I've never done the experiment, but I'll bet that a 550EX in a medium softbox will definitely be enough light to shoot head-and-shoulders portraits. I'm not sure how well that would work with a bigger softbox. If I get one, I'll let you know.
Mr. Bill
bud kuenzli wrote:
I think it may be photoflex or somebody that makes a speedring for a pair of flashes to allow them to be used with a softbox. By itself, a single flash doesn't have enough power to be used effectively with a softbox which diminishes light quite a bit more than an umbrella. Umbrella's are more commonly used because they lose less light. This page http://webs.lanset.com/rcochran/flash/equipment.html shows some typical flash setups with umbrellas and adapters used. I use the same adapters they show and they work just fine. Speedrings do exist for single flashes but must be matched to the brand of softbox used. If you had a Chimera softbox and wanted to use it with a single 550EX then you might look at http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Chimera-Speedring-Review.aspx . Something like a Chimera XS might be appropriate; I strongly advise getting a relatively small softbox if you plan on using only one 550, and get one with a silver lining which will reflect more light through the white cloth. This isn't going to light up a group or even a full person. I can't find the speedring that uses two flashes but I know one exists someplace. I have two 550's but I only use them with umbrellas because of the light loss with softboxes. When I want to use softboxes I use my strobes.
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