About two years ago, Chimera showed us the first collapsible beauty dish at WPPI, something that promised to make traveling with the bulky, often heavy modifier a lot easier. However, with a price point of $230, it was a bit pricey for many. In the past few days, Phottix has released their version of the collapsable beauty dish. It has several distinctly different features that separate it from the Chimera version, but there is one thing that will stand out: the price is only $75.
"There are no separate rods, no bending, contorting, cursing or asking for assistance. You can have a Phottix Luna Folding Octa assembled and on your studio light in less than a minute. Great to take on-location, easy to carry and transport in the included carrying bag. Interchangable speed rings mean you can use this modifier on many different studio strobes. Use it with a Bowens-compatible adapter and the Phottix HS Speed Mount for use with a hot shoe flash. " It looks like it ships with a Bowens speed ring, but you can get other speed rings from Phottix or use your own.
We have a Phottix Luna Beauty Dish in studio now, and we'll let you know what we think of the build quality and performance in our upcoming review. Until then... what do you think? Would you consider it? Do you think the light will look the same as those shot with a conventional beauty dish?
collapsible
I'm just wondering, isn't these collapsible beauty dishes same thing than if you use a octabox without the sheets and use the small dome. I tried the Chimera beautydish and compared it to the Elinchrom Beauty dish, my god the difference was massive. Chimera look hideous!
If you have something that sits as a plate in front of the flash tube, then yes the look will be pretty similar. It's that little plate that is key in these.
Have to say, I just unpacked this and it took me about 24 seconds to set up. Really slick design.
when do you expect to post a review? I already have some strip boxes for speedlights, would love to add a BD like this so I have a very portable 3 light setup. thanks!
Probably within a month. That's the plan anyhow.
i think i will just shell out the $65 and test it out myself - cool
I think that's the benefit here. It's not even expensive (it's $75 btw but still, it's cheap).
I think the 105cm is $75, looks like the DB is $65:
http://www.phottixstore.com/store/phottix-luna-folding-beauty-dish-70cm-...
Don't foget to add the speedring for another $25. Looks like the $75 includes the ring.
I'd like something like this, but 110cm is a bit on the large side. Something smaller with a grid would be perfect.
exactly! The grid is key!
yep, grid was first thing I looked for. they could make one of those flexible ones i suppose
Looks like the octa softbox 110cm is $75 and the beautydish 70cm is $65 http://www.phottixstore.com/store/studio-accessories/phottix-luna-foldin...
It don't light like a mola, and it is kind different light then beauty dish.
Catch light is strange or you can call it new style ;)
You can see results in my site.
http://www.hkphoto.com/blog/2013/02/24/the-light-quality-from-china-desi...
does the octa accepts grid? By the look of the design, i doubt so.. If it accept grid, then it would be magnificent!
Doesn't look like it... and to think, building that in wouldn't have been too tough. Just add velcro to the inside flap.
Pula care nu se scoala
E o pula cam nasoala.
Si am sa va spun ceva:
Asa este pula mea.
zackarias pe tumblar
posteaza destul de rar
Would have been nice to see what it looks like in collapsed form.
I'll be showing images of it when I publish the review. It's about the size of very small sleeping bag.
I have been looking at this. Just about ready to pull the trigger and for that price it looks like a winner already.
Doing portrait work in remote locations with no help - this would be perfect.
Anybody know if it'll fit PCB alienbees strobes?? I didn't see anything about it.
Yeah it will. You just need to switch out the Bowens adapter for the Balcar mount.
will it mount on elinchrom lights?
You can get one of their speed ring adapters to mount on Elinchroms.
Let's take inventory:
First - Beauty Dish is a result - not a tool. The original Beauty Dishes were called "Pan Lights" as they looked similar to frying pans with lights in them. They presented a flat, medium large source that was the same edge to edge and had a very distinctive "lip" to force a fast fall off on the edge.
1. It has no flat base at the strobe head which is so important for beauty dishes in the traditional sense. The flat presentation of the light is not there. That pan was important for a flat, even presentation of the light from edge to edge.
2. In most beauty dishes (not knockoff fake ones) the light or strobe head extends out through the dish to just before the edge. A 6 inch strobe head in a Norman Beauty Dish that had about 7" in depth. The light extended in all directions to light the inside of the pan with the same intensity. There is no 'focus' on a Beauty Dish. That is the point. This thing has a slight parabolic shape so it is indeed a 'focused' light.
3. No "Lip" or edge constraint. One of the most important part of a Beauty Dish is the lip. That edge keeps the light in a constricted path and creates a sharper, more definitive 'edge' to the light. Without the lip, we have light escaping at all directions.
In addition - putting a sock on a beauty dish - any beauty dish - turns it into a round softbox, but that is universal.
This is an umbrella that folds differently.
Unless we want to go back and 'adjust' what the term "Beauty Dish" means, we have to take full stock of the differences.
This is not a beauty dish. It shares a modest number of physical characteristics with a BD, but is a distinctly different thing. You can buy a 'real' beauty dish for the same money or make one for cheaper. To me this is very much a non-product with the only real benefit being that it is collapsible.
With no way to accept a grid, the Phottix seems less practical than the Chimera Octa 2. It's likely to spray light all over the place, which is the reason I got the Chimera which has 3 optional grids. The difference between gridded and non-gridded is huge, I recently took a close look at this, and I wouldn't buy something like this with no grid option. http://www.wingedmammal.com/daily_emergence/chimera_octa_2/chimera_octa_...
Am getting to buy one of these. so am really would like to here your opinion about it.
ALBERTO, te sugiero ke leas mi post en: [ http://shutterbugcl.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-chimera-octa-2-beauty-dish-... ] Y si te puedo ayudar en algo, me avisas. Kordialmente, ALFONSO
I have rented the chimera octa2 pro kit. But it's $300 vs. $65. The light is the same too. I just found out these are not real beauty dishes. A friend has one and the fall out is very different. Thou for $65, this is a nice portable softbox solution. I bought one and been using it for a month. It's great for my needs, but it is in fact no beauty dish.
WOW, seems someone deleted my post.
OKay, I have used a real beauty dish...This is not a beauty dish. I got one and it just was not working right. I borrowed a friend's lumo's BD and there is a worlds of difference. I ended up taking out the rods and defector and using it now as a hair light. The collapsible part is the best I has seen thou. That is its best feature.