Westcott 4634 7-Feet White with Black Cover Parabolic Umbrella

Great quality, and value. Creates beautiful soft light. Highly recommend.

As a professional photographer located in Southern California I own a lot of photography gadgets that help me in my business. Some are more fun and useful to work with than others and become mainstay's in my business while others end up at the bottom of a drawer or stuffed in a closet somewhere.After several months of ownership and several on location and studio photo shoots with the umbrella, I decided that it was time to post my review of this tool. Here are examples of my typical set ups using this umbrella. 1. In the studio, I use it with a 600w studio light triggered with Pocket Wizards and a couple of reflectors if needed. 2. On location, I have a flash bar that I mount from one to three Canon 580EX speed lights on triggers and reflectors if needed. One thing that everyone must know is that you need to own a large/heavy duty stand for this umbrella and a couple of sandbags.The umbrella does exactly what is designed to do, provide a very broad even light source that is amazingly soft light over a large area. On location shooting portraits or families it's usually the only lighting I will need. I sometimes shoot with the umbrella directly behind me and because the light source is so broad it does not cast a shadow on the subject. This is also true if the subject you're shooting is close to the background/backdrop, the light appears to come from all directions and envelopes the subject reducing or eliminating the need for a secondary flash.The materials and construction of the umbrella are pretty solid but if you take it outdoors you better make sure you secure it with sandbags or an assistant. The umbrella comes with its own carrying case and is packaged in a durable reusable tube, when not in use I keep mine stored in the tube. I have had great results with the umbrella and it is a very functional tool in my business. I will post additional reviews and links to pictures taken when using the umbrella if I can.

Holy crap, is this one of the best light shapers I've ever used/purchased. If you need a large, soft light source then this is what you want. The price is a steal, and the quality is MUCH better than other large format umbrellas that I've used in the past. Case in point, old metal umbrella broke the first time I used it. This one has fallen twice without any repercussions. Oh, and about the falling over thing - these umbrellas are HUGE, so that means even small winds (1mph) will turn this into a sail boat. This was the case even when using a very heavy c-stand and 3 sand bags. The only way to keep these things up outdoors reliably is by having your assistant stand on the base and hold it steady - even then this thing will get away from you in higher winds.Here's the thing though, I've used this with a SINGLE speedlite and it has produced stunning results. And, because it's so big, you can use this in bright sun as both a light source and as a flag for bright sunlight!

I got this in the mail yesterday and, despite reading all of the reviews, was shocked at how big it was. This thing is huge. Good luck using it with a normal bedroom height ceiling. Yes, you can do it, as my picture shows, but it is a beast. I have it set up with two YN560s and it puts out a ton of light. The photo I attached is at 1/128 power for both lights in a nearly dark room. With the size of the umbrella, it lights up everything with soft wrap around light. A great purchase and a good tool for portrait and group work. I know my example is not the best, but my dog was the only one I could get to volunteer to pose for me. Notice how at ISO 100, it still lightens up the entire surrounding.

I can't say enough about this huge umbrella. The light is fantastic. Every year I photograph all the families at our church for mother's day. I normally use two small shoot through umbrellas and a reflector. The problem I have is I only have seconds or if I'm lucky a minute to get the whole family in position and shoot. With the differing height of the various family members and no time to adjust lights, I'd have a horrible time with shadows. Not anymore. I used one of my Alien Bees 800ws light on 1/2 power 10 feet back from the subject(s) and the light was perfect no matter if it was a couple or a family of seven. I can honestly say that this is the best purchase I ever made to add to my photographic arsenal.

Like every 7' umbrella from every manufacturer, the light quality is great. It's a giant soft light source, making it easy to get great looks. The problem is in the durability. The center rod broke free from the top of the umbrella making it useless. I never took this umbrella out of my studio and don't treat my gear roughly, so this should last for years, but it did not. Looking through other reviews I'm seeing other people reporting the same issue. I'll be replacing this with an umbrella from another manufacturer.

My only issue with this umbrella is that it has a hollow shaft. I wish it had a solid shaft instead. This is fine for studio use but I would question its durability for location. It does provide a beautiful soft light and I can't complain about the price.

This is an AMAZING light modifier! I purchased this along with a Alien Bee AB1600 and took them out for the first time at a prom portrait session. My AB1600/Vagabond mini worked flawlessly and this big umbrella delivered amazing light on two beautiful girls. My whole set up was not really that heavy and the fact that I can fold the umbrella up and carry it in a case on my shoulder makes it a winner for on location shooting vs. my 35" or 47" octaboxes. I pray that the pole holds up well after continued use but it has my vote so far!