AMBITFUL AL-18PRO Snoot

This has suited my needs brilliantly. I used it for still life photography recently and am going to give it go with some live models at a location shoot. So far very pleased.

I don't really have a great need for a snoot but it's still something I've fancied having for the odd occasion where I felt one might come in useful. I don't really do a lot of portraiture which is where this is probably most useful, but I do video a lot of talking heads interviews and this is great for creating interesting lighting patterns in the background. I haven't yet used it in an interview setting but I have set up my equipment in my usual positions and added this to throw some interesting patterns on the the background. This works particularly well when theres' a boring dark background, it helps to add some interest so instead of a boring background there's some shape to it - and the light adds a levels of depth too. The build quality of this seems very good. Usually I compare to other equipment but I've never used a snoot before so this is my first experience with such a thing, and I'm impressed. I doubt I'll use it frequently, but there are definite situations where this will be useful and the 50mm lens provides good throw whilst retaining edges nicely.

Before ordering this I noticed that amazon said "often returned". But it was such a bargain I was willing to take the risk. I suspect the problem most people have is that the inner depth of the chamber is 10.5cm which means the modelling light may not fit inside. Without a modelling light it is much harder to focus and that is the problem. Some modern strobes already have a flat LED modelling light so will not have a problem. Ones with the old E27 bulbs may wall not fit. However, there are compact LED bulbs that will fit and make everything work. Obviously different strobes will vary but for me it needed to be about 9cm or below. This restricts the brightness available but you don't need brighter with a light modifier like this. Aside from this one problem this otherwise seems to be solid, well built and the selection of gobos and colour filters is great.

I was really happy to receive this snoot, It came very well packaged and presented. First impressions are very good, All components seem well made and good quality. I was eager to try one of these for a long time, And I have been very pleased with the effect/results it can do. I really like the compact design of it, It's ideal for small spaces. It seems solid, secure and stable. I'm very happy with the effects I can create. Highly recommended to others!

Works perfectly, the 50mm lens is great in small spaces or where you want it to cover a large area. Great product, great price.

This is a great snoot and well worth the price. The build quality is fine and it comes with a good array of GOBO's It comes with a fixed 50mm lens which is great at the price. If you need flexibility of distance from the subject then a snoot with a mount that will take your wide and gle or telephoto lenses will give you more flexibility.