Westcott Apollo 43in Orb very hard Hot spot.. any tips?

justin6547 · May 7, 2013

ok so i have the Westcott Apollo 43in Orb using SB-25 speed light zoomed out and diffuser flap down. My orb has a very high 2-3 stops hard hot spot in the lower center of the orb. its not very soft its pretty hard light comming out. Is this just how the apollo series things are using speedlites? any tips on how to even out my light?

jamesbjenkins · May 7, 2013

Pictures always make the diagnosis easier. What you're describing doesn't sound right.

justin6547 · May 7, 2013

ok ill snap a pic of the hotspot stay tuned

tirediron · May 7, 2013

Light to close to the diffusion material perhaps?

justin6547 · May 7, 2013

light doesn't face diffusion material

tirediron · May 7, 2013

Different variation of the same question: Is the light in the correct position with respect to the rear reflector so that the beam-spread from the speedlight properly fills it?

justin6547 · May 7, 2013

well i have the umbrella rod rod backed out as far as possible meaning my light is sitting at MAX possible distance from the back of the octa. moving it closer only seems to make it worse

tirediron · May 7, 2013

When you say "zoomed out" do you mean that the speedlight is set for the maximum focal length or the minimum? It should be set for the minimum.

justin6547 · May 7, 2013

yes zoomed out 20mm... added pics

jeph · May 8, 2013

The only thing I can think of would be to put in an extra diffusion panel but I don't think that modifier offers that.

On another note do you feel that the orb is too flimsy? I am thinking real hard about one.

Derrel · May 8, 2013

I think the issue is that weird umbrella swivel mount. MOST of them have an angle to the umbrella shaft hole, so a modern speedlight when angled to 0 degrees bounce (aka 'straight ahead') will hit the center of an umbrella. The swivel mount you have there seems to have been designed by a junior engineer...some guy who never designed any lighting gear...

Try it with a properly-designed swivel mount and the problem will go away. I can GUARANTEE that the people who engineered the Westcott device actually know what they are doing.

jeph · May 8, 2013

Thought a bit more, maybe you could get some sort of omni bounce that would spread light through the bank. Might rob a little power but if you're in doors...

Mike_E · May 8, 2013

Use a ball bungee and bungee the flash flat against the tube to center the beam on the umbrella.

The way you have it now you have most of the beam bouncing off of the top of the umbrella and since it's curved it's reflecting to the bottom of the diffuser causing the hotspot.

amolitor · May 8, 2013

Yeah, I'm no lighting modifier's expert, but I DO know how a parabolic mirror works, and that speedlite ain't anywhere NEAR the focal point. Pump light into any symmetrical reflector off-center and guess what, it's gonna come out off-center as well.