Product Description Overview Phot-R 100x100cm Square Bowens Sofbox has an umbrella style opening and closing system. They are designed to offer consistent edge-to-edge coverage, giving you ultimate light control. This range of softboxes comes with 2 diffusers helping to soften and distribute light. Umbrella Style Operates like an umbrella making it more convenient and user friendly, our softboxes can be opened and closed in a matter of seconds. Other brands have multiple rods which need to be individually placed into each pocket and vice versa, which is very time consuming. Double Diffusion Removable inner & outer diffusers allow you to soften and spread the light, which creates a more even and flattering light on the subject. The inner diffuser helps to spread light evenly across the outer diffuser, which also helps to minimise hotspots. Silver Lining Silver interior allows for maximum light output, giving you all the useable light possible. Interior is heat resistant, it won’t discolour over time when used with hot lights. Black Outer Cover Prevents light from passing through and escaping, which helps reflect more light on to your subject. It also stops unwanted light from reflecting on your subject. Bowens S-Type Speedring Compatible with all Bowens S-Type Fit lights on the market, making our softboxes a great addition to your studio. All of our softboxes have the ability to accept an optional Honeycomb Grid, which helps to focus the spread of the light, offering precise control and softer shadow definition. Dimensions: 100x100cm (39”x39”) Depth: 68cm (27”) Outer Colour: Black Inner Colour: Silver Mount: Bowens S-Type Warranty: 1 Year Package Includes: 1x 100x100cm Bowens Softbox 1x Honeycomb Grid 1x Inner Diffuser 1x Outer Diffuser 1x Bowens S-Type Speedring 1x Spare Umbrella Shaft 1x Carry Case Box Contains 1x Softbox with Bowens Mount 1x Front Diffuser 1x Inner Diffuser 1x Carry Case 1x Honeycomb Grid
4**5
Good points and bad but very good first impressions.
Amazon is full of rebranded chinese made softboxes of varying price. And this is one of those. I recently returned a PixaPro easy open deep parabolic softbox because I thought it wasn't worth the money(given it's essentially rebranded chinese stuff). So I tried this, and this is my initial impressions, not as long term review.Good Points:- Price: I paid £59 for a 30x140cm box. Same box with minor material differences from PixaPro is over 100 quid.- Materials: Unlike the pixapro deep para I returned that cost twice as much, the material of this box is very heavy duty. It's a thick black canvas and the silver reflective foil is of the dimpled type that you find inside Einchrom and Profoto softbox, not the smooth foil that other cheaper softboxes have. So it feels really heavy duty.- Easy of set Up: What I love about these umbrella softboxes is that you can leave both the inner and outer diffuser attached and let up/down the softbox without removing them. It takes literally second.Bad Points:- Umbrella mechanism: There's many reviews that mention these type of umbrella latches (the ones with the thin metal latch) are forever breaking. Indeed, PhotR include a spare in the package so it's not really a good sign but time will tell, so far so good. I think should both rods fail, I could bodge a solution but that's not ideal. Some of the newer deep softboxes from various brands have a newer type of umbrella mechanism that seem much more sturdy.- Inner diffuser fixing: The inner diffuser uses that fiddly little hooks to attach to the softbox, they are annoying but as said above, it only has to be done once.- Locking nut on the bowens mount: There is a screw that is supposed to stop the bowens mount rotating, but as you turn the screw, the nut of the other side simply spins round(it's not recessed) so it can be fiddly and painful tightening this screw- Carrying Bag: The carry bag is rubbish, it has no shoulder strap or handle and is made from cheap nylon with a draw string. Oddly though, it's the reverse of the other softboxes on amazon. In those cases, nylon is used for the softbox and heavy canvas is used for the bag. This is the complete opposite.
C**H
Good quality, easy assembly softbox!
I bought the Phot-R 30x120 with honeycomb grid to use on my Bowens as a rim light on low key shots. It is branded with Phot-R so no reason the think it is not the genuine article (as questioned in another review that said theirs had no branding).If you want the grid, ensure you buy the item with "...and honeycomb grid..." in the description, as it is also sold without at approx £7 cheaper. If you decide to buy the grid separately, it is currently £14.99.The quality is better than I expected, and seems good value for the price paid. The overall unit is a little heavier than the Bowens softbox I have of similar size, (due to the weight of the adaptor), but I am surprised to see other reviews mention their lightstands straining. Maybe that issue related to much larger softboxes, or very low budget stands?There is a locking nut on the Bowens adaptor which allows the softbox to be rotated 360 degrees when loosened.The Bowens adaptor fitted onto my lights without any modification required (a problem mentioned in another review).The internal baffle is stretched very tight so I am a little dubious as to the longevity of those fixtures, but only time will tell.Once the initial assembly is done (2-3 minutes), the softbox can be put up in literally seconds. It can also be put down in seconds without the need to remove any of the attachments, including the honeycomb grid, but it is quite a snug fit squeezing it into the bag. I'm not sure how long the bag will last as it is quite flimsy.I have only just received the item, so cannot comment on durability, but it seems quite robust on first impressions. I have not done any testing on white balance, but (within reason) it is not critical as I intend to use this mainly as a rim light.
M**I
The materials appear to be of robust manufacture and I have not experienced any issues with fitting it to my Bowens brackets or
Arrived earlier than was stated and that gave me a chance to have a "dry run" before using it for it's intended purpose. As has been said by another reviewer, it's big! Coupled with a studio flash head, it put quite a bend in my boom arm so if you wish to use it in an overhead position as I did, be careful that your equipment is capable of taking the weight. On the day of it's intended use, an overhead bodyscape, I actually went with a speedlight instead of my studio flash but only because of the constraints of the clients home. The stripbox performed well, giving the coverage I required. The materials appear to be of robust manufacture and I have not experienced any issues with fitting it to my Bowens brackets or with the rods poking through the fabric so for the money it cost me I am perfectly happy, I've bought Phot-R products before and not had any issues with them so I would purchase from them again.
H**R
A very useful light modifier, but you need a powerful speedlight to make best use of it.
This strip softbox comes with an egg-crate grid. When I put the grid on the softbox and set my Nikon SB-910 flashgun to full power (in manual), I found that I needed the softbox to be as close as 6 inches from the model IF I WANTED TO CREATE HARSH SHADOWS. (Note that you can fill-in unwanted harsh shadows by firing a second speedlight through an umbrellaAlso note that I had to buy a Neewer S-Type bracket holder with Bowens mount, so that I could mount the softbox on my stand.I have used the softbox both hozizontally and vertically to illuminate my model from the side.I also used the softbox on a boom above the model's head and shoulders to create a wide separation light.I plan on buying another one of these striplights, so that I can strongly highlight both sides of my model, while using a third weaker light source to fill in the model's face.
Trustpilot
4 days ago
1 month ago