One Item already arrived: Professional 80cm Octagon Umbrella Speedlite Softbox Reflector (80cm is a little over 30 inches). It cost me $25 with free shipping and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. It took less than 5 minutes to set up and it put out some pretty decent light. Now it's no Westcott Apollo with the rip-stop nylon and it only has one zipper opening unlike the four zipper opening of the Apollo but it's fairly deep, and you can use it with the diffusion panel taken completely off to give it some virsatility.
Another thing I purchased and I can't wait to get it is the Opteka OSC18 1/8" Universal Honeycomb Speed Grid for External Flash. They also have a 1/4 inch grid as well. This one cost me $8.95 and is an "Open Box" but Opteka stated in the description that "All open box items carry a
standard return policy and will include a full manufacturer's warranty". From the reviews that I've read there are some minor issues with mounting the product, most of them state that adding another velcro strap or rubber band fixes the problem. Not so bad considering that the Honl Grids cost anywhere from $25.00 to $30.00 plus shipping. I'm really looking forward to getting this item. I love honeycomb spot grids. I have a full set for my Alien Bees and have been wanting one to put on my speedlites for a while. If this thing works out I'm probably going to purchase another one. I like to use them on my background lights with different color gels to get some really nice effects. I'll write up a full review of this after I test it out.
The third thing I purchased was a Ravelli ABS Background Stand, Again another open box item from Assiamounts out of Phoenix, AZ. My winning bid was $62.00 and at that price it also comes with two Prism backdrops, one white, one black. I admit I was really looking for extra light stands but at that price I just couldn't pass this up especially when Amazon has this kit for $152.00. It also comes with a guarantee against defects. I should be able to use the supports as light stands if I want as well. Again I'll review this once I get it and check it out.
Here are the links the manufacture's or seller's web sites so you can check this stuff out. As with all things you purchase on ebay, make sure you can return it for defects, check on customer reviews (I found most of this stuff reviewed on Youtube), and try to get it for the lowest price you can.
I can't believe how great these three items are the Octagon umbrella was fantastic. nice soft light with round catch lights.
ReplyDeleteThe opteka speedlight grid is awesome for the price. I used it a couple of times with great results and the background stand with the backgrounds is great. I used the black background with gels on a shoot with pretty good results and I've used the white one once. The stands are very sturdy and can hold an alien bee light very well.