Photo Basics 451 43-Inch White Umbrella

I just used these umbrellas for the first time on a photo shoot this weekend. When I went to break the lights down, I couldn't close the umbrellas because the mechanism that opens and closes the umbrella is made of plastic instead of metal and completely melted!! I had to just throw them away right on site.....waste of money!!!!! Ridiculous....do not buy these

After reading reviews of this product, and the equivalent Westcott 450 Photo Basics 45-Inch Soft Silver Umbrella, I believe there may have been ifferent production runs, resulting in such disparate ratings between the two products and even just within this product.I am a part-time photographer with serious gear. I needed these umbrellas (I bought a few) in a multi-stand (Impact light stands) setup to diffuse Nikon SB-900 and SB-700 speedlights in an outdoor environment. I am not hard on my gear at all and try to keep everything in "Like New" condition. I even put these umbrellas back in the shipping case when not in use.The bottom line? The umbrellas I received were flimsy. Construction qaulity left a lot to be desired. So much so, I consider these items short-term expendable purchases (a few shoots and toss). The optical quality is fine. Light appears very even in distribution. However, the metal is soft (bends easy) and my version had a plastic mechanism for opening and closing (as noted by another reviewer). When one of the light stands took the inevitable low impact fall due to a slight breeze, most of the umbrella ribs bent. While the umbrella still functions, it will not close completely and is slightly warped when opened.It is worth noting I also bought the 45 inch version of this model and experienced the same issues, which are noted by many reviewers of that model. However, many reviewers praise the 43 inch model. This sort of baffles me unless there were different production runs of this model.Another possibility is the price point. If you get these at a good price point (lower than what it is now), you must accept that you get what you pay for and that may be OK and likely OK for many. For example, If I was not doing outdoor shoots making them more likely to take a fall, I would be OK with them. Hobbyist and intermediate shooters would be fine with these (most likely). But as you progress in your photography and start getting paid for your work, you will invariably find that you require more dependable and rugged gear and will have to pay accordingly. No amount of research or second guessing yourself will avoid this fact. You will soon be paying $40 to $60 for an umbrella and not even blink.When you first start with digital photography the hardest part is learning not to spend so much money. At a certain point, you have to learn to start spending a lot more money after training yourself to not spend money.

I purchased this to go in a cheap Strobist kit and overall it's been pretty good. It's not a compact umbrella, which might be an issue for some, but I knew that when purchasing it so I can't count off for that. The shaft has dented rather easily in a couple of places, especially compared to my LumoPro umbrellas which seem to be standing the test of time a little better, but the issue isn't severe so I'll give it 4 stars. On the upside, mine didn't come with the black and red lettering shown in the picture.

My first shoot-through umbrella, so far from an expert. But a perfect budget buy. The shaft seems sturdy to me, not flimsy or in danger of being easily pinched in your adapter. Operates as expected opening and closing. Plastic tips on the ribs. A nice, broad light source that immediately improves your portraits. Good stuff.Contrary to photo, my umbrella has no logo, though the clear plastic holder does. Speaking of that, the holder protects the umbrella as intended and seems durable.The only way to improve this would be if it were collapsible so it would be more easily transported. But if that's what you want, get a collapsible umbrella, right?

I have been a professional photographer for over 25 years and I have been dealing with all kinds of equipment, but even the poor quality of these umbrellas shocked me. I few months ago I purchased 2 of these umbrellas, they arrived quickly, were great quality, and worked fantastic. A month later I decided to purchase 2 more since I had purchased additional lights. I received 2 new umbrellas and, in my opinion, they are terrible. Poor quality, material so thin you can see right through them. No Velcro strap to keep umbrellas closed when not in use and shaft extremely thin. My recommendation, unless they go back to their original umbrellas, buy something else!

I was in the wholesale photographic equipment business for almost 20 years and when I saw this umbrella and this price I thought that I would be disappointed. Far from it! There are much nicer, more sturdily built umbrellas on the market but they are hard to find and cost 3-4 times as much. Here are my observations:* The ribs feel like what you would expect from a commercial, "rain-type" umbrella. The nibs are nicely covered with a white plastic cap.* The shaft has a solid plug in the end of it but is hollow. Still, I have not dented it by tightening down on it with the umbrella adapter holding screw.* The cover material is perfect for either reflecting or shooting-through. The color is neutral white as opposed to some that I have used that give a blue tint.All-in-all a decent photographic umbrella at a great price. I give it four starts for quality but I would give it ten for value if I could.