Westcott4633 7-Feet Silver with Black Cover Parabolic Umbrella

I originally purchased an Impact 7' umbrella and got some very goods shots with it. However, there were workmanship issues with that particular unit, so I opted to spring for the Westcott and do a quick comparison. There are differences to these 2 umbrellas, which are very subtle and I would imagine that most people won't notice or mind the differences. For me, they are significant enough to warrant spending the extra $20. That, and Westcott's quality is very well known, with serious photogs telling me they've had their Westcott gear for decades!I've included a few pics to show those differences. (first pic shows them both side-by-side; Westcott on the left, Impact on the right and 3 feet further away, which is why it looks smaller! ;) ) First, is the build quality of the umbrella: you can see that the material at the apex of the ribs is assembled differently (2nd pic, Westcott; 3rd and 4th pic, Impact). This, to me, show a slightly closer attention to detail for the Westcott. The 4th picture is a crop of the 3rd, showing the 'patch' of material at the top of the umbrella. It doesn't have an effect on the light, but it shows the difference in the attention to assembly quality. Yes, it's a minor thing, but it's telling, nonetheless. The difference in the quality of the silver reflective material is also a bit better on the Westcott; it's reflective without being 'shiny', which translates to a more diffuse lighting.You really can't go wrong with either of those umbrellas, as they will both work great for those tight areas. But for me, there is just enough small differences, when added together, to warrant the upgrade to the Westcott. I'm still very happy with the prom shots (see other reviews) that I got using the Impact umbrella, and firmly believe that this size is essential for single light photo shoots!

Well, it's $100 or so and sort of competes with a $40K Briese light, so I love it for the price. The build quality isn't great, there's no built-in light source or hole to insert one, it's probably not designed for very hot lights, the shape isn't truly parabolic, the silver lining isn't as reflective as it should be (and therefore you need quite a bit of light to get any real output), and it doesn't really compare at all to an actual Briese light, but for the money it puts out an interesting quality light, different than anything else I own and suitable for music videos and fashion work, so I'm quite happy. Just keep in mind that you'll have to coddle it a bit and it's far from perfect.

This light modifier gives you beautiful and properly exposed light from head to toe with a really flattering soft shadows. I highly recommend buying the diffuser to go with this to give a nice non specular highlights as well as soft shadows. You need a strobe and use it bare bulb so the light hits all 7ft of the umbrella or if you use a speedlight you'll need a minimum of 3 so you can utilize the whole umbrella otherwise it would be the equivalent of using a 40in umbrella as the light would only hitting and bouncing off if the center. There are tons of situations that this umbrella can be beneficial as well as using it as an umbrella to block out harsh mid day sun. I added a photo of it in use but I'm sorry that you can't see the whole thing. I'll add some more pictures of examples I've mentioned earlier.

I picked up 2 of these umbrellas and wow - what a great product for the money. The construction is great and they produce beautiful light. I chose this umbrella so I could have the option of shooting it undiffused for harsher lighting and when I want to shoot softer lighting, I simply add the diffusion. The wrap-around lighting is simply beautiful. Make sure you have either a study umbrella holder to hold this up. I use the Manfrotto as the Westcott ones that come standard with their light stands are not strong enough. I prefer to use on a monopod with an assistant.

Well made and works very well.To get the most out of it you need the following:Solid, well made light stand.At least 2 or even 3 speed lightsOr medium to high output strobe or monolight.To make this light modifier sing, the key is lots of light.

It leaves a very crisp light, as does any silver umbrella. It works exactly as one would expect any Westcott product to. It is very light weight, and at such a price point that I'd recommend getting the white reflective as well for when you don't want such a punchy light. I'm using this more than my Elinchrom Octa Bank, as the weight is more manageable and can for more easily get it to head level and angle properly. For $100 you cannot go wrong.

When you start to get into larger light modifiers, the end use of actual product should be envisioned; before you start purchasing.If you are looking for a Specular, very large spread of light, then this is great option for you.I recommend purchasing an aftermarket hard/plastic tube for transfer to locations and storage.Also, considering the overall size, a very solid Umbrella Swivel Bracket will be needed, such as the Manfrotto 026.In the arena, you will also need a heavier sand/shot bag for securing the light stand for which it will be mounted.Get one of these (there are 3 types), before everyone starts to realize the potential.Cheers, D

You'll never know how useful a big ass photography umbrella is until you have one. This product is unparalleled by any similarly-priced piece of equipment for what it does: cast that soft, silvery sheen on a subject with just the right quality of light bounce. It's great -- I've used this umbrella for everything from portrait headshots to product photography, and everything in between. It's big, and a little unwieldy, but it's quality.