JustinBeevor 8 Posted February 11, 2016 Does anyone have any experience of using one of these? I'm thinking of getting one as an alternative to a snoot for macro shots, and so any practical comments would be most welcome to help me decide. Justin Beevor www.flickr.com/justinbeevor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted February 11, 2016 I had one when we were in Cayman together (last year). I like it, but it hasn’t seen much use because I haven’t done a macro trip for the last year. I find it is good in darker conditions, but less so in shallow bright conditions (Egypt). Hoping to use it in a couple of weeks in Philippines. I think its best use is carrying in a pocket for unplanned backlighting of macro subjects. Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bvanant 195 Posted February 12, 2016 We used one extensively on our recent Anilao trip, both for Video (Walter Marti has some examples up) and for shooting for macro stuff. I think the spot size is a bit too large for teeny stuff, but we did successfully backlight a nice Rhinopias for some interesting shots. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JustinBeevor 8 Posted February 12, 2016 Thanks Alex. Hope to see you tomorrow. Justin Beevor www.flickr.com/justinbeevor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magrone 9 Posted May 5, 2016 For snooting it is very hard to get a true black background unless it is a night dive or a deeper dive with little ambient light. I think it is a useful tool to experiment with different lighting situations, such as backlighting, slow shutter work.. or mixing with ambient light because the light output is uniform, beam is tight and in the right situation... it is very easy to use. I don't think it is a substitute for flash snooting such as with fiber optic attachments or the Retra light shaper. My settings are usually 1/125, F10-14 ISO400. There is a little room for adjustment on these settings but at the highest output the beam simply isn't strong enough to light the subject at faster shutter speeds. The other challenge to shooting with a torch is that you lose the ability to "freeze" the image as flash does. Shooting at 1/125 you must be very still in order to get a sharp image. So shooting in even a small amount of current or surge is a challenge to get sharp images. Saying that, I don't think I would ever go on a macro night dive without one in my pocket. It is really nice to not have a dedicated attachment on the strobe to deal with. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magrone 9 Posted May 20, 2016 Actually, adding the condensing lens (sold separately) helps a lot for snooting subjects approximately the size of a dime... Since the light is condensed it allows for settings at faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
