Today I bring you an accessory that will be a before and after in your portrait and product photographs , mainly. This is the 5 in 1 reflector, an accessory that is worth much more than it costs, for everything it is capable of providing you for such an affordable price.
WHAT IS A REFLECTOR FOR?
A reflector serves, as the name implies, to reflect light, which helps you to illuminate or fill shadows, for example. It is used to direct light, but also to shape it.
Here is an image taken with and without a reflector. Watch the shadows fill with light.
NEEWER 5-IN-1 REFLECTOR
Today I am going to tell you about the one I have at home which is the Neewer 5 in 1 reflector, but they are all very similar, fundamentally changing the size, now we will talk about it later.
This 5 in 1 reflector includes:
- diffuser
- gold reflector
- reflector white
- silver reflector
- black reflector
- sheath
It consists of a flexible ring with translucent fabric that serves as a light diffuser and a reversible cover, on the one hand it has a black and a silver face, and on the other, a gold and a white face. All this is stored in a black zipper and handle cover.
Let's see what each one is for.
DIFFUSER
The diffuser is used to diffuse or soften the light. When you have a very hard light that creates very strong shadows, the diffuser will make this light much softer. Let's see it with an example (notice, all the following comparative photos are as is from the camera):
Let's see another example:
As you can see, the diffuser makes the light much softer, eliminating the abrupt transition between light and shadow. You can see on the graph the difference between hard light and diffused light, to help you understand both types of light if this is all new to you. The diffuser would act like the clouds in the drawing.
GOLDEN REFLECTOR
This reflects the light in a very powerful way and also provides a warm tone, as if you were portraying with the light of the golden hour.
SILVER REFLECTOR
This silver part reflects light with the intensity of gold, but without adding any shade. Reflects light much more than white.
WHITE REFLECTOR
Reflects light but much softer than the previous two.
BLACK REFLECTOR
Calling it a reflector is not the most appropriate, since black does not reflect light but absorbs it and that is its function. It is used to create more shadows and avoid reflections, for example by blocking light from a white wall that is reflecting.
It is very useful for dramatic portraits where you want, for example, to leave a part of the face more in shadow and another part illuminated.
It can also serve as a background, if you want a black or neutral one, it is ideal.
DETAILS
- Measurements: 110 cm- open / 40 approx.-closed (there are more sizes that we will see below).
- Weight: on the page it says that it weighs 680g but my food processor that I had considered quite accurate says 744g. Here I would insert the girl's emoji with open arms in a way I don't know , what I know is that it seems to weigh less because 680g seemed like a lot to me and that's why I wanted to check it out.
- Shape: round ( there are also rectangular ones ).
- Price: the 110cm (price not available at the moment)
ADVANTAGE
It is a portable and foldable accessory . Although extended it measures 110cm, once folded it only measures about 40cm. It folds making an eight, because the ring is flexible and you can fold it on itself.
By the way, since at first some of us find it a little difficult to double it, especially if it is the first time, I leave you with this video in which Dan explains it phenomenally.
Another advantage is that it is multifunctional, with a single accessory you have different options to model the light.
It is really cheap for everything it offers, the large size costs (price not available at the moment) and the smallest, 30 cm, only € 11.99
Regarding the materials of this product, the truth is that they seem quite resistant, I do not have the impression that they will break soon, of course.
DISADVANTAGES
The only drawback I see is that you need someone to hold your reflectorSometimes it may be the same person you are portraying, although it is not ideal. Or you can support it somewhere with some ingenuity, but it is also not usually a good solution because the best thing is to be able to move it while your model moves.
WHAT IS THE IDEAL SIZE?
The size will depend on the needs. If for example you are going to dedicate it to photography of small products, it does not make sense that you buy this big one. With a smaller one you will cope much better.
Ideally, you should think about what you are going to use it and decide which size best suits your needs. Here you have several options, but on Amazon you will find many more, also more models from other brands. I bought this because this brand seems to me to offer excellent value for money. As you can see the opinions are really positive (and very numerous).
30 CM
50 CM
80 CM
110 CM
CONCLUSIONS
As you have seen, it is a great tool, it does not take up much space, it does not weigh to transport and it is very affordable. A must in terms of accessories, yes, if yours is street photography, for example, it will not do you much good
Like everything, it has its application and this tool is useful for those who usually do portraits, social photography (for example at weddings) or product photography. It serves both indoors and outdoors. It will help you get more light and exactly where and how you want it, you can use it with natural light and also with studio light.
Now that Christmas is approaching, perhaps it is a good detail to include in the letter, don't you think?
Have you tried it? Do you leave us your opinion below? We would like to know your experience to have other opinions, surely the other interested people will thank you. And I also. And if you share it on your favorite social network, double thanks .
