My review of the Wescott Rapid Box Octa

[aboudd]

I just bought a Wescott Rapid Box Octa for an upcoming assignment where I have to travel by air. This umbrella like softbox is 26" and works with your shoe-mount flash. It has a high reflective silver material that results in a small one-stop loss with the diffusion material in place. The light stand/ bracket is highly adjustable and looks to accommodate almost any shoe-mount strobe. I did an extensive write-up on it along with some photos for you to view. Go to www.foto-gizmo.blogspot.com

[Ellis Vener]

Westcott makes fine gear but I prefer the Chimera Octa 2 Beauty Dish. which works well as a beauty dish, a straight forward Octagonal softbox or an open faced (no diffuser, no internal deflector) octagonal reflector. I have used it with everything from 2400 w-s Profoto pack and single head; high powered  (1,200 w-s)  battery powered lights;  monolights (mostly Paul C. Buff Einsteins); and single and doubled up Canon Speedlites.
I packs up flatter than the Westcott apparently does, is well sewn and produces great light. I've used it as a key light for still life work, corporate , editorial and advertising portraits , and asa fill and accent light. Lightools now makes a grid for it but I haven't tried that yet.

The Chimera Versi mount for small hotshoe type flashes is certainly better made than the plastic Westcott one.