LumiQuest ProMax System diffuser (best flash diffuser rating: 8.89) is based on the previously designed LumiQuest 80-20 diffuser. LumiQuest 80-20 delivers two shooting modes. One is to bounce 80 percent of the light off of a ceiling and throw 20 percent of the light forward. The other one is to direct all light towards the subject with a white insert attached.
LumiQuest ProMax System takes it to the next level introducing two more inserts and a diffusing screen. In addition to the white insert, you also get silver and gold inserts. The silver insert can be used to get about 2/3 of a stop of extra power and a harsher look to the pictures. The gold one provides a warmer look and also can serve as a color matching tool under certain lighting conditions. Similarly to the silver attachment, the gold one gives you more power (about 1/3 of a stop) comparing to the regular white insert.
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The diffusing screen takes you further down the shadow softness road, but that, of course, comes at a price of loosing more range. Even though the cost is about one full stop, the diffusing screen is a valuable addition that gives you more lighting flexibility.
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The diffusing screen can be used with or without the inserts.
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LumiQuest ProMax System is designed to be attached to a wide side of a flash head, which means that for vertical shots you need to use a flash bracket. If, however, you want to avoid using a bracket, you can attach ProMax System to a narrow side of your flash and rotate the flash head when switching between horizontal and vertical camera positions. Attaching to a narrow side is less secure, but is still usable and allows the light source to be above the camera lens axis when shooting vertical.
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LumiQuest ProMax System is a very portable solution for your lighting needs. It comes with a wallet that accommodates the diffuser itself and all of the attachments. So, you can conveniently carry all of them around while on a job.
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If you're not sure if you need the silver and gold attachments and the diffusing screen, you might be better off with LumiQuest Quik Bounce diffuser that is designed for rapid switching between 80-20 and 100 lighting ratios but does not have any accessories available.
Also, if you're a bit of a do-it-yourself person at heart, but still want to look professional, you may want to consider buying an extra set of ProMax inserts and cut holes in them to get additional lighting ratios to work with.
In concluision, LumiQuest ProMax System is a professional grade device. It's very well designed and built. It's been popular among photographers for years. As Quest Couch, the creator of LumiQuest products, says, LumiQuest ProMax System is "really an interesting and exciting way of improving the capability of your flash when you don't know what to expect on location."
Below are sample images taken with LumiQuest ProMax System:
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