Generally speaking, I’ve never been a fan of small light modifiers–but the Lastolite Ezybox Speed-lite 2 is giving me a solid reason to say that I’ve been wrong. The mini softbox folds up to a very compact size that fits into the same messenger bags that can hold a 13 inch laptop. Additionally it has a silver interior and two layers of diffusion that can help soften the light output from the otherwise pretty small softbox.
Generally speaking, softboxes like this are great for tight headshots and portraits–especially when used on location. They’re also pretty good for small products, food, etc. But sometimes you may want something a bit more. Despite saying that, this little softbox can deliver just the right amount of light in lots of situations.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to fold up
- Delivers a light that isn’t super punchy but more than potent enough
- This belt system is probably the most secure I’ve ever seen
Cons
- Not a single thing, especially considering the affordable price point.
Gear Used
We tested the Sony a7r II, Sony 70-200mm f2.8 G Master OSS, Sony 50mm f1.4 Zeiss, Nikon D500, Nikon 50mm f1.8 G with the Lastolite Ezybox Speed-lite 2.
Tech Specs
Taken from the product page listing.
| Weight | 0 oz |
|---|---|
| Comes With Fabric Bag | Yes |
| Product – Depth | 8.66 in |
| Diffuser – Height | 8.66 in |
| Diffuser – Width | 8.66 in |
| Product – Height | 9.06 in |
| In Bag – Depth | 2.36 in |
| Product – Length | 8.66 in |
| In Bag – Height | 11.81 in |
| Stops of light loss | 2 stops |
| Open Size | Small |
| Weight – In Bag | 0.55 lbs |
| Weight – Out Of Bag | 0.33 lbs |
| Product – Width | 0.91 in |
| In Bag – Width | 13.39 in |
Ergonomics
The Ezybox 2 is a small softbox that is designed to take the existing light from a speedlight flash and soften it. In the image above, you see the softbox is one configuration that I tend to like more though Lastolite recommends flipping it upside down.
The reason for this is because I like to raise my flash to a bit higher than their eye level and point it downward. This mimics the look of light as we naturally see it. And so we start this review by looking at the front of the Ezybox. There is a large diffusion panel held in place by both velcro and an overall snug fit.
Remove this diffusion layer and what you’ll find on the inside is yet another interior layer to prevent a hotspot from occurring. The interior is a standard silver which gives just enough punch overall.
When you turn to the side, what you’ll find is how it fits onto a flash head. There is a unique belt system here in use.
Said belt system uses a blue wheel and teeth to tighten and loosen it accordingly.
Build Quality
What I really like about the Ezybox 2 is its compact size and its overall solid build quality. It’s ready to use very quickly and there is no need to attach any sort of rods to set it up. Instead, it folds down very thin.
The Ezybox 2 folds down so small that it turns into something that can easily fit into a 13 inch camera bag if when needed.
Ease of Use
Years ago, softboxes for speedlights involved using rods, a speedring, etc. Over the years, that has changed and the Ezybox 2 is one example of just how they’ve evolved to make their use simple. Upon taking it out of the box, I was able to completely figure out how to use it within just a few minutes. Setup thereafter only took a few seconds.
As stated before, I really tended to use the softbox a bit above the eye level of my subject. Because it’s so small, it’s designed to cover a smaller area and could be ideal for tight headshots.
See the image above and how the upper section is clearly brighter than the rest of him? The brighter section is where the light hit. It can deliver a nice and interesting effect similar to what a monolight does with an umbrella reflector attached.
Overall, due to its small size, you should really use it to deliver punch right where it’s needed.
All of these images were shot with TTL flash transmission and so they all worked very well. The exception being the photo directly below of Amanda–which was done with manual flash output and the flash head being zoomed to the widest angle. The softbox overall cuts down maybe around half a stop of power max–which makes it very efficient.
Image Quality
Conclusions
The Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 is very useful in many situations. Many photographers will enjoy using it and make great use of it. I mostly recommend it for portrait shooting and anything involving a generally small area.
I also really recommend that it only be used with a flash positioned off-camera. You can try to use it on-camera but that’s honestly a waste.
