Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I often use the PLM 64 for outside shootings but even a bit a wind tends to make it sometimes a fragile combination. The OMNI (with diffusor) is much more wind resistent but I can't really decide which light is better for "normal" portraits.

Has anyone "dumped" his PLM in favor of the OMNI for standard portrait shooting? And why or why not?

I would just like to second sapnho's request.

Also, if anyone has compared it to the white beauty dish, I would love to know what your thoughts are.

The word "dumped" is a little disturbing to me. It's kinda' like saying "should I dump my big SUV for a tiny Smart Car?"

If there was one perfect modifier for every singly use, we would only make one modifier.

It's a matter of understanding your photographic objective, and selecting the best tool for the job.

Indeed, large fabric diffusers, be they PLMs or big softboxes exist for one purpose . . . achieving soft shadows, big catchlights and low contrast, and are best used quite close to the subject to achieve these characteristics. In this regard, PLMs, particularly soft silver, beat softboxes most of the time because they direct light to to subject more efficiently and less to the rest of the world. But they are primarily designed for studio usage and don't behave well outdoors in any wind.

The OMNI is primarily designed for lighting outdoors, when high light levels are needed from a distance . . . sports, and subjects where close in lighting isn't practical. But in these situations, you're not going to get soft shadows and low contrast or big catchlights, or a very wide field of coverage.

But these parameters are not usually the goal here. For instance, shooting a skateboarder with a big soft box would be wrong from every aspect . . . not enough power to cover the distance, and 90% of the light wasted on lighting things that aren't even in the frame.

Thankfully, by using the OMNI's included triple diffuser it becomes a superb small "round box", suitable for close in lighting complete with relatively soft shadows and fairly large catchlights and very wide coverage angles. Best used within 3' to 8' or so of the subject. Plus, it's way more wind resistant than large fabric modifiers.

So it really comes down to understanding the physics of lighting, deciding what effects you want, selecting the right tools and knowing what difficulties you might face in using it.

One last point . . . the low contrast big softbox look isn't always what it's cracked up to be. For many, if not most, shots, a smaller light source with greater contrast and shadows produces crisper looking photos. That's why the OMNI has the name it does . . . because it provides a variety of "looks" in a variety of shooting situations.

Thanks for your comments, Paul.

The OMNI is indeed a blessing for many outdoor situations, large PLMs are just too fragile in a windy environment.

I have used an Einstein/Omni/VLX combo on a paint pole with a Kacey adapter and a VAL for a 5 hour pre-wedding shoot. FANTASTIC combination in Chicago, shooting both close to the lake and in the downtown canyons. Never even switched the VLX battery once. Omni never wavered or was unwieldy for my VAL. That being said. I'd never give up my PLMs.