Budget Parabolic Fixtures?

[Byron Karl]

Is there a budget Parabolic Reflector Light that works similarly to the big boys (Briese / Broncolor / B2Pro)?

 

The Westcott Zeppelin seems to offer focusable light and a rear facing lamp, so I'm guessing it is closest.

 

But I was curious if the cheaper models are also in the same ballpark, in terms of soft light that dazzles? Namely:

• Apurture Light Dome
• Fotodiox EZ-Pro Deep
• Godox Portable P120L

It seems like the above budget models have a parabolic shape and utilize two layers of diffusion. But, they don't seem to be focusable and the internal light source points towards the subject, as opposed to bouncing off the rear of the unit

 

Anyone have experience using these?

[Edward Lawrence Conley III]

https://www.parabolixlight.com

Not sure if they have any for continuous lighting yet.

[Stuart Brereton]

The Westcott Zeppelin seems to offer focusable light and a rear facing lamp, so I'm guessing it is closest.

 

 

From the pictures on their website, it doesn't look like the Westcott Zeppelin has a rear facing lamp. If that's the case, then it's not that different from something like a Photoflex Starlite with an OctoDome.

[Phil Rhodes]

Depends what sort of scale you want. There's nothing stopping you firing something into any silvered umbrella, and though that's probably not a true parabolic reflector you might get something of the same effect. If you want to use them in shot, of course...

 

...pretty done, though, isn't it?

[Edward Lawrence Conley III]

From the pictures on their website, it doesn't look like the Westcott Zeppelin has a rear facing lamp. If that's the case, then it's not that different from something like a Photoflex Starlite with an OctoDome.

 

You have to use the Zeppelin Extender Arm accessory.

[Byron Karl]

I'm wondering if the rear facing light of the Zeppelin (w/ arm extender) makes all the difference to the end look? Specifically, if it looks dramatically different to the parabolic shaped softboxes that have forward facing bulbs.

 

I do understand I could pick up the silver parabolic umbrella, but the shape of those umbrellas looks nothing like the "blimp" look of the actual parabolic reflector lights. I know a lot of people on message boards call that the poor-man's Briese, but maybe that's more a reaction to the word "parabolic" as opposed to the quality of light. Because they are shaped nothing alike.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Byron Karl

[Stuart Brereton]

I believe the purpose of the rear facing lamp is to prevent any direct light from the globe hitting the subject. This would only make a difference if you were using the reflector without diffusion. With diffusion, it's just an expensive softbox.

[Byron Karl]

Yeah. I gotta admit I don't understand the idea of the outer diffusion baffle covering the whole fixture, other than to convert it to a softbox.

 

The inner diffusion baffle is just a small circle of a few inches, like a disc. Just to block the direct light source, kinda like a beauty dish idea. But I'm wondering if it's transparent and does that effect things? Maybe you mount reflective material on it?

 

I understand how the pro units work, I was just wondering if anything sets these budget parabolic reflectors apart from just using softboxes. If there's a whole line of them from different manufactures, I'm assuming there is some big difference I'm not yet seeing.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Byron Karl

[Josh S Wilkinson]

Your best bet under $1000+ is the Deep Parabolic Umbrellas from Westcott, Impact, Inter fit (theyre all the same). Has to be the Deep ones though, the regular "Parabolics" arent really parabolic

 

 

Edit: Wont let me embed, here is what those umbrellas look like.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!ArqoFenw5vOLh48vVm4691N8NimlfQ

Edited August 11, 2017 by Josh S Wilkinson