Which Mola for your moolah? Comparing three different beauty dishes during a portrait photoshoot
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- čas přidán 25. 12. 2020
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Three years ago I bought a Mola Setti and Rayo 15" beauty dishes, because I wanted to upgrade from my Profoto Silver Softlight. While it was a step-up, I had no idea what I really had until I tested them a few weeks ago against my friends Mola Demi with an Opal diffusion disc.
Setti - 28in. (White) bit.ly/3mLkk6t
Rayo 15" Softlight Reflector (Silver) amzn.to/2M0A8G0
Mola Demi 22″ Beauty Dish Soft Lite Reflector (White) amzn.to/34BOrqX
Profoto 100607 Softlight Reflector (Silver) amzn.to/2KHMORr
Model Christopher Mars / marrs_the_martian
BTS video by vimeo.com/storyographers
Christmas Rap Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Wish Background Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Jak na to + styl
That Demi makes the subject pop! Great comparison John. Glad I invested in it.
Thanks man! I wish I had your judgement!
@@JohnGress honestly i had no idea WTH i was doing. local guy was selling one and I did a little research. I am surely not using it to its potential. I should come to a class of yours.
Oh well. It worked out never the less. That would be great!
@@JohnGress it would be. I'll check your schedule out.
John, Happy Holidays. Thanks so much for your videos, your willingness to share your experience is greatly appreciated. ( I picked the Demi too.)
Happy holidays! Thanks Darrell! I wish I had picked that one in the first place! =)
Was expecting such a Mola review for a long time. So thank you John! I've always been intrigued by the unique look of these modifiers. Really like the demi and rayo.
Thanks! I guess I just needed by friend to buy a third one so I could make things interesting.
I've had the Demi for 6 years and love it. I have backed away from it a little in favor of softboxes lately for some softer light with the work I'm doing, but when I need that higher contrast look I go to the Demi every time. Thanks for the great review and for being approachable and responsive to questions on Instagram as well.
No problem! Thanks for sharing. I just bought a Demi on ebay and I am using it tomorrow for the second time. I love how making these videos with an open mind is changing how I do things.
Demi wins for me 100%! Great video! Thanks as always.
Thanks! I hear the Setti should be kept 4-8 feet from the subject and the Rayo is for full body.
@@JohnGress Ah interesting! Thank you for the tip.
Always so useful videos. Clear and uncluttered.
Thanks! Glad you like them!
As for the differences with and without the diffusion sock, there are a lot of misconceptions about what diffusion does or doesn't do. If the diffusion is the same size as the modifier (as it is on the beauty dish) the size of the modifier doesn't change, so the shadow edge transition doesn't change (the light is not softer). The definition of diffusion is to spread something wider. Diffusion spreads the light to cover a wider area. That allows the light to bounce around the room more affecting the tone or depth of the shadows (I call this environmental fill). In a large dark room adding diffusion directly onto the beauty dish won't do much to the look. But in a smaller space with light color walls, floor, and/or ceiling the diffusion will lighten the shadows and often lighten the background a little bit if the subject is close to the background. White fill cards around the subject will collect more of the diffused/spread light to fill the shadows, too. Some people refer to having open shadows as softer, but I just call it less contrast and base the softness on the shadow edge width, which remains the same.
If you want to soften the light--make the highlight to shadow transition smoother you need to use a diffuser that is larger than the modifier. But in the case of a beauty dish you lose the characteristics of the dish. Usually you want the darker shadows and faster transition to highlight the cheekbones. I think that is why the 28-inch dish loses some of the beauty dish look unless you move it back, but then it changes the depth and spread of the light, which is another topic.
Another thing diffusion does is homogenize the light across the surface of the modifier. With many open metal dish reflectors like the standard 7-inch the flash tube is brighter than the rest of the dish and you get a double-edged thrown shadow (such as from the nose to the cheek, so not as noticeable in a butterfly position). Putting diffusion on the light evens out the light to avoid that double edge. The beauty dish, with its deflector disk doesn't usually show this issue.
I didn't intend to go on this long, but might as well add another bit about diffusion. I sometimes see people put a grid on the beauty dish (which is good, a grid is a baffle that limits the spread, the opposite of diffusion) to get more separation from the cheekbone highlights to the shadows of the cheekbones (similar to negative fill but having more effect on the background spread). But then they put the diffusion sock over the grids. This totally negates the effect of the grid and costs 2 to 3 stops loss of light.
I guess the bottom line is agreeing that the 22-inch beauty dish is usually the winner when used for a single subject as done here. Sorry! Done rambling about diffusion confusion. Happy New Year!
Thanks John. Happy New Year! Good points. On the Profoto beautydish the grid actually made the light flatter because it blocked the diagonal light bouncing off the sides of the modifier which were creating a cone of center brightness and there for reducing the contrast of the image. So I’ve never liked having grids on my beauty dishes.
Thanks for the comparison. I've had my Demi for about 7 years. Before that I was using a Speedotron. I found the Demi has more contrast and could easily blow out highlights on the forehead and nose, but once I added the opal diffusion, it's been fantastic. Now I use it all the time both with the sock and without, but always with the diffusion disk. Even for full length shots, I will use the Mola on a boom to light the face.
Thanks for sharing! Should I just get the sock to avoid the blow outs?
@@JohnGress the sock is included with the dish. I use the sock 60% of the time - it softens/spreads the highlights. Without the sock, the highlights are there, but more crisp. Do get the opal glass diffuser and leave it in permanently. Even a couple of layers of Lee diffusion cut 7.2" diameter will work (the shatter-proof option).
Great tip!
I have two portable phottix spartan beauty dishes, which are almost the same size as your DEMI and SETTI. They work great for me. One thing I like about them is that they are lightweight and can be disassembled and packed up easily.
Portability is a big plus. You can’t use it if you don’t have it with you.
Mola "Demi" was the original Mola reflector that made them famous decades ago. Mola Demi remains one of IMO the best overall reflectors of this type made to this day. Back in the late 1980's to 1990's many excellent portraits were made using a Elinchrom lighting with Mola Demi and 8x10 or 5x7 Sinar view camera with classic view camers soft focus lenses.. lens often set at f8 or H7.7 disc for the Imagon. which needs harder lighting to reveal their personality. Soft box lighting is the absolute worst kind of lighting for classic view camera soft focus lenses.
The most common portrait lighting is done using a soft box about 20-30 inches away from the portraits sitters head-shoulder, butterfly reflector and some times a side reflector as needed. IMO, soft boxes while easy tends to produce ~meh~ portrait lighting.
This indeed where beauty dishes come into their own, with the Mola (demi) continuing be the classic beauty dish it remains today.
Thanks for the info. I didn’t know that was when they came out with those dishes🙏🏼
@@JohnGress Think the original Mola reflector is now called "Euro" which is just over 30" in diameter. Market for the Mola was originally often used for product photography and lighting larger image areas as one of the Mola reflectors advantages is uniformity of light over it's effective area. Back then we would put an Elinchrom X8 (later X8000) flash head which can put out 8000watt/seconds using two Elinchrom 404 power packs. This was the kind of strobe power required for view camera film photography back in those days. At some point, the portrait photographers discovered how good the Mola worked, the rest became history.
Oh that is great insight. I didn't understand why the packs were so powerful until I watched a 4x5 product video from the 80s.
I had to get the offset arm lol. Looks so helpful for head shots. Thanks again
I think more people have bought one of those after watching my videos than anything else!
Demi, definitely.
Rayo with opal glass I use for beauty makeup on white skin and it’s really good for fashion makeup, not for portrait … so be ready to retouch a lot lol …. It also remember Rayo only has silver
Thanks for sharing. The Rayo comes in both white and silver. www.mola-light.com/product/rayo/
Got the demi with the glass today and I live it
Congrats!
Thanks for the comparisons John. I agree the Demi is the winner for me it has enough bite and punch but not too much. The Seti was too soft and loses the character expected from a beauty dish.
I went from a 27" silver to a 16" white and it was the worst choice ever. Now I work with white and silver 21.6" beauty dishes and they fit my style and studio space perfectly.
All the best for the workshops in 2021, would be great to get back to some teaching again at workshops once safe to do so in the UK.
Thanks man! I can wait to connect with people in person too. After doing this test I am sold on your approach too. Pleas the case for the setting is taking up half of my garage! Maybe 4 years ago I had a Para 88 on loan and I might just end up going with this modifier instead www.parabolixlight.com/product-page/parabolix-35D-package
@@JohnGress The Para and Parabolix look great, sadly my ceiling height tis limiting at 8ft otherwise I may look at those myself.
I also like the Demi the most.
Hey John, I got a question I am just starting out with off camera flash. What do you think about using a flash in the beginning or should I buy a strobe?
Thanks Jaimee, Using a camera flash is possible but I think you'll always find it to be a bit of a struggle. maybe not at first but once you experience a real light you'll probably enjoy it more. Here is a video I made about selecting your first set of lights czcams.com/video/94fF_B2Z-tM/video.html
Thanks for sharing, this was very helpful. I have the Demi but I was searching for something with more punch for outdoor lighting. I think the Rayo would be perfect with the opal dish. The Rayo would be useful for black and white portrait photography
Very true. Thank you!
Great review. We dont see many reviews of the Mola's. I dont have 1 but always intrigued about them. I still like my Profoto Softlight diffuser (or whatever you call then haha). I believe the lighting you used has an exposed bulb? Elinchrom has the exposed bulb. It would be nice to have seen a quick note on that, as I am sure whether the source light has an exposed bulb vs a flat front disc ala Profoto mono-lights style. Thanks again!!!
LOL Thanks Brett. I was surprised I got it right. Thanks Brett! Yes, the light does have an exposed bulb. The flat front design of the Profoto D & B heads is one of the reasons why I switched. Essentially those flat heads do a poor job of filling Profoto's modifiers and especially beauty dishes. Here are two blog posts I wrote about this johngress.com/does-using-a-profoto-glass-cover-d1-frosted-dome-or-a-acute-head-make-a-difference/ and johngress.com/broncolor-siros-800-s-v-profoto-d1-500-air-review/
When using the flat front Profoto strobes, Mola suggest to use the perforated disc together with the opal disc. In my experience, this solves the issue pretty much completely. I find filling large soft boxes (and the Paras) more problematic with the flat front Profotos, which is why I've added a couple of battery-powered Broncolor lights to my equipment list.
great video, John! I'm definitely going to purchase one. If I may what is that metal thing you're using at 1:31 mark. Is it a metal flag of some kind?
Thanks! It's actually something I made, here is a video tutorial about making it czcams.com/video/9AbsTxon4vY/video.html abd here is a video bout that shot in particular czcams.com/video/vEyxAEKsqQg/video.html.
Thank you for the vid! What if you had a Setti, but with silver interior instead of white? I guess that would make the headshot little more pop with higher contrast? Will you still choose Demi with white interior, if you had Setti with silver interior? I am so curious.
Thank you. Yes that is how it would look but I’m not sure if I would prefer it without testing. After I made this video I heard the setting was best at 1-2m.
@@JohnGress thank you for feedback and you are awesome as always! :)
great video, thank you
Thank you so much!
John do you happen to have a standard beauty dish, like a Fotodiox 22" or something similar? I'm really curious how the light of a typical beauty dish compares to the Demi...
Sorry Anthony. I don’t. That would be a fun test tho. Drive over with one and we’ll figure it out! 😁🙏🏼
@@JohnGress I'll be there in about 32 hours. :-D
8:22 Great video, John - can I ask if it's just a coincidence or if it's a feature of the Rayo, that the example here has more defined catchlight in the eyes of the model ?
Thanks! A harder light source will probably have a more intense catch light than a softer source.
Hi John, thank you for the comparison! I was in a similar situation and bought the Setti and the Demi. But in Corona times there was no real occasion to test them out and get used to them :( Which lighting setups do you prefer with them? Where do they have their strenghts? Or do you see them as universal capable?
In the one shooting i had the Demi a little bit lower and liked the circular light reflexes in the eyes a lot ;)
Thanks Ernie. I like the Setti but I think its just too big. If it's going to perform like a softbox, I would like to fold it up and put it away like a softbox. I think the Demi could be very versatile and you could use it anywhere you would use a small softbox too.
Looking at your website like when are you coming to las vegas again? lol 😒 You inspire me!
Thanks! Probably not for a few years. But The closest one to you will likely be in Phoenix or LA next winter. 😁
The demi is best. But personally i don’t like these highlights in faces that are close to be blown out. But that’s pure personal.
Cool - all you usually need is more make-up.
Thank you for the comparison! In my opinion use „old profoto proheads “ with warm glass cover and don‘t get to close to the model the result are too shiny highlights The rayo and setti are for black and white , the demi for color and always use the opal glass cover in combination with the aluminium with mola modifiers
I can see where you are coming from there with color vs BW. In some tests that I did previously a flat front mono really fall short with Profoto's beauty dish, which is why I started using their Pro 6 & 7s until I switched over to Elinchrom.
Demi...hands down. What about pulling back and adding more body and hands to the composition? Would the Demi (or any of them for that matter) be effective?
Thanks. Well the Setti May be best for that as moving it back some might harden it up, but I don't know if the contrast is going to pop.
Nice comparison. Any experience with the Mola Euro?
Thanks! Not yet!
Diggin Demi
Me too!
🔥🔥🔥
Thanks!!
I use my Rayo 16 (and other Molas) with the perforated disc AND the opal glass and I do not recall it being as harsh as what you show here. Having said that, I mostly use it from a longer distance when shooting outside, in place of something like a "Magnum" reflector, balanced with daylight to provide a bit of extra punch, typically with the Profoto B1 strobe. I agree that the Setti can be too soft - especially when shooting single person portraits. In my experience, it works better for full body images or even when shooting several people, especially when aiming for a smooth, professional look, without much drama (we used it to a nice effect when we did team images for our lawyer friends last year, for their new website). The Demi is definitely most suitable of the three for the "beauty dish" look, but, to my surprise, I haven't used it that much, partly because I am not so fond of the "fashion beauty look" and partly because I find the Para 88 more versatile (and the Flooter, my current favourite, more interesting). Among the Molas, the Rayo 16 has been my most used modifier. One great aspect of the Molas is that they don't get blown away by the wind when shooting outside.
Thanks for sharing Martin. I have the Rayo 15. I think I’d rather have a Para 88 or equivalent than the molas. I guess we shall see.
As soon as I saw the Demi shots, they spoke to me. Setti looked kind of flat and lifeless (in this set up) and the smaller one had a bare bulb feel I didn't really like.
In full agreement! Thanks!
I love my Demi. I have a silver one, seems like when I swap the sock on and off it's a decent amount of change. I'd probably rather have the white one, will probably eventually get one, but the day I bought this one I was in a mood I guess. lol/
Good to hear! I would expect the sock would ake a big difference on the silver one. I'd love to test the silver verses the white, with and without the sock and opal.
John, first thanks for the video. Second, here's hoping that you got back to teaching. Third, (and please bare with me), as someone who picked up photography as a hobby with the pandemic, and now is starting to approach control of lighting more seriously, I'd like to ask you a series of questions based on my ignorance. A: Unfortunately, your comparisons only compare the Mola modifiers - but do not reveal the advantage over the standard beauty dish (either the physics or appearance). Given the significant increase in price, size, and weight of the Mola, what are the features that justify it over the competition - and if you haven't done a video like that, can you? B: It would seem that adding a "sock" over the front of the beauty dish would turn it into an expensive soft box in part - albeit with potentially a darker interior and brighter exterior. Under what circumstances would you use it this way vs a traditional softbox, and why? Again, thanks for your explanations and video. Appreciate the response in advance if you can get to it.
Thank you. I think this is the only video I have where I am comparing a mola to something else. I’m not altogether convinced that that may be better than other options but I do like the fact that they have multiple options.
czcams.com/video/5puD6liIn8M/video.html
Adding the sock for the most part would make it act more like a softbox so I probably wouldn’t use a sock moving forward.
@@JohnGress Thank you very much, my friend, for furthering my "knowledge" in theory. Can not thank you enough. Right now it's little steps, one at a time, but I try and learn what I can along the way. I'll go watch your video link now!
Hello! Thinking of getting the Demi in silver, would the opal panel improve the silver dish or would it be counterproductive?
Better yet Is the silver Demi worth it? 😬
Sorry I don't have enough experience with the combo to express an opinion.
@@JohnGress well I guess I’ll take the leap and be the Guinea pig lol thank you for the response! Your work is incredible
Thank you so much! Enjoy! it sounds like a fun endeavor.
Question I just bought a 16inch beauty
And a gray background paper and no matter how I position the beauty dish I am getting harsh shadow on the background is the dish to small or what am I doing wrong
With a hard reflector it’s easy to get a shadow on the background from the side of the reflector blocking the path of the light. But if you can’t change the position to remedy this, than It’s likely too focused to spread the light wide enough to cover the background at that distance.
@@JohnGress I did add a second light to the background now it’s fine thank you
nice a new video about mola beauty dishes *-*
i have also a mola setti in the studio and i can't decide:
- buying a grid or - a new smaller mola or - trying the opal disk -
but I have already an opal protection glas on my flash head maybe twice makes no sense or softer, who knows i can't test it in germany :D
i am the only one of my friends and colleagues with a mola
Danke! If I could do it all over again I would get a Demi. I wish I could try a Silver and White Demi with and with out the opal.
@@JohnGress me too maybe. i want a silver setti the sollo for a test but we don't have anymore a german seller, i can order only in the usa or canada now :D no showroom, no rent option here in germany because so many have only the white interior version in stock :D and no option to rent or test the opal glass or the mesh diffusion or the grids in many versions and color. :-/ i want so long a grid but i can't test it :-/ the setti has a real large light spread and for some situations i don't like it and the only way is flagging with black flags
I’d be interested is trying a Sollo and seeing how the opal affects things. I haven’t been a fan of grids on beauty dishes because they block the light bouncing off the sides of the modifier. Often times the light comes out going forward and at an angle and if you place the model about 55cm from the modifier there will be increased contrast and if you move it further away the light will be more flat. I didn’t notice this with the Setti but it was very obvious with the Profoto softlight.
@@marciifee Hallo Marc, wo in Deutschland bist Du denn? Habe ein weißes Demi mit Opal ;)
@@ernie28ernie aus Solingen, aber mein Setti steht in Oberhausen im Studio. Wie weit ist das von dir entfernt?
Do you know if you have to use the Mola branded speed ring adaptors or could one use another maker such as Glow. I need Bowens mount and there is a big price difference between the two. I’m referencing an adaptor for the Demi which I think is the best overall for me.
Hi Pete, You can buy the inner ring that goes inside of an octabox ring on ebay for $12. You just need to get the right diameter so search for "Bowens 144mm ring" and that should work. I am sure if its ff by a mm or two it should be ok. But if the right isnt flat that could be an issue. It's hard to tell on the listing I see now.
@@JohnGress thanks so much. I enjoy your channel. Great tips and gorgeous photography. This Demi looks like the best of the Mola dishes. Happy Weekend!
Thank you so much! Not to confuse things but there is this video too czcams.com/video/CxT6o4I0Pvs/video.html
@@JohnGress I’m learning tons while getting more confused by the minute. Lol. But seriously, the comparisons are a great help. Im still waiting on a video of you using those gorgeous fresnels for some old school glamour shots. Im looking at a 5k Bardwell McAllister on EBay for 600 plus 150 shipping. Awesome deal but I think that would be overkill for any photographer not named Hurell.
@@petemcknight803 ha. It never ends. Does it. There is something to be learned from every shoot. Here’s a look with a fresnel modifier but it’s not exactly what you were thinking. The Demi really is a great choice. .czcams.com/video/G72HjGaoxe8/video.html
my question is always the same what about durability does the interior gets yellow over time its a big investment for a small studio like mine but it definitely has some pops to it...
I haven't noticed any yellowing over time, but I have seen that happen with soft boxes, which I suspect is from halogen modeling lights. Good thing those are being phased out for LEDs. I hope that helps.
@@JohnGress thx for your reply the demi will be on my buying list very soon just need to cash back a little bit on the elinchrom 120 first then i will order it take care
Thanks for this. Never seen this type of beauty dishes here in Europe
Oh that is surprising. Thank you!
Available in Brussels now
pch.be/catalogsearch/result/?q=Mola
Mola used to have a European website and office from which I ordered but it is no longer operating. I recently bought some grids and case from their US website but they take forever to ship and the shipping charges, combined with extra customs duty and VAT are just prohibitively expensive.
Thanks! They have them for sale in Europe.
John, i like your accent. it is interesting to me, the way you speak.
Thanks! 😃
@@JohnGress John, nice to hear from you. I have a question: can these beauty dishes create any difference look than the elinchrom beauty dishes? I am about to buy the elinchrom beauty dishes but then see your video. Thanks.
Question, silver interior or white interior, which do you prefer?
That would need to be part two!
But yeah haven’t used my profoto since switching to Mola
Enjoyed your review John.
But, the Mola Demi 22" "Beauty Dish" Soft Lite Reflector (White) $369.00 B&H.
For what this is not worth the extortionate price.
100% sure you can use a cheaper reflector for the same lighting effect.
This won’t be on my shopping list.
You might also enjoy watching this video czcams.com/video/5puD6liIn8M/video.html
Any experience with the mantti?
Sorry, I don't have any.
My favourite is Demi so far. I'm not an expert, I don't have your eye (skills), but Demi looks more balance.
Rayo it's little bit distracting due to highlights and it's more contrast with shadows in the chin.
Setti looks also nice, but I don't see it so well balanced as Demi is.
It's just my opinion seen through my amateur eyes.
Please coreect me to understabd better if I'm wrong
👍🏼👍🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼All eyes are of equal value.
So I have a huge question for you john. I own a canon R5 a nauticam R5 underwater housing. I have the canon EF 50mm 1.2 L, the canon 100mm macro IS L, the 135 F2 L, I also have the EF 24-105 IS USM ll, I am a professional diver and I mostly really like underwater photography however I would also like to expand to making money with my photography above water to support my projects underwater. I am seriously considering buying lighting. The echelons you are suggesting to me from another video. I know if I had proper lighting I could probably make money and I just want to know how important you think investing in off camera lighting is. I have so many things I need to invest in and I know it takes time. I just want to know what direction I should go in investing money in so I can make money doing something I love to do.
Hi Josh. I think being able to light portraits will really set your work apart as natural light photographers are a dime-a-dozen. It's best to probably start with one light and then move up from there. Here is a video that I am publishing this weekend about 4 one light set-ups. czcams.com/video/-3KCWTzEO5Y/video.html If you were to buy Elinchrom lights, the 100cm deep octa is a great modifier to start with czcams.com/video/k92rw0japLg/video.html
@@JohnGress Another question you have with those elinchrom lights you suggest they are plug in and not battery operated. If I wanted to shoot on location is there a battery pack I can plug into for this model? ELC500
I was able to power one flash with the recycling speed set to eco and the modeling light switched off with a Paul C Buff Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery. However you will need to switch it to eco mode while plugged into a wall as the start up draw in normal mode is too much for the battery to handle. I know this doesn’t sound ideal, but it does give you additional flexibility. johngress.com/review-elinchroms-new-elc-500-monolight-hss-ttl-led/
I was actually looking at the at the Rayo instead of the profoto Magnum. Wanted something a bit harsher next to my profoto soft light.
Ps.
The images of the demi look better.
Oh! I had a Magnum when I bought the Rayo. The Rayo is less harsh than the magnum and i believe the Rayo is 1 stop less efficient than the Magnum.
@@JohnGress Do you miss the Magnum?
Not at all.
@@JohnGress Got the Rayo second hand today for 100 bucks! Now I can put it next to the other stuff I'm never going to use :)
Demi is a nice balance
100%
Like the demi, bit more specularity that mekes it pop more
Me too!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks!
Demi
Well, of course the larger modifier will look softer, and the smaller modifier will look "harsher". Using each at the same distance RELATIVE TO THEIR SIZES would be a more logical comparison. Use the larger one for full lengths and farther distance, and the smaller ones at closer distances.
Actually they suggest you use the smaller one for full body but yes I would expect the 22 would be better for headshots and the 28 would be better looser, but i really wonder what the point is if the light just looks like a softbox. I’d rather have something that folds up.
@@JohnGress Thanks for your reply!
How about rather than buying a new Beauty Dish and it's only 7 inches smaller, just moving the 22 inch a little farther away?
I tested moving the Setti further away and the contrast didn't really change.
what is happening with your fireplace! it is going on and off..... :I great workout about the beautydishes thank u!
Ha! Someone finally noticed! It was one of those 2 hour long CZcams fireplace videos that I just put on for ambiance! Maybe my wifi or tv was messing up 😁🤣🤣
Thanks!
@@JohnGress 😁 thats so funny!
Thank you, finally someone made a comprehension video with Molas. I was waiting so long for this. Here in Germany, no one knows or has them.
I have some questions, in my experience with Beauty Dishes they are super static and you must be super pedantic in placing them. If the shadow from the center disc is not in the center of the face of your model the effect doesn't work and it is just a mediocre super round softbox. In my experience this only works with bright modelling light and no ambient light at all otherwise you cannot aim the "zone" and the zone is tiny and tiny moves from the model get them out of the "beauty" zone. In your video the Set was quite bright and the BD look is also not so super distinct, I was much more expecting from these Molas, they always seam to do some magic... but maybe not as I hoped. As I noticed you are also a Elinchrom user, so did you tried the Elinchrom ø 44cm and the bigger 70cm.
We had them all in silver and white. the most significant difference is silver vs white. Silver can do magic but you want models with perfect skin and perfect make-up. the white ones are more forgiving and often the better choice for anything beauty. but also the 44 are super boring and super hard to handle (small super tiny working BD zone), the 70cm on the other hand is a dream, works perfect for 3/4 portraiture and a bit easier to point but sometimes a bit in the way because of its size. I tried may other BD from Profoto, Hensel, ... the Elinchrom 70 white is still my favorite and I'm currently thinking about adapting this to another mount.
Thank you Martin. Perhaps the Demi without the opal disc would give you what you're looking for. My studio is quite bright but the lights were over powering the ambient light. I have used the Elinchrom 44, 70 and I supposed the middle one if 55? I have had white ones and silver ones, but never both at the same time and I have to say I wasn't that impressed overall.
@@JohnGress I would love to test the Molas by myself. I mean I'm also a total light geek. Because of the horrible situation we are currently in there is a lot of fascinating special light equipment for cheap on the market. For Beauty Dish Geekery this one is also a bit unique katalog.hensel.eu/en/products/light-shapers/reflectors/22-acw-beauty-dish-eh-weiss.html
Btw. I'm always impressed when BD light works out... because there are many parameters to fail ;) sometimes even the scenery itself is not perfect for it. Same with ringflashes or other more quirky light modifiers. BTW. many thanks for the TIPP with the cheap Gobo projector, we bought for this here a super special (expensive) projection flash head, let it modified to work on Broncolor and it is horrible slow...
Isn't it … X 1.5 the diameter and not the exact diameter of the dish it should be away from talent? Setti should be 42 inch away .
As I learned recently, It's going to vary depending on the design of the beauty dish model but I will have a video on that soon. However I do think there is evidence that diameter does equal distance .
Not exactly. For molas is the diameter or no more than x2 the diameter. I prefer to keep them at 1x or 1.5x no more.
That comes from the designer himself.
This doesn't necessarily applies to the rayo although I like to use it close often