Egg Crate

Overview

An Egg Crate (literally "egg carton" in German, also known as Soft Egg Crate, Honeycomb Grid, or Wabengitter) is a light control accessory for soft light sources. It consists of a grid of square cells that is placed in front of a softbox, a panel light, or a diffusion frame (overhead/butterfly frame). The structure is visually and functionally reminiscent of an egg carton – hence the name.

The purpose is to control the light spread: while the light passes through largely unimpeded along the axis, the cell walls block the light radiating at an angle (off-axis). This narrows the beam angle and reduces side spill light (spill) onto walls, ceilings, backgrounds, or into the lens (flare) – without losing the soft light characteristic of the source. This is precisely where the Egg Crate differs from a hard honeycomb grid in front of a spotlight, which produces hard, directional light.

Design and Variants

In the professional film and TV industry, the soft egg crate made of fabric (textile honeycomb grid) is dominant. It is lightweight, foldable, and attached to the light source via Velcro or straps, depending on the light source. In addition, there are rigid egg crates made of plastic or metal, which are firmly attached to softbox adapters.

Egg crates are characterized by two sizes:

• Beam Angle (Degrees): determines the depth or the ratio of cell height to cell width, and thus how much the light cone is narrowed. A smaller value bundles more strongly. The standard values offered differ depending on the manufacturer: Modern Studio Equipment and cinematographer-tool typically offer 30°, 40°, and 50° steps, while Westcott's Scrim Jim system uses 20°, 40°, and 60°. 40° is the cross-manufacturer common ground and is often recommended as a universal all-round variant; however, manufacturers position their values differently (Westcott calls 40° "most popular," while Modern Studio calls 50° the "industry standard").
• Format/Size: matches the light source, from small softbox dimensions to large overhead frames (e.g., 6×6, 8×8, 12×12 up to 20×20 feet and larger).

Use on Set

Egg crates are used wherever soft light needs to be controlled simultaneously:

• Interviews and Portraits: keeping the key light soft but avoiding spill onto the background.
• Overhead/Butterfly Setups: narrowing the large-area top light so it doesn't illuminate the entire set area.
• Edge Light, Hair Light, and Rim Light: directional accent light without spill loss and without flare in the lens.
• Tight Sets: separating foreground and background lighting in a small space.

Attachment depends on the light source: on softboxes and panels, it is usually tool-free via Velcro in a few seconds. Large overhead/butterfly frames, on the other hand, are typically tied to the frame with surrounding elastic and drawstring bands (as well as grommets/webbing). Fabric egg crates can be folded flat for transport. A certain amount of light is lost due to the shadowing of the cell walls – the price for the directional control gained.