Question for Still life and product photographers

[klane]

I do a decent amount of product work, and I was wondering how many product shooters out there are using box lights and area lamps such as profoto probox and still light xl and bron's box lites.

Do these sources produce a noticable advantage in even/smoother highlights for reflective surfaces?

Any info and input is welcome.

[snickgrr]

My main light for reflective things is a NorthLight.  3x4 feet.  I used to also have a 3x6 foot NorthLight as well but very very seldom used it and recently sold it through Craigslist to some video guys.
One of the best things about the NorthLight is the hard plexi diffusion front.  It gives a very smooth highlight on surfaces and since I shoot quite a bit of wine bottles the smoothness is necessary.  The box also takes four heads so I can only use one, or two and it gives a subtle falloff in the highlight as well. The cloth boxes always show wrinkles and though I have a variety of them..Plume, Chimera, and Calumet I generally don't use them when the highlight is important.

Sometimes to soften the edge of the highlight I'll hang a length of LtTuffRolux or a number 216 Lee a few inches from the Northlight.  

http://www.northlightproducts.com/html/understanding.htm

[paulmoorestudio]

My main light for reflective things is a NorthLight.  3x4 feet.  I used to also have a 3x6 foot NorthLight as well but very very seldom used it and recently sold it through Craigslist to some video guys.
One of the best things about the NorthLight is the hard plexi diffusion front.  It gives a very smooth highlight on surfaces and since I shoot quite a bit of wine bottles the smoothness is necessary.  The box also takes four heads so I can only use one, or two and it gives a subtle falloff in the highlight as well. The cloth boxes always show wrinkles and though I have a variety of them..Plume, Chimera, and Calumet I generally don't use them when the highlight is important.

Sometimes to soften the edge of the highlight I'll hang a length of LtTuffRolux or a number 216 Lee a few inches from the Northlight. 

http://www.northlightproducts.com/html/understanding.htm
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I think the plexi box light has a definite place in a product photographers studio, to what degree is a matter of personal taste. As stated above the glossy plexi gives a more defined, sharper highlight on subjects with a highly reflective surface. I often use a large softer diffussion material which can be lit with a variety of sources
including the hard box..I just happen to prefer my highlight reflections to be less defined than my subject.. my point is, the box is good but is limited in its quality of output, just as an open head will give a certain look.  If I had to live with one large box I would go with a soft one with a detachable front scrim.. you can always go down to tap plastics and get yourself a piece of glossy plex.. or buy a roll of tough frost and make a 5x8 scrim like I did, then you can feather your light to hearts content, with any light you want according to your subject. Look at your products you are shooting and let their size,shape and reflective quality determine how and with what you light them.. I would light a chair, bottles of wine, and diamonds all in completely different ways, just to name a few possible subjects.

[David WM]

I use the 6 x 3 Northlight with 3 heads in it. If you can see the whole light in a reflection they you can see the three highlights where the heads are located. There are slide in diffusers that can be inserted behind the front plexiglass. I use 2 diffusers, one is a diffuser  and the other is a blue gel to correct for the warmth of the heads I use in it. I doubt that you could use enough diffusion to eliminate the highlights completely. I quite often use it close-up for jewellery where I can control the reflections by the number/position/power of the heads to get a gradation where I want it.  I don't have a small unit like a box light, but I expect it would be a handy light to have for some situations, like if you shoot a lot of shinny stainless steel products.
David

Any info and input is welcome.
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[kingsize]

We use the bron boxlite for still life applications: frequently for bottle shots. great for getting a very soft source very close to wine bottles for example. the plexi surface is great because you are not reflecting rippled fabric into your subject.

The boxlite is also useful as a quick and easy bottom light for over head shots, for small objects.
Because the boxlite is all self contained it makes light control easier than constructing yourself.

[Rick_Allen]

I digital tech for a still shooter that uses white plexi that is matt on one side which he has facing the product. He'll either use a single head (sometimes bi-tube) with a standard spill kill when he wants a circular highlight or a small softbox that grads behind the plexi. Then he'll add white cards to form a softbox if he wants the spot to have less contrast. while you loose a bit of speed doing it this way you have far more control of the look of the light.

[jaystudios]

I shoot a lot of glass bottles, plastic tubes, containers, and products with reflective surfaces for retailers.  

There are so many ways to achieve the same look as those rather expensive boxes.  I usually use translucent white 1/8" plexi purchased from a plastics supplier here (Tap Plastics and similar).  I use a variety of sizes, standing them up with clear plastic blocks and sticky tack; bigger pieces I use an arm and c-stand.  

I also use black cards on either side of the plexi to help control the size of the highlight, as well as the spill.  I generally shoot heads with grid spots too, sometimes with diffusion, and sometimes with cinefoil if I have to control the spill more.   Oftentimes, I can't shoot a strong white highlight as it blows out the type/part of the logo on the front of the product.

As noted earlier, you have lots of control-- you can angle the plexi, move it closer/further from your subject, and then you have full control of the distance of the head independent of the modifier.

Hope that helps!

-Jay

[paulmoorestudio]

I think the plexi box light has a definite place in a product photographers studio, to what degree is a matter of personal taste. As stated above the glossy plexi gives a more defined, sharper highlight on subjects with a highly reflective surface. I often use a large softer diffussion material which can be lit with a variety of sources
including the hard box..I just happen to prefer my highlight reflections to be less defined than my subject.. my point is, the box is good but is limited in its quality of output, just as an open head will give a certain look.  If I had to live with one large box I would go with a soft one with a detachable front scrim.. you can always go down to tap plastics and get yourself a piece of glossy plex.. or buy a roll of tough frost and make a 5x8 scrim like I did, then you can feather your light to hearts content, with any light you want according to your subject. Look at your products you are shooting and let their size,shape and reflective quality determine how and with what you light them.. I would light a chair, bottles of wine, and diamonds all in completely different ways, just to name a few possible subjects.
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after re reading what I said I would like to clarify that as well as the above mentions solutions I am a broncolor user and have owned and used  their hard boxes.. I  find the small "box light" too small for most of my products and prefer the mini-hazy and mini-cumi  when I want that glossy box.. regarding matte, you can take a big sheet of milk plexi and have it sandblasted with the finest grit and get a beautiful surface..yeah lots of ways to skin that cat.

[klane]

Some fantastic answers, I really do appreciate it.  I have used plexi and I am aware of using for larger objects and sets, its a must.  I guess my focus was more on the small box lights and their evenness. I know they are not right for a lot of products, but I have a shoot in the near future shooting some different seasonings and salts in small plastic cylinders and im thinking they might do the trick quite well       I wish they were not so expensive thouhg