Honl Softbox 8 Travel Softbox for Compact Flash Devices

I have waited so long for an innovation like this for on the go lighting control. Reference the image I posted of the Boston Terrier in a wing backed chair. These traveller8 diffusers are absolutely what I needed... As a professional photographer who shoots on location indoors and out, these are a great advantage when shooting individual portraits. Obviously not the ticket for group photos, umbrellas are still my favorite for that. Although, it could be used to add a touch of light on some element necessary to the group in addition to the umbrella lights. The strength lies in the portability and light weight... for example, even small umbrellas give my lighting assistants problems on location when the wind is picking up, these units mounted on SB-900 speedflashes work extremely well and are not buffeted around by gusts. I clip them on rails or ladder rungs with clamps by Manfrotto or we mount them on the end of mono-pods using the shoe/foot that comes with the strobes. This gives the lighting assistant mobility and it can then be held aloft like a lighting boom for that perfect touch of light. Have to do an executive head shot? These do not invade the office space and because the traveller8 is opaque save for the front panel, one can create dramatic lighting effects, putting soft light where it is needed without spilling light onto conflicting surfaces. Total Control! The white front panel can be removed to allow a full blast of directed light un-diffused... great for spotlighting architectural features or accenting the subject of interest. Regarding the shape without the diffuser in place, I use black awg12 plastic insulated electrical wire to form a loop in side the large end... this gives me complete control over the shape and solves the out of round issue some have written about. I also like that velcro straps come with them, even though they are sold separately... I just leave these velcro straps on all my strobes so I am not hunting for them when time is critical. Best for close up portraits of people or pets... portability lets you pack them in your kit when taking a flight (I'm only carrying what I can fit under the seat in front of me, or in the overhead compartment)... At first glance, I thought possibly they were a little undersized, but now that I've put them through their paces, I'm pleased with the size and can think of many ways I plan to use them. It's all about a photographer's ability to control light and these traveller8 units add profoundly to my ability to do just that! I am so pleased that I am ordering more after I post this review... practical portable portrait perfect... could you place your umbrella and strobe inside a hollow log? (';')

I shoot a lot of botanicals and frequently haul lighting equipment a fair distance. I've been using primarily a Lumiquest Softbox III. That has worked well, but even in its flattened state does not always pack well. I decided to try the Honl because in a review on a well known site, it was mentioned that in addition to folding flat, it could be rolled. Rolled-up would be ideal for my uses. Indeed, the Honl can be rolled, sort of. I suspect it will soon lose its ability to maintain its mounted shape if rolled up too many times, but time will tell. Stored flat, it's considerably larger than the lumiquest, even though its working size is signficantly smaller. I was willing to chance that the Honl would be significantly more portable for my uses, but I think it is not. Given that rolling up is not a feature I saw on Honl's site, I can't dock it for that ability being suspect. The weakest part of the design are the velcro attachment points. Whether you use the included speed strap or have sticky-backed velcro permanently attached, all four sides of the flash are available as connection points for whatever mod. Unfortunately this diffuser is designed to attach to only two opposite sides, and those attachments are minimal, resulting in the diffuser pivoting back and forth. This is a major flaw and renders the whole diffuser close to useless. For this I dock it 3 stars. Were this a $19 prototype, I'd say the prospects for version 2 were good. Given that it's a $70 "professional lighting product", it is disappointing and vastly overpriced. Another star lost for the rip-off price. It will be a long time before I consider another Honl product.

I use it as an extra light source, but when it's on camera I often see it in my lens. Luckily, it's flexible, so I just bend it up a little.

I would give this 5 stars, but the velcro speed strip was missing from the package. But since I already have velcro tape attached to my strobes, I don't really miss it. That aside, this is an excellent product for what it is. It's a small softbox, and surprisingly sturdy. To set up, you have to take the time to attach the diffuser securely all the way around the edges, and once you do, that provides a surprising amount of stability. Great product if you want softer light in a windy outdoor environment that would blow an umbrella or larger softbox over. Very compact, fits in my bag easily. This softbox now has a permanent place in my camera bag.