2013-06-03T21:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Great Product - Highly Recommended
If you are looking for a high quality bounce umbrella, this is the one. The black fabric is very thick preventing light to leak. The metal rod is solid and very sturdy so when you attach it to your stand the tightening screw does not pit/dent the rod like cheaper hollow rod products. This product also comes with a cover for safe keeping. I use this product for studio and on location lighting and couldn't be happier with the results. I would highly recommend for the amateur and professional photographer.
RENEE S.
2010-10-11T21:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Strong and nice feathered shadows
First impressions, the durability of this umbrella. Compared to all the others I have. Nice feathered shadows like a softbox and of course lightning fast setup. Now I need the 56"
DAVID M.
2009-06-11T21:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
Good product
I like the quality of light and for the price I was happy however, I haven't gotten the softness that I want.
NICOLE H.
2008-12-06T19:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
Works much better than my softboxes
After reading a previous review of the 36" umbrellas bending/breaking on the first use I was a little nervous about trying a pair of these. However, mine seemed to be perfectly strong as umbrellas go. I should probably wait until I have shot a dozen or so events before making claims on their strength but let's face it, 90% of the stuff we haul around will break if you aren't careful with it so I guess if you handle your gear like a gorilla then anything will break.
If you enjoy monkeying around with assembling/disassembling soft boxes before and after an event and spending the evening in Photoshop correcting the reflections in people's glasses then by all means, DON'T buy these umbrellas.
If you buy these your set-up/tear-down times will be cut in half, your subjects will have absolutely no flash reflections in their glasses and your skin tones will be perfect. You'll also be able to come home after the event and have a drink and relax instead of dreading the post-production Photoshop work that lay ahead of you.
I bought a pair of the umbrellas and the day they arrived I shot a corporate function with 300 couples. I just finished editing my images and I am very impressed with my results. Skin tones are fine, I have a nice drop shadow below the jaw lines to keep my subjects looking young and, as mentioned above, no reflections in people's glasses.
I use octa-boxes in the studio and they are a royal pain to assemble at events. They are also cumbersome and top-heavy. A pair of these umbrellas cost less than just one of my octa-boxes so I am pleased through and through with this purchase.
I haven't used them in the studio yet but I can't imagine them not working just fine in that application as well.
If you are looking for a way to cut down your set-up/tear-down times at events without compromising your image quality I would highly recommend using these as opposed to soft boxes.
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