Softbox brand: good quality and good value

[Ron Marshall]

Which brands of softbox are well made and reasonably priced, in other words best value?

[Nick_3536]

If you go to Ebay the Amovona boxes can be cheap if you bid with care. I bought a 5' Octobox for $5.24 plus shipping. The speedring they come with doesn't fit my lights [supposedly fits the Calument/Bowen lights??] so I had to buy a speedring.

[Frank Petronio]

Seriously, the Chimeras and Plumes are worth the extra cost. The smaller ones are not that expensive and I would rather get a used Chimera than a new Photoflex. Many of the cheap softboxes have bruisingly stiff wands and poorly designed mounting rings, along with inadequate stitiching and thinner, fraying materials.

The Plumes are very nice but more complex, the Chimera Super Pros (with the recess) are very nice and simple. I like the honeycomb grids they offer too.

[Capocheny]

I've used both the Chimera and Photoflex... both are quite fine!

Cheers

[Ron Marshall]

I've used both the Chimera and Photoflex... both are quite fine!

Cheers

Did you find that there was any advantage to the Chimera?

[Jack Flesher]

I second Chimera and Plume -- and a word of note: Calumet Illuma are apparently made by Plume and run about 1/2 the cost.

[Ron Marshall]

I second Chimera and Plume -- and a word of note: Calumet Illuma are apparently made by Plume and run about 1/2 the cost.

Thanks for the tip Jack, I'll look into those.