HonlPhoto Product Review

David Honl lighting:

I was fortunate enough to talk with David Honl about testing some of his lighting accessories that are storming across the web. After receiving them, I understand why they are so popular.

I'm going to stray from my normal blog style and just talk about the gear and what I like about it. This gear is very simple and intuitive to use, so I won't bore you w/ the obvious. If you buy this gear, you'll know how to use it as soon as you take it out of the bag.

The components:

Four individual pieces make up the shoe mount flash tools product line:

1. HonlPhoto speed strap.
2. HonlPhoto Speed Snoot, 5" Shorty.
3. HonlPhoto Speed Snoot, 8" Regular.
4. HonlPhoto Speed Gobo / Flag / Barndoor /bounce card.

The speed strap:

This is the heart of the speed system. It consists of a loop side Velcro on the outside along with a non slip rubber strip on the inside. All you do is wrap this around your speedlight and attach any of the following three additional products. I had an old SB-26 that didn't work anymore, so I decided to really put this inside rubber grip to the test. I attached a long strip of extra Velcro I had to the strobe via the speed strap and spun it over my head at a speed where I would have bet money this strobe was about to meet it's maker. Happily though, no such disaster. The speed strap held tight and kept my strobe in one piece. *I'm sure my neighbors thought I was nuts, but that just enforces what I already know..

The Honl Speed Snoot, 5" Shorty & 8" Regular (respectively) attached to strobe:

The snoots easily attach to the speed strap. There is a Velcro seam on the inside edge that runs the length of the snoot so no light spill occurs. The inside is also lined with a silver cloth liner and maximizes light being cast out of the snoot. They store flat or can be rolled up (or crumpled up for that matter) and take up almost no space in my lighting bag. What do I like most about these snoots? The fact that the far end of the snoot's shape is naturally circular and makes it much easier for me create desired results. *My home grown snoots are all rectangular from end to end and create that shape with light when I use them. While square light has it's place. The round shape is much more conducive for day to day shooting.

HonlPhoto Speed Gobo / Flag / Barndoor /bounce card:

There is Velcro on both sides of the card so you can attach even more things to your strobe. (I haven't had a reason to yet, but it's nice to know I have the flexibility when the situation arises). You can attach the card to any of the four sides to create the desired lighting effect (or block light to prevent lens flare). It has a white inner surface to aid in reflecting light. For me the primary use of this is to prevent lens flare. The image below was taken w/ the strobe a full blast. While you see the light show through a little bit. This wouldn't create lens flare even if I was right beside it.

Side view of bounce card: (1/1 power, f5.6)

My tip for this gear:

Set up your speed strap up so the strap hangs over the edge of the strobe face by about 1/4". This will provide a bit of protection and absorb most of the impact if your strobe falls and lands on it's face.

Summary:

The David Honl Shoe Mount Flash Tools are a great compliment to any photographer that uses strobes in a lighting setup. The quality is superb and has that feel that it's not going to let you down even if it is tossed around in the heat of battle.

I would definitely recommend this gear to any friend or professional looking to create (or expand) their lighting modifier arsenal.

You can find David's gear at his product website:

http://www.honlphoto.com/servlet/StoreFront

Here is a link to his professional website:

http://www.davidhonlphoto.com/

David's Blog:

http://davidhonl.blogspot.com/