Lots of Versatility with One Light Modifier
Review by Gilmar Smith
Broncolor is a high-end lighting manufacturer in the photography industry. Its lineup of products is well known for excellent quality and reliability. The Broncolor Para 88 is no exception. This lighting tool is an amazingly versatile light shaper. It comes with a focusing rod that allows you to create soft and hard light by focusing and defocusing the source light within the reflector. This feature easily replaces the need for different light modifiers such as a beauty dish, a deep octa, and deep umbrellas.
This 34″ parabolic reflector has a specular silver interior with 24 facets. It’s very portable and extremely fast-and-easy to assemble. The Kit comes with the Para 88, the focusing system, a tilt head, carrying case, and accessory bag. The Para 88 itself weighs 2.8 kg (6.2 lbs.).
The reflector’s closed dimensions are 20x83cm (8×33″) and open 85x64cm (34×24″). Diffusion cloth and grids are sold separately, making it even more versatile. An excellent investment for professional photographers, the Para 88 is sturdy and made to survive even the Apocalypse.
The feature I liked the most about the Para 88 is that it gave me the ability to experiment with different light qualities by using just one tool. I loved how easy it was to adjust the light hardness by focusing and defocusing it with the focusing rod. It also created beautiful catchlights. Pairing this Para with the Broncolor Siros 800 L moonlight was a dream setup. ■