The Canon Magazine 95
£40/$54 http://www.hahnel.ie £313/$309 http://www.robertwhite.co.uk
£230/$190 http://www.magnetmod.com £150/$200 http://www.rogueflash.com
Hähnel
Universal Flash Accessory Kit
Honl Photo
16 Piece Master Flash Kit
Rogue FlashBender 2
Portable Lighting Kit
MagMod
Professional Flash Kit
DESPITE being the cheapest
option, Hähnel’s kit does give you a
lot to play with. There’s a softbox to
take the edge off shadows, plus a
honeycomb grid and a roll-up snoot
to concentrate light into a tighter
beam for dramatic lighting effects.
Each accessory fixes to your
flashgun using a simple but fairly
effective Velcro strap system, and
Hähnel rounds the kit off with an
adjustable bracket to attach your
flashgun to a tripod or light stand.
The modifiers can be useful, but
their lasting appeal is limited. The
softbox is too small and barelysoftens a flash burst; you only
get seven gel colours; and the
honeycomb attachment is basic.
The kit’s pricing is low enough
to reflect the mediocre build
quality, but we still don’t reckon
this kit is good value.THIS kit contains a 23cm
conical-shaped collapsible softbox,
large and small roll-up snoots to
focus light, a bounce card, a flag for
keeping light out of of your frame,
6mm and 3mm grid attachments,
plus three packs of gels. A filter
storage pouch, four flashgun
attachment straps and a carry bag
make up the rest of the items.
The large softbox is great at
diffusing light and works well
outdoors, where bouncing your
flash isn’t an option. The other
modifiers also work well and attach
easily to your flashgun, though thegrids don’t hold particularly
securely. Like the Hähnel, most
items are light and pack flat for
on-the-go versatility, but the build/
material quality here is a step up.
However, the price is high for
what’s mostly fabric and Velcro.FLASHBENDER modifiers are
famed for their construction, which
lets one fabric panel transform
from a flat reflector to a curved
bounce card, or even a snoot when
rolled into a tube.
This kit includes a second mini
FlashBender panel and diffuser- which comes in handy, as the
large panel can feel unwieldy and
make your camera feel top-heavy.
For more creative effects, fit the
three-in-one honeycomb grid
modifier for a focused light beam.
All the modifiers attach
securely, while these revised
FlashBender 2 reflector panels are
20-30% lighter than the original.
Build quality isn’t up there with the
polished MagMod system, but it’s a
close second, while the clever
design makes this kit enjoyable to
use and encourages creativity.MAGMOD modifiers use a
modular design based around a
silicone mount that stretches over
the head of flashguns – no straps
required. Within are two magnets,
enabling instant mounting of
MagMod light modifiers. These can
be bought individually or through
any of eight bundles.
This mid-range kit contains a
bounce modifier that’s big enough
to create wide flash coverage, yet
packs small thanks to its silicone
construction. The idea is you get
illumination similar to a bounced
flash, but MagBounce works inenvironments where bouncing isn’t
an option. It’s great outdoors, but
we found you’ll still get a softer
illumination using a conventional
bounced flash where possible. For
the softest illumination, switch to
the omni-directional flash diffuser.VERDICT
PROS: Low price, yet includes several
different modifiers and accessories
CONS: Feels cheap; softbox and
honeycomb aren’t especially useful
WE SAY: Cheap but not very cheerful- you’ll get better value elsewhere
VERDICT
PROS: Decent range of well-made
modifiers; most items pack flat
CONS: Expensive; some modifiers
don’t attach that well
WE SAY: A decent comprehensive
kit, but it’s overpricedVERDICT
PROS: Clever, versatile design; great
quality; most modifiers pack flat
CONS: Diffusers can be fiddly and
don’t give the softest illumination
WE SAY: A winning combo of
versatility and quality at a fair priceVERDICT
PROS: Quality, well designed
modifiers that are easy to use
CONS: MagGrip is hard to stretch
over flashgun head; high UK price
WE SAY: The MagMod is fresh, but
the Rogue kit wins on value