LightBlade. You have to admit that the names Gary Fong comes up with for his products catch your attention! This new diffusor is a piece of plastic with a triangle-like shape with a surface that causes the plastic to light up brightly. The diffusor mounts to the side of the speedlight via a silicon strap and Velcro fastener.
In his demonstration video, Gary shows how secure the LightBlade is fastened to the speedlight.
From the video, I’m impressed how much the plastic lights up. My first thought is that it’s going to be incredibly inefficient with most of the light shooting upward. The catch light in a person’s eyes will be interesting too. Available now for $35.
Gary has also released a light bulb adapter kit for the LightSphere. It’s a constant light source, mounts on a light stand and accepts standard LED bulbs.
I have a LightSphere and love it. The light quality is excellent for individual and small group portraits at events. I haven’t used anything as small and durable that works as well.
I don’t do video. At all. But the more I think about the adapter, the more I like it. If you are mobile and need a constant light source, this has potential. I would never use something like this in a studio. But mobile, it’s definitely an option.
I thought about this question for a while: Is it pricey? It’s extremely portable and professionally built. But, it doesn’t include a bulb or the LightSphere. So you’re spending an additional $80 in addition to the adapter. Which brings the cost to over $130. I don’t know if this is pricey. But I certainly like the idea.
Available in April for $50.
More details about these products can be found on the Gary Fong store.