I have spent the last few months reviewing a ton of flash gear. My goal was to find the best set up for a new photographer.
After playing around with a speedlite and umbrella, I figured the next inexpensive tool I thought I needed was a reflector. Because I am only using one speed light right now, I needed a way to overcome the shadows that result from using a light source. A reflector is super easy to use and can be used in so many different circumstances. Even if you prefer natural light, a reflector can be a great tool balancing out the sunlight on your subject.
The actual fabric material on the Savage reflector was really good quality. It was thick yet durable. The real problem
I had was with the zippers. The zippers became difficult to use after just a couple days of using. I would hope I just got a bad one, but it was surprising as the rest of the material seemed so much more substantial.
The 9-in-1 reflector consists of a white, somewhat translucent reflector. There are then two fabric coats that go over the reflector. Each side of the coat is a different color so when you put the coat over the reflector you have a color on each side. You can then turn that coat inside out to get two new colors. With the two coats and the original reflector, you have nine different color options. The zipper on one of the coats worked fine for the most part, but the other zipper was very difficult to zip and even felt like it might break a couple time. The more I used it, the more difficult the zipper became, but I was still able to use it many times and it never actually broke. Finally, the reflector comes in a really nice carrying case so you don’t have to be afraid to damage it while you are not using it.
The reflectors are super easy to use as you just have to hold it opposite your light source. The bigger size reflectors, like this one, can also be used as a great diffuser if you don’t have a light modifier or just want to diffuse the light coming from the sun or some other source to which you cannot attach a modifier.
The reflector includes the original translucent white, solid white, black, blue, green, gray, gold, silver and a gold/silver combination. I think a reflector is a must have. There are lots of hacks out there you can use to make your own reflector as well, but if you want to play with some extra colors and don’t mind spending $65, you can pick this one up at Amazon. You can also save a lot of money if you get the more traditional 5-in-1 reflector or a smaller size. It all depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. I would rarely see much use for the additional colors, but they are fun to play with at times.
