New Portable Softbox - Best I have Seen and Used so far - Check it Out!!!

[MyKey]

Let me start off by saying I am not saying this due to working a business relationship with Denny's. I would say positive or negative things about them no matter what the relationship is. I feel honestly is always the best policy.


Now with that out of the way, I will say this. Denny's is coming out with a new very portable softboxes which fold out like umbrellas - several sizes and both heavy duty ones much like Wescott material and lighter weight ones which are more like black ripstop nylon with a reflective inside.

I have been using and testing these boxes out for about a month now, both myself and Jordan have of TriCoast, and I found I LOVE the ease and portable aspects of them, especially mixed in with their new easy and lightweight strobes that run off AC/DC power with the battery being VERY lightweight.

HOWEVER I am a eTTL kind of guy so I talked to Denny about producing a softbox of various sizes which is lightweight and very portable to just attached to the monopod or lightstand with a simple hotshoe mount. Today I got in a prototype of one and BOY DO I LOVE IT.

VERY LIGHT WEIGHT, much lighter than other units out there along the same ling and MUCH faster to set up. MUCH easier to hook to a stand or support, the box is a snap (literally) to open up (if you can open up an umbrella you can do this) and well I think I am in love. I am up and running with this set up in less than a minute, from taking the softbox out, opening it up, mounting the flash, mounting it on a stand, done.

now with my Canon flash units mixed with the Radio Popper Units and this portable softbox I really do not see me going anywhere without them for our local events. I still wont take the box with me on planes due to space but with that said it is so light weight and easy to pack I could easy throw it into my check in suitcase.

Again I am not trying to sell anything and I do not make any money off this box, though I wish I did, but it is hands down the BEST portable softbox out there and at what I am told 1/2 the price of any other box like this on the market is a STEAL!!!





Some simple shots - nothing special but it gets the point across.

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[Jaggz]

Sweeeet - I've been looking for something like this! How soon 'til we can get our hands on one?!?

[boomerd35]

That looks awesome. I'll be very interested in them when they come out. Thanks for the info Mike.

[Lexie]

I'm VERY interested!! Been searching for something like this.

[LWimages]

I wonder if one will work for QFlash.

[roshani]

looks great! any idea what the pricing will be?

[boxofrocks]

Looks spendy.

[MyKey]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

Looks spendy.

No not really I don't know the final price but I know similar units like this which are not as light and easy to move from one place to another is over $300. To my knowledge these units will be under that.

So better product, for less money, its not a bad deal, plus you get the Zebra strips for free.

This unit is designed to be portable, that was the main goal. Everything involved is there to be fast, effective, and easy to break down and put together without a single tool besides your fingers. No worries when you leave the house/studio if something gets loose you can simply tighten it up with your hands and keep on shooting.

To me, shooting outdoor is my passion and I have tried many lightboxes in the past saying they were "portable" some were easy and some were not so easy, this one truly is the best I have seen. The small details simply push it over the top in my book.

[MyKey]

Originally Posted by louis24x7

I wonder if one will work for QFlash.

To my knowledge it will Louis, though I have not actually mounted a QFlash on it yet. The opening would be tight but it should fit.

[MyKey]

Originally Posted by Jaggz

Sweeeet - I've been looking for something like this! How soon 'til we can get our hands on one?!?

Most likely first of the year I have been told. They are finalizing the product, fine tuning it with the changes I have told them about and getting sample images for their catalog and such.

[Scott A]

What happened to the photos?

[boomerd35]

Originally Posted by MyKey

... plus you get the Zebra strips for free.

Schweet!!! I'm so sick of companies charging me extra for zebra stripes.

Now I'm sold!

[boxofrocks]

Originally Posted by MyKey

No not really I don't know the final price but I know similar units like this which are not as light and easy to move from one place to another is over $300. To my knowledge these units will be under that.

So better product, for less money, its not a bad deal, plus you get the Zebra strips for free.

This unit is designed to be portable, that was the main goal. Everything involved is there to be fast, effective, and easy to break down and put together without a single tool besides your fingers. No worries when you leave the house/studio if something gets loose you can simply tighten it up with your hands and keep on shooting.

To me, shooting outdoor is my passion and I have tried many lightboxes in the past saying they were "portable" some were easy and some were not so easy, this one truly is the best I have seen. The small details simply push it over the top in my book.

This looks like a winner.

Mike, let me ask you: How much of an advantage do you see using a softbox as opposed to a brolly box or shoot through umbrella? I've used a shoot thru (with an attached black scrim on the back that has a hole for the strobe) with pretty good results. While not as directional as my soft boxes, it's very inexpensive, convenient and portable. Outdoors or when shooting exec portraits with a lit pop-up muslin, I'm usually not as worried about light spill. Why would this be better?

[Redmouse]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

This looks like a winner.

Mike, let me ask you: How much of an advantage do you see using a softbox as opposed to a brolly box or shoot through umbrella? I've used a shoot thru (with an attached black scrim on the back that has a hole for the strobe) with pretty good results. While not as directional as my soft boxes, it's very inexpensive, convenient and portable. Outdoors or when shooting exec portraits with a lit pop-up muslin, I'm usually not as worried about light spill. Why would this be better?

Soft box advantage is of course like you mentioned, directional. I've always preferred softboxes/octoboxes, but mobility was more important. Denny's created a product that fits both my mobility requirement, and preference of using a soft box. There are also alternative brands out there that I own. But simplicity is key.

"Controlability" () Soft box also allows you to use grids. Which I'm becoming quite fond of lately. Grids really "directionalize" the light. Previously when using shoot through umbrellas, I've caught flares in the images. While flares are a trend now, I find it a bit of a nuisance.(But that's why I poke fun of it) If I'm getting flare or hint of a flare, I know the image might lose a bit of contrast or sharpness. I believe this is why the old studio photographers used gobo's during the shoot.

Believe it or not, looks is part of it. There is also a mentality when dealing with executives that the person they hire for their image have professional equipment. While a shoot through umbrella does it's job well, a soft box is a more presentable unit. So, yes, looks does play an important role in that aspect. I guess in the back of the client's mine, an umbrella is a common household item.



Do I sound like a rambling drunk?

[HOUSCOUS]

What sizes do they come with? And could I put grid in front of the softbox? What's the price?

BTW, thanks for telling us more toys so we could spend more money.