Review on Godox 80x120cm Softbox Lighting with Grid Beehive & Bowens Mount Speedring - Perfect Studio Photo Flash Setup Including SUPON USB LED by Justin Metz

First impression after unpacking and installing with my device; My use case is video production. The outer, black body material is very thick. Almost feels like faux leather. Makes what appears to be a durable product. But I think it also contributes to its weight. The front white scatter material blends in well with the frame of the box. The Velcro is about 1 inch thick around the edges. The light didn't seem to penetrate at the edges. The material is very light silky. Probably nylon. I'll have to test it further to see how well it diffuses the light and how many levels it reduces the light by. However, I noticed that when looking at the softbox from the front, the light is scattered in a very narrow and high pattern. It doesn't look like an evenly diffused light source. Rather, it appears as if the light is penetrating the gel, narrowing it into a thin line. There are some clear theatrical gels that allow for easy 'curving'. Not sure if this affects the spread of light on the subject's face and creates a narrow hotspot. Must keep testing. But it doesn't look like the entire face of the diffuser is emitting a large, soft, even light source. (not verified by viewing the object on the video screen) The inner, smaller, diffusing aperture is quite small. And about 75% per carton. So about 2/3 in, closer to the speed ring and then to the big side. It attaches to the inside of the box with small metal clips sewn to thin elastic loops on the 4 corners of the fabric and the inside of the box. This system feels less durable than the more traditional double hook and loop system I'm used to from other brands. It seems that with enough handling and wear and tear, the rubber straps can break. And it was quite difficult to remove the inner divider through the back small hole of the box. I'm going to replace those tiny metal clips with another lighter system. I'm thinking of small carabiners. Because the clamps are tiny, hard and slippery. Not the perfect combination for working on set. The speed ring is made of metal and aluminum. It turns pretty well. And has a small screw knob to lock the rotation. It fits nicely in my flashlight's Bowens mount. It has lots of little holes on the outer edge to accommodate different shaped softboxes (I think). The holes are numbered 1, 2, 3 so you can assign all numbers 1 or 2 etc depending on the shape of your softbox. I like the versatility of this design. The 4 metal rods are quite stiff, and there are soft metal balls at the ends that help protect the softbox from tears and punctures. They appear to be well pressed. I don't expect them to fall as I've read what some reviewers are saying about other brands. The poles are passed through a small loop sewn into the 4 corners of the box and then placed in very strong little pockets in the outer corners of the box. I have a feeling the inner loops can break if not treaded carefully. However, the outer corner pockets appear to be very durable. The assembly is relatively easy if you are familiar with softboxes. If not, you might find it a little difficult. It's a matter of practice until you feel comfortable. It's usually easier to build a box than to take it apart. Since the rods require little force to bend, keep the box and speed ring square. Time will tell if the bars will bend or stay straight and if the box will withstand a lot of assembly and breaking. The grille is made of lightweight black fabric. It seems that all places where the grid intersects are sewn together. I've worked with meshes that for some reason are falling apart. This one will hold together as long as you can get through it. The inside edge of the net frame has about 1/4 inch Velcro. I'm used to the ones that have 1/2 velcro. But when I glued it to the box frame it seemed to stick well enough. And it fit well in the box. Even with the light and box pointing down at a 45 degree angle, the mesh stays in place fairly well. It sags a bit, but is in the acceptable range compared to other brands. Folding the net back to its travel size is another tricky step. Again, practice will bring perfection, and paying attention to how it was unfolded and trying to see the "memory" of the piece as you unfold and fold it will help you. It comes in a plastic bag with no zipper or locking mechanism. So I put it in a large zippered bag with an internal divider to keep them neatly folded. . There is very little, if any, free disk space. I'm stacking a softbox with external diffusion. And it worked fine. You can even leave both diffusers in the box when you fold them up for travel and they fit in your carry bag. The handles and zippers on the bag are enough to get the job done. I feel like they are a bit on the light side of duty. I wish the handle was stiffer and the zipper more durable. I hope they don't break with wear and tear. I may update this review over time as I have used this softbox several times for field projects. Now my main concern is whether the light is spread evenly. I'm a little bothered by this narrow light pattern that I saw from the front. But I'll try to see how well it works. Update: May 2019 The softbox works fine. The speed ring is a bit difficult to handle. Softbox bars should be slightly curved. The point is to get used to it. The bag is not good. The zipper broke after 3 uses. In particular, the zipper tab that you pull is separate from the zipper itself. He stayed on one side of the zipper. The zipper is sewn onto the bag making it impossible to get to the end of the zipper to see if I can get the zipper into the pull tab/part of the handle. Thus, the bag becomes unusable after repeated use. Now I have to upgrade from 4 to 3 stars. Because having a decent gear bag is very important. Godox: Please improve the quality of the zipper on the bag. Heavier type. Because this item is designed to be carried, the item is expected to be frequently assembled and disassembled, the bag used frequently, and the zipper opened and closed frequently. Please!