Hands On With the New Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit

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During a brief visit to my studio between business trips I got a chance to try out the NEW Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit. I’m a fan of the Rogue FlashBenders and Diffusion panels. I keep a set in the outer pocket of my suitcase because they are completely flat when not in use. This means that on those occasions when I’m on the road and come across an interesting subject to photograph I don’t have to worry that I didn’t bring my usual, larger light modifiers.

The NEW Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit Changes the Game A Bit

I have all kinds of light modifiers in the my studio and smaller ones for travel and while I always looked at the Rogue FlashBenders as “great in a pinch.” I’m now looking at this new Rogue XL Pro as more of a primary tool for my on the road arsenal. The first thing I like about it is the XL part. It’s large enough to achieve better results. The larger the light source and the closer it is to your subject the softer it will be. So larger is definitely better. I also like the versatility in using it either to reflect light or diffuse it.

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The kit comes with everything you need to set it up as a large bounce or as a strip bank softbox. It’s the use as a strip bank that I was most interested in. I use a large strip bank in my studio on a regular basis and I wondered how this much smaller one would perform. To my surprise it worked out even better than I anticipated. I typically use a strip bank to get nice rim lighting, but using it as a main light ain’t bad either.

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Review: Rogue Grid for Your Speedlight

Most of you know that I’m not really a fan of on camera flash. If I use a speed light, then chances are it’s on a stand. When I do use a speed light I usually use a modifier of some type. The one that I usually always have with me is the Rogue FlashBenders. Since I like the FlashBenders so much I decided to take the Rogue Grid for a spin. This is not my first attempt with this product. I received a review unit when it first came out and quite honestly I found the strap to attach it to your speed light so cumbersome that I never actually used it. I gave up. I let the folks at Expo Imaging know and they listened. They completely redesigned the Rogue Grid and made it MUCH EASIER to attach. I took it with me to South Africa and decided to take a couple of candid shots with it.

Focusing your light

The point of a spot grid is to focus your light to a more narrow beam. The Rogue Grid does this task with your speed light. I started with my colleague Jason Levine.

First without the speed light at all
Then with my Nikon SB 900 and the Rogue Grid

Although I saw some potential, it wasn’t quite right yet. The I adjusted the power settings on my SB 900 and took another shot of one of the hostesses at our event.

On this shot and subsequent shots, the Rogue Grid really started to shine

The light was good and not to harsh.

The Bottom Line

I still like the FlashBenders best, but I can definitely see some use for the Rogue Grid too.  Next up I’ll give the Rogue Diffusion Panels a shot.

You can get the Rogue Grid here: B&H or Amazon.