Do RGB-patterned umbrella reflectors offer any real benefit for digital photography?
Asked 5/3/2013
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2 answers
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A lighting manufacturer has promoted a parabolic umbrella reflector with a surface printed in red, green, and blue spots, claiming it is designed to work especially well with digital sensors and can produce richer color without gels. Is that credible in practice? Would an RGB-patterned reflector provide any real photographic advantage over a normal silver or white reflector/umbrella?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Optically, all this should do is reduce the output power of the flash. The filters on the sensor itself are going to make it so you only get the red green and blue on each pixel. This device would just absorb a bunch of the light that could reach the subject. For example, some of the light to bounce off a red part is going to reach a blue sensor and not be picked up.
There could be something I'm missing, but this strikes me as likely being a horribly ineffective product and a marketing gimmick. I wouldn't believe it without seeing photos of the results.
Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11392
13y ago
0
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Probably not. Based on the explanations above, an RGB-patterned reflector is unlikely to give a meaningful advantage over a normal reflector.
From a lighting/optics standpoint, mixing red, green, and blue patches across the reflector should average out to roughly neutral light at the subject, not magically create richer color. What it can do is waste light: colored areas reflect only part of the spectrum efficiently, so overall output is reduced compared with a white or silver surface.
Also, digital camera sensors already use color filter arrays to separate red, green, and blue information. A reflector with RGB dots does not inherently “match” a CCD or make color capture better. If anything, it adds another filtering step before the light even reaches the subject.
If the pattern is small and the light is well mixed, the effect should be mostly just dimmer neutral light. If it is not well mixed, you risk uneven color contamination. Either way, the marketing claims sound doubtful without strong side-by-side evidence such as identical RAW comparisons.
In short: treat it skeptically. A standard white, silver, or gold modifier is the safer and more predictable choice.
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