Budget beauty dish for a Canon 580EX: ePhoto vs Cowboy Studio for learning off-camera flash
Asked 8/15/2011
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2 answers
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I’m looking for an inexpensive beauty dish or beauty-dish-style modifier to use with a Canon 580EX speedlight on location. I’m just starting out and don’t have portable power for larger strobes, so I want something suitable for learning off-camera flash on a tight budget.
I found two low-cost options and haven’t been able to find many direct comparisons:
- ePhoto beauty dish / strobe bracket option
- Cowboy Studio strobist / strobie bracket option
Has anyone used either with a speedlight? I’m mainly interested in which is the better starting point for a beginner, and whether either one gives decent beauty-dish-style light for the money.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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You said that you are on a tight budget, so I am going to suggest a different route and build your own dish. I used this tutorial written by David Tejada and made my own beauty dish for I believe under $20. Works fantastic, and since it cost so little, if you are unhappy with the results, you could then look into spending more money on a pre-fabricated model. It took me under and hour from start to finish to create it, and no special tools.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
15y ago
0
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For a very tight budget, the most practical advice from the replies is: consider making a DIY beauty dish first. One responder said they built one from a David Tejada tutorial for under $20, in under an hour, with no special tools, and were happy with the results. That makes it a low-risk way to learn the look and handling before spending more.
As for the two options you listed, the only specific feedback provided was that examples of the ePhoto 16-inch dish’s light quality can be found on Flickr. There wasn’t a direct, reliable comparison to the Cowboy Studio option in the answers.
So based on the available information, there isn’t enough evidence to confidently say ePhoto or Cowboy Studio is better. If your main goal is learning on a budget with a Canon 580EX, DIY is the safest recommendation; if you prefer to buy, look for sample images showing the light quality you want and make sure the bracket is compatible with your speedlight setup.
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