‘One Man Band’ Grip Kit – Neewer 5 in 1 Reflector
I don’t very often get excited about reflectors, however tuning into David Winters ‘Cranky Cameraman’ YouTube channel I have found a new love for them! David makes use of 5 in 1 reflectors in replacement of traditional floppy flags, trace frames and such like when working as a small crew. Check out how he uses them in one of his Vlogs below…
After seeing David’s brilliant use of these lightweight, foldable reflectors I decided to give one a go myself!
Neewer 5 in 1 Reflector
Available in a variety of sizes and made out of a diffusion material, the ‘reflector’ part is a cover consisting of 4 sides; white, black, silver & gold. I wanted something big enough to have some impact as a diffusion frame or negative fill, however small enough to easily fit in the car or larger pelicase if needed. I opted for the Neewer 5 in 1 100x150cm reflector which packs down to a disc with a diameter of around 50cm.
The reflector itself is well made, with a decent zip all the way around the cover to allow you to take it off (to use the diffusion) and change sides etc. Frustratingly the cover sides are paired White/Gold & Silver/Black – I would have preferred it White/Black & Silver/Gold, however this is only a small inconvenience.
In the Field Use
Once it arrived I got it out onto a couple of jobs to see what this nifty little reflector could do!
First off I used it as a diffusion frame for some interviews. The diffusion material is quite thick, something around Full Diffusion to 1 1/2. I paired it with my FlaconEye RX-18TD LED panel to provide a really soft key source for some interviews. I was very happy how the diffusion worked out, and how simple it was to use, holding it in place with a lighting stand and a reflector holder.
On the next job I made use of the black side to add some negative fill for some white room interviews, it worked a treat – fitting into a really small space and being in held in place with a lighting stand a ‘crock clip’!
Finally, I had a series of interview to film outside. The reflector came in really handy for negative fill, to add some contrast to the overcast day, then as a diffusion frame when the sun came out! Being held in place by one stand and a reflector holder outside isn’t ideal as the wind does catch it like a sail! Possibly adding a second stand would help here.
Overview
In short, the Neewer 5 in 1 reflector is now always in the kit ready to deploy! Whether as a reflector, diffusion or just to block light from a window. A really handy piece of kit!
If you’d like to take a look at the Neewer 5 in 1 reflector on Amazon check out the link below. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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