# Anyone built a softbox?



## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Hi boys and girls, well I've seen a few idea's for photographs, nothing fancy, just product photography, but I really need a softbox but because I am tight, I am going to build one rather than buy one.

Now there is a million guides on youtube about how to build one and I know exactly what I am going to be doing, the one problem is, I don't know what type of bulb I want/need and I don't know what to type in to find the cable I need. I want something to plug into the wall and on the other end something to plug my bulb into. As for the bulb, it need to be one that burns cool, but also has to give natural light, compact flourescent and L.E.D are ruled out.


Many video's have them in but don't mention which bulb type or where to get it from. and how they are powering it. I know this all sounds so basic but I genuinely don't know.

To clarify, what I need is a bulb on a wire that plug's into a wall. The rest I can sort :thumb:

Many thanks in advance.


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

If you have a hobbycraft near they stock the bulbs.


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

According to the internet there is one about 2 minutes from my house, what sort of bulb am I asking for?


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

As a side note, a lot of the DIY softboxes are using their flash as a light source, I'm confused how this would work, surely a constant light gives your much more control than taking a photo with the flash, then having to move the softbox slightly, then re-shooting etc, a constant light would let you get everything perfect without even taking a shot?


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

Compact fluorescent lamp - I use two 30watt 5500K


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

I ruled compact flourescent out, but do you have any pics of yours? also how are you powering it?


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

I use them in much like this http://www.stevesphotoshop.co.uk/
They don't get that hot


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## DerbyLee (Aug 22, 2011)

You can use any type of bulb, but you would need to be able to change the white balance setting on your camera to compensate for the different colour temperature of the bulb.

The onlt problem that comes then with using a 'non daylight balanced' bulb is if you try to have a mixture of lighting in your picture, say combining a flourescent bulb and day light. Withe the white balance set for the flourescent light, the day light lit parts of the photo would haev a very strange colour cast. This could give a 'cool' effect, but it may not wuiet be what you are after.

Hope this helps.


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

I looked in to building a light box but for the cost it didnt seem worth while.
This is the one we use to photograph jewellery http://www.fotosense.co.uk/interfit-int310-photobox-50cm-x-50cm.html?adId=8395300619&keyword=%20int310&matchtype=b&of_uid=796bbb46-f742-47a5-b2c2-b8c518bb5f53


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

That's a nice price actually, the only problem is I'd like something bigger and more versatile, if fo instance I wanted to do a portrait or something.

I've seen all these guys build them for under £10 or similar, and I understand it all I just don't know which bulb and cable they buy.


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

bulbs aren't the issue; light output is. You get silly numbers out of a flash.... 

Bret


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

As a complete noob to lighting you might have to break that down for me mate.


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

Eddy said:


> That's a nice price actually, the only problem is I'd like something bigger and more versatile, if fo instance I wanted to do a portrait or something.
> 
> I've seen all these guys build them for under £10 or similar, and I understand it all I just don't know which bulb and cable they buy.


When you say portrait do you mean to take someone's portrait or to take a photo of a 'portrait?'

You'll need more than one light source - what ever - to get over shadow problems.

A Home brew light box might cause problems with colour cast, if the material
used isn't the correct 'white'


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## dubnut71 (Jul 25, 2006)

Eddy - could you do me a favour and promise not to start wiring sh*t up without having a qualified sparks have a quick look at it first? would hate to loose you for the sake of a £10 soft box mate.....

In the long run buddy you will be better off with a 2nd hand flashgun, heaps more versatility for off camera stuff. Google strobist or vivtar 285HV, that'll get ya started!


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

A flash puts out of the order of 1 400 000 lumens. 

Your bulb? a *lot* less than that. 

So, if you're going to do softboxes, do one for a pre-existing flash and it will work well. I have one, it's a nice toy to play with. I'm tempted to do a real one for the big flashes (a real 'box is going to be well into three figures) but I've seen how difficult it is to get even output without losing too much light.

Bret


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

dubnut71 said:


> Eddy - could you do me a favour and promise not to start wiring sh*t up without having a qualified sparks have a quick look at it first? would hate to loose you for the sake of a £10 soft box mate.....
> 
> In the long run buddy you will be better off with a 2nd hand flashgun, heaps more versatility for off camera stuff. Google strobist or vivtar 285HV, that'll get ya started!


I promise mate, all I'll be doing is putting a bulb into a bulb holder on a stand with my own softbox around it.

Something along the lines of:







bretti_kivi said:


> A flash puts out of the order of 1 400 000 lumens.
> 
> Your bulb? a *lot* less than that.
> 
> ...


I'm still perplexed about using a flash over a continuous light source, lets say I'm taking a picture of a small object like a piece of fruit or a can of coke or something along those lines and the item is sitting on a peice of glass with a black background to try and make it look fancy or whatever.

If I had a continous light I could spend 5 minutes moving the light closer or further away, to the left of right and basically try and get the shadows or angles and everything as I want it in front of my eye, I can then take the shot and all is lovely.

If I were to have something that only goes off when I trigger the camera then surely i'm going to have to take a shot, then adjust and over and over till its how I want by looking at my photo's as the light is not up long enough in front of my eyes to be able to tell if it's doing what I want.

Or have I got it all wrong, remember I'm the noob so I'm not for one second challenging people here, just sort of saying out loud what's running through my head.


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

gordonpuk said:


> When you say portrait do you mean to take someone's portrait or to take a photo of a 'portrait?'
> 
> You'll need more than one light source - what ever - to get over shadow problems.
> 
> ...


Yeah for pictures of people etc, I'm just an average Joe wanting to take better photo's at home, I'm not needing anything too fancy, just been looking at loads of people in forums and on youtube and seeing how a simple softbox can change a photo for the better and want to do it myself.


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## Maxtor (Feb 23, 2007)

Sounds like you are after a photography light-box more than a soft box mate....unless I have read it wrong?


Maxtor.


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

You could be right, I'm basing on video's like the one I posted above, basically a box with a light in it, with a white cloth to soften the light.

Sounds simple eh?


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

I made one of these a while back

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

used normal A4 paper for the sides, with a A3 paper as train stuck inside the box - had a remote flash either side of it

done a great job producing this:










which in turn landed it a double page spread in this month's PhotoPlus magazine in the Inspirations section :thumb:

All built for nearly free (exc camera equipment)

post work is setting the white point in photoshop and a bit of dodging to make the white's, white - pretty much out of camera shot 

drew


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Yep,

Big Cardboard box, cut out sides, I used A3 paper and 2 table lamps with the shades taken off either side.

A tripod and another piece of A3 as a train.










This is a reject (bottle is wonky) For my Friend's business. So i haven't done much to it.

White balance can be adjusted after the fact if you use RAW quite easily so don't worry about energy savers.

I have since bought one from eBay for about £15. It folds down like a reflector.

This is a lightbox btw. A softbox goes over the lamp and diffuses that lamps light.

Pezza4u, this was also the 35mm f1.8


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Nice one Gruffs, what I would do with that shot is open it in photoshop, ctrl+L for levels, press the right button of three to select the whitepoint, then click the dropper on the paper, this will push the histogram so White is White, rather than 17/18% grey.

Then use the dodge tool on highlights mode @ 9% and dodge up any shadows on the join 

This is the technique I implement from the small lighbox right through to shooting high key on people portraits - fast & it works

drew


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Thanks Drew. 

I did use levels once I had the label pointing straight at me. Though your way is quicker. 

I have CS5 now so a content aware heal would sort out any hot spots. I love CA.


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