Testing parabolic umbrellas

Tested the light distribution from 5 different parabolic umbrellas with Jamo & Janne.

Profoto Umbrella XL - silver 65"
Paul Buff PLM - extreme silver 86"
Paul Buff PLM - extreme silver 64"
Flashpoint - silver 86"
Flashpoint - silver 64"
White reflective umbrella about 33" (reference to just see the difference)





Test setup 




Camera to subject distance 2m. AcuteB flash head was placed camera right and distance to flash head to subject was about 1.5m. Pocketwizard PlusII to trigger the light. Mister Hat served as our frozen model. He kept the pose nicely from frame to frame.

We kept the flash at same place and placed the umbrellas as closely to same distance to flash head as possible (distance was different with 64-65" and 86" sized umbrellas). Aperture & shutter time was also kept same (f5, 1/200, ISO 200) in all photos, but flash power was adjusted to give similar exposures. Photos were cropped to square shaped and white balance was corrected from the first photo and then copied later to all selected frames. For the last photo with white umbrella, the exposure was also tweaked about +1 EV as the original picture was underexposed. This is not suppose to be scientific test, using flash meter for correct exposures or any excessive & repeated testing was left out. Just a quick testing to see how much the different modifiers give light and is there any difference how tight their light is. Note also that all the conclusions about EV differences in light efficiency are rough estimates therefore read them that way.

Photos


Profoto Umbrella XL 65"


PLM 86"


Flashpoint 86"


PLM 64"


Flashpoint 64"


White reflective umbrella c. 33"


Extras


Setting up PLM


Umbrella tips from PLM & Umbrella XL


Conclusions:

• PLM 86" & 64" gave tighter light (vignetting of light starts faster) than Flashpoint & Umbrella XL but also way more restless cast shadows.
• Umbrella XL gives widest light distribution
• Flashpoint is somewhere between Umbrella XL & PLM by light distribution
• PLM extreme silver 86" & 64" and Flashpoint 86" are about +2 EV more light efficient than Umbrella XL. Considerable difference when extra light efficiency (e.g. when using speedlight as the light) is needed.
• Flashpoint 64" is about +1 EV more light efficient than Umbrella XL
• Regular white umbrella is about -1.5 EV less light efficient than Umbrella XL
• Umbrella XL has probably the nicest materials, finishing and storage bag
• Flashpoint umbrellas give little bit colder images
• Umbrella tips are sharper with PLM where the Profoto & Flashpoint has rounded tips. I noticed this when poking my head against PLM's umbrella tips :)
• PLM requires more setup time (shaft comes in two pieces) but has option to change the end part of shaft to fit into different flash systems
• Flashpoint umbrella shaft feels really tight with AcuteB and force is needed to push the shaft through flash head's umbrella hole.
• Comparing Umbrella XL against PLM is like comparing apples to oranges. They are different modifiers by the tightness of light while the results on sweet spot of light look about the same. Soft but contrasty light.
• All of these huge umbrellas can be used to make fantastic photos