Closed Account Registered: November, 2008 Location: The edge of nowhere, Alberta, Canada Posts: 467 | | Review Date: July 25, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Versatility, portability, build quality, results | | Cons: | Price | |
I bought this after experimenting with the Black Foamie Thing popularized by Neil van Niekirk but realized this only works well when you have a nearby surface to bounce flash off of. What about a dark surface or a church with a high vaulted ceiling or far-away wall, for example? Direct flash is the only solution, but the harsh light needs softening. The Rogue Flashbender is where my research led me.
Keep in mind that things like van Niekirk's BFT are flag/snoot-type products only. They're designed for having a nearby surface to bounce light off of. The Flashbender is a reflector, and my research also revealed that the larger the reflector, the softer the light, and this is much larger than a built-in flash reflector card. The bonus is that the Flashbender can also be folded so that it acts as a flag or snoot.
For situations where portability is a concern and you're moving around a lot - say at a wedding - you don't want to be packing around softboxes or holding the flash off-camera, making the Flashbender an excellent solution. Note that you can also buy the accessory diffusion panel that attaches to the front to create a makeshift softbox. Sure, it's not like the real thing, but outside of a studio this one of the best solutions for on-location shots.
Anyhow, enough background info. In the photos I've taken thus far with my Metz 48 AF-1 on a K-5, comparing photos using direct flash, built-in white reflector card, and Flashbender, I've been very impressed with the Flashbender. As most of us know, direct flash blows out highlights and causes harsh shadows, and the small reflector card causes uneven lighting and darker images. The Flashbender, however, exposes perfectly and shadows are much softer. Combined with a reflective surface, you get the added benefit of nearly complete shadow reduction as the light "source" is now coming from two directions: the reflective surface above/to the side of the subject and the Flashbender from the front.
Some have complained that the weight is just enough to cause the flash head to move lower when not upright at 90 degrees. However, I haven't found this to be the case with my Metz.
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Senior Member Registered: July, 2008 Location: t'North Posts: 166 | | Review Date: July 5, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Very adaptable and portable. Reasonably robust | | Cons: | Not 100% secure on some flash heads. A bit small | |
I got this as a present and have to admit to being quite impressed at how useful it has been in improving my on-camera flash shooting
Basically the device uses a decently robust elastic to attach to the flash head and it can be bent into a variety of shapes (including snoot) to control the flash. The device is made of white reflective fabric on one side and robust black nylon fabric on the other. It pack flat really well
On flash guns that have a tapered head (eg the Pentax AF 280T) the fit isn't as secure as I would like but it stays on well enough. Bigger heads fit nice and snug
It is quite a small area (the white reflective part is approx 230mm x 110mm) and I think a larger version would be more adaptable (there is a Large Rogue), but I suspect it wouldn't so happily fit my AF280. Overall it does a decent job and is so small and easily packed it can be taken anywhere
Update - having read Neil van Niekerks 'On Camera Flash' book I got hold of 2 pieces of art foam for 20p each. The black foam I use to flag the flash as Neil does and the white foam I use A4 sized as a pseudo Rogue. The white isn't quite as adaptable but it is 1/100th the price of the Rogue - I have reduced the rating to a 7
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