Hi everyone! I am a brand new beauty photographer and beginner with a one light setup that includes an Alien Bee B400, with a reflector, and a beauty dish. I'm having some trouble deciding on a reasonably priced dish, however. I know the Mola Settis seem to be popular, but I cannot afford $600 on a dish right now, so are there any more affordable alternatives that will provide me with great light? I know Fotodix offers one on Amazon, sold WITH a honeycomb grid that runs at about $100. Anyone have any experience or know if it's any good? Do most beauty dishes essentially act the same, or should I splurge on a "brand name" one? All suggestions appreciated. Thank you!
Beauty, Portrait & Editorial Makeup Photography and Retouching
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Hi
I would recommend StrobePro. Their gear is very good quality and the prices are very reasonable. I actually own a lot of their equipment, including the 20" beauty dish. I think you will be happy with it. They have been easy to work with and orders are usually shipped within 1 business day. They will provide the speed ring that you will need for your light as well. Here is the link: https://strobepro.com/collections/beauty-dish
Being that you are going to be using an alien bee id recommend using the white beauty dish from paul c buff thats what I use with my b800 and have absolutely no complaints. Don't get caught up in all the hype with brand names youll end up spending a lot more money than necessary. Plus if you do start off with equipment that isnt the best it'll help you hone in your skills because you'll have to think creatively to get the images you want rather than spending a heap of money and not seeing any return. Also any items you may want to inquire about you can always Google it theres soo many resources and YouTube videos to help you along the way thats where I got most of my info from. If you have any questions though feel free to private message me.
Also heres an image i took just using my alien bee b800 with the paul c buff white reflector beauty dish and a white 32" reflector below
https://fstoppers.com/photo/126760