Beauty Dish vs Softbox, the real truth
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- čas přidán 17. 01. 2023
- Portrait photography has used beauty dishes for over 100 years, but are they better than softboxes? Today we find out. Soft shadows and smooth skin are desirable but what's the easiest way to get it? And is a white beauty dish better than a silver beauty dish? Actually worse sometimes! Today we compare beauty dish vs soft box showing real examples. Enjoy!
Beauty dishes featured in this video:
(for Godox AD200) 12" beauty dish Godox AD-S3 www.amazon.com/Godox-AD-S3-Re...
(for Godox AD600) or Bowens mount) Godox 16" white beauty dish BDR-W-420
(Bowens mount) 21" Godox white beauty dish BDR-W-55 www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
(Bowens mount) 27" Impact BD-27 www.impactstudiolighting.com/...)
(Bowens mount) 33" Angler quick open folding beauty dish white www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
Softboxes featured:
(for Godox AD200) small 17" folding softbox Godox AD-S7 artscameras.com/shop/godox-oc...
(for Godox AD600/ Bowens) 26" Cheetah QSB26 soft box cheetahstand.com/products/che...
small reflectors used:
(for Godox AD200) 4.7" reflector Godox AD-S2 www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
(for AD600/Bowens) 7" Godox reflector www.adorama.com/fplfxp006k3.html
Eyelighter curved reflector www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
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To be fair, the purpose of a beauty dish isn’t to have the “softest” light falling on your subject, it’s really meant to sculpt the face and shadows are key, hence the traditional positioning of a beauty dish (in front and above your subject, angled down). In some of your test shots you definitely had the dish further from the subject than the general rule (as far from your subject as the dish is wide), but as with every modifier, it’s to taste. There is a distinct look of a beauty dish versus a softbox and they each have their place. Also, there’s definitely a noticeable hotspot when using a flash with a fresnel in a softbox; bare bulbs naturally disburse light more evenly. But I enjoyed the video as always.
Exactly!!! Even examples from above taken with beauty dishes have prominent 3D features in contrast to flat and boring looking faces from the diffuser. To be fair I use both, but most often than not I find portraits taken with beauty dish better.
You are spot on Anthony. I love the gridded pan for portrait. But, as stated you need to use it about 1 diameter away...nice semi-hard light and I think beautiful. To each his own. I've really never liked the sock - then it's just a small softbox. Thanks for your comments. We all have are own style - so never an exact right or wrong. Happy shooting.
16 inches? Excuse me Ma'am, let me put this thing right in your face😆
Who puts a fresnel inside a softbox??? Let me burn a hole in that fabric 😆
@@MarkusPix I think you’re thinking old school fresnels, I’m referring to speedlights or the AD200 with the fresnel front, neither are burning holes in fabric. 😉
And beauty dishes aren’t typically used for full body portraits or anywhere close to the point where traditional posing is necessary, so there wouldn’t be movement to contend with. I’m not trying to convince you, I’m just saying the way you used the BD’s in this video isn’t really how one should use them IF they want to benefit from the strengths of a beauty dish.
I really enjoy your videos, especially because you have taught me to enjoy the equipment I have and work with what I have instead of always wanting more
Hi guys, I love your content and I owe you two a lot. Most CZcamsrs are here just trying to sell us stuff. With you, Markus, it's different and I think of you as one of the most reliable people talking photography on this platform. By the way, you're an amazing couple! Thanks you too so so much.
Thank you Markus for literally showing us the light☺️.
cara is so beautiful like always☺️
Thanks for taking the time to show us all how a lot of these things work before we evaluate buying them. Again, all my gratitude to you.
Hey Markus, Just very shortly wanted to congratulate you on hitting 100k. I feel like you're a pure creator that has nothing to gain yet still helps everyday filmmakers on making a difference. Again, I'm so happy for you
I appreciate that!
Love the honesty... hard to find these days. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Your presentation of any product is excellent, quick, efficient, always. Amazing
Seriously you're a legend dude... I learn something every time I watch how you create. Thank you .
Just discovered your channel when looking for how camera filters work. Love your content, hilarious and straight to the point specially with my low attention span. Keep up the amazing work boss! 😎
Thank you Markus for the helpful and informative comparative video about different type of beauty dish! God bless and good luck!
Good job explaining the differences. And the playfulness between you two is fun to watch.
Markus, I must say that you're a blessing to my adventure, path, expedition, and journey in this world of photography which I love so much. I really enjoyed this video of the beauty dish versus the soft box. It was extremely helpful. I have many soft boxes already and will probably get a couple beauty dishes to test them against the soft boxes myself. I do know one of the characteristics of a beauty dish is the specular highlights/shine are prominent. I assume that's what some photographers like when they use them. Thank you.
I am glad you brought up fire resistance of metal beauty dish. I use a 43.5 inch dish for factory shoots that prohibt fabric modifiers and bounce light techniques. These locations have flash sensors and metal sparks that can ignite fabric regardless of treatment. Also a fav for clean rooms because it can be cleaned.
Congratulations on 100K. You deserve it and more. Keep up the great content.
As always your videos are chock full of information and fun to watch too Markus and Cara 😆thank you !
Hi Markus, great video, just started following your youtube channel...lots of good stuff even for me as a ProductPhotographer, I have always wondered why everyone loves the beautydishes, never used one and most probably never will. Was a Profoto user(well Im a Swede), but sold all of those and now a Godox user. Keep up the good job....
This channel is so underrated. I hope you hit a million subs soon enough!
Thank you for the video and comparisons of the beauty dish and soft boxes side by side.
There are some errors in this video that should be addressed but before I point these out, I would like to firstly say that I do not have a single favorite modifier, I have a tool kit of modifiers that get used as tools on a job, the right tool for the job. Firs thing is that there is no comparison between a pan reflector (incorrectly called a beauty dish) and any diffused light source like a soft box or even a brolly or scrim....two totally different light shaping tools.
Most every modifier has a focal point, this point is usually around one diameter of the modifier away from the subject, soft box included, and this is absolutely where the pan needs to live. As noted in a comment below, the 16" pan should be 16-20" from the subject. The reason 26" pans exist is so you can pull them back further to give room to shoot. It should be on a boom when shooting front on, and from a high angle pointing down to sculpt the features of the face. A pan is a slightly softened hard light source with some quirks, it not at all forgiving if you ignore these. Never ever feather a pan, use white interiors on most people, silver may be ok for very young skin with good makeup applied. A fill board from underneath can be used but is not essential, the more you fill, the more you remove the sculpting of the pan. Take the sock and throw it in the bin or use it as a shower cap.
Use a strobe with a decent modelling lamp in a darkened room so that you an see the subtleties of the pan as you move it minute amounts, its not a modifier that can just be pointed in the general direction of the subject. Once I have aimed mine, I always ask if the subject can see an even doughnut of light around the center.
EVERY SINGLE modifier and strobe combination has a slight-moderate shift in WB, even adjusting power level will impact this. use an ExpoDisk or gray card to take a test shot of the chosen combination and tell the camera what is white, move forward from there. I have a WB profile stored in my camera for every modifier I own, these were made with my ExpoDisk and all three histogram channels line up dead on the 18% mark.
Those collapsible "beauty dishes" are nothing more than glorified soft boxes or reflective umbrellas, they should be named appropriately to avoid confusion. They are all useful and can make great light but will never do what a pan was intended for. If you find something like a 22" pan too limiting in pose, try adding a second fill light for the rest of the body that the camera will see, a pan was never intended to light much past the neckline or perhaps chest area at best. Choose a lens length and by extension its angle of view that allows you to frame the subject with the pan moved in close.
The larger the modifier, the larger the surface area to catch wind, the 26" pan is for a dead calm day outdoors or indoors only, weight of modifier does not factor into how stable it will be in the wind, this is based on size almost exclusively.....carry lots of sand bags!
Your comments at the end and sample pictures are great, you are using the right tool for the job when shooting in harsh light outdoors, my mind would immediately go to 7" reflectors too. You get efficient use of strobe power plus the light you drop on your model does not look discontinuous from the surrounding light. This works very well in your photos.
The reason I have written this long winded comment is that many people follow you, many new shooters confused at the plethora of modifiers out there. These people need to see that there is no single good or bad or one size fits all solution to lighting. While the camera world has become a place where shine "new and improved" trinkets fall from the sky, the science of lighting and photography have not changed much since the advent of strobe. A video outlining what each modifier brings to the table and why one would use it in a certain situation would be good for your audience.
Well said sir! When you mentioned someone that knows modifiers Karl Taylor comes to mind and I’d refer people to his channel for additional information. Karl really understands the science of lighting and his work speaks for itself. He has a video of multiple modifiers and does some great side by side comparisons. I’d recommend Markus take a gander over there as well as it’s a treasure troth of information.
I too own several modifiers hanging on my wall and I happily choose the right one for the creative outcome I desire.
I’ll keep booming my 22” pan about 1 diameter away from my model and ask her to not move and say “cheese”. Lol. Happy shooting and thanks for your input.
Excellent
@@WilsonSilverthorne do you mean 1 meter away?
@@alexanderkapsiotis80501 diameter away = 22” in this case since it is the diameter of the dish. that’s kind of the rule of thumb
@@ggarciacota thank you for explaining.
Thank you for sharing. This was informative, straight to the point, and no fluff.
I am glad that you have shown the difference between different lighting techniques. I agree with you, the less gear you have the better. People are accustomed to cell phone pictures.
Markus, you're brilliant. Thank you for that great side by side demonstration. And thank you for sharing your smokin hot model - dripping with style. :)
Thank you soo much Markus for your dedication to teach us with picture example. Great job =)
Markus.. You're simply the best. Thank you for this.
Great to see this as I had often wondered about beauty dishes if they had some magical extra something that makes an obvious advantage but the size and weight and cost put me off buying one in for my portrait/fashion/product shoot work at the home based studio. Seeing your insightful video is super helpful as in my mind it does seem that my using umbrellas, softboxes and bounced light to suit the challenges is plenty enough - Ive even used small shoot thru umbrella with the flash closer into the shoot thru so it doesnt fill the entire umbrella and thus gives a little harder look just like a beauty dish!
Many thanks form London UK
Nice guide with examples. Good job. I like this kind of informative video footage.
Hello Markus. I'm a photographer in my early 60's and have been a enthusiast since my teens when my father gave me a Rolleiflex and a darkroom. Since then I have had worldwide publications and distribution with much success. The point is you know what you're doing and I agree with most your advice. Just thought your viewers should know, which I'm sure most of them already do, that you give sound and experienced information. I enjoy your channel !!!
I've been watching this channel for 3 years now and this may be the best shirt Markus has given the world. 😎
I have a Glow ez Lock collapsible 25” beauty dish as well as the Godox R200 Ring Light for the AD200. The Glow is easy setup and take down but as this video proved, it isn’t as nice lighting as what you can get with a similar sized softbox. The Godox Ring Light works well for some small product photography but I get better results with small soft boxes. Wish I viewed this video 6 months ago - could have saved some dough. Thanks Marcus for another well thought out video.
Great vid and very helpful as always! Thx Marcus!
When I started in photography over 52 years ago, all we had were Beauty Dishes......we did not have Soft Boxes. But we never could get out of the studio setting to use a Beauty Dish. Soft Boxes transformed lighting into a classic way to get the best images of faces. Then we moved to Soft Boxes in multiples for full body shots. Like you say, use what you want, but I am not carting Beauty Dishes all over the place to not get the images of quality that clients expect.
Hi Mark! Your vlogs are always very educational and interesting! I've been watching you for a long time! Happy New Year to you and your wonderful assistant/model! Dariusz from Dusseldorf
My family lives near Juelich!
Thank you this was really amazing information Markus! ❤❤
The beauty dish is also a hardest source of light which is good for fashion photography it’s also comes in handy when you’re outdoors and it’s windy! Side note I absolutely love you guys and this channel please don’t ever stop! Real photographer here.
why is it good for fashion photography? just trying to learn...
It's generally produces a bit of a harder light with more contrast and that makes colours and texture, details in the clothing, accessories and makeup pop more. However, you do want to make sure your model/subject has fairly good skin when using a beauty dish rather than a softbox (unless you want to spend countless hours retouching a single picture) because, as I mentioned before, harder light emphasizes texture so skin imperfections will be even more pronounced. @@heriport6654
Good day. As always showing that budget doesn't matter. I watched your LIGHTPIX Q20ii video, waiting for the M20 review. Great Quality content. Regards.
I photograph dogs as a hobby. Extra lighting seems to make them anxious. I will try a soft box and should get better results. Thanks for all the information you give out to us for free.
I'm subscribed, this is a great channel!
Such a great channel. Re: Beauty dish You really need a model with perfect skin (or a lot of time in post) to make hard light / edgy portraits look flattering. Any oily / greasy look will be super exaggerated.
Markus, you made me dig out my SP Systems 14" beauty dish from the closet because I know I never would have tolerated such uneven light. The SP beauty dish has a large throat to accommodate the large flash tube and modeling light, so the light is coming from a larger source to begin with. The reflector itself is a matte white. This would be too inefficient for a portable flash, but is fine for a studio flash. A softbox would be more even lighting, but way more diffused and hence lesser depth-of-light. Hi Cara.
Thank you Markus- great examples. I've tried to like beauty dishes, and outside in wind it's hard shooting with umbrellas and soft boxes. I personally just find the light out of a beauty dish to be painfully flat and dead. My personal favorite for portraits is a Westcott soft box with all white interior (I also have silver interior soft boxes that give a little more contrast). I also like satin umbrellas which is great compromise between a white umbrella (too flat) and a silver umbrella (too contrasty). All personal preferences of course -
I agree.
I always tell people that insted of a softbox they could put parchment paper over the kit reflector that comes with the aperture 300D. but being a rental place we have massive amounts of softboxes. I've only seen our beauty dishes go out like 4 times in the almost 6 months I've worked
Markus you rock man! You save me so much money
My favourite diffuser is deep umbrella with diffuser. But often I use ads7 (with dish, without, with reverse dish, with diffuser or with grid) that is an avesome combo! (I use ad360ii)
I'm ALL about chiaroscuro portraits, so a beauty dish with a grid works great for me. For normal portraits, definitely a softbox - the bigger the better! But I don't travel, so I don't need lightweight.
Yeah, not sure if the goal is to “soften” when using a Beauty Dish when I’m shooting Actors for Theatrical Productions (not headshots) where I want the “character” to POP! I’ve even used a Silver Beauty Dish esp with B&W for that Hollywood Starlet look…
I’d use a soft box for headshots… but I don’t shoot headshots…😏
I personally don't use softboxes and beauty dishes for the same reason. I have always viewed them as different tools for different purposes. If I want the models cheek bones to cut, the beauty dish up high at a steep angle gives me that. A softbox can't, because harder light cuts better. I've always used a beauty dish to shape and sculpt. Retouching is heavier with the trade off of better shaping. I personally don't think the point of both modifiers is to get one to try and look like the other. Keep up the great videos!
Thanks I learned something more about lighting. The Godox BDR-W-55 reminds me of a spider shaking his web back and forth. I like the lighting from the soft box.
Gracias Markus por tus aclararaciones, Adoramos tus consejos que son muy utiles para nuestro trabajo.
Thanks for explaining and giving examples.
I like these videos about lighting gear. They speak to me on my level. 👍
You two are awesome. great job 😊
When I watch your videos, I feel like I’m getting a ridiculously honest review with no F’s given. Can you please keep it up? Where do I send my money?
This was fast, to the point. What all tutorials should be like!
Thanks Marcus! Your the best!!
Always like your opinions Mark,👍
any video from you or Cara is Definitely Fun and Informative 🤗
You had me at the dark center in the middle of the white wall .......Thanks !
The Paul C Buff silver dish adds a couple more stops of light than you could get with a softbox of similair size. It's also not blowing over in the wind as easily.
Hey man thanks for the info! Is there a lav mic attached to you? Couldn’t find it but how do you sound so great even when you move!
Great info as always
I think the beauty dish is for a specific job, but the soft box is multi-use easy stup and the light it gives like early morning light soft and beautiful in the skin
Thanks for this video, I was considering a beauty dish but you showed it does not fit my use case with great examples
Thanks for clearing that up
Congrats on 100k
Very informative program. Thanks!
Superb work dear
Mr. Markus... Your explanations are always worthwhile but having actual demonstrations (of whatever the subject matter may be), is what sets you apart from the other channels. Good stuff and soft-boxes for the win!
Great info, the vid showed all.
Omg - you are so fun & cute & smart to learn from! thank you!
I'm thankful to have you to buy all this stuff to better help me know what I SHOULDN'T buy! 😅👍👍
Excellent video. One *small* suggestion perhaps? Leave your example on the screen a tick longer? I found myself pausing the video so I could look at the results of each modifier.
Great Demo! Thank you.
Just recieved my ads7 and wow I love it
always fun to watch you go thru all the various modifiers and they perform Markus, very educational & much appreciate you, your wonderful wife & muse for sharing your knowledge w/us! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I still like beauty dishes, but mostly because I started in 1962, and that was the only choice back then and I got used to them. One of the great things about them is their durability. Once you buy one, it will last a lifetime. I like softboxes for studio work where they are already set-up, but these days I prefer the simplicity of umbrellas, especially when on location.
nice video again! thanks for your effort!
do you do give away as far as Mauritius island ;) you are right beauty dish are inefficient modifier, but they do have their place for very specific vintage or black and white photoshoot, i would not recommend it unless you know exactly how and when to use it or if you absolutely need this specific look... thanks for the video i really enjoy seeing how simple and great your outdoor setup is and the result are amazing take care ;)
Thanks for the great info. It's very helpful to see the actual results rather than just talk about it like most other channels.
I've been paying attention to your observations, unbelievably accurate, in every video, you touch on a common missconception, in this one, the fact that the internal hardware in a softbox is enough to block most of the direct beam.
I was really hoping you would use the Mola Demi with the opal accessory
Best video today. Laughed out loud many times.... satellite dish😂❤️. Thanks for sharing...I agree!!
Funny thing - I have seen just right now a perfect use for beauty dishes not mentioned there; they are ideally round and even, so can serve as sun-like background lights, visible in the frame. Unlike reflector dishes, which are round as well, beauty dishes are large enough to make a background feature for a full-body shot.
My mother was an nurse-anesthatist. Her first day in an operating room the surgeon reached up to the "beauty dish" which was about 4.5 feet across. It was used to aim the light for the doctor. A dish that big with a light was pretty heavy so it was on a long tube with a counter balancing Wight on the other. Mom said she was under the weight when the surgeon threw the light up after closing the wound, the weight came down on mom's head knocking her out cold. Everyone was talking so none heard her fall. Someone turned and found mom just laying there. Didn't hurt her much physically but she was embarrassed half to death
I'm sure the last thing she would ever call it is a beauty dish lol
Great explanation.
Well, one thing you forgot is that some (or many) use a strobe like a hotshoe flash or something other than a "bare bulb" system with their softbox, and that WILL create a hotspot in many cases with a regular softbox. The key is to use a barebulb and not a Fresnel head when shooting with a flash if it can be avoided (so this means with the AD200, using the bare bulb or at least the round head, and not the rectangular Fresnel head).
The beauty dish does give a slightly different look though and depending on what you're going for, it may be more appropriate than a softbox, particularly if you want more edgy (but not flash style) lighting. Both have their place. Although I think a softbox should really be called a beauty "dish" and a Beauty Dish should have been called a "deflector" instead as that's what they really are. Not a "beauty" dish. But again, depends on what you're going for and what exactly you define as "beauty" lighting.
Brilliant. I love how you made your points clearly and with examples. That is how to teach or share a concept. Well done Markus. I have a few softboxes as well as a couple of Rogue Flash benders. I was always thinking I was missing a 'beauty dish' in my arsenal, but after seeing your simple demo of the light pattern on the wall, beauty dish vs softbox, it was clear to me I don't need them; however feel free to allow me to check on out for real:-) Great video. Thanks again
Love this.
you answered my queries.. thnanks..
ridiculously helpful video
Hi Markus, what do you think of the Godox R200 ring flash. I always wanted to have a ring flash but looking on flick, I really don't know if I like the look of it or not. Here in Austria thy go for around 300,- Euro so I'm a little hesitant to just get one for playing around. They work with the AD200 and come in a nice package. Have you tried them? Alles Liebe Mili
Unless you like the "deer-caught -in-the-headlights" look, dont waste your time. Ring lights are a joke, it says "I'm a Social Media wannabe"
This was one of the best instructionals of all in your series… good on ya mate
Thanks for this!
You're welcome rickydip
Is there a mini lantern modifier for the ad200? If like something I can put in a corner of a room to take better pictures during small events, like similar to that small softbox you showed
czcams.com/video/djVpocUSiMs/video.html
THANK YOU! At last the truth I use an old 20 x 20 inch bowens soft box and I just put a dustbin lid in the middle of the front diffuser and sprayed black paint around the edge.....just so I could have round lights in the eyes. Works perfectly for beaury lighting with a reflector below as in your clamshell set up.
I think it is just gimmic marketing. The howl I find most annoying is when some sellers label deep umbrella type softboxes as 'parabolic'! Their soft boxes have the usual mounts on them so the light comes from the back of the softbox.......not parabolic! A parabolic reflector is metculously shaped so that the light source is exactly positioned (usually into the light shaper) in order that light from any part of the bulb/flash hits the reflective surface exactly at the correct angle to divert it out of the front of the light shaper. As do the large fashion parabolics from broncolor and other big name pro gear manufacturers do. I bought a nice big one of the fake deep parabolics, blocked off the hole in the mount and I position a flash head somewhere about 2/3 into it without the front diffuser checking the position gives me true parabolic lighting.
Many thanks, loved this vid
Leslie
Brilliant! 👏
Thanks a bunch!
thank you for the info
I have never liked the light from a "beauty dish" .A softbox or a deep silver umbrella does a much better job. Keep in mind that George Hurrell used Fresnel lens hot lights and later Fresnel strobes.
Recently I saw a video where someone used CPL filter for an OCF Portrait to remove the hotspots on the model. I thought that was new idea for me. Maybe you could try that out and give us your thoughts on how you feel about hotspots on models skin and how a CPL could help.
I guess that you would need a pilot light to adjust CPL, which is not possible with AD200. I'm going to keep an eye on this chat.
This is an idea but why the need for more equipment plus if you use various Len's then this just goes on and on and on. No need just use a softbox job done
Hot spots are cause by oils on skin and/or wrong makeup chosen. I am talking about specular spots and not just simply over exposed. It is always best to address these problems at the time of shooting by making correct choices about the light landing on the model and how its reflected back to the camera rather than trying to block it from the lens....A CPL only works to remove glare at a 90* angle to the lens axis, plus the filter can eat up to 2 stops of light.
@@karney44m The CPL is useful in outdoor, sun lit shoots where you have continuous light and single point source. The 2 stop attenuation allows wider apertures. I never needed that in the studio since there is so much control. Get some oil absorbing papers, most well stocked cosmetic stores have then. Lightly blotting the skin, don't rub, will keep oil down for a few minutes. A matt neutural powder can be lightly brushed onto the skin.
Oil is a good thing, the skin stays healthy much longer into old age with those who have oily skin so taking a minute or two to aborb it or conceal it with transparent power is a small price to pay for having nice skin for decades. If you are working with a photo experienced MUA, she will be prepared to take care of it in seconds.
You ever try the blackdish ? It be good to have a real review of that beauty dish and only you can do it.