Can you tell the difference?
In my quest for learning more about light, I want to see if there was much difference from the very expensive softbox that Westcott makes (Westcott TD6 DLX Medium Daylight Kit) coming it at a whopping $829 vs. an ePhoto $100 softbox Fluorescent light my friend let me borrow.
Both images you see at the beginning are set to 5500K, ISO 200. However the Westcott was 2/3 of a stop brighter than the ePhoto. The Westcott has 6 50watt bulbs, and the ePhoto has 5 45watt bulbs. I didn’t do any color correction. Only one light used at a time with no reflectors and both the same distance to the talent (me).
Wow the Westcott is so expensive. I can hardly tell any difference between the two lights. Why does the Westcott cost so much more?
While the ePhoto softbox works well I would not recommend it to some that travels a lot, because I don’t think they are meant for the road. I think if you set them up in your studio once and never take them down then I think they are a great deal.
I borrowed my friend’s ePhoto light from his kit that he bought about a year ago. This ePhoto kit is the closest one I could find that he got (I think it has more lights however).
Both of them did not have any banding issues until the shutter got up to 1/320 of a second. I didn’t see any flicker at all.
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Can you post a URL for the other softbox? Cant seem to find the 5 bulb one .
@Pawelw I just added the link, sorry.
Nice comparison, thanks! Is it just my imagination, or is the ePhoto putting out a warmer color? It looks better to my eyes, but that might just be the context here.
Well I guess I can only state the obvious that you are paying a great deal more because of the better all around construction and reliability and also, frankly, for the brand name. Like you pointed out, if the E-Photo kit is set up in a studio and if it’s being used for basically hobby or low cost projects then heck, save the money and go for the less expensive solution – as you pointed out, the light itself seems very close.
On the other hand, if you are traveling with your lighting gear or if you would be embarrassed by having your light kit fail on you because a relatively minor piece of kit broke (some plastic do-hickey for instance) then maybe the higher price for the Westcott is worth it…as they used to say, “no one gets fired for buying IBM” and Westcott is in a similiar market position.
We all know even good (and expensive) production equipment will fail on you from time to time just to keep things interesting so I guess you are paying for the feeling that you are in a safer postion with better build-quality gear.
the ephoto kit that you linked to has 9 bulbs in one fixture! Never seen a westcott with that many.
I own the Linco Flora flourescent kit … very cost effective and solid build. It can handle 6 x 85w dalylight cfl’s. The head has 2 switches, each controlling 3 lights. It also has a very easy to assemble soft box. They have just come out with a version on a remote control.
Here’s the ePhotoInc kit I just purchased:
http://www.ephotoinc.com/to-2800-watt-digital-video-film-continuous-3-softbox-lightin28003.html
It’s $219. for 2800watts. Includes THREE light boxes, Fourteen 45watt bulbs, and 3 stands. Shipping is $28. This is a KILLER deal. If you are using this for in-home studio work, you can’t go wrong.
I can report back once it arrives the end of this week.
@Bruce I think that is the one my friend got about a year ago.
Dave, what did I tell you about sucking helium while doing videos?
Good comparison of the 2.
Dave, love your videos but I gotta agree with those who didn’t like the speeded up version. Could barely get through it. I’ve got the time to watch you; you don’t have to go all cartoony.
Dave – We always love seeing comparisons and reviews on our product. Thank you for putting this video together. I did want to make a few comments regarding the product. First, the cord – the reason the on/off switch is on the cord, is because if you are to use the light in a hairlight position, you would want the plug to be reachable. Second, the quality of our Westcott softboxes has always been seen as some of the best in the industry. Many of our Pro Photographers have had their boxes for over 25 years. And finally, the lamps are rated at 90+ CRI so they are able to be used in video. We produce our own lamps because we wanted the Westcott quality to be complete from Box to Bulb. Thank you again for your review on our product. Westcott has always stood behind its quality and customer service and we always love feedback as well as critiques!
@Amber thanks for stopping by. Thanks for letting me know why you put the switch there.
Great video, Dave. I am in the market for a cheap lighting kit (sub $300) and ePhoto kit covered here piqued my interest. However, upon reading a few reviews online of the kit in question, I noticed a troubling pattern.
Many purchasers of the ePhoto kit received their package with broken pieces (lights, stands, carrying case, etc). Did you experience anything similar? Conversely, I’ve been researching a 3-Light Softbox Kit from Cowboy Studio (good reviews but materials aren’t the best–get what you pay for). Any thoughts on them?
I guess while I’ve got your attention, have you ever looked into any Shoulder Stabilization Rigs? I just won an eBay auction hosted directly through Letus (Talon Universal Kit) and should be receiving it tomorrow. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Letus, and am wondering what your take on these rigs is.
Thanks!
@CaMereo my friend also had a unit break in shipment as well.
The shadow edge on the ePhoto is very hard, while the Westcott has a softer, more pleasing falloff. Cool comp, tho.
Ok then, I’m going to buy an ephoto kit since you saw no difference in the quality of light and I probably won’t be breaking these down and moving them around too often (maybe never actually).
See how much power you wield over hundreds if not thousands of purchasing decisions?
And with great power, comes great responsibility ;P Thanks for the objective reviews and comparisons.
@Michael let me know what you think of it when you get it.
Good comparison Dave, the major brands are priced very high here in OZ so I’m looking at the kits on ebay. Even the cheapish local retail kits here are originally from china. One of the ebay sellers over here has a retail shop so I can drop in and check them out.
He has some Octagon Soft Box’s which are 80cm with 4 bulb heads. I guess, 1 for key and 1 for fill. I also want to get 2 metal reflector (single CFL lamps) for lighting the background.
What minimum wattage do you think for a soft box?
@Paul that is a good question, I try to get the most “wattage” or actually brightness so I can use low ISO’s.
@Dave I dropped in to see some flo kits. I checked out a 7 x 70 watt head soft box and even with the diffuser off the front didn’t convince me to get it. Thats 490watts of CFL! The fall off after 3 feet was severe. Energy efficiency aside, it’s a case of diminishing returns the further away from the source you get. No wonder the heads are coming out with more sockets but no matter how many sockets go in, the max head wattage is 500.
The heads made in china are rated from ? to 8, 8 being the max which is 500 watts.
so….
5 x 85w
7 x 70w
9 x 50w
Whatever combination under 500 watts.
There could be some special purpose heads made for more wattage, I don’t know.
CFL’s are energy efficient but they sure aren’t light efficient.
The soft box’s work if they are in real close for intimate lighting plus there’s no easy way to light a backdrop with CFL’s … scratching my head now …. lol.
Maybe others have had a different experience than me. (shrug)
I’m keen to check out the 4 tube light banks (4 x 55w) which put out about 12,000 lumens. (at what distance I’m not sure) which hopefully will throw out more light than CFL’s.
I’m just happy I didn’t blindly buy a whole bunch of soft box’s on ebay.
I did end up buying a Yongnuo 565ex flash so I’m off to get my head around slaving it to my 60D… fun