Photography News | Issue 67 | photographynews.co.uk
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First tests
Imaging kit First tests We get our hands on the latest kit and share our first impressions – so you know whether or not to add it to your wish list
Reviews by Will Cheung & Kingsley Singleton
Lastolite HaloCompact 82cmSilver/White Reflector & 2 Stop
Specs
Prices HaloCompact Reflector 82cm Silver/White (LR3300) or Diffuser 82cm 2 Stop (LR3301) £71.95; HaloCompact Cover 82cm 2 Stop Diffuser (LR3303) or Cover 82cm Silver/White (LR3302) £29.95 Carry case Yes Size (WxHxD) 6.5x27x6.5cm (packed); 2x82cm (open) Weight 390g (bagged); 350g (alone) Contact manfrotto.co.uk/lastolite
Diffuser Cover £71.95 & £29.95
cover option; as most budget five-in-one reflectors feature all these options for less than a quarter of the price, it could be seenas lacking features for the outlay. What’s not in doubt is the quality and engineering of the product. The HaloCompact’s ‘RapidExoframe’ is constructed from short sections of lightweight aluminium tubing, each around 25cm long, linked by a cord and these connect easily. The frame goes together much like a tent pole, but turns into a hoop as you close the circle by clipping two halves of the handle together. You can also join the two handle sections first and then make the loop. Overall, it forms a very solid but lightweight ring. Onto the ring, you then snap the reflector or diffuser material using plastic clips. Again, these take some
Lastolite’s HaloCompact is a reflector with a difference – when packed, this 82cm disk packs down to only 6.5x27x6.5cm in its case. Compare this to a regular reflector design, which is unlikely to fold down below about 40cm, and the portability is clear. So, while the usual Wagon Wheel design won’t fit into all but the widest bags, and most likely need to be carried or strapped on like you’re carrying a small satellite dish, the HaloCompact can be slid into a side pocket or strung on the side of abagmorediscreetly. At 350g, it’s also lighter thanmany other designs. You can buy the HaloCompact either with a silver/white surface or a two-stop diffuser, and both of those are available to buy independently as covers, so the pair brings outlay toaround£100. Right now there’s no gold/black deflector
pressing onto the ring, and they need to be evenly spaced for the cover to fit, but it’s easy to modify their position as they slide with just a little friction. With all the clips in place, the fabric is perfectly taut and ready for use. I tried out the HaloCompact in a typical range of portrait situations, using it to reflect and diffuse natural light as well as flash. It performed just as expected in those regards. The ergonomic handle makes it easy to manipulate, especially one handed, and it’s light enough to hold in position. The diffuser claims a two-stop reduction in light, and that was borne out, with a
flash metered at f/11 at ISO 100 and 1m dropping to pretty much dead on f/5.6, and also giving a nice softbox effect. Within the handle is a ¼in thread, so it can be fitted to a stand, tripod or other accessories. There’s also a female- to-male ¼in adapter included. These features make it easier to mount and position than a handleless rim, where you have to use a reflector armor clamp. Theonlygripe is that the adapterdoesn’t have a dedicated pocket in the case. Dismantling the HaloCompact is just as straightforward as putting it up, but fitting the frame and cover into the provided bag is a bit of a squeeze.
Though it’s obvious how the sections of the frameneed tobe laid, the cover is less clearinitially–folditthewrongwayand itwon’t fit, but do it so its clips are spread along the length of the bag, and it’s fine. Inmy test, the process of building the reflector took about 45 seconds, with a similar time to dismantle it. I’d expect this to get faster with familiarity, but it’s still a lot longer than a regular reflector design. In reality though, it’s rarely a job that needs to be done in haste. KS
Verdict
An innovative design, with great portability and build quality. It’s pricier than standard designs – a regular five-in-one design might cost around £20. So you really have to need the small size and weight. That said, the handle and thread are very useful, and mean you don’t need additional arms or clamps. Overall, you pay a premium and get premium quality for it.
Images, left toright TheHalo takes longer to set up than a regular folding reflector, but not bymuch, and practice increases the speed each time you do it. Magnetic catches speed up joining the ring, and thematerial presses on easily. If youwant to seewhat the process of collapsing the reflector is like, simply look at the pictures in reverse
Pros Build quality, packed size and weight, built-in handle Cons More expensive than most, slower to open and close
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