Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

We're currently using the 51" PLM for location shooting and the results are good but it's a bit unwieldy in wooded areas. I occasionally use a Kacey beauty dish with sock in its place if it's windy but what would be the advantages / disadvantages of the 18" omni over a 22" beauty dish and/or a 51" PLM with diffuser on the front?

The Omni is more versatile - higher output and more even coverage without sock, very even face evenness with sock. And, of course, better wind stability - particularly VS 51" PLM.

Disadvantage - smaller source size.

There's probably not a huge difference if you are relative far from the subject. Of course, the Omni without diffuser excels if you need to light from considerable distances.

It's the smaller source size that I want to understand. So right off the bat, is the coverage of the omni more wide or more narrow than a 22" beauty dish? So to get it to light a full length, I assume that I'll have to pull it back to 10' or so and the light quality will be relatively harsh?

Without the diffuser, Omni is similar, but more even -both are fairly narrow angle.

If too narrow for a full body at a given distance, put the sock on and move it it close. That gives you the option of high specularity or low.

Some shooters want very low contrast and specularity, others want more pop.

Thanks so with the sock and the 120 degree spread it should be about equivalent to the 51" at the same distance?

Correct.

thanks!!!

I've had my Omni for a couple of days and I think it will be rather versatile.

I also drilled a hole in it to fit the elinchrom deflectors and I like the silver beauty dish type look it gives me with a sock over it and a white deflector.

Can you up load a picture of the Omni with the Dlinchrom Deflector?

I would like to do that to my Omni.
Thanks

so, i used the omni again over the weekend and I'm returning it. It seems like a tweener modifier for what I'm doing. I like the kacey beauty dish better for beauty shots and my PLM better for other things.