Alienbees Softboxes and Octaboxes
 

Hello
I have Softboxe and Octaboxe from alienbees , can I use them with Red Head lights ?
I presume I'll need special ring to fit .

I'm in a similar boat. I posted the question on the paul white forums (makers of alien bee) and they didn't recommend it.

I haven't follow up yet, but I'd have to imagine we could use compact fluorescent with the alien bee light modifiers.

Alien Bees softboxes will give you very nice light with a Red Head. The kind that comes from the dancing flames of your softboxes burning up. CFLs would probably be okay as would LEDs as long as the light has plenty of ventilation. The surface temps of a Red Head that has been on for half an hour is around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The AB stuff will torch as they are designed for strobes, not hot lights.

If you are using a Red Head, you want a Chimera or PhotoFlex designed for hot lights.

Dan

Dan , Thanks
No , I don't own Red Heads lights yet , any options that will fit on Alien Bees softboxes ?

anything that uses flos should be fine.

I agree, Flos or LEDs would do the trick although good luck in finding a speed ring for a Flo or LED. I welded up my own speed ring for my LEDs because it didn't exist. Same with Flos, I have never seen a speed ring for a Flo, other than a multiple CFL fixture that included integral mounting holes.

Dan

I'm in a similar boat. I posted the question on the paul white forums (makers of alien bee) and they didn't recommend it.

I haven't follow up yet, but I'd have to imagine we could use compact fluorescent with the alien bee light modifiers.

I could be wrong but one of the distributors of junky Chinese multiple CFL fixtures like Fotodiox or Smith-Victor or someone was offering a fixture that had softbox rod holes as part of the fixture. Just not sure which one offered it but it was not one of the established brands like Arri, Mole, etc.

You can always buy a cheap speed ring and just mount Chimera to a grip head on a stand and then put the Flo mounted to a separate light stand up next to it. Not fun for moves but it does work.

Dan

I use my PCB Octobox with my homebuilt CFL lights. No problems with heat in the last year or so.

I had the same question a few months ago and thought...hmm maybe I can put together something out of Home Depot parts and some Lowel 65watt fluorescents. Initially this was supposed to be for the Medium sized Photoflex Octa, but I wound up needing it with the Large. It's definitely sketchy with a softbox that large.

Here is what I came up with. With the 5' Octa, this set-up actually produces an amazing quality of head to toe light. If I remember correctly, I spent less than $50 at Home depot to make two of these. The fixture is actually for a porch light and the L connector is for joining conduit.

The Photoflex Adjustable Shoe Mount Hardware is $39.95. That's the black metal mount which allows you to position the fixture up and down. Kinda ghetto, but it gets the job done. Again, I would not recommend this set-up with the large, but with medium or small soft boxes it can get you by.