Is there a better skill to have in your back pocket than knowing how to light? Lighting is powerful. It creates a mood, tells a story, and makes our subjects sparkle. Lighting is as fun as it is necessary, and the cost of ownership can add up fast. Westcott has been a fantastic resource for photographers wanting to create beautiful images without breaking the bank. The new Westcott Flexigels aims to make lighting creativity even more accessible.
Westcott’s Flexigels are made to accompany the FJ400 strobe and additional third-party modifiers with a similar build. The reusable silicone gels are heat and tear-resistant. Flexigels come in packs of eight and include the following colors:
- Red
- Orange
- Light Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
- Pink
Westcott’s primary focus is making it less of an inconvenience to mount gels to your existing lights and modifiers. As someone who always has gaffer’s tape in my camera bag, I haven’t viewed it as much of an issue, but it piques my curiosity.
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Cost Of Convenience
The press release emphasizes that the Flexigels are an excellent option for pops of color on the background, rim lighting, and hair lighting. Having eight different color options is convenient, and being able to reuse them is great.
However, I prefer being able to choose from several stops of intensity within the same color palette that comes with traditional gels. It’s also nice to combine the gel sheets for the desired hue when there isn’t a rainbow of colors. More variety makes it easier to be precise with my intended vision for faster results.
Quality
I appreciate the thought process that went into swapping modifiers without having to remove and then reattach the colored gel. Plus, watching your gel slide off the light as the gaffer’s tape melts on a hot August day is annoying. It’s nice to see the industry shifting towards less waste. Westcott’s microfiber carrying case for extra protection when not in use is a nice touch.
One of my grievances with silicone is that colors shift and dull over time. It’s no different than a clear smartphone case turning brown when exposed to oxygen. As such, I’m curious to see the longevity of Westcott’s FlexiGels. Will the decreased vibrancy have less of an impact? Silicone isn’t prone to tears but isn’t impervious to punctures either. It doesn’t take much accidental force to create a gash in the material. Will a cut affect the quality?
Who Is It for?
Westcott has focused on making quality lighting accessible to the masses. I could see the FlexiGels being used by many budding wedding photographers. The light orange and blue gels are great options for vibrant OCF wedding portraits after sunset, looking for subtle color correction. Westcott is also an affordable way for natural light photographers to enter the arena when ready.
The Westcott FlexiGels may not be impactful enough for some fashion photographers who rely on gels for creative, vivid colors and toning. Most photographers who are heavily invested in more expensive gear will most likely opt for other click-style options.
Regardless, the Westcott FlexiGels are a neat idea. I’d like to see Westcott expound on the product line by adding more options for ultra-precision and variety in the future. It would also be nice to broaden their scope to include a fit for other brand options. At the very least, it’s sparking new ideas and competition. And that’s a win-win for us. I think the Phoblographer team could have a lot of fun with the Westcott FlexiGels.