The BAT Cave

Huh? What?

Chimera Octa 2 modifier comparison

This is a comparison test of the 24-inch Chimera Octa 2 portable octabox. The Octa 2 kit (OB2 Pro version) comes with a bracket that fits a Nikon SB-900 flash and Pocketwizard FlexTT5 radio trigger. This test is comparing the different looks using the 30-degree eggcrate grid, the diffusion sock, the deflector disc, and the Nikon white plastic diffuser.

All pictures taken with a Nikon D7100 with the 18-105mm lens set at 18mm, F8, 1/250 second, ISO 100. Flash zoom was 50mm except when using the Nikon diffuser. 1/4 CTO gel on the Nikon SB-900 flash in all shots. The front of the Octa 2 was exactly 5 feet from the wall. The camera was on a tripod to the left of the Octa 2 angled slightly right.

When I re-attached the grid for the final shots with the Nikon diffuser, I didn't get it attached quite as neatly, which I think accounts for the changes in the edges of the lit area in those shots.

My conclusion from this is that I want to use the grid and the sock, but not the deflector disc, since to my eye the Nikon diffuser produces a similar effect while not losing as much power.

Test conducted June 16, 2013.

August 14, 2013 update: I just received the Chimera Speedring that lets me attach my Paul C. Buff White Lightning X2400 studio strobe to the Chimera Octa 2, so I repeated the first test above, using the Chimera Octa 2 24 with the diffusion sock, 30 degree grid, and deflector disc to see how it compares. It looks like the 1/8 power X2400 shot plus 1/5 stop equals the full-power SB-900 shot. But, the SB-900 had a 1/4 CTO gel and the X2400 did not, so I would estimate the X2400 is about 7 times as powerful as the SB-900.

Click on the buttons below the image to see how each modifier affects the captured picture.

1/1 power with grid, sock, deflector disc.












All content under the domain wingedmammal.com is Copyright © Brent Allen Thale, All Rights Reserved, unless otherwise noted or used under authorization of the copyright owner.