Does this seem like a viablesetup or is velcro the best way to go?
The Strobist Collection by Rosco with Lumiquest FXtra
Does this seem like a viablesetup or is velcro the best way to go?
The Strobist Collection by Rosco with Lumiquest FXtra
I've seen that before, but since the Vivitar 285HV's head is so large, I didn't think that Lumiquest holder would fit it. It might work just fine for the 580EX, though. Personally, I don't like sticking velcro to my flash, but thousands do it. It's easy and convenient, however, once all your gels have velcro on them they get rather bulky to organize and store.
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
That's a great point that I overlooked...your Vivitars have a built in holder don't they?
Yes, they do. You can buy gels that are specifically made to fit into the holder (I bought a set on ebay), but I like how the gels from photogels.com fit perfectly in the holderyet easily slide in and out (however, you might have to use tape if there is a strong wind). Plus, I can stack gels if I want as well as use light modifiers that fit snugly to the flash.
I use the wide angle diffuser that comes with the flash to hold the gels in place. I'm shooting into an umbrella or through a snoot or bouncing a ceiling/wall most of the time so it's fast and easy to change gels. I cut them out of full size sheets then put them in an extra Quantaray lens cloth wallet and carry them that way.
The Lumiquest FXtra does NOT fit the 580EXII comfortably, it's a bit of a reach. I have one and never use it. It's also somewhat flimsy and the gel holder on my separated from the storage part (though admittedly it was because the thing was a gift and my sister's dog had a bit of time with it before it got to me :P but it doesn't seem particularly strong anyways). I'd either go with the Cinch-Strap (or Speed Strap from Honl) route and then velcro on your gels, else maybe some tape.
Maybe a dumb question, but how does the gel holder attach? stick that to the flash as well?
Can it also be removed when you want??
"The FXtra mounts to almost any portable flash (excluding the Vivitar 285, which has its own built-in gel slot)using the included hook-and-loop fasteners"
If you don't want to gum up your flash with velcro you can buy the LumiQuest Cinch-Strap for $6.95.
Hi guys,
I'm considering getting two Vivitar 285HVs and these gels look as if they will be very helpful. However, I have a stupid question: is each gel marked with which type it is? Basically, I'm color blind (yes, you can laugh now!) and I'm not sure whether I'd be able to tell the difference between some of them.
Thanks,
Tony
The Rosco pack won't fit over the flash head of the Vivitar 285HV--the gels simply aren't big enough. As for the 285HV, the 2x5 gel packs from Photogels fit perfectly in the filter slot of the flash. I am color blind as well, so I had my girlfriend help me distinguish which gels were which once they arrived. We labeled each gel with a Sharpie so that I could distinguish them from one another. I also keep the gels in something like a card catalog holder (something you might keep coupons organized in) with sections labeled for the most common gels (Full, 1/2, and 1/4 tabs in CTO, CTB, and Plus Green).
The best advice I can tell you is to learn which gels are best used in different situations--not necessarily by looking, but by simply memorizing. Then use a gray card to obtain the exact white balance in post. Personally, though, I just set my camera to a Kelvin balance of 5500K (as that's what the flash's color temperature is) and try to gel the flash to match the ambient when I think it's necessary.
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