Customer Reviews

Opteka SB-1 Mini Universal Studio Soft Box Flash Diffuser

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

I can't believe what great lighting this little $13 gadget gives. It softens the light giving your subject a beautiful, even glow. I used it in total darkness to shoot a picture of a sleeping baby and the results were amazing... plus the baby wasn't affected by a bright flash in her face. The diffuser folds flat for storage. Don't be discouraged when you first receive it... yes, it feels flimsy in your hand but once you open it up and attach it to the flash unit it's stable. I would definitely buy this product again.

I ordered this diffuser very recently, and was anxious to try it out when it arrived. (Good delivery time, by the way.) I was very surprised to discover that the package contents did not match what was described on the package. The diffuser is supposed to strap onto the flash unit by first wrapping the flash head with a "friction band", and then the assembled (I assume by some method involving velcro) diffuser, which has had a velcro strap threaded thru loops on the diffuser, is placed over the friction strap and tightenes to hold the diffuser in place. These instructions are clearly printed and illustrated on the packaging.

Problems:
1. No loops on diffuser.
2. No friction strap.
3. No way to assemble the diffuser.
4. The only possible method of attaching this thing to the flash unit is by the supplied 4 velcro "loop" patches which are apparently to be somehow glued to the flash unit (of course, unacceptable!). These would be grabbed by "hook" patches heat-welded to the plastic. Of course, the loose patches had no means discoverable by which to adhere these to the flash unit, even if I had wanted to do so.
5. The diffuser face of the unit was marred by a large oval of welded plastic, which would certainly project artifacts on the subject being photographed. Not a good thing.
6. Even at the low $12.95 price this thing is way overpriced.

I of course returned this to Amazon the same day I received it. They handled the return very well and quickly. They are a quality concern, and I will certainly be dealing with them again.

It feels kind of cheaply made, but I can't expect TOO much, since it is fairly cheap. It defuses the light, which is good, and what I wanted it to do. Folds up very small. No complaints.

The item shown is not what arrived. No strap. Cheap stick-on velcro tabs that would come off in heat and not hold securely anyway. The price suggests what you get.

I purchased this for a quick and easy flash diffuser and what I got was what I suspect to be a cheaply made knockoff. Notice the photos of the product, the description of how it's used - very simple. The Velcro band goes through the loops and your tighten it around the flash head. Well what I received has no Velcro strap and no tabs to even put a Velcro strap through. I have Velcro squares I am supposed to stick to my $500 flash and there is Velcro on the inside for me to "attach" them to. What I received was not only NOT what was pictured on the site (not Amazon's fault) but it wasn't even what was pictured on the packaging of the actual product! The instructions on the back still have the same directions of feeding the strap through the loops and tightening them, yet that isn't how the one inside the packaging is made to work. I was told to call 47th street photo and told them what the issue was, their only response was "they changed the design recently". Really? So if that is the case how come not only the photos on the site are still the same but the PACKAGING still shows the "older" version? Do you think a company would change the design but forget to change the photos and directions of the packaging to the new design? I highly doubt it. Something fishy is going on with these from this vendor, I hate to say it but maybe they are getting knock-offs made and putting them in the real packaging and just selling the unpackaged ones in their storefront... I hate to accuse but it seems like the only logical answer. Go to your local camera shop, I found the same exact thing I THOUGHT I was buying for $3 less than 47th St Photo was charging anyway.

This thing takes my picture from good to wow. I was realllllly surprised that it does so much. If you're on the fence about getting it, just get it. It's cheap enough that you won't really be out of any real money if you don't like it. Just a suggestion - I read the reviews before I bought it and went ahead and got some velcro before it came in. I attached the soft side of the velcro to my flash, the hooked part to the inside of the diffuser. That baby doesn't move an inch. I started doing club photographer recently and my photos look like I've been shooting in that environment for years... get it

This flash soft box is awesome. I got more light from flash and softer shadows and highlights. I'll recomended to any begginer Photographer. Great investement

The product pictures, and the packaging, show the diffuser held in place by a friction band or strap around the flash head. What I got instead was a bunch of velcro pieces that I'm supposed to peel and stick. So, not usable on multiple flashes, and this kind of tape invariably degenerates into a gooey mess after a year or two. It's going back.

If you don't care about that, well then I'm sure it works fine. It's just a piece of plastic.

Very good for the price, I like that you can fold it and keep it in your pocket. It takes a bit of time to unfold it, but after a while you'll fold it and unfold it quickly.

its great and everything but its hard to put all the pieces together on the flash but it works great and you must be careful with it. it is fragile