Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

In reading another post about a different subject, I saw where TS said a reflector is not recommended to be used with a PLM. I haven't ever heard this before and in fact have been using an umbrella reflector with an Einstein and PLM for a long time. Why is no reflector recommended?

This reflector http://www.paulcbuff.com/7ur.php is fine to use as a spill kill, though not necessary.

Any other reflector, particularly the standard 7" or 8.5" reflectors will narrow the beam spread so that the PLM is not fully filled, and will not focus as well.

If you are using a white PLM, it is less critical, but still unnecessary. It will either cause you to use a smaller portion of the PLM, or cause the PLM to sit further out, which puts more stress on the rod and light.

The 7UR umbrella reflector is the one that I have been using. I use 64" soft silver PLM's and I always inserted the rod to allow the outer edge of the PLM to align with the outer edge of the reflector when inserted. If I eliminate using the reflector, how far should the umbrella shaft go in?

The flash tube should go just inside the plane that is the open face of the PLM.

Again, the 7UR is fine to use, as it will kill the spill from the sides, and still allows 180 degree spread of light. It was originally designed for use with the PLM system. Without it, you may get some spill, which is usually OK for most applications, but may find its way into the image in others.