Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit has joined the Rogue FlashBender family of flash light modifiers as the largest FlashBender yet. It is primarily designed for off-camera lighting, but in certain cases, it can be used on the camera, as well. Rogue XL reflector is a scaled up version of Large Rogue Reflector. You can shape Rogue XL just like any other FlashBender achieving a variety of lighting effects. (See our Rogue FlashBender Positionable Reflector review for more details). In addition, Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit includes three attachments: a silver/black panel, a softbox, and a stripbox. On top of that, the width of Rogue XL can be varied for more lighting options when it's used as a stripbox.
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The included softbox attachment is a Rogue Diffusion panel that is sold separately for other FlashBender models/sizes. It easily attaches to the reflector with velcro, and a couple of snap fasteners keeps the whole assembly shaped for optimal light distribution.
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When using speedlight accessories (and softboxes in particular), it is often important to pay attention to the zoom setting of your flash. (See, for instance, our LumiQuest Softbox III test.) With Rogue XL, it is less of an issue because the light distribution is quite even across the face of the diffusion panel at all zoom setting except for 24mm, when the hotspot is more distinct. We detected very small variance in light distribution and total light output using different flash zoom settings. However, if we needed to pick the one that works the best for all cases, we would recommend using 50 mm.
Rogue XL reflector measures 13x16" (33x41 cm), so it is comparable to flash light diffusers like, for example, Honl Photo traveller 16 or LumiQuest Softbox LTp. The following images demonstrate the size differences.
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The image below shows that Rogue XL is significantly bigger than the popular Large FlashBender reflector.
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The silver accessory is useful when you need more specular highlights and a bit of extra kick in light output. Flipping the attachment turns your Rogue XL reflector into a large flag/gobo when you need to control the light spill of your speedlight.
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The stripbox attachment of Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit is probably what most photographers will be excited about. In a matter of seconds, you can have a stripbox, and you can tailor its width to the needs of your photo shoot.
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To be honest, it was not obvious to us how to change the width of the stripbox. Without spending too much time thinking about it, we turned to the included booklet and found the answer right away. We found the solution is quite clever: to reduce the width, you need to fasten the velcro hooks across the top of the strip diffuser to the top of the reflector, as shown in the images below. The more hooks you fasten, the narrower the strip light you will get.
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Below, you can see two examples of using Rogue XL stripbox. As shown in the corresponding behind the scene shots, one image is captured with the stripbox and a Rogue Grid with "Just Blue" filter from a Rogue Gels set.
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The second setup utilized only the Rogue XL in the narrow stripbox configuration. You can see how nicely the light falls off around the edges.
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The following series of images show how Rogue XL throws the light towards the subject in the four main configurations: a reflector, a softbox, a wide stripbox, and a narrow stripbox. You can see that the light quality varies quite a bit giving you plenty of options for fine-tuning your lighting.
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Besides the flash zoom setting, there is one more thing you need to keep in mind when using Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit with flashes that do not lock in the vertical flash head position, such as Nissin Di866 II or LumoPro LP160. Rogue XL weighs about 13 oz (360 g), which is not a lot for a light modifier. Since it sits high on the flash head, it may force the head to slam down when you tilt the flash forward. A simple solution to this issue is to strap the FlashBender at the hinge level rather than the top of the head. The light quality is not significantly affected by this, but you will be able to freely move your flash around during your shoot.
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Even though Rogue XL is quite large compared to the other FlashBender family members, it should easily fit in most camera bags. You can certainly slip it into your laptop pocket or bend it and fit into other sections of your bag or case.
To sum up, Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit is yet another great photography tool from ExpoImaging. It gives you more lighting options than any other FlashBender. Whether in studio or on location, it is a tool that in no time, allows you go from a softbox or a stripbox to a flag or a reflector.
