The many options the reflector has, I believe, are its strongest point. The ability to switch back and forth very quickly between the five different bounce surfaces is liberating. It is also great not having to pack every different option because it is all included. This is also a drawback in that if you need more than one separate bounce device at one time, you are out of luck because you left the rest of your bounce cards at home. I don’t believe this is the end all. I do think it would be a good all purpose “just in case” device. If you have a small crew and no storage this is the reflector for you.
This is the part where I write that there are only certain things that you would need this reflector for. But, I guess you could say that about most filmmaking tools. This reflector (the white side) is great for close-ups or inserts shots or even Entourage-style walk and talks but, if you think you are going shoot a wide shot and make any difference in the exposure, you are going to be disappointed. This reflector is just too small for anything more than a medium shot.
Furthermore, in my opinion, both of the actual reflectors (gold and silver) are way too small and flexible to even use in film or video. These types of reflectors are used for still fashion photography mainly. What I mean is they are very source-y, they actually look like you have a gold or silver reflector pointed at the subject and if the device is moved at all it is very distracting. In the traditional film industry, if you use a reflector in film it's large like 12’ by 12’ so it can blanket the whole subject. If it does look like a reflection it seems like it is something big and stationary, not like the reflection off a wrist watch, for instance.
Now, what does work for filmmaking you ask? The good old white bounce is where it’s at. A white bounce is always handy, whether you need just some fill light or to protect from camera shadow. Another positive is this reflector is the perfect size and shape for tracking shots where you need to just get some light into the actor’s eyes.
On the other end of the spectrum, I feel that the black side is also very useful. It is great if you want to reduce the ambient light and increase the overall contrast in a close-up. I have always felt that negative fill (subtracting the amount of light as apposed to adding it) has always been criminally under used in lower budget projects. An example would be a pivotal moment in a scene when it cuts to a close-up and the lighting is flat and shapeless and it unravels all of the tension the director has built. What a shame.
Now, I will address the “silk” option. Again, this is a case of not really big enough. Usually when you “fly” a silk it is huge, so we are once again in familiar close-up territory. This is the option that almost always demands that you have a C-stand or another grip device to hold it stationary, so that rules it out as an easy choice.
For the price, I find this product very tempting. That being said, it is probably more for my still photography then for my filmmaking applications. You do get a lot for less then $60. It is sturdy and light and extremely compact. But, on the other hand you could achieve some of the same lighting effects with a trusty old piece of foam core. (Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who keeps several 4’ by 4’ sheets of foam core in the back seat of my car at all times.) With that said, maybe I'll pick up an extra one of these.
