Westcott 2348 50-Inch Recessed Mega JS Apollo (Black)

I just used this for the first time at a couple of weddngs with my Einstein 640. Beautiful even light, it even lit up a group shot of 20 people. The only drawback is it will not tilt down with the Einstein, so if you're shooting children or need to raise the stand up high over your head it won't tilt down towards your subject. I just have my assistant tilt the stand down for those shots. Very easy to set up and tear down in the quick setting of location weddings. I love it so much I'm going to buy the 24" version to take on engagement shoots! Check out photos taken with this at www.roephotography.com

Awesome Softbox. Great large light source for nice, soft, even lighting. Pops up super fast just like an umbrella which is great for on location shoots. Good value for the money and seems to be well constructed. Great addition to the kit.

I don't really recommend this soft box, the diffusor is saggy and cheap looking, much worse than on my ePhoto 24x36 softboxes (I just wish they made a larger size) and the worst part is the umbrella snaps closed all the time. The design of the shaft doesn't let my umbrella holder on far enough since it tapers thicker, so my flash is sitting right by the diffusor and the hole in the bottom of this umbrella to pass the light through is putting pressure on the stand if you angle the umbrella down at all, and this pressure is enough to force the umbrella to close. Doing an all day portrait shoot and I imagine I had to re-open the umbrella 20 times.

This is really big and pretty good, the light is amazing, even and really soft, the construction is great,and it is easy to set up.

Huge light, easy to assemble wherever needed, great results.I'm using this with speedlights, studio system flashes doesn't fit in very well.

The 50" Westcott Apollo Softbox is an awesome light modifier. Out of all my light modifiers the the 50" Apollo is my favorite. I use it with Studio Strobes and Speed lights. When using speed lights I usually will mount 2-3 flashes in side on a bracket manly for quicker recycle time. With a single 580EXII I can get about f5.6 @ about 40" and ir produces window like quality light! I like the control I get with this softbox, it is nicely recessed and makes it very easy to feather your light.The biggest draw back with this apollo is that you can"t get much angle on the box on a standard light stand. I use a Paul C. Buff "BABY BOOMER" offset arm. the offset arm allows for plenty of angle. [...]I would recommend this softbox for anyone that love pretty light!

There is considerable sag in the front diffusion panel that degrades the quality of light in various ways depending on the angle. After several months Westcott finally responded with "the umbrella frame cannot properly support the softbox at any downward angle" which I find ironic since they sell products designed specifically to make tilting this down easier and the symmetrical frame should require more strength holding it upright. Even straight on the sag allows wrinkles in the diffusion cloth that create anomalies in the light (highlights and shadows) and when used overhead for product or food work the sag creates more of a shoot through umbrella look (though more controlled due to the closed box behind). I've spent countless hours trying to remount and adjust the diffuser to no avail and with westcott finally replying (well after my return window has closed) I'm stuck with a very low quality softbox for a much higher price than many alternatives that can be found here.

I purchased this softbox because of the glowing reviews on Amazon.Pro:Simple, almost elegant design.Worked great right out of the box as promised (unlike two other softboxes)Very easy to set up and take down.Light weight.Beautiful light.Con:Umbrella material is super thin feels delicate and cheap.Folded metal edges are sharp.Diffusion material feels, smells, and looks like light-weight translucent PVC shower curtain from Walmart.Construction of umbrella joints and stitching is sloppy.A carry case does not come with this item - something which is included in just about every other photo product I have purchased on Amazon and elsewhere. $192.52 (shipped to me) and Wescott couldn't include a nylon drawstring bag for minimal storage and protection requirements?(Wescott: so cheap we squeak)Conclusion:I would not recommend this light modifier to anyone looking to build a lighting kit. While the light is good, the craftsmanship is shoddy. Lack of a simple bag for carry and/or storage is thoughtless and shows a lack of respect for the product and the customer's investment.