Assignment, Gear

Mag Mod Review 1

Mag Mod Kit--3 sets of Grids and Gel Holders with 3 Mag Grips which house the strong magnets that are housed inside very tough elastic holders.
Mag Mod Kit–3 sets of Grids and Gel Holders with 3 Mag Grips which house the strong magnets that are housed inside very tough elastic holders. From top left clockwise: red gel holder, blue gel holder, grid (honey comb) holder. In the middle on the white sheet are the varies colored (special effects) gels which include flourescent, tungsten and color temperature orange.

After a long wait, I finally got the 3 sets of Mag Mod Speedlite modifiers which I ordered via Kickstarter.

I had no trouble figuring out I needed to stretch the elastic bands around the head of my Canon 600-EX-RT Speedlites.

Once on, they stayed on.

Reg gel holder attached to the Mag Mod grip
Reg gel holder attached to the Mag Mod grip

One unintended side effect of these magnets being on the Speedlites was the increase in bulk.

Something in my Domke bag now has to be left behind or I have to pack those Speedlites with attached Mag Mod grips separately.

In the back of my mind, I can’t help but wonder if the strong magnetic field will affect either the digital camera bodies or the memory cards or even the Speedlites.

View from back of Mag Mod Grip attached to the Speedlite.The magnets are housed in a very strong elastic which I recommend you leave attached to your Speedlite. Repeated removal and reattaching might loosen the elastic
View from back of Mag Mod Grip attached to the Speedlite.The magnets are housed in a very strong elastic which I recommend you leave attached to your Speedlite. Repeated removal and reattaching might loosen the elastic

Too soon to tell but I’m sure we’ll find out.

I took an opportunity to use the modifiers during the local Art Walk here in town.

I got a bellydancing friend, Koko to model for me at the Riverside Art Museum as part of an off-camera flash demonstration.

That evening I used 3 of my 600 EX-RT Speedlites.

The main light, a 600-EX-RT Speedlite, was attached to an XS Photoflex Octodome which was mounted on a Cowboy Studio boom.

Koko photographed against blue backdrop. Main light was a XS Photoflex Octodome.
Koko photographed against grey  backdrop lit by a Speedlite fitted with blue gel.. Main light was a XS Photoflex Octodome.
Attaching the blue gel on the Mag Mod grip is simple. I just have to find myself a good container for these gels.
Attaching the blue gel on the Mag Mod grip is simple. I just have to find myself a good container for these gels.

A background light (2nd 600 EX-RT Speedlite) was attached with the Mag Mod blue gel when I photographed Koko in her bellydancing outfit.

That light was placed on the floor behind Koko and aimed upwards towards the grey backdrop.

The hair light for separation  (3rd 600EX-RT Speedlite) was fitted with the Mag Mod’s grid and mounted a regular light stand aimed towards Koko’s head about  7o’clock.

All the Speedlites were set to fire on manual power which I easily dialed in from the STE-3-RT.

Thanks to the volunteer from the Riverside Art Museum for sharing this picture. It gives you an idea of what the scene looked like.
Thanks to the volunteer from the Riverside Art Museum for sharing this picture. It gives you an idea of what the scene looked like.

Because it was dark inside the gallery, I used an incandescent light off to the side to aid me with focusing.

The Mag Mod system works well.

If there were any awkwardness, it would have to be figuring out which orientation I need when stacking the grid and a gel to prevent reverse polarity. That is a minor issue which will go away through familiarity of use.

tori

Next: More pictures from this photoshoot.
Peter Phun Photography

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