There are more videos and articles comparing battery powered flashes than you can shake a stick at. Anyone researching a portable lighting setup will undoubtably look at the strobe offerings from Profoto (B10, B1X) and Godox (AD200, AD600 etc.) but once you have that shiny new strobe unit, you are going to need to pony up for some light modifiers. The most cost-effective of the light modifiers (not counting DIY alternatives) are going to be umbrellas. How do these simple and easy to carry and setup modifiers stack up against the go-to big boy Profoto 36-inch octabox?

My goal in this comparison was to use a few different modifiers of similar size but vastly different costs to determine if the more expensive modifiers would yield superior results in terms of quality of light. For this (subjective and non-scientific) comparison, I used a Canon 5D MKIV and Profoto B10 in TTL mode, allowing the camera to set the proper exposure for an aperture value of f4, ISO 100 and shutter speed of 1/125. I approached this from a “real world” use scenario.  There were small differences in terms of loss of light between the three modifiers, but this experiment was not focused on efficiency of the modifiers, only the resulting quality of light. I kept the distances to the subject and the angle of the light generally the same. My model for this experiment was our tried and true crash test dummy Meghan the mannequin.

To find the candidates for the comparison, I hit Amazon and researched lower-cost modifiers from Neewer, Cowboy studio and others. I settled on Godox, because they have good customer support and are easy to find in stock. The modifiers I used were:

 

Godox 32″/ 80cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector

 

 

Godox 47″/120cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector

 

 

Profoto 254711 RFi 36-Inch Octa Softbox (Black)

 

 

Concerns when buying budget light modifiers

Build quality in budget light modifiers is nowhere near the more expensive models and will likely have a shorter lifespan than “pro level” gear. I would be worried about relying on a lower-cost modifier for an important shoot. These are umbrellas and we all know how prone those are to bending a rib inside, making them unusable.  The smaller Godox model in this experiment uses a standard umbrella architecture inside, and the larger Godox unit utilizes a combination of metal and plastic ribs. After reading all the reviews, some experienced issues after a few uses, but Godox was good about replacing broken units, this is why I chose them over other budget products from Neewer and Cowboy Studios.

Did I mention these budget modifiers break easily?

 

Technical concerns

 

Many low-cost modifiers, both umbrella and softbox come with front diffusion material. Many of the manufacturers use fabric whiteners to get the material ultra-white. This process can cause color shifts especially toward blue in your images. This can be resolved by using a product like the X-rite color checker passport, which is a plastic card combined with software which sets up a profile in your editing software for proper color. You just snap a photo of the passport and run it through the software, which automatically adjusts the colors to the proper hue.

 

The good stuff

 

  • Both of the Godox umbrellas were really a decent price. I got them on sale for 22 and 32 dollars.  If you are new to light modifiers and strobe work, these can be a good learning tool even if you end up buying a couple of them due to breakage.
  • The umbrella modifiers are easy to transport, and as long as your strobe has an umbrella hole (which most do), you are all set. Even if you get a Godox S-type bracket to use with a speedlight the weight and portability of your lighting kit will be worth it.
  • The umbrella softboxes are very easy to setup compared to a traditional rod and speedring softbox. They open like a regular umbrella and you put the pole inside into the hole in your flash or flash bracket. I know lots of beginning photographers (and some old grizzled ones too) that hate setting up the rods and speedrings of traditional softboxes so much that they just leave them up once they are assembled.
  • Both Godox units come with Velcro-attached front diffusion material. This is something that typically costs around $100 for higher-end modifiers. On a related note, you can buy the grids for the umbrella modifiers for about $20.

 

The results

Godox 32-inch umbrella
Godox 47-inch umbrella

Before we talk about how the Godox umbrellas stacked up against the Profoto Octabox, let’s look at how the 32-inch umbrella did when compared to the 47-inch. Was it worth the cost to get the larger unit? In short, no. There simply isn’t enough difference when looking at the images of Meghan from the 32 and the 47-inch units. Look at the shadows on the chin and nose, they are reasonably soft, but I expected more light wrap from the 47-inch unit compared to the 32. Both modifiers soften the light reasonably well, but I would likely use a second layer of diffusion if I were to use these for “real” images. The other aspect that surprised me about these modifiers was that there was little color shift from the front diffusion material. The small shift towards blue was easily rectified by warming the image a bit. I would do this in most cases with a portrait anyway.  Still, overall, I must admit that I was surprised these low-cost modifiers performed as well as they did.

 

Comparing Godox to Profoto

Profoto 36-inch Octabox

How did the Godox umbrellas compare to the industry standard Profoto 36-inch octabox using the same camera and strobe? Surprisingly, not too bad. Looking at the shadows on Meghan’s chin and nose, they are much softer and smoother than the ones from the Godox umbrellas. Also, look at the way the light is wrapping around her cheek on the left of the frame, much softer and smooth. IS this good enough for many photographers? Probably. For my work, I would still go with the Profoto softbox over the Godox units, but I plan to use the smaller Godox modifier for location shooting when weight is a concern. I have a 5-in-1 reflector that works great as a shoot through second diffuser.

Conclusion

For an entry-level modifier, the Godox umbrellas do surprisingly well. I worry about their build quality and only time will tell how long they will last with daily use. If you are just getting into strobes and looking to experiment with some reasonably priced modifiers that you can hone your skills with, these are great.  I’m not convinced that the 47-inch unit is worth the extra money and larger size (doesn’t fit in a suitcase), but honestly, these modifiers are a good deal.

As you grow as a photographer and the quality of your work evolves, you will likely grow out of these, but they are serviceable units for learning and most applications. These Godox umbrellas yield very reasonable results in terms of quality of light, and you don’t have to fuss with all the rods of setting up a traditional softbox.  

 

I love to hear from my readers! If you try these modifiers, please drop me a note and let me know what you think of them, I would love to hear your experiences and see some of your images with them. Follow me on Twitter for more reviews and have a great day.

Twitter: @epicshit9

 

Links to the products in this article:

Godox 32″/ 80cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector

Godox 47″/120cm Umbrella Octagon Softbox Reflector

Profoto 254711 RFi 36-Inch Octa Softbox (Black)

Godox S-type Bracket

 

 

Isolate Earplugs Vs. classic foam earplugs

Recently I have been seeing the Flare audio earplugs on my social media non-stop – so I figured I would pony up the cash and buy a pair to give them a try. I love live music and often attend local concerts. I always wear ear protection and I often photograph concerts.  Good fitting noise reducing earplugs as a necessary accessory for any concert attendee or photographer shooting live music.

I love live music of all genres and I attend concerts in small to large venues as often as I can. My go-to ear protection has always been the classic orange foam earplugs because they reduce the incoming volume by 32 to 35db depending on the manufacturer and they are cheap. With 120db being the average concert level volume, they are a necessity for comfortably listening to live music regardless of where you are in the venue.

Isolate earplugs vs classic orange foams

The downside to the classic orange foam earplugs is that they provide a heavy-handed approach to ear protection, reducing the overall sonic spectrum (sound volume).  When I saw the Flare Audio Isolate earplugs, which promise 25db sound reduction with increased fidelity in the highs I had to try them. For the purposes of this review, I will directly compare the Isolate earplugs to the classic foam earplugs because I think that is a more realistic real-world situation. If you are a musician or work in pro-audio then you most likely have custom molded pro level earplugs, which these earplugs will not replace.

The Isolate earplugs come with three sets of foam tips which allow you to customize the fit for your ear. I tried both the medium and the large size foam tips and found the large size the best fit for my ears. I don’t rush any product reviews, so I wanted to give the Isolate earplugs a thorough trial in live music venues I had been in before, and with varying genres of music.

Testing the Earplugs

For my first test, I saw a rock cover band with a female singer in a local bar, hardly an acoustically tuned environment, but certainly a real-life situation one would find themselves in. I sat in several locations throughout the show and performed an A/B comparison between the Isolate earplugs and the classic foams. The volume level was not as loud as one would encounter at a “real” concert venue, but this was a good first real-world test. I found the claims of the increased high frequency response for the Isolate earplugs to be quite true. The guitars and especially the female vocals came through with clearer crisp highs than the traditional foam earplugs. The Isolate earplugs reduced the incoming lower bass frequencies significantly better than the classic foam earplugs which can be a bit “boomy” in the low frequency reduction. I wore the Isolate earplugs for half of the show and the classic foams for the second half. I found the fit of the Isolate Earplugs as snug as the classic foam earplugs, they did not feel like they were going to fall out.

The foam tips of the Isolate plugs don’t compress and expand to fill the ear canal as much as the classic foam ones do, so I was a bit worried  – but the fit was more than adequate. Sound quality and overall wearing experience for the classic foam was as you would expect, overall sound reduction, muffled and a bit “boomy” regardless of the location in the bar I sat. This is where the Isolate really differed from the classic foams. Sitting in the middle to back of the bar I found the sound quality excellent, just as they claimed the highs were significantly clearer than the classic foams.

The problems occurred when I moved closer to the front. At higher sound volumes the high frequencies of the Isolate earplugs became distorted and crackly. The distortion was distracting and detracted from the enjoyment of the show for me. My final conclusion for a small venue like a bar was that the Isolate shined with medium to low incoming volume levels, but the classic foams worked best for sitting closer to the band.

The next test was a 5000-person capacity venue – a small concert club.  I saw a few different shows at this venue ranging from Rap to Metal. I had similar experiences with the Isolate earplugs here, the back of the venue and near the middle was excellent but moving closer to the band yielded crackly and distorted highs. Even being jostled around near the front of the stage, I was confident in the fit of the Isolate earplugs. 

 

Next, I attended a hard rock show at a 20,000 seat arena. I consider this a standard test for any noise reduction device. The Isolate earplugs did not handle the volume in this venue as well as the smaller quieter venues. I was on the floor for a while and later sat in the lower bowl seats for this show. The louder volume of this show produced similar results to being closer to the band in previous shows. The highs and vocals were distorted distracting and tough to listen to.

Wanting to give the Isolate earplugs every chance I could, next we went to see Metallica on their most recent stadium tour. The show was in the an outdoor stadium in Denver which has an 80,000 seat capacity. With the large speakers of the festival and higher volume level, the Isolate earplugs really were unusable, and I had to switch back to the classic foams. I was not able to wear the Isolate earplugs for half of the show as I have done in all other tests.

The next test for the Isolates was at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. This show takes place in a small valley in Telluride, Colorado each year. This is where the Isolate earplugs really outshined any other earplug I have worn. The volume was not as loud as the other rock festival I attended but was too loud to listen to for prolonged periods without protection. I found that the Isolates did a fantastic job of letting through the highs while reducing the lows and mid-range frequencies. I wore them all day long without fatigue, sitting in locations ranging from the back to the middle for most of the day. During the last act of the night I moved right up to the stage area and found that the Isolates handled the increased volume excellently.

For the last test, I saw Jack Johnson at a 17,000-seat outdoor auditorium. My expectation was that like the Bluegrass festival the earplugs would really shine, and they did. The sound level was too loud for me without earplugs and the Isolates brought the volume down to reasonable levels and I ended up wearing them all night long. I found the high frequencies significantly better than the classic orange foams as before.

The Verdict

After all the testing in so many different venues, the Isolate Earplugs did well outperform classic foam earplugs in certain situations. The way the Isolate earplugs let through high frequencies can’t be beat if you are attending a concert or event with medium to low volume amplified music.  Whether these earplugs will work for you really depends on where in the venue you will be sitting and the kind of music you are listening to. They are good to excellent sound quality up to medium loud situations. I didn’t want to go as far as bringing in a sound pressure meter, so the actual levels are a bit objective. One of the biggest advantages to wearing these earplugs is that you can hear people talking to you, this was a bit odd because the people I was with at the shows would talk to me and I could hear them perfectly well which is just not possible with the classic foams. Overall, I liked the Isolate Earplugs, and think they have their uses, I think the quality (if you can use them at the show you are at) is well worth having to bring a second set of earplugs with you.

Optional Accessories

 

Flare offer a lanyard which attaches to the earplugs, reducing the risk of losing your new earplugs. The Isolate Earplugs are certainly more expensive than the classic orange foam earplugs, but are so worth the expense when you are attending shows which are not Electronic Dance Music or Hard Rock/Heavy Metal. Would I recommend these earplugs, yes, are they Epic? The jury is still out. I tested these earplugs for a year indoor and out and in the situations described above give an incredible listening experience while protecting your hearing.

I love to hear from my readers! Drop me a message on my Twitter below or on the contact form here on Epic Shit if you have a product you would like me to review.   

Twitter: @EpicShit9

Links:

 

Flare Isolate Earplugs

Flare Isolate Lanyard