Diana,
as Preston says, you get more light from the silver -- I'm seeing about 1 stop to 1.5 stops at the distances I work. The silver is a little cooler than the white but I adjust my formals in ACR anyway so it's not an issue really. The diffusion panel does soften the PLM for people portraits especially in the studio.

I've mentioned before that I prefer round catchlights and that is the primary advantage of the PLM for me although it does generate more light than my standard silver umbrellas and I like the way the light decays at the edges very softly.

Jim

One additional post script: the entire philosophy behind the parabolic design is to focus more light on the subject even though you're bouncing it off of a reflector. To experience that advantage, the silver PLM is the only one that makes sense. Now, when I saw what it could do in my particular shooting situation as a single light, that was a secondary advantage I didn't expect. The third is that like regular umbrellas, the PLM is very portable and because I do a lot of on-location formals at shows, it's much easier to travel with than other Light Modifiers such as softboxes. And, lastly, they're cheap!

So, let's review:
1. they kick out more light than comparable umbrellas
2. they provide more spread and therefore more coverage than standard umbrellas.
3. they are light and ultra portable
4. they are a great value in terms of lighting performance/dollar.

Even if I don't use it everywhere or in every situation, just having it in my bag of lighting tricks is a major advantage.

Jim

Jim,

Your #2 seems both true and false. Yes, more spread because the darn thing is huge but at the same time it focuses the light toward a center point. If I stand 8 feet away, there is a stop or two of light falloff at my feet versus my face that I wouldn't have with a 36" umbrella. Now at 12 or 15 feet away you just get a pretty even spread but still a quick falloff where the light is not focused.

Be sure to watch the youtube video.

I have not used them at shows yet. Maybe this weekend. I'm in a tight room and I think I may be able to solve a few problems with it.

No, I have the 64. It is huge though.

ps, thanks for the additional info Jim, it is definitely helpful.

Diana

Preston,
everything is comparative with what you've been using. I've been using fairly small umbrellas (2) and while the PLM is more focused, it also gives a wider spread than a single umbrella that I've been using (42"). So, it is both more focused and provides wider coverage. And, frankly, I don't see the "quick falloff". It fades but not more than a stop from center to outer periphery before you get the edge falloff. Again, compared to a single 42" silver umbrella, the falloff is not radical but gradual and easily compensated for in PS. This is all at my normal working distance of 8 - 10 feet.

Keep in mind that how the PLM works is a function of how close you place it to your light source. So my results might be different than yours but I probably have the PLM set up closer to the strobe than you.

Jim

"For this situation, I set up one AB400 with a 64" AB parabolic silver reflector directly in front of the grooming table. I put my chair right against it and wedged it against the trophy table. I then hoisted the light to about 8 foot height. I asked someone to provide a test dog and took a few shots and was pretty pleased with the lighting. So, that's how I shot the shows."

Hey Jim,

Glad to see you had so much success with the PLM - and were able to get the job done during what might have been a bit of a crisis period otherwise. I also have been debating the PLM for portraits. I understand that it folds up very compactly (for such a large device).

Do you think that this 'accidental' use may change how you shoot these events in the future?

James

James,
I still like using a two strobe setup to balance the lighting and for major Specialties like the ARC National, I need the extra coverage for shots like Stud Dog and Brood Bitch which have three dogs, three handlers, a judge and usually a breeder and the Purina rep in them. One PLM simply won't give me that type of coverage side-to-side. In fact, I usually run out of backdrop on those shots.

But for small Specialties -- especially where the dogs are being set up on a table -- it's a very nice alternative. Less wires. Less setup and take-down time. And nice light.

I have another Specialty tomorrow in West Palm Beach. This is a Rottie Specialty and I may see if I get enough top-to-bottom coverage with a single PLM to use it with dogs that are set up on the floor. Again, the simplicity of the overall setup is nice and there are less things for people to trip over on the way to the backdrop. Plus, I can power one strobe from a Vagabond all day long if necessary which is another advantage in some locations. And I love having the redundancy of a backup strobe just in case anything goes wrong. Of course I carry backup flash tubes but if I lost one, it would be a cinch to simply put the PLM on my second AB400 and never lose more than 5 minutes of shooting time.

I think that the 86" might give me enough spread for those big group shots based on the tests that Rob Galbraith did but they're on back-order and, according to Preston, are undergoing some re-engineering.

As I said before, they are a nice addition to the lighting arsenal but they don't necessarily replace my other setups for all shows.

Jim