The 65 cm lantern with Bowens mount from K&F is solidly made and makes a durable impression. The included carrying bag is practical and ensures that the white surface does not get dirty so quickly when the thing is not assembled.
Keyword assembly: It is done in a flash by pressing the lantern onto the ground and hanging it up. The hook in which you hook the clamping mechanism is pleasantly clumsy, so that unfolding the lantern does not become an unnecessary game of patience and you would in principle be able to do the whole thing even in complete darkness if necessary.
Thanks to the Bowens standard, the lantern is compatible with just about any COB that also has a Bowens connection.
In the end, it only remains to say that the K&F lantern distributes the light very beautifully and makes it “soft”.
At currently around 85 euros, the product is also very fairly priced; a similar lantern from Neewer, for example, currently costs around 25 euros more.
Therefore: Highly recommended!
Keyword assembly: It is done in a flash by pressing the lantern onto the ground and hanging it up. The hook in which you hook the clamping mechanism is pleasantly clumsy, so that unfolding the lantern does not become an unnecessary game of patience and you would in principle be able to do the whole thing even in complete darkness if necessary.
Thanks to the Bowens standard, the lantern is compatible with just about any COB that also has a Bowens connection.
In the end, it only remains to say that the K&F lantern distributes the light very beautifully and makes it “soft”.
At currently around 85 euros, the product is also very fairly priced; a similar lantern from Neewer, for example, currently costs around 25 euros more.
Therefore: Highly recommended!
10/12/2024
I can't believe how long it took me to get a lantern style. It literally solves all my video lighting problems. Spreads light softly and omg so portable.
The most portable light modifier to quickly put on and off. I have an octagon soft box and i constantly think twice if I really need light.
No problem with this, spread, hook, and attach. That's it.
The most portable light modifier to quickly put on and off. I have an octagon soft box and i constantly think twice if I really need light.
No problem with this, spread, hook, and attach. That's it.
09/12/2024
Since it is loke a balloon it will attract less wind and won't act as a sail if using outdoor or at windy areas. Very light and super easy to set up, it works like an umbrella where you just push down the middle and let the hook inside catches the middle column latch.
Nice and even soft light with any flash/continuous light with Bowens mount.
Nice and even soft light with any flash/continuous light with Bowens mount.
08/12/2024
I recently upgraded my photography setup with the K&F Concept 33.5"/85cm Softbox Lantern and it has been a game changer. The size of this softbox is perfect for achieving that soft, even light that’s so essential for studio photography. It’s easy to see why it’s become a favorite in my studio—its impressive 33.5-inch diameter really helps diffuse light beautifully, creating a natural, flattering look on my subjects.
One of the standout features is its quick-release design. Setting it up and taking it down is a breeze, which is great when you’re working on tight schedules or need to switch setups quickly. The softbox is compatible with Bowens mount, which made it a seamless addition to my existing gear. The carrying bag it comes with is also a nice touch; it makes transportation and storage hassle-free.
The K&F Concept Softbox Lantern has really enhanced my lighting setup, providing me with consistent and high-quality results. If you’re looking to elevate your photography, whether you’re shooting portraits, still lifes, or anything in between, this softbox is a fantastic investment. It combines convenience, quality, and versatility in a way that has significantly improved my workflow.
One of the standout features is its quick-release design. Setting it up and taking it down is a breeze, which is great when you’re working on tight schedules or need to switch setups quickly. The softbox is compatible with Bowens mount, which made it a seamless addition to my existing gear. The carrying bag it comes with is also a nice touch; it makes transportation and storage hassle-free.
The K&F Concept Softbox Lantern has really enhanced my lighting setup, providing me with consistent and high-quality results. If you’re looking to elevate your photography, whether you’re shooting portraits, still lifes, or anything in between, this softbox is a fantastic investment. It combines convenience, quality, and versatility in a way that has significantly improved my workflow.
05/12/2024
I'm going to go by points to make the review more enjoyable:
The presentation is very good. It comes well protected.
The construction quality is very good. Obviously you have to be careful being cloth, but it looks good.
It mounts super fast.
It's for Bowens frame.
I tried it with my Zhiyun 60w light + adapter for bowens mount. As you can see it's a really cool portable kit. Although with the size of the softbox, it would be better to use a 100w one.
It diffuses the light well for the price it has.
In short, I liked it.
The presentation is very good. It comes well protected.
The construction quality is very good. Obviously you have to be careful being cloth, but it looks good.
It mounts super fast.
It's for Bowens frame.
I tried it with my Zhiyun 60w light + adapter for bowens mount. As you can see it's a really cool portable kit. Although with the size of the softbox, it would be better to use a 100w one.
It diffuses the light well for the price it has.
In short, I liked it.
02/12/2024
Received in a slightly thicker, monochrome and otherwise neutral cardboard.
This includes the K&F Concept 65cm/26 inch lantern softbox, with protective bag and instructions.
The workmanship and material leave a good and robust impression, so it can be assumed that the whole mechanism and material will go through a lot of assembly and disassembly on various sets.
This is my first “lantern softbox”, but otherwise I have a series of round and square standard softboxes, in different sizes, in use and was excited to see what this type of “lantern soft box” had that others might not have.
Assembly and dismantling:
First of all, the “structure”, and that is a joke, towards brilliant.
Simply support the flat end (fig. 2) on the floor, slowly press the Bowens flange down until everything is tight, attach the locking bracket, that's it actually already (fig. 3), done in seconds, if necessary, open the Velcro fastener a bit at the back and move one or the other spoke into the correct position (small picture in fig. 4), also works from the outside.
No need to tighten/attach attachment diffusers, etc.
Just as easy to assemble, flat on the ground again, slowly push the Bowens flange down again, remove the locking bracket (done in 3 seconds), and off into the protective bag.
Use:
It is difficult to compare with standard softboxes, or to implement a real comparison and describe it here.
My subjective impression as an ambitious amateur photographer and sometimes as a contract photographer on the go.
The illumination is noticeably more wide-angle and slightly softer than the standard softboxes, especially compared to the parabolic softboxes, of course, but I need a little more flash power to have the same illumination intensity on the person or the object to be photographed.
The drop shadow also seems to dissolve a bit more with this “lantern softbox” but is only very marginally noticeable. Here, however, a few 10-20 cm - from a person to be photographed - reach farther away, e.g. from a white wall, to achieve a “perceived” tie.
Since I always work with at least two flash heads in my studio rooms, this point doesn't really matter, in other words, the “lantern softbox” has no discernible advantage here.
The main advantage of this “lantern softbox” is clearly the insanely quick and absolutely simple mounting and untightening function.
Truly in seconds I'll have this “lantern softbox” ready for use on the flash head.
Depending on the set conditions and shooting requirements, however - due to the wide-angle illumination - you can even get by with just one light source, but then you need a few power reserves with the flash head.
In my opinion, it may also be ideal as a wide-angle bright flash for outdoor shoots, as long as electricity is available or a power battery flash is on set.
Summary:
The workmanship as well as the material make semi-professional applications easy to assemble and disassemble, especially with regard to the functionality that takes just seconds to assemble and disassemble.
Even compared to standard softboxes - and especially compared to parabolic softboxes - a noticeably more wide-angle illumination, almost no “spot effect”. This is also accompanied by an even further resolution of drop shadows.
However, this comes at the cost of a lower brightness on the object to be photographed, which may then have to be compensated by means of an appropriate camera or flash setting.
Even if you already have one or the other softbox on set, at a current price of less than 75, - €, it is still a recommended addition. Because one or the other, additional and supplementary lighting composition is still possible here.
It can also be used very well, as a very quickly available stand-alone brightening solution for photo sessions of smaller groups of people, as there is ultimately no spot effect or darkening of the corners up to the outer areas of the image section.
In summary, an extremely fast and very easy-to-use softbox solution, with very wide-angle illumination, with an even higher resolution of drop shadows, but which also requires a little more “flash power”.
Also a great addition if you already have one or the other softbox in your photo equipment.
This includes the K&F Concept 65cm/26 inch lantern softbox, with protective bag and instructions.
The workmanship and material leave a good and robust impression, so it can be assumed that the whole mechanism and material will go through a lot of assembly and disassembly on various sets.
This is my first “lantern softbox”, but otherwise I have a series of round and square standard softboxes, in different sizes, in use and was excited to see what this type of “lantern soft box” had that others might not have.
Assembly and dismantling:
First of all, the “structure”, and that is a joke, towards brilliant.
Simply support the flat end (fig. 2) on the floor, slowly press the Bowens flange down until everything is tight, attach the locking bracket, that's it actually already (fig. 3), done in seconds, if necessary, open the Velcro fastener a bit at the back and move one or the other spoke into the correct position (small picture in fig. 4), also works from the outside.
No need to tighten/attach attachment diffusers, etc.
Just as easy to assemble, flat on the ground again, slowly push the Bowens flange down again, remove the locking bracket (done in 3 seconds), and off into the protective bag.
Use:
It is difficult to compare with standard softboxes, or to implement a real comparison and describe it here.
My subjective impression as an ambitious amateur photographer and sometimes as a contract photographer on the go.
The illumination is noticeably more wide-angle and slightly softer than the standard softboxes, especially compared to the parabolic softboxes, of course, but I need a little more flash power to have the same illumination intensity on the person or the object to be photographed.
The drop shadow also seems to dissolve a bit more with this “lantern softbox” but is only very marginally noticeable. Here, however, a few 10-20 cm - from a person to be photographed - reach farther away, e.g. from a white wall, to achieve a “perceived” tie.
Since I always work with at least two flash heads in my studio rooms, this point doesn't really matter, in other words, the “lantern softbox” has no discernible advantage here.
The main advantage of this “lantern softbox” is clearly the insanely quick and absolutely simple mounting and untightening function.
Truly in seconds I'll have this “lantern softbox” ready for use on the flash head.
Depending on the set conditions and shooting requirements, however - due to the wide-angle illumination - you can even get by with just one light source, but then you need a few power reserves with the flash head.
In my opinion, it may also be ideal as a wide-angle bright flash for outdoor shoots, as long as electricity is available or a power battery flash is on set.
Summary:
The workmanship as well as the material make semi-professional applications easy to assemble and disassemble, especially with regard to the functionality that takes just seconds to assemble and disassemble.
Even compared to standard softboxes - and especially compared to parabolic softboxes - a noticeably more wide-angle illumination, almost no “spot effect”. This is also accompanied by an even further resolution of drop shadows.
However, this comes at the cost of a lower brightness on the object to be photographed, which may then have to be compensated by means of an appropriate camera or flash setting.
Even if you already have one or the other softbox on set, at a current price of less than 75, - €, it is still a recommended addition. Because one or the other, additional and supplementary lighting composition is still possible here.
It can also be used very well, as a very quickly available stand-alone brightening solution for photo sessions of smaller groups of people, as there is ultimately no spot effect or darkening of the corners up to the outer areas of the image section.
In summary, an extremely fast and very easy-to-use softbox solution, with very wide-angle illumination, with an even higher resolution of drop shadows, but which also requires a little more “flash power”.
Also a great addition if you already have one or the other softbox in your photo equipment.
28/11/2024
The online shopping images didn't prepare me for receiving a long skinny carton but on pulling it out and comparing it to the printed setup instructions, I am glad it arrived configured the way it was. The long tall appearance differs from the literature. The product is semi-prepared in that tall configuration. I pretty much used intuition and got it figured out in under a minute of minor trial and error. It's actually clever.
The peak of the white fabric is capped with a disk of styrofoam that looks like packing material but that is for the following 'deployment' method that I use.
Look inside the end of the lantern and notice there is a thick rod about midway up that arches across the lamp. Further to the top is a thick rod extending straight down the center axis that has small knobs. Put the lamp on a table or floor upside down so you are looking into the inside. Push down on the Bowens mount and when the lantern is bowed out enough you will be able to get the arched rod and the other rod hooked together. Then when you release the lamp it keeps its shape and is secure. Good room lighting so the inside of the lantern is clearly visible helps a lot.
Some of the ribs are not going to be lined up with the seams in the fabric panels. That is why you'll likely see puckers and saggy panels. You can reach your forearm in the Bowens mount and shift the rods with your fingers to even them out in line with the seams around the circumference.
To get this whole thing mounted on a video light, while it is upside down I brought my 60W light over it, nose down, to engage the lantern's Bowens lugs. Lastly lift the assembled lantern and LED light onto your light stand.
I really like the super soft and even lighting. It has a visual appeal even richer than a small extendable open umbrella. It's going to depend on the subject and the amount of space I'm working in. Some talent might like this soft round orb facing them instead of a square sided softbox. This is light enough to toss in the back of the car to have available along with all the other varieties of gear that keep photography and video shooting enjoyable.
The peak of the white fabric is capped with a disk of styrofoam that looks like packing material but that is for the following 'deployment' method that I use.
Look inside the end of the lantern and notice there is a thick rod about midway up that arches across the lamp. Further to the top is a thick rod extending straight down the center axis that has small knobs. Put the lamp on a table or floor upside down so you are looking into the inside. Push down on the Bowens mount and when the lantern is bowed out enough you will be able to get the arched rod and the other rod hooked together. Then when you release the lamp it keeps its shape and is secure. Good room lighting so the inside of the lantern is clearly visible helps a lot.
Some of the ribs are not going to be lined up with the seams in the fabric panels. That is why you'll likely see puckers and saggy panels. You can reach your forearm in the Bowens mount and shift the rods with your fingers to even them out in line with the seams around the circumference.
To get this whole thing mounted on a video light, while it is upside down I brought my 60W light over it, nose down, to engage the lantern's Bowens lugs. Lastly lift the assembled lantern and LED light onto your light stand.
I really like the super soft and even lighting. It has a visual appeal even richer than a small extendable open umbrella. It's going to depend on the subject and the amount of space I'm working in. Some talent might like this soft round orb facing them instead of a square sided softbox. This is light enough to toss in the back of the car to have available along with all the other varieties of gear that keep photography and video shooting enjoyable.
25/11/2024
✅ I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fast it was to assemble it, even without instructions. The box in which it arrived was long and narrow, which at first was a little confusing, but once I started putting it together it turned out that the entire design was thought out to the smallest detail. The assembly took me less than a minute and the process was so intuitive that I didn't have to think about what to do or how to do it. An important advantage is that even in low light conditions you can easily see all the key elements, making the assembly process even easier and more comfortable.
✅ The light created by this lamp is truly impressive because of its softness and uniformity. This is an ideal solution for video and photo sessions where it is important to avoid intense shadows and create a pleasant visual effect. The good thing is that the lamp illuminates not only in front of itself, but also around the subject, making it much more versatile than traditional softboxes. The ease of installation in different types of luminaires allows it to quickly adapt to changing socket conditions, resulting in visually appealing lighting that can be adapted to a variety of applications.
✅ It was unexpectedly convenient for transport and storage thanks to the foldable design. When not in use, the lamp easily folds up to a compact size for those who have limited space to store equipment. The set includes a carrying bag that protects the lamp from dust and damage, and is also spacious enough to accommodate the lamp itself and additional accessories.
✅ The mechanism for attaching the lamp to the Bowens bracket is very simple and reliable. The installation process takes only a few seconds, which is important if you frequently change scenes or lighting during filming. The ease of attachment not only saves time, but also reduces the likelihood of installation errors, which is important in professional work.
✅ The light created by this lamp is truly impressive because of its softness and uniformity. This is an ideal solution for video and photo sessions where it is important to avoid intense shadows and create a pleasant visual effect. The good thing is that the lamp illuminates not only in front of itself, but also around the subject, making it much more versatile than traditional softboxes. The ease of installation in different types of luminaires allows it to quickly adapt to changing socket conditions, resulting in visually appealing lighting that can be adapted to a variety of applications.
✅ It was unexpectedly convenient for transport and storage thanks to the foldable design. When not in use, the lamp easily folds up to a compact size for those who have limited space to store equipment. The set includes a carrying bag that protects the lamp from dust and damage, and is also spacious enough to accommodate the lamp itself and additional accessories.
✅ The mechanism for attaching the lamp to the Bowens bracket is very simple and reliable. The installation process takes only a few seconds, which is important if you frequently change scenes or lighting during filming. The ease of attachment not only saves time, but also reduces the likelihood of installation errors, which is important in professional work.
20/11/2024
The 360° omni-directional lighting provided an even, soft spread that was perfect for creating warm and natural-looking scenes. The quality of light was truly impressive, offering a wrap-around glow that enhanced both video shoots and portrait sessions seamlessly.
The quick-release design was a standout feature. Setup and breakdown were a breeze, saving valuable time during busy shoots. The universal Bowens mount was compatible with all my existing lights, which made it an instant fit into my studio arsenal without any hassle.
Portability and durability were on point as well; the softbox's sturdy build held up to repeated use and packing, while its collapsible design meant it didn't take up much space when I needed to move it.
This lantern softbox was a game changer for my lighting setup, providing professional-quality light diffusion with ease. Whether you’re a photographer or videographer, this is a must-have for creating soft, ambient light in your projects.
The quick-release design was a standout feature. Setup and breakdown were a breeze, saving valuable time during busy shoots. The universal Bowens mount was compatible with all my existing lights, which made it an instant fit into my studio arsenal without any hassle.
Portability and durability were on point as well; the softbox's sturdy build held up to repeated use and packing, while its collapsible design meant it didn't take up much space when I needed to move it.
This lantern softbox was a game changer for my lighting setup, providing professional-quality light diffusion with ease. Whether you’re a photographer or videographer, this is a must-have for creating soft, ambient light in your projects.
12/11/2024