Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What's in the Bag? Photoflex 30 inch Convertible Umbrella

Continuing with the “What's in the Bag” series, we have taken a look at the Westcott 43 inch Compact Convertible Umbrella, so today we will look at its backup, the Photoflex 30" Convertible Umbrella. I won't spend a lot of time on this, as there is nothing unconventional about the design of the Photoflex umbrella or its performance in terms of softness. We will be taking a look at its performance in terms of color influence and will see it alongside the Westcott convertible umbrella.

Photoflex 30” Convertible Umbrella
This is the backup to the Westcott umbrella and a better choice when faced with significant wind because not only is it smaller, but it is a sturdy little umbrella. I have to admit that I have a slight bias for Photoflex products, as they just seem to do what they are supposed to do and operate smoothly, yet don't yank too many bills from your wallet. Like the Westcott, this too is a convertible umbrella. The cover is easy to remove for shoot-through use and surprisingly easy to reattach. The rib tips are smooth so they are unlikely to scratch or catch on anything. In the photo above, the cover is not attached, but sitting loosely over the umbrella because it is usually used as a shoot-through. The 30 inch size is adequate for portraits and smaller subjects, though not ideal. It gives a slightly harder light than the larger Westcott. However, unlike the Westcott, it measures as specified, a full 30 inches straight across tip to tip.

Click Here to purhchas the Photoflex 30" convertible umbrella.


You and Me, Side by Side
Here is the Photoflex 30” umbrella folded up alongside the Westcott compact umbrella. As you can see, its 20-½ inch length is about 37% longer than Westcott's 15 inches (conversely, the Westcott is about 27% shorter than the Photoflex).

Here are the two next to each other opened up. Note how that 9 inch difference in diameter gives the Westcott umbrella quite a bit more area for softer light. However, this also means there is more area to act like a sail when used outdoors in the wind. That is what makes the Photoflex a useful tool to have in the bag.

Color Me Not
I won't spend a lot of time with this, as there is nothing unconventional about the design of the Photoflex umbrella or its performance in terms of softness. What might be of interest though is how it performs in terms of color influence. To assess this aspect I conducted the same test as was done for the Westcott umbrella. You can see the results above, the readings are easily within the limits of measurement error. It is color neutral and wins an A+.

Coming Next
Still have a ways to go with this series, so come back soon for new postings covering what's in the bag.

Until then...

-Gene

Click Here for the next posting in this series
"LumoPro LT604 Light Stand"

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