Pro Studio Solutions EZ-Pro 36" (90cm) Octagon Softbox with Speedring for Profoto Compact Lights Series D1 250 W/S, D1 500 W/S and More

I finally took the leap and invested in a high-quality softbox for my self-portrait photography, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Setting it up is a breeze, and it has truly elevated my self-portraits to a whole new level. The difference in lighting is remarkable, and I'm thrilled that I made this purchase. It's a worthwhile investment that has enhanced the quality of my photography, and I'm glad I finally took the plunge.

I really wanted to be able to give this a 5 star review but with having to tweak this unit just to get it to work right lost it a star. When I received mine and set it up for the first time I noticed that it wasn't quite straight. I had to spend some time tweaking the rods a little to get it to be a little more uniform.The features:Beauty Dish: great idea, poor execution. They didn't bother to include a way to secure it into position. I had to use a couple of clothes pins to hold in place, my other clamps were too cumbersome, clothes pins fit the bill well.Umbrella style: opens like an umbrella and works great as far as that goes.Mine came with the speedring for the bowens and also had an Einstein/AlienBee speedring attached to the setup, so I got both. It was a nice surprise as I needed both anyway. It's pretty easy to swap out the rings also.This is a nice and easy/quick setup option for those that don't want to have to spend 10 minutes setting up just one box. Then you can go with the cheaper units but this is about as good as you are going to get for this price range and the purpose these are intended for. I wish they would release a properly fitting grid for it though. If it wasn't for all the little things that I had to fix I would have given it a higher rating but I didn't have any other option. Still a good buy though.

Why is this my personal favorite style of strip box? Two main reasons. I like the larger size (12"x56") for full length rim lighting AND it has the quick setup capability (make sure that it's the EZ-Pro model and not the "Pro" (assemble rod by rod) model. It's the tallest size that I've been able to find that still has the quick umbrella style setup. I use the included deflector to help get more of the light to the two far ends of the softbox. The light output won't be even for ANY of the larger strip softboxes, but this helps significantly.I'd strongly suggest picking up the matching grid, as normally you'd be using the strip softbox to create a narrower vertical beam of light highlighting the sides of your subject.If you're looking for a taller strip softbox that you'll be frequently setting up and taking down (i.e. one that's a quick setup), then I'd recommend this style.

If you had asked my a month ago, I would have given this a 1 star rating. BUT, Fotodiox customer service was awesome. I first ordered this softbox and it took several weeks to arrive. After it arrived the speedring would not fit on my Photogenic Lights. I sent it back and ordered again thinking the wrong speedring was shipped. Second softbox arrived with the same issue. So, I wrote them about my issues. They told me that they had reports of the problem and that they could send me the fix. Well, I had already ordered a replacement speedring directly from Fotodiox and once it arrived, it fit fine. I emailed them the good news and they offered to refund me the cost of the replacement speedring. They refunded my account within the hour. So, I am a happy photographer with a product that is so easy to set up and produces wonderful light. Their customer service saved the day and I highly endorse this product. I reduced by one star for the lack of quality control in the first place. Thank you Fotodiox for a prompt, friendly and proper resolution to this strange issue.

The five stars is for the 36" octabox with the BOWENS mount. The 36" octabox with the speedlight bracket adapter gets 0 stars because the speedlight adapter simply does not stay attached to the softbox mount. I first tried the Octabox with the speedlight bracket but returned it because the bracket would not stay in the speedring as the rubber around the edge of the speedlight bracket made it too thick to fit into the Octobox mount and it kept on popping out. ( I purchased other softboxes with the same speedlight bracket without the rubber edge. Therefore I am assuming Fotodiox previously sold the version of this speedring which has no rubber edge making it thinner and thus fitting in the mount well, although the Bowens mount is very slightly larger and more secure in any case ) I purchased the Bowens mount version and the Studiohut L-Bracket for Bowens mount for speedlight use. The Bowens speedring stays nice and securely attached to the softbox.Initially, I was hesitant to buy this Octabox because of reviews stating that the light it emits is blue. But I have not found this to be the case. The color temperature from this Octabox is perfect, not blue nor yellowish.It is hard to open and close, but if you follow the instruction and push it against your abdomen to open and close as Fotodiox advises, it only takes a few seconds , it . Alternatively, you can place the softbox on the floor and press down on the center of the cage to open the softbox. To close it, press down in center a bit and then press in that little metal piece that sticks out and clicks when opening the umbrella. I find the first method to be easier.I use a flash diffuser. I see a big difference in the smoothness and eveness of the light using a flash diffuser. It is much more even.This is a great Octabox and well worth the price!Edit: I bought #10 washers from Home Depot for the softbox's speedring mount. The washers I purchased are substantially thicker and slightly bigger than the ones that came with softbox( but still fits in the grooves) and they really hold the speedring securely.