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OT: Kacey Enterprises Speedlight Beauty Dish - A Review
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Last week, Jerry Kacey of Kacey Enterprises allowed me to demo his new speedlight beauty dish and clamp. I had his unit for a week and got to really check it out. Here’s the scoop.
The Beauty Dish
My first inclination was to be a little skeptical of the beauty dish as it is made of plastic. I know a lot of DIY’ers out there have made them of plastic in the past, but my feeling was that this should be better than a DIY beauty dish. If the thing is going to compete with the professional market of light modifiers, it needs to be professional. To look at the dish, you’d never know that it is plastic. The exterior has a semi-glossy black finish, the interior, a creamy satin white. The white finish is similar to the interior of my AB beauty dish, additionally there is a protective gasket running around the outer edge of the dish.
Ok, back to the part about it being made of plastic. I decided to come up with some pros and cons on the issue. The nice thing about plastic is that it is light weight. Not that metal beauty dishes are all that heavy, but every little bit helps. The plastic is surprisingly tough. Jerry encouraged me to be as rough as I wanted with the dish. I didn’t practice my pile drivers on it, but it is clear that whatever type of plastic was used, it is going to take a lot of abuse in stride. Another plus is that there is a certain amount of flexibility to the dish. It’s not rigid like a metal dish. I have seen a lot of old dishes with dents in them, this thing won’t dent, but even more importantly, it won’t go out of round. If you can imagine trying to fit a grid into a dish that has gone out of round because it has fallen and bounced on it’s edge, it’s not gonna work, you’ll ruin the grid. Right now, this isn’t really an advantage for this dish as no grid exists but Kacey says he is in the process of designing a grid, potentially several of different degrees. One more point about the flexibility of this dish is that if it is knocked over, it will very likely provide a little bit of cushion for your strobe as the flex of the dish should take up some of the recoil.
Ok, now the downside about the dish being made of plastic.
I’m really trying to think of one.
Ok, environmentally, these things might still be here in 10’000 years. This is a valid concern for some. I’m not anti-plastic, but I am for its use in a responsible, eco-friendly way. Tomorrow is Earth Day after all. However, this isn’t exactly a disposable light modifier. If taken care of, it will certainly last a lifetime and can be passed down to the next generation of photographers for the remaining 9,920 years.
The light is designed with the speedlight user in mind but can be used with Alien Bees, White Lightning and Balcar studio strobes as well. The only caveat is that the mirror on the reflection disc is acrylic and may discolor with prolonged modeling lamp use. Kacey has tested this with an Alien Bee using a 150w modeling lamp and has had no problem, however he did relate that a white lightning user with 250w modeling light noticed some heat discoloration on the mirror after prolonged use. As a precaution, Kacey has added a sticker warning against prolonged use of the modeling lamp. Kacey has mentioned that he is developing replaceable mirrors that are tinted to provide color correction, perhaps he could make a glass mirror available for those who might anticipate the need for prolonged modeling light usage.
As for the quality of light, it has a very pleasing look. I didn’t do a comparison to my Alien Bees beauty dish, but found that it was perfectly acceptable. It looked like the light of a beauty dish to me. If I have another opportunity to use the dish, I would like to compare it, as I’m now curious as to what difference I might see as the Kacey dish has a shape similar to the renowned Mola dishes.
The beauty dish sells for $150.
The Bracket
Ok, I know in another thread that there were a lot of questions about how Kacey can expect people to pay $150 for this bracket. It seems like a lot to me as well. At this point, the bracket has only one use, holding a beauty dish that alone is $30 more than the AB dish. Well, if you don’t want to use speedlights with the dish, instead using one of the strobes listed above, you don’t need the bracket. In fact I’d recommend against it as the strobe is suspended by the mounting clips not at it’s mounting bracket. This isn’t a problem for the AB’s but the WL’s might be a bit too heavy to suspend in this way.
There might be a way to DIY your own system of connecting a speedlight. However, after having handled and used this bracket, I will suggest that a DIY alternative, unless it’s pretty ingenious, is not going to come anywhere near the quality and security the Kacey bracket provides. It is constructed from high strength aluminum. The handles and washers are of high quality, not cheap plastic that has to be handled carefully. The bracket allows vertical movement of the dish and horizontal movement of the speedlight to allow precise placement of both, accommodating the variety of flashes sizes as well as triggering units that might sit under the flash.
The thing that really excites me about this bracket is the potential for the future. Kacey plans to create a speed ring attachment that will allow the bracket to be used with virtually any soft box on the market. I think this is huge. To my knowledge there is nothing like it on the market currently. One of the real limitations of using speedlights is the inability to use a variety of modifiers, this would change everything.
I have the lightweight bracket made by Photoflex. It is a stretch using a medium soft box as the weight of the box places too much tension on the unit, making it tilt and sag etc. Additionally, my fairly lightweight medium soft box is pushing the weight limit for the Photoflex bracket. Kacey’s bracket on the other is extremely solid and won’t sag or tilt. I’d have no qualms about putting a 50” octabox on it. I am comparing a $27 bracket to a $150 bracket, but it clearly falls under the “you get what you pay for” category. If Kacey follows through on this and comes up with a good speed ring adapter, I’ll be the first in line to buy one and don’t feel that the cost will be out of line with the quality of the unit or the service it is providing.
Conclusions
I am very impressed with Kacey’s unit. I think it is of the highest quality. If I shot with speedlights the majority of the time, I’d seriously consider going this route. If I didn’t already own a beauty dish for my studio strobes, I’d seriously consider going with the Kacey. I think I’d want to find out about a glass mirror first, as I do like to use my modeling lights set at “atomic” most of the time. Most importantly, I think I will happily use my speedlights with greater regularity if and when the Kacey bracket has a viable speed ring attachment.
Originally posted at 7:25AM, 21 April 2009 PDT
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Steve.Korn edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Good review.
My view as a possible purchaser is that the beauty dish seems like a good purchase for $150, but I am still struggling with the $150 price tag on the bracket.
It would be different if the bracket was an established gateway to all types of other light modifiers that I might use, but as it currently stands, this product launch is simply a $300 beauty dish...
Posted 38 months ago.
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Steve.Korn Do you happen to have any pix of the product or with the product? Thanks for the review.
Posted 38 months ago.
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You can visit Kacey Enterprises here:
www.kaceyenterprises.com/
I didn't keep my test shots as they were just of random stuff around the house and not worth taking the space on the hard drive.
Posted 38 months ago.
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You have an AB BD and you didn't compare the lighting on a person???
Sorry to be so negative...but not much of a review IMHO, since we want to see that it works as a BD. :-P
Posted 38 months ago.
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I understand kenkyee. I didn't have a good opportunity to get with a subject during the time I had the dish, and it wasn't really my priority. My review was really more of a response to the questions being posed in this thread:
www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157616290204008/...
There was a lot of question about the price of the dish and bracket and it's quality. My review is an attempt to address those questions, which I feel are really what people are wondering about with this product.
I hope to have an opportunity in the future to do a comparison as I said above and will be happy to post a it and a review at that time. For now, I hope that my review of the design and quality of the product helps to provide some insight for those who might be wondering about those elements of the dish and bracket.
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Steve.Korn edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Thanks for the input, I'm hoping to get one in the mail this week or next and plan to use the bracket from my Alzo softboxes. It might make a showing at the Swiss Strobist meetup in May.
Posted 38 months ago.
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Interesting, but at $300 for the dish and the bracket? An AB400 AND the AB Beauty Dish costs $338 combined... as long as you have AC available.
Just saying. For the average punter, it doesn't quite add up. I am sure for some folks this could work.
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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maury the photographer edited this topic 38 months ago.
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As it has been mentioned before this from Interfit will be available from June for £40 ($60). You can use it with various accessories and won't be limited to a single accessory at the time of launch.
Posted 38 months ago.
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what is the Photoflex bracket you are talking about? do you have a modelname for that? and yeah, I know I'm a cheapskate. :)
OHH, and thanks to the person above me for linking that new mounting thingie by Interfit. I was already checking out a BD by Linkstar (also an S-mount) so this beauty is exactly what I've been looking for. Oh, if only it were june already....
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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madelien edited this topic 38 months ago.
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@endoshoots:
I think that is harsh. I am sure some people will see this as worth it for the portability and flexibility.
My point was:
Kacey system:
Kacey BD $150
Kacey bracket $150
LumoPro $130
Total of $430
Alien Bee:
Alien Bee B400 $225
Alien Bee BD $120
Alien Bee Vagabond $300
Discount ($21)
Total of $624
For $200 more, you get serious portable power and a more powerful flash unit. If you don't need the portability, you are looking at a system that is actually significantly cheaper with the Alien Bees.
That was my point. I do not have any issue with the pricing, it just is not for me. If the total system was $200, I would much more likely consider it. But even then, if I am going to hump a BD... portability is already out the window.
Posted 38 months ago.
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Most already have a speedlight though (or bag full of them) , the more modifers that can work with them the better :)
Posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey units seems pricey as said above and thanks for the interfit link as I think the advantages of the s mount unit coming in June will be a better mix. One of the things that you look for is utility of these purchases with your already ecclectic collection of softboxes etc.
Kacey unit needs to really look at their price vs competition.
Thanks Steve and others for the info
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Wink of an Eye Digital Media edited this topic 38 months ago.
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'Kacey unit needs to really look at their price vs competition'
Thanks we have done that....
Bruce Dorn Magic Slipper $200
Mola Demi$286.50
There are lot's of options for the professional and amateur photographer these days. We have worked very hard to maintain the highest quality with our design and hope this encourages other companies to make more pro quality gear. Hours after seeing our product release the most expensive Beauty Dish company in the World announced they would be making a similar location dish. This should be great for the professional photographer looking for very strong, light, portable options out on location. What we are making will take the abuse of hard everyday use that a professional demands.
Posted 38 months ago.
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The problem is that I don't know if it can be considered competition for the Mola, not when Mola's can be used with modeling lamps and this one can't.
I do see it as an alternative for low output and location setups.
Curious about the gasket along the edge. Will it get in the way of mounting grids?
And how does it mount to speedrings? Are we expected to drill holes in the back plate?
Posted 38 months ago.
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I am looking forward to buy this product, but $150 for the bracket is way too high, bring that down and you will sell more man.
Posted 38 months ago.
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Great questions Mike
We are already in the process of making a solid center diffuser as a option for modeling lights. This is very easy to change with our design, just a matter of loosening four thumb screws to change from the many diffusers we will have available. We have other diffusers in the works as well.
The molding around our dish will not get in the way of mounting the grids we are working on. As a matter of fact a Speedotron grid should mount right on our dish. We were the first company to make grids for the Alien Bee/ WhiteLightning Dishes and we are the only company to make grids for the Mola Demi. Our grids will work great on our Reflector.
We currently make a mounting adapter for the Alien Bee, because it has to be very thin to get the flash tube into the dish to work properly. Slapping a standard softbox type ring on the back of a dish for PCB flashes does not work well.
For other brands of flashes our system requires drilling four small holes in the outer edge of the adapter ring. Soon we will stock some of the major brands pre made for the dish. In the mean time customers also have the option of having B&H drop ship a adapter to us. Here is a thread to show just how easy it is.
For Profoto
For Elinchrom
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Kacey E
I think the price point for the BD is fine just as long as I can mount for that price. If you are coming out with other mods that fit the mount /bracket ....that would be better going forward.
I understand your price entry and your entrance into the market is starting.
Give the bracket more toys!
Best
and Thanks for the new toy
Wink
Posted 38 months ago.
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endoshoots - he's only a fool if it doesn't sell... :^)
We'll have one of the Kacey beauty dishes and brackets to play with when wizwow is out here for the weekend of May 9/10. wizwow, as you know, is a huge fan of beauty dishes. He calls the light from beauty dishes "poppy". (grin) I like the results of his "poppy" light.
We'll try it with a variety of different speedlights and with Alien Bees - and let you know how it goes.
I do want to emphasize something Steve.Korn said:
The bracket allows vertical movement of the dish and horizontal movement of the speedlight to allow precise placement of both, accommodating the variety of flashes sizes as well as triggering units that might sit under the flash.
This is true adjustability, and to offer all that for $150, after you factor in the cost of design and manufacturing, isn't out of line. The Interfit bracket does not offer the same flexibility in positioning.
It's like the difference between pocket wizards and poverty wizards. You get what you pay for. If you don't like it, or it doesn't fit your needs, then trot down to Home Depot and start hammering on the corner of your workbench.
I do DIY myself - but there is a time factor involved. You need to account for your time. If you consider yourself a good enough photographer to charge $50 / hour, then can you make something that "does the job" in 3 hours? It depends on your DIY skills, and on what exactly you are requiring it to do. If you want full adjustability, in 3 hours? It's not going to happen, at least not in my house. I'd still be looking for the extension cord for the dremel.
I just got the pole adapters from Kacey. Whoa! These are spiffy. I'm glad I got two, because I know someone's going to steal the first one from me at the next Strobist meetup. I'm going to put that beauty dish on a pole, and go to town.
I think it's funny. I don't see a lot of people here grinding their own glass for lenses, but they'll jump all over a guy for a bracket.
Posted 38 months ago.
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@Bill millios
I do want to emphasize something Steve.Korn said:
The bracket allows vertical movement of the dish and horizontal movement of the speedlight to allow precise placement of both, accommodating the variety of flashes sizes as well as triggering units that might sit under the flash.
This is true adjustability, and to offer all that for $150, after you factor in the cost of design and manufacturing, isn't out of line. The Interfit bracket does not offer the same flexibility in positioning.
Do you mean this Photoflex bracket? B&H has them in stock for $28.
Posted 38 months ago.
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getz76 - that Photoflex backet still needs the umbrella bracket adapter to mount to the lightstand. (Yes, I know that's only another $20, and I know I already have it.)
There's also a significant quality difference between the two brackets. Look at the thickness of the metal.
You get what you pay for. Maybe it's overengineered, if you're gentle on your gear. I'm not gentle - and Kacey has said again and again, his stuff is designed to take a beating on location. Steve Korn backed it up. I'm looking forward to running it through its paces when it gets here.
That photoflex bracket - if I stepped on it, it'd be a gnarly $28 corkscrew.
Posted 38 months ago.
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"Just waiting on feedback from the ones Ive done."
You could always ask Steve if you could send him one for a review.....
Posted 38 months ago.
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That photoflex bracket - if I stepped on it, it'd be a gnarly $28 corkscrew.
Have you handled one, or is this conjecture?
I have handled one. I would have no issue wih this piece of kit kicking around a case or dropping to the floor. I tend not to jump on my gear.
You get what you pay for.
Actually, you pay for what you get.
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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maury the photographer edited this topic 38 months ago.
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I just got mine yesterday... Steve mentions not liking to mount a white lightning with the bracket.. Yes, its not so secure because its dependant solely on the strength of the metal clamps of the white lightning... BUT, the bracket is adjustable... You can actually adjust it to help support the weight of the white lightning(x1600)... I'm even pretty sure that a x3200 would be ok too... But I have yet to try that... The bracket is taking a lot of heat for its price, but after seeing how it can help support a white lightning... Its all good in my books...
Posted 38 months ago.
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Joe the bracket is made to accept a short baby pin for mounting like a normal light. All you do is get the short 5/8 baby pin with a female 1/4 x 20 thread. Then you just replace the cold shoe with the stud. Now the light will mount just like it is on a stand. I just find that it's not needed with the PCB flashes. For any light that the mount is not as secure the 5/8 pin takes seconds to mount. I guess I forgot to mention this to Steve because I knew he had PCB flashes......
As for a WL X3200... not quite sure why someone would buy one of those in the first place before just going to a pack and head system. Even Paul Buff recommends the Zeus before the X3200. Thats one top heavy flash on any stand..LOL
Anyway, Joe thanks for the purchase..... Doubt in your case you will want to add the short pin, but it is a easy option if you find your having any doubts or move a to any other brand of Mono.
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Hey Getz...
Steve mentions he has the Photoflex bracket in his review... His is the first post in the thread. I'm sure if you looked at the two brackets side by side you would clearly see they are not the same and made for different applications. I can tell you the Photoflex will not mount to the Reflector we manufacture. Not sure which one you have mounted it to, but if you are happy with your setup... that's all that matters. There are lots of choices in gear.... As long as you and your customers like the final product that's what is important.
Posted 38 months ago.
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Cool.. I have some extra studs layin around somewhere... I'll mess with that..
I've looked at pack and heads... Meehh.. Not for me.. Even though I read the packs are very reliable, I don't think I can manage if it happens to go out when I'm planning to use that many ws...
Although I DO have to admit, watching a 3200 teeter 10+ft in the air isn't good stress management..
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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- joe woo - edited this topic 38 months ago.
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But you don't have a X3200 do you? I was saying I would go pack and head before I would get a X3200..... X3200 should come with a bunch of sandbags... LOL
Thanks for posting Joe...
Posted 38 months ago.
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Yup I have 2 in fact... Buying them used helps with the cost :)
Posted 38 months ago.
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@Kacey,
I was not trying to say that the Photoflex was a replacement for your bracket. The Photoflex performs admirably with their small softbox. It is not a "piece of junk" as was implied by Bill.
My point was, here is a bracket for $28. Add $20 for the ring. Is it too lightweight for the application with your BD? Probably. Is there really a $102 difference in the brackets? I am not talking about cost, I am talking about value. Value is determined by the buyer.
I could be interested in your product, but for me it is too rich for my blood. And, for me, the bracket sounds like it is overkill. I would be more interested in a $75 bracket that was not as robust but still performed. I understand, though, with short-run production (I am assuming you are doing short-runs) it is hard to get the price down or get the right materials for the price. I have plenty of expensive gear, but $300 for a BD without a light does not do it for me.
I am not railing against your product in any way. Sometimes it is hard to convey that via the internet. I am just trying to give feedback to the review and (since you are on the thread) the manufacturer/retailer. I am in the market for a BD, and I was weighing the available and soon-to-be-available options. Personally the AB kit works for my needs and I will place an order on Wednesday week.
Best of luck with the kit, it definitely fills a niche (just not mine).
Posted 38 months ago.
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Just an FYI.
I have been shooting for four+ decades, and have never had a pack go out on me during a gig. I will admit to always taking one more pack than I need, but I do kind of like the smallness of the heads when using a pack and head system.
Recently used a great Dynalite system and the heads were tiny compared to the monobloc units I am used to.
Maybe a mixture of both would be an idea.
Posted 38 months ago.
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I def would like to move my controls/weight to the ground... Maybe I just hear more cons/bad stories because they are more likely to voice themselves on the internet.... I'm not toooo invested in my lighting yet... Hmmm
Posted 38 months ago.
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getz76
I was not trying to say that the Photoflex was a replacement for your bracket. The Photoflex performs admirably with their small softbox. It is not a "piece of junk" as was implied by Bill.
I didn't mean to imply that it was a piece of junk, if that's how it came across, sorry. I was merely trying to emphasize the (apparent) quality difference between the two items, since I felt that the Kacey bracket was being unfairly compared.
If it trots your horse, go for it. In the end, it's the picture that counts.
Posted 38 months ago.
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Yea,
I understand were you are coming from. The point I think some are missing is my system is made for everyday location work. When you start getting dishes and softboxes out in the wind mounted on a pole or stand your not going to think it is overkill. If your shooting someone's memories you only have one chance to get it right. If your a professional out on location and your equipment looks cheap and lets you down in front of a client ... Your done!
I'm proud of what I'm putting my name on... it's made in the US... it's supporting local jobs and it will work as designed and not let you down. Grids and other attachments are what we are focusing on now. Sometime in the future we will make a large dish for studio work.
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 38 months ago.
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@Bill
I didn't mean to imply that it was a piece of junk, if that's how it came across, sorry. I was merely trying to emphasize the (apparent) quality difference between the two items, since I felt that the Kacey bracket was being unfairly compared.
Fair enough, sorry that I inferred a different meaning!
Posted 38 months ago.
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I'm a fan of some of the Photoflex products too ; )
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Just started playing around with the Kacey beauty dish. In retrospect, I more or less wish I had sucked it up and dropped the cash on the bracket. The dish is a bit heavier than I had anticipated, and after drilling holes in my Alzo softbox bracket, I'm thinking I'll get the Kacey design.
I've never used a beauty dish before, so I don't know how this compares with other designs, but the light is awesome. Really, really beautiful shadow patterns. It's a perfect fit to my Sunpak 120J and I have no regrets at all about the price (including the extra cost of sending it to Switzerland). I'll probably have a write-up on the dish for next week on my webpage (http://blog.americanpeyote.com/).
Posted 38 months ago.
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Hey Mark,
Thanks for mentioning it worked out perfect for the Sunpak 120J.
It's just not possible for me to test every flash, so it's nice to pass the info on to me for future customers.
If you show that off at one of your Swiss Strobist meetings and one of your friends decide to put in a order... I can add the extra bracket to the package and it wont affect the shipping cost.
I'm confident the more you play with my system the more you will like it.
BTW- I went to your blog... I love all the creative work
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Kacey, thanks for checking out my blog. After playing with my Kacey reflector over the weekend and doing some test shots, I agree with all the points Steve has written on. It's a great product and produces excellent light. I'm looking for a stable bracket to replace the one I modified from my Alzo softbox, and I'll either go with the Kacey design or from elv0000. It's interesting to see how different flashes will produce different light from the dish, depending on if you go bare-bulb or a speedlite with a focused light beam.
Here's the full rambling on my blog:
Kacey Beauty Reflector - Review
And one of the test images:
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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American Peyote edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Here are a few pics of the Kacey Universal Softbox Ring that Steve was mentioning that mounts to our bracket . Our first production will be available soon.
Originally posted 38 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 38 months ago.
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Twice the power ----- Half the recycle time
Here is the vertical mount for our system for two Speedlights.
Shown with the Softbox ring as the post above it will also mount right to our Reflector. Mount is not painted black yet to match bracket.
Link to image
Originally posted 37 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 37 months ago.
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now that's a cool bracket that's worth more than $50 ;-)
Posted 37 months ago.
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Hi,
I will be doing some more extensive review including shots of it in use, and comparison shots of other BD's, but I gotta tell ya. We used it all weekend in Baltimore at the workshop. It took the abuse, all kinds of lights, and incredible wind like a champ.
However, the proof is in the results. And the results were terrific. Great light, beautiful tight spread, poppy light with speedlights. It is a very solid unit with exceptional build quality.
More to come this weekend on LE.
Posted 37 months ago.
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I'll let wizwow write up the comparison of the beauty dish compared to other beauty dishes and umbrellas ... but I wrote a review here, complete with video and pictures:
www.photocrati.com/review-the-kacey-beauty-reflector/
Short version: I love it.
Your thoughts welcome.
Posted 37 months ago.
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Nice job, Bill.
Posted 37 months ago.
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Good job, Daffy ;-)
So it sounds like you'd need to run the SB800 at full power to get f/8 at 44"?
Question for Kacey:
Does the Kacey bracket mount onto the speedo dish as well?
Originally posted 37 months ago.
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kenkyee edited this topic 37 months ago.
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Nice thanks for the thumbs up Bill.
Love the sign activated light stand... Looks like you have a great family. I really enjoyed the video
I think you were just comparing 1/4 power of the Bee to 1/4 power of your speedlight... Right?
Here are some quick tests I did a while back with the 580 EX with and without Stofen. Sekonic L-758DR Light Meter
1/125 ISO 100 Full power
With Stofen/ Without
2ft F18/ F20
4ft F10/ F11
6ft F 7.1/ F 8
8ft F 5.6/ F6.3
10ft F4.5/ F 5
The other thing about the reflector being front heavy on the small stand. This is intentional with the design. Most dish's hit the stand when adjusting in a downward angle and require the extra purchase of a boom arm to get a full range on vertical movement. I wanted to eliminate the need to and purchase carry the extra hardware. When your flash is mounted to the Kacey Speedlight Bracket you can adjust it to a very steep angle. This works very well when used with my pole adapter and mounted on the extension pole.
Yes it will bolt right up to the Speedotron Beauty dish with one exception.
You will have to slightly make the mounting holes larger on the Speedo. 11/64
Originally posted 37 months ago.
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Kacey Enterprises edited this topic 37 months ago.
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kenkyee - So it sounds like you'd need to run the SB800 at full power to get f/8 at 44"?
I used an SB26 - are they comparable?
Kacey Enterprises - I think you were just comparing 1/4 power of the Bee to 1/4 power of your speedlight... Right?
Right. I had to pick somewhere to start, so that seemed like a good place. It was kind of arbitrary.
The other thing about the reflector being front heavy on the small stand. This is intentional with the design.
Now that I think about it, I'm glad you designed it this way. In several of the situations in the lighting workshop, we had it suspended via a paint pole over a model, pointing straight down. If it had been more "balanced", it would have hit the pole, and we would not have been able to get the sharp downward angle we needed / wanted.
Glad you liked the review. It wasn't like I started out with the intention of reviewing the dish - it's just that the more situations that popped up, the more situations it excelled in. It's also kind of unusual that I'd have a prom shoot, an mid-day outdoor portrait session, and then a lighting workshop all within 4 days, so it showed up at the right time.
Originally posted 37 months ago.
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Bill Millios edited this topic 37 months ago.
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Here is another review of the Kacey Reflector used at the(Swiss Strobist Meetup) I thought some might be interested in.
Posted 37 months ago.
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A question I've not seen answered is the weight. How mugh does it weigh for the dish, and for the dish + adaptor? I have a home made beauty dish (that I'm quite fond of), but recent tests showed that it was quite impossible to handhold on a boom while photographing with the other hand. The dish + speedlight weighs in at aroiund 2KG. Put a 2kg counterweight on the other end and hold it at arm's length... not comfortable.
I do now have a technique using the boom in a monopod stylee, but it did make me wonder about alternatives.
Posted 37 months ago.
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Sorry for the late reply... We were waiting on a new digital scale.
Kacey Reflector is 2.5 lbs
Kacey Reflector with Kacey Speedlight Bracket is 3.85 lbs
Posted 37 months ago.
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Steve, I'm going to have to disagree on a couple of points. I spent a day with Wizwow's Kacey dish, and there are several things about it that made me a bit nuts:
1) The thumbscrews. They're cheap hex screws with plastic caps, and I found it impossible to hand-tighten them to the point that the dish wouldn't slowly twist sideways if the lightstand or boom wasn't vertical. I twisted the plastic cap right off of the one that's supposed to hold the thing onto the lightstand.
2) The vertical pivot/hinge adjustment is nowhere near as robust as I'd like to see for a dish of this type. With two SB-800s on the bracket, it would slowly sag down unless I really cranked it down *hard*. If the mounting point for the lightstand/boom were closer to the dish instead of being at the end of the "arm" and producing more leverage, I think it'd work just fine. But with the lightstand mount at the rear of that "arm," there's just too much leverage - up and down as well as sideways if the light is tilted or boomed.
The dish itself is just fine. The mounting hardware could stand some dramatic improvements.
Posted 34 months ago.
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I like the Kacey...nice build etc...but the Cameron Beauty Dish comes with the speedlight mounting bracket and has a very similar quality of light for $100
farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5406005223_7770d1132b_b_d.jpg
Posted 16 months ago.
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Steve.Korn Do you happen to have any pix of the product or with the product? Thanks for the review.
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