Profoto D1 500 for home studio

[pophoto]

Hey Marc,

Your comment about profoto softboxes not being much more easier to setup (aside from being color coded for rods) and tear down, would you stick to the Elinchrom softboxes for the Quadras or are the RFi softboxes worth the extra speed ring costs?

Thanks
Po

 

[fotografz]

Hey Marc,

Your comment about profoto softboxes not being much more easier to setup (aside from being color coded for rods) and tear down, would you stick to the Elinchrom softboxes for the Quadras or are the RFi softboxes worth the extra speed ring costs?

Thanks
Po

The RFi I use with the Quadra is small (2' X 2'), so I never tear it down. I use it because I got the free speed-light ring from ordering other stuff as part of a Profoto promotion ... and this speed-ring just happened to be a perfect fit for the Quadra head and provides a far more secure mount than the Elinchrom one.

For set-up/tear-down, I'd use a Rotaliux with the EL adapter for the Quadra head ... and in fact I do exactly that with the 27" Rotalux Deep Octa ... IMO, the 39" Deep Octa is a bit much on the Quadra.

Personally, I hate the Elinchrom mount ... which is one of the primary reasons I moved from Elinchrom to Profoto some years ago. The Quadra is the exception to the rule ... it's so tiny I'm willing to put up with the mount ... however, I use umbrellas as often as not when working with the Quadra.

-Marc

 

[pophoto]

How is the quality of the Profoto RFi softboxes, the only reviewed product on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Profoto-254703-Inches-60x90-Softbox/dp/B009JZ0502/ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_10
suggests it is poor quality product an will not stand the test of time and the front diffusion material is very thin. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thanks!
Po

 

[fotografz]

How is the quality of the Profoto RFi softboxes, the only reviewed product on Amazon.com:
Amazon.com: Profoto 254703 RFi 2 x 3 Inches (60x90 cm) Softbox (Black): Camera & Photo
suggests it is poor quality product an will not stand the test of time and the front diffusion material is very thin. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thanks!
Po

Hmmm ... not my experience at all with the RFis

However, I haven't purchased any larger RFis because I already have the RF versions.

So, after reading this, I compared the material, corner stays, and diffusion material of the RFi to the RFs (which I can attest to have stood the test of time, since I've had a few of them over 10 years).

The RFi softbox material seems very similar in thickness, and the corner pockets that receive the ribs seems just as well constructed. One difference with the RFs is that they have heat vent flaps and the RFis do not. Those heat vents are probably expensive to include.

The diffusion material on my RFis is not transparent and feels about the same thickness, but may be a wee bit thinner. However, as with any diffusion material it will yellow with time and need replaced.

Again, these are the smaller RFi boxes (2' X 2', 1' X 3' and 1' X 4') I got to use with the Acute B600 AIR Lithium pack I use for mobile work on an assistant held light pole, where smaller/mobile is preferred.

YMMV

-Marc

 

[robmac]

As the owner or Profoto, Eli, Chimera and Creative Light/RFi boxes, +1 on Marks' comments. If you don't need heat vents for hot lights, the RFi/CL boxes are nice units.