Westcott Apollo Orb Octabox with Grid (43")

The quality of light I get from this one diffuser & a single speed light is amazing! I love it!! Small, light & Opens like an umbrella & I can take it anywhere. I'd pay double for it!

This item arrived defective. Unfortunately I waited too long to try it out completely. I should have opened it up and tried every little thing. I didn't and now I can't exchange it. It won't stay open, the metal umbrella clasp won't hold it open. I'm also not sure the metal rod that hooks into the stand isn't messed up as well because I had to thread it through the center to open it each time I tried it. I purchased the Wescott because it is supposed to be a quality product. I wonder if this is a gray market item, surly this isn't their normal workmanship.

Buena Calidad para el precio

I've only had this for a month but as far as the light effect I get from it I am very pleased. The problem with the shaft falling out of place is a minor problem and certainly not a deal breaker. Also the shaft is no longer hollow, Wescott obviously read a number of negative reviews and put a steel post in the shaft, other manufacturers should also read reviews, so the DIY solutions for this aren't needed anymore. The only potential problem I actually found is how the ribs are attached at the front of the box. The stitching seemed to be totally inadequate so I had a friend who knows how to sew, reinforce those tips. I also out a few drops of Krazy Glue on it to make it more secure . The stitching along the ribs is also very sloppy but since they only hold the ribs in place not a big issue. But for a 130 bucks I would expect better. Overall I think the quality is decent with some room for improvement, obviously. The quality of the light is excellent. And for those who use this or any other softbox or umbrella on a windy day, use your heads. These things become sails and damage will probably happen. Finally, Westcott could do much better on the pricing of this. They're a company that has been around a very long time and using their name to bump it up. Or alternatively, improve the quality and retain the current pricing.

Our Apollo Orbs are being used with Canon 580ex II speed lights. The quality of light is pleasant, but not as soft as that coming from our Phottix Softlighter II 60" modifiers.The Apollo's mechanics are quite bothersome to me, and to this end, I resist using it. The current product does use break-resistant fiberglass splines, but the splines are too flexible to truly distend the umbrella properly. The resulting umbrella is quite limp, and as a consequence, the front diffuser fits in a baggy, and very non-taught, fashion. I called Westcott to report my observations, which also apply to our 28" Square Apollo, and was told an engineer would return to my call to discuss the design. No call has come as of this date, some three months after I contacted Westcott.Other reviewers have reported here on the subject of the shaft length and design, and I'll echo those comments. The zippered fenestrations in the umbrella will allow reasonable positioning and rotation of the soft box, but only with use of a boomed light stand.In the end, I rarely use our three Apollo units, preferring the mechanics and light quality we get from our Phottix Softlighter modifiers.

I attempted to use the Apollo Orb and diffuser with a Nikon SB700 Speedlight. With the speedlight set at 1/1 power, I could only get a light reading from my Sekonic 308S of F2.0 at 1/160 shutter speed, ISO100, 6ft distance. Too little power output for my taste. It is possible to crank up the ISO in the 1000's range...but why? It's not optimum for my needs. Then I tried using a FlashPoint Rovelight 600W monolight with the Apollo. The monolight barely fit into the umbrella. A couple test shots revealed that I didn't get a full light spread since the body of the monolight filled much of space in the umbrella. I guess you could try using two or three speedlights in the Apollo Orb to get the right amount of power output...but why? The cost of two or three speedlights plus the cost of the Apollo Orb doesn't make sense. Money would be better spent on a monolight and a softbox. Also note if you want to use speedlights, I recommend using RF triggers. Why? Because if using the cameras onboard commander mode, the flash doesn't consistently fire since it is enclosed in the umbrella behind a diffuser.

I purchased this for my Home Studio so the setup only happens once. This softbox is used with a Nikon speed-light. I think it was a decent purchase for my inside use.

This light modifier produces lovely directed light. I wish it came with a carrying case.

I love this soft box. It is currently my go to one both with and without diffusion. easy to erect and take down and produces a beautiful quality of light

Produce una luce molto bella, morbida ma con un ottimo microcontrasto. Io ci ho messo dentro 3 flash Yongnuo ed il risultato è paragonabile a quello di soluzioni molto più costose. Peccato che le finiture non siano di altissima qualità, in particolare il velcro ed il velo diffusore perdono frammenti fin dal primo utilizzo.

Hatte mir den Artikel von Westcott bestellt, da ich dachte ich würde Qualität erhalten. Leider musste ich feststellen,dass ich wohl Chinaware einfach nur mit einem teuren Logo bestellt habe.Kurzum die Halterung zum Aufspannen hielt nicht mehr und bereits nach einer Woche löste sich eine Strebe beim Aufspannen.Der Super-GAU war jedoch als die Softbox "einmal" umfiel. Alle Streben verkeilten sich, so dass die Softbox umbrauchbar wurde.Naja ich habe aus dem Fehler gelernt und "günstig" über Ebay Ware aus China geordert.Vorteile: 10cm größere Softbox, mit Grid und Tragetasche und für weniger als die Hälfte des Preises. Sollte diese ebenso kurzlebig sein, tut es wenigstens nicht ganz so weh.Kann den Artikel somit leider nicht weiter empfehlen.

Easy to set up and looking forward to shooting with it in future. Professional photographer.

Super light quality. Easy to build up.