Westcott 4633 7-Feet Silver with Black Cover Parabolic Umbrella

Very happy with price and quality of the product.

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!

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.

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.

Comfortable in using. Easy. Superbly directs light. But if it falls always breaks the central rod.

This is a very cost effective way to get a large light source. You can also change how hard or soft the light is. IT has seemingly good build quality for the money. It's a deep umbrella so you can feather it off of the background if you need to.

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.

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

Es hermosísimo el resultado de usar esta sombrilla

Happy with the product. This is a must-have item for a portrait photographer.

Ich nutze diesen Schirm nun eine Zeit lang und bin mit den Ergebnissen sehr zufrieden! Der Schirm wiegt jedoch schon ein wenig mehr als der übliche Standartschirm und man sollte ihn mit einem wertigen Schirmhalter verwenden, sonst neigt sich der Schirm mutmaßlich absehbar in Richtung Boden...

Muy buen reflector parabólico. El único pero es que pesa bastante y si no se sujeta bien con un contrapeso es difícil de mantener en su sitio.

Parapluie vraiment très efficace et directionnel. Pour obtenir le meilleur, à mon sens, à utiliser avec un flash de type bare bulb et sans bol réflecteur (de toute façon vu la dimension du parapluie, il n'est pas vraiment possible de shooter dans un endroit exigu, le spill et les rebonds ne sont donc pas très préoccupants). A utiliser aussi comme un parabolique semi-focusable, en jouant sur la distance flash / fond du parapluie, on obtient une focalisation réellement différente. Lampe pilote plus que recommandée (je dirai obligatoire) pour jouir au maximum de ce que ce parapluie peut offrir. Les dimensions généreuses assurent une lumière homogène sans ombre, si on le désire, mais pas plate du tout pour autant. Bref, bon parapluie, surtout à ce prix. Avec la toile de diffusion (que j'ai reçue décousue...), on obtient une gigantesque softbox.