Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm)

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Sets up fast! I'm not totally crazy about the way the ring mounts to the ezybox, but I came from 25 years of only using studio speed rings on softboxes. The whole idea of this is quickness, lightweight portability so I think it's designed with these things in mind. I was worried that my pocket wizard Flex wouldn't fit between the bracket and the Speedlight but there is room for it. It's a neat little box that provides very nice light for head and shoulders shots, the closer the better since it's small, if you want some wrap around light. That said, I have used it farther off which still provides nice light as compared to bare speedlight. I use this with Pocket Wizard Mini/Flex system after a degree of frustration with line of sight issues on occasion. I also bought the Ezybox extension pole with the two grip handles... a nice combo to stick a speedlight/lite in. I may have the newer bracket because while being plastic, it looks like it will last all right if not abused.

The only two things I worry about is the box blowing off on a very windy day if I'm hanging it over a bridge or something. I don't even know that this is possible but the ring part of the bracket which mounts the to the Ezybox is simply held in place by stuffing it into a sort of cavity formed when the box is opened up. The other thing is the knob that locks the bracket onto a light stand or pole looks like you could crack the plastic if you torqued it down two much. I may file a flat spot on my light extension pole to keep it from swinging or loosening. This would make it so it doesn't have to be tightened overly. I give it 5 stars if neither of these things happen... if it did, I'd have to go 4 stars.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

This softbox is amazingly easy to setup, is very small when folded and stored in the included carrying case and puts out a very beautiful soft light.

I have not used it out in the wind yet - I am curious how well the 'speedring' remains attached to the softbox itself under those conditions.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

This soft box is excellent. I love that it collapses flat for easy transport and the soft light is exactly what I was looking for.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

This softbox is designed to be used with a speedlight. I mounted my Canon 430EX ii on top of my Cactus trigger and together they fit with adjustment room to spare. This Joe McNally version produces "creamy" light due to the white interior. Hanging the diffusion panels is a little tricky at first, but experience with them is helpful.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Very happy with the softbox. I'm an on location photographer and wanted something to soften a hotshoe flash better than a big umbrella. It's lightweight, but I'm getting a stronger stand for it. The basic stand I was using has quite a lean with the softbox attached.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

This is the fastest to set up softbox I have ever used. Popping it open, attaching the diffusion panels, flash bracket, and flash are all a breeze. Adding and removing both diffusion panels is as simple as it looks in Lastolite's videos. More important though are the good quality construction and the beautiful quality of light it produces. I've used it both with my SB-700 and SB-910, and both work great with it.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Nice, simple and inexpensive. Bought it to use as a hair light with my Nikon Speedlight and PocketWizard TT5 receiver.

The softbox went together quickly and easily. Works well for it's task.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Good for one or two people shots and makes the light nice and soft

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Quick and easy to set up and fold away.
Light weight, durable and really top quality material.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

I was immediately impressed with the build quality and professional feel of the Ezybox. Through setup and use it became quite apparent that every detail was well designed. I bought it to use with my small flashes (580exII's) but discovered that it also fits studio strobes. Simply take off the hotshoe mount and you can mount it to the strobe head without any additional hardware. It also collapses easily and can be carried/stored in the provided bag.

The quality of light from the Ezybox is quite nice. It can be set up with double diffusion panels if desired to soften the light even more.

Great product and I highly recommend it.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Before I had this, I used to travel with the Quadra Rangers so I could use the Elinchrom octas for my boudoir photography. With this, I now have the choice of using the Quadras or leveraging my SB-910s. It is so versatile, just remove one of the diffusers for more edge. Use an Elinchrom deflector and you can even get a beauty dish type light all folded down and easy to carry in your carryon luggage.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Love this softbox. It gives very soft light because of the white interior. Works perfectly with my SB910. Very easy to setup, I carry it almost everywhere.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

This easy to set up and take down. Light weight and very functional.
Disadvantage is the folded shape doesn't fit into any of my other bags.
Need to make sure you buy a flexible fitting of some kind.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

The plastic flash bracket that comes with this is just garbage. It seems the clones of this otherwise great design kept the original metal brackets which are much more flexible (e.g. allow you to use a stroboframe flash mount instead of the plastic rubbish which can't be locked this comes with).

The bag for it also comes for it to be flat packed. If I buy a collapsible softbox, chances are I want a bag that holds this in the smallest collapsed state... not a wide flat pack. Of course, for the money this costs, would be nice if they provided two bags, one for flat packing, one for collapsed.

It's a shame as this could be an otherwise great product, but way too flawed (the new plastic bracket) at this price point.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

I use the softbox for portrait shoots outdoors, with an assistant holding the unit on a monopole / lightstand. Much better light quality than an unmodified flash unit (even off camera).Superfast assembly, love the fact that the flash unit is outside the box for easy access to controls. The assembly is rigid enough in mild to moderate outdoor breezes. This softbox replaced another unit that while having good light quality, was slightly less robust in operation, and more importantly had the flash unit inside the softbox. Be sure to purchase some form of titling head/bracket as the Exybox itself does not tilt.Why only four stars? Because, subjectively, I feel it's somewhat overpriced, but having been disappointed by [@] knockoffs of other items I was reluctant to try [@] knockoffs again.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

I really like this thing. I think the McNally version renders a better skin tone. I've used the regular version and I like this one better. It all seems to be very good quality. The portion that you mount your flash to is plastic, but it is a very high quality plastic and I do not anticipate any issue related to this

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

Great diffusion, great light. Nice setup. Really dig the white interior.

A couple of things - the box is actually 24"x24". Lastolite only makes one size of this box, and it's not 21"x21". Some annoying things are that the hot shoe flash does not lock into the back, it is only held there by tension from the mounting bracket. Not that big of a deal indoors, but if you take it on location keep checking on it. Also it's part of the design that makes it so easy to setup and so huge of a hot shoe softbox, but it's pretty awkward piece of gear to pack into any of my gear bags so I end up having to carry it outside of those when I take it on a job. Like any box you need tilt head adapters or a boom to use it any other way than straight up with a pivot and slight tilt.

3 stars because of the above mentioned +'s and -'s as well as the fact that it only serves one purpose - a hot shoe softbox. You can get something like a Westcott 28" apollo for half the price that you can use in an umbrella adapter with a hot shoe AND studio lights.

It's a great piece of gear - light quality is #1, but unless you're using it on the regular, it's hard to justify the cost.

Comments about Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hotshoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm):

The ezybox is my first softbox purchase. Previously I've used reflectors and umbrellas for indoor portraiture. I love the softer light this softbox produces and that the light is more controlled than with the umbrellas.

The problem with the Ezybox is that the flash / light stand mount kit it comes with does not have a tilt bracket. Unless you plan to shoot with the light straight on your subject or hold the light stand at an angle, the soft box isn't so useful right out of the box - I had to do some work to make a tilt bracket to work with it.