Aurora Firefly Beauty Box flash diffuser review
Update: Aurora Firefly STRIPBOX
When you look at this new light modifier from Aurora Lite Bank for the first time, you may begin asking yourself questions. Is it an umbrella? Is it a softbox? Is it a beauty dish? Well, it has a little bit of all three, and it's called Firefly Beauty Box.
Indeed, the reflector itself has an umbrella-like design with ribs, stretchers, and a runner just like a regular umbrella. Firefly is intended to be used with a front diffuser, which is most typical for softboxes. The catchlight it produces is donut-shaped, which is what beauty dishes typically create.
Firefly Beauty Box consists of three parts: an "umbrella", a swivel flash bracket, and a front screen. It comes with a carrying bag, which is only 6"x6"x12" (152 mm x 152 mm x 304 mm). All parts of the diffuser fit into the bag easily and weigh about 3.5 pounds (1.5 kg).
Assembling Firefly Beauty Box is quick and simple. Open the "umbrella" and insert the center pole into the runner. (Note, you may need to twist the runner a bit to make it aligned and settled on the pole.) Press the button on the ring and rotate the arm till it locks. Attach the bracket to the arm with a large screw. Finally, pull the front screen over the "umbrella", inserting the rib tips into the dedicated holes.
When fully assembled, the diameter of Firefly Beauty Box is 20" (508mm), which makes it useful for a broad range of off-camera applications.
A flash gun should be installed on the bracket, where it is secured with a small screw. The large screw that attaches Firefly Beauty Box to the bracket can also be used to adjust the height of the flash. The bracket also features another large screw to adjust the flash position so that the flash head is inserted into the ring.
The inner side of the front diffuser has a high reflective silver circle in the center, which serves a dual role of eliminating the hot spot and reflecting the light back into the Firefly for better distribution and ultimately softer lighting. Nevertheless, for better results, we recommend using a wide zoom value of your flash head (as we show in LumiQuest Softbox III test). Aurora also offers a front diffuser with a gold center for instant warm light. (Alternatively, you can, of course, gel your flash.)
Images below are taken outdoors with Aurora Firefly Beauty Box placed about 3-4 feet from the model's face.
After using Firefly Beauty Box for a while, we believe that it can be a very handy flash accessory for anyone who's doing off-camera work. It allows you to achieve studio quality results on location without carrying bulky equipment. Firefly's original patented design delivers quick and easy setup, which is especially valuable when leaving the comfort of your studio. With its high quality, Aurora's Firefly is likely to give you years of service.
