Why choose a diffuser panel vs softbox: OnSet ep.  

I know this video is 3 years old, but i just stumbled upon it. I've been debating picking up a silk as a secondary method of lighting, and your results shown here are exactly what i was concerned about. This was a great video.

Can't say it enough, we live in amazing times! For businesses like ADORAMA to have content like this video that not only is entretaining but also informative its fantastic. Giving anyone answeres to question regarding Lighting Equipment. If on a budget by watching this you decide to either go for the Softbox or go for the Silk. You are very good at explaining thing Daniel Norton!

Love your videos, Daniel. Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise. The more I learn about photography, the more I understand that the difference between good photo and a great photo many times lies in the subtleties. And light manipulation is an endlessly fascinating part of a great photo. Thanks again!

Just like attending a workshop...just not in person. One of THE best (precise, concise and done without video cuts) so we, as if "live", the process and results. Perfect!! Thanks so much.

Really good lesson on lighting with the 2 different options, coming from a beginner its very helpful. Thank you.

Great video Daniel. I happen to work today with my mannequin (I still have to give her a name), started with one strobe (500W) and the deep silver umbrella (Profoto) behind me (a big one and not expensive), white background, mannequin at short distance from the background. Background stayed white without shadows. Always great fun to experiment with light.

Hi Daniel. Enjoyed this video. I like your mannequin, but long for the day when I can see Marisa, Erica, and all the other models live & healthy again in your studio! My 2-cent opinion on the comparison - The big difference for me between a soft box and a "scrim," (or what you're calling a "silk & frame") is the control of light fall-off: A modern soft box yields a homogenous light, pretty much even from corner to corner. The scrim, depending on how close the strobe is to the scrim, can give you more dramatic light fall off from the center to the edges. Something I prefer more times than not. And if I need to keep stray light off the background, I use a V-Flat as a flag. For using the scrim in a more vertical position, as you're doing, I don't bother with a frame. I set up a C stand with the grip arm fully extended, and simply slide a roll of 42" translucent material over the extended grip arm, and roll it down to the floor. I have a framed scrim for when it needs to be flat, with the strobe firing downward. And yes, either way still needs two stands, including one for the strobe. Always enjoy your OnSet videos. Thanks. I have followed you and Gavin Hoey for several years now.

Daniel, May be your most educational one yet, but then I find all of them that way😃. Thanks

Very useful information and the silk gives that extra bit of diffusion. It pays to have a variety of tools for variety of lighting effects. Thanks Daniel.

I never thought of having the light source spill past the silk to be able to light up the background. I suppose a reflector with a diffusion panel would do the same as the silk. Thanks for another great video!

Great video. I never seen anyone talk about "silk” diffuser. I prefer the "silk” diffuser the best. The light looks so much more cleaner. GREAT JOB!

I notice Sheila doesn't smile much. Maybe she's having a bad day. She does know how to hold a pose though. 👍🦆

What a great comparison. The white board gives more balance. Thanks.

Hey Daniel, you forgot to put Sheila's instagram handle into the description.

Super informative! I’m a newb and the way you explained this gave me the aha moment I hoped for! Thank you for sharing 😀

Thanks for helping us see the principles and not teaching us rules

This was a great lesson. I learned a great deal.

Just caught up with this video- good vid. WRT using 2 light stands for a frame- I noticed you have A couple of the new Savage C-stands, one of the beautiful features of these stands is that you can actually put a frame or any scrim material and a light on the same stand. Hang the frame from the 40" riser and gobo arm, and put the light of the 20" riser that also comes with the stand.

I love watching these.

Hi, Thank you Daniel for this OnSet. Creativity is the limit ! By the way, it was very kind of you to have some background music to get Sheila more relaxed ;-) Stay safe.

There's a trick where you put the light on one end of a C-stand arm and the frame on the other. Learned it from video guys.

As always... awesome! Thanks!

I was just wondering what kind of light we would get if we use the soft box and the diffuser together with a little distance between them to soften it up a bit more. In many a case the light coming out of beauty dishes (not the metallic ones, but the fabric ones -24 inches-32 inches etc) that are merely miniatures, the light demands a certain more softness. May be, if you can, and I request if you can do a video on how it affects the light quality if we put both of them together in different combos of distance and feathering. Thanks

as always, informative and entertaining. thanks for the effort and the sharing. i am an appreciative subscriber. BIG thumbs up.

Great explaination Daniel, thank you !

Really great . Thank you.

What is the difference between Daniel and Seth, Daniel puts clothes on Sheila 😄. Nice demo.

great lesson!!! thank you!

thank you

I've seen those techniques the first time with Dean Collins Finelight videos in the 80's. I wonder what he would today with all the new stuff since he died at the beginning of the digital era.

Great video and a late happy birthday!!

Thanks, Daniel!

Another excellent demonstration. Thank you! I saw Seth use a bedsheet for his selfie video. Would that work in this situation too?

great tutorial, can you do a tutorial on a 6 feet shoot through umbrella? thanks

That model doesn't say much. I have used a 5 in 1 and used the diffusion panel to do this but personally, I prefer a big translucent umbrella. I like the large panels to diffuse sunlight outside.

Also, very helpful information, as usual. 👍

Another great tutorial, thanks Daniel. I have a large piece of diffusion material and wish to make a lightweight scrim with aluminium tube. Can you please tell me Daniel, what it the diameter of the metal tube you have on your scrim? I see you hold the scrim with 1 x griphead. Thanks.

Daniel, great video. Apologies if you already answered this question or I missed it in the video, but what was the clamping system used for the sil on the C-stand? Thanks in advance.

Hey, is the continuous light a guide light? And then the same light triggers flash? i.e. its one light you're using on the silk frame options.

That "triangle light" LOL I see what you did there...

🙏🏼🫵🏼 thank you Daniel 👉🏼💕 appreciate your vids !!

In studio,working by yourself you can manage the multiple things needed, two light poles,etc. On location i would not use the silk if working by myself. Now I thought it would make a good difuser of the sun but; a 5 and 1 reflector has that shoot through option to. With all that being said, what would be a benefit of using the Silk and in what situations?

Hi daniel , I liked the option with silk, I think it is more soft , do you think it is a good option use a flag, to side to the silk screen for control more the light in the backgrounds?... sorry my inglish . lol

Hi Daniel, can you tell me please which tripod are you using in this video? Thank you very much

Doesn't day light (natural light coming from the window) effects the whole setting?

Hey Daniel Great video like always thanks for sharing but I have a question what will happen to the light if we used a soft box the same size as the diffusion panel do you think it will make a difference? and thanks again

Thank you Daniel, I am curious what would happen if you peel one side of the softbox and use it the same way to bleed part of the background. Do you think you can get some similar result?

This is not completely relevant to the video, but why am I not able to use my Nikon D3400 for tethered live capture? I see Capture One doesn't support it, and neither does Adobe Lightroom.

Thank you, Daniel. Are there times you use/don't use the inner baffle of your soft boxes??

So with the pre dark exposure check what are you doing to take the picture without the model showing even with l ambient light in the room? Is that just increasing shutter speed that fast ?

First, I'd use the softbox. There is no effect you can get with the silk that can't be matched, and done more easily. Doubly so if you use a box the same size as the silk. Second, put a reflector on the strobe behind the silk and control all that spill. Last thing I'd want is a lot of stray light bouncing around off ceilings, walls, objects etc. Third, if you are really being professional that means being in complete control. To do this, pull the subject away from the background and light the background separately. Problem solved.

Wait a minute..... that's not Marisa.....

What model is the small black c stand holding the fill card?

BTW, Bucket list : Locked down with Marisa.

Where can you buy that mannequin?

Marisa is very quiet today!

I didn’t recognize Shelia with clothes on. LOL

Damn Covid ! Bring back Marisa. Thank you.

🙏🏾

Did U escape the Bandits?

I see interesting

I think she's giving you the cold shoulder.

I only watched this just to see what the heck is a diffusion "panel". It turns out, it's just a diffusion "frame".

Rename this video: A CASE FOR SOFTBOXES.

Why must you always make me want to buy new things?

lock down has not treated Marisa well

Guess what? A bigger Softbox produces softer light than a small diffusion panel too. Totally worthless comparison as long as both aren't the same size.

Video was cool but the mic drop sound at the end made me not like you.