Intro
Saberstrip are a tubular light modifier designed for use with system flashes (e.g. Strobist style shoots). As the name suggests the create a strip-light in the form of a light saber. They aren’t an every day light former and can be used for something different.
Accessories Required
- A hot shoe adapter or TTL extender cable is required to mount a system flash inside the SaberStrip. Most standard hot shoe adapters will work as long as it has a standard tripod threat on the bottom to screw it into the base of the SaberStrip. If you are using a Sony system with the older Minolta hot-shoe, you will need the appropriate adapter.
- A Radio Slave or trigger system with an available sync port couples to the hot shoe adapter. Wireless Triggers can be purchased separately from many different suppliers. The base also has a hole in it that a TTL cable can be feed through and attached to your flash or hot-shoe adapter.
Flash Compatibility Chart
| Nikon | Canon | ||
| SB-900 | Y | 580 EX / EXII | Y |
| SB-800 | Y | 550 EX | N |
| SB-700 | Y | 530 EX / EX II | Y |
| SB-600 | Y | 480 EX / EX II | Y |
| SB-80 / 80dx | Y | 430 EXII | Y |
| SB-28 / 28dx | Y | 420EZ | Y |
| Metz | Lumo Pro | ||
| 58-f1 | Y | 120 | Y |
| Vivitar | 160 | N | |
| 383 | Y | Yongnuo | |
| Nissin | YN-560 | Y | |
| 866 | Y | YN-460 | Y |
| Sony | YN-460II | Y | |
| HVL-F43AM | y | YN-467 | Y |
| HVL-F42AM | y | YN-468 | Y |
| HVL-F58AM | N | ||
The SaberStrip contains no electronics or proprietary connections it is purely a light former and the only reason a system flash wont work with them is that it is to large. This list is my no means a complete list but it will give you some guidelines as to flash size.
Conclusion
In general I think its a very cool product, robust, portable and a different form for out and about. The narrow design of the SaberStrip makes it easy to hide away at a shoot in a corner, or behind the subject for example. It also doesn’t catch the wind like a umbrella making it a lot more stable in windy conditions. If you have more of them you can actually interesting effects like a “triangle ring light”. Their simplicity and modular design will keep a creative mind busy creating new light set-ups. Also their light weight is ideal for using on a boom arm.
But I think the 135$US,$CA and $AU or 135€ plus postage from the US and eventually customs and excise tax will put a lot of people off. I think I would like this product a lot more if it came in at the sub 100$/€ mark. I also think its also the price that strobist shooters would appreciate more as well. It truly is an imaginative product I just hope they don’t price them selves out of the market, especially if some manufacturer in China starts to make knock off versions with free world wide postage.
Thanks to John for letting try his saberlights out unfortunatly we didn’t get the desired result due to limited time.
Shipping to the EU – $40.00 1 strip, add $10 for each additional strip up to 4
Shipping to Australia– $43.45(1 strip, add $10 for each additional strip up to 4
product photos are direct from http://www.saberstrip.com/
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