53 pm Link Great thank you! Nov 12 09 07:58 pm Link I used it for my video shoot... Also, used the 40 degree grid in it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcqyyB3HbW4  Nov 12 09 08:13 pm Link Size determines the softness. Unless your umbrella is 22" or less the umbrella is going to be softer from any given distance. The umbrella is also going to be more portable in regards to carrying it; however, the dish is more versatile (doesn't catch wind like and umbrella) for location work outdoors. Nov 12 09 08:37 pm Link whooooaaaaaaaa really old thread, this should be locked goddamn this thread has some good beauty dish examples and isn't old: https://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=521138 Nov 14 09 03:33 am Link I love my AB beauty dish. I have the white one, not the silver. I don't know why people say it's not portable. Really? It's no less portable then a camera bag.  This was shot with a single light, my 22 inch beauty dish placed close to her face on the right side in front of a seamless. Also as an added bonus, when working out side I almost always turn to my beauty dish now. One good gust of wind would knock over my umbrella, and or my softbox. go go beauty dish, Steven Nov 14 09 04:12 am Link yep, great for out door. AB sell the grid for $70 Nov 14 09 04:24 am Link Anybody have any white vs. metallic BD examples they'd like to post? Sorry for bumping an "old" thread, but the discussion on here was actually very useful to me. I'm a primarily softbox/umbrella guy, but looking into buying a BD. Thanks & Cheers, -John Nov 14 09 04:40 am Link J & X Photography wrote: I just did my first shoot with the silver dish yesterday. It's a very different beast than the white one. Lots more power output, narrower spread. I haven't downloaded the pics yet and I don't have any direct compairsons yet. Nov 14 09 07:59 am Link I recently did some 'behind the scenes' images for a photographer friend of mine. We went to a local private beach and he used a profoto beauty dish. It worked nicely. Dennis Nov 14 09 12:57 pm Link Billy Monday wrote: Hey I thought I stole yours. Nov 14 09 01:21 pm Link For those who may not be familiar with the Alien Bees beauty dish, the "dish" is something that Alien Bees/Paul C Buff, gets from the manufacturer of Webber Grills. The "dish" is essentially the same as the 22" grill cover, but it isn't drilled for the handle or the vent. I'm not knocking the ingenuity of using something that's already being manufactured. It's sturdy as hell, kinda heavy, and works just fine. I just thought that some might like a "reference" as to its' size and weight. Nov 14 09 04:57 pm Link |
