At 105mm you should be able to light up about any umbrella. BTW - I setup two 580exII's to illuminate (from the back) a 4.5' X 7' panel, talk about a large area of light!


I think you will find that the trick is getting the subject close to the (shoot through) umbrella while also getting catch lights in the eyes and a nice diffuse level on the opposite side of the face. Controlling shadows, etc.. deciding just how much focus you want to hold,..


I use the collapsible zip disc type (round) reflector just because it is convenient and quite versatile with the reversible cover. Get a translucent disc and the aforementioned mentioned cover so you can also use it alone as a diffuser. The holder (think boom) and a spare light stand for studio work.


Most eventually migrate to some sort of softbox, even DIY is worth exploring! My model stuff.


-Shea