This flash accessory pack is a must-have for anyone with the Neewer Q4 flash. Furthermore, they increase the versatility and, therefore, desirability of the flash. Here are some examples of what the modifiers do.
It’s always pleasing when gear is still working well after years of heavy use without a hiccup. A couple of years ago, I reviewed a Neewer Q4 Flash. I was impressed with it, and it’s been my go-to flash for on-location portraits ever since. So, I was pleased to see that Neewer had released an accessory kit of modifiers that could be used with the flash.
If you are unfamiliar with the Q4, it is a battery-powered studio-type flash designed for use outdoors. It is very robust. Its casing is made from strong polycarbonate and an ABS-polycarbonate alloy. On the front plate is a metal Bowens mount.
On top is a metal carrying handle, making it easy to carry and manage, and below is a standard ¼-20 UNC threaded socket. That allows it to be mounted on a tripod or a lighting stand with the included adapter.
The flash can be triggered optically from another flash or using the Neewer QPro wireless trigger.
Full Specs
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Power: 400 Ws
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Flash Duration: 1/209 s to 1/10,989 s
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Recycling Time: Approx. 0.01–1.2 s
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Power Output: 9 steps: 1/256–1/1
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Flash Modes: M/Multi (Wireless Off), TTL/M/MULTI (receiver unit of radio transmission)
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Optical Slave Flash: S1/S2
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Delay Flash: 0.01–30 s
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Stroboscopic Flash: Provided (up to 100 times, 100 Hz)
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Sync Modes: HSS (up to 1/8,000 s), first/second curtain sync
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Full Power Flash: 400 watts
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Modeling Lamp (LED): 30 W 5,600 K, CRI of 95+
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Color Temperature: 5,600 ± 200 K
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Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC): Manual FEB: ±3 stops in 1/3-stop increments
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Wireless 2.4G Q System: 32 channels, 5 groups (A, B, C, D, E), 2.4 GHz
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Transmission Range: 328 feet (100 m)
My full review of the flash from a couple of years ago can be read by clicking or tapping here.
To use the accessories, you must first fit the adapter ring. This is applied to the flash’s standard reflector beauty dish using its rubber sleeve.
The various attachments are then connected using the six strong magnets on the adapter. There’s one exception: the rubber snoot that fits directly over the standard reflector. I found it easier to fit if I removed the reflector, and once in place, the adapter ring is firmly attached.
Sadly, Carla Delevingne, Gigi, and Maty Fall were unavailable to model for me. Therefore, I set the camera up in my kitchen and risked my lens cracking as I took a series of quick selfies of myself sitting at the table. This is purely to demonstrate what each of the modifiers would do.
The flash was set high, about 2 meters from me, and I had a reflector on the table in front of me.
At ISO 200, 1/250 second, and f/5, without the flash, the frame was black, so the light in the photo is only that powered by the flash, which had the power reduced to 1/64 EV.
First, here’s a photo with just the reflector and no other modifier.
In the following photo, I added the dome-shaped diffuser. I kept the camera and flash power settings the same, and there was little difference in the brightness of the photo. There is a slight darkening around the edges of the frame, and the shadow under my nose and on my neck is slightly softer. Also, the reflection on my forehead isn't as evident.
Using the barn doors, the darkening around the edge of the frame on the wall behind me is more pronounced. That, after all, is the purpose of that modifier. The shadows on my face are also darker than with the dome reflector.
A honeycomb diffuser, sometimes called a grid, narrows and controls the spread or spill of light by narrowing the angle of the beam. The focused light creates more distinct shadows.
Meanwhile, a snoot creates a narrow beam of light, concentrating the light on the subject. I probably should have angled the flash down slightly more in the following shot and moved it closer to exaggerate its effect, but there was a table in the way. Nonetheless, you can see that the wall is much darker than in the first shot.
After the snoot, I tried the colored gels. There are four of these, plus one diffuser. All the colored gels project a similarly saturated light.
I’ve used red gels before for black and white portraits, and it’s probably the most useful of them, as in the following photo. The red brightens skin blemishes, making them less obvious.
That, of course, will vary depending on the color and tone of the subject’s skin. The other colors will be handy for creative effects.
What I Liked and What Could Be Improved With This Accessory Pack
What I Liked
Accessory Kit
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This is a useful accessory pack for the Q4 flash.
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Good range of easy-to-use modifiers.
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Items are well made.
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Gels produce strong colors.
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Good-quality storage bag.
The Q4 Flash
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Easy to use.
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Good build quality of all the parts.
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After two years of heavy use, it still works.
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Weighing a reasonable 4.96 lbs (2.25 kg) with the bulb and battery connected, it’s not overly heavy.
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Professional-looking design.
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The flash still has as long a battery life as it did two years ago.
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Guide number 72, so it's relatively powerful.
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The recycling time is fast.
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Power can be reduced in increments down to 1/256 power.
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The flash has high-speed sync (HSS) capabilities up to 1/8,000 second shutter speed and a flash delay from 0.01 seconds to 30 seconds.
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There is first- and second-curtain compatibility.
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It has a long-distance wireless control between the flash and the QPro wireless trigger.
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The 30-watt modeling light is bright enough.
What Could Be Improved Next Time
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A dedicated MFT version of the QPro trigger would be nice, although you can make it work with the Nikon or Canon trigger.
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The battery indicator button on the flash is very small.
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Having the ability to stack the modifiers would be a welcome addition.
In Conclusion
I'll re-emphasize that the sample color shots here were just quick selfies of me sitting at my kitchen table. They are not intended as fine art portraits, but to demonstrate the optical effect of the modifiers. The very last photo was quickly developed in DxO Photolab 8.
I am still pleased with the flash, and as I mentioned earlier, the modifiers within the accessory pack make a difference to the images. I've got some pleasing results from them. Especially for anyone wanting an introduction to studio-type flash photography, you won't go too far wrong with these. Neewer equipment is relatively affordable, and the quality of their recent gear has been spot on.
