Product Review: 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid From Rogue Photographic Design

Off the success of their Rogue FlashBenders, Rogue Photographic Design has just released the 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid unit. The 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid gives you the ability to control three grid angles in one compact package that is small enough to carry in almost any case. You can even stuff it in a pocket with ease.

A honeycomb grid is a photographic lighting modifier that narrows the beam of light into a circle with soft edges. The grid is formed of hexagonal tubes that look like honeycombs. From a normal flash the light is able to just spread out over a wide angle to get to its target. The problem is that it just goes everywhere with nothing to contain it.

When you use a honeycomb grid the light is constrained to some distance through the tube resulting in a more confined range of angles. The angle is determined by the length of the tube. Once it escapes from the tubes the light then it begins to scatter giving it the soft edges.

The 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid does exactly that. What is unique about the 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid is the way it is built. It comes with a sleeve that securely attaches around just about any standard flash unit. It is secured there with a Velcro mount. There is a set of stacking grids that come in a hard plastic tube that attaches to the end of the mount. In the tube are two honeycomb grids. To remove the grids, you hold the side of the tube an push them out the back

First I wanted to see how it, pardon the pun, stacked up. So I set up a flash and shot the 16 degree, the 25 degree, and the 45 degree set up. As you can see from the shots, what the difference in angles are displayed. Yes, I realized that I must have adjusted the flash after the 16, but you still get the idea.

Next I wanted to use it for a real portrait. I set up a two light setup with a soft box as the main light, and I wanted to direct some targeted light just to focus on the hair and a bit of catch light on the right. I thought that the 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid did a great job of doing exactly what I was wanted it to do. It even popped a little specular highlight in the eye on the right.

At first I was a bit skeptical about the mounting set up thinking that a sharp tap would knock it flying to the floor, but it held its ground and remained attached. The first couple of times of removing the grids where a bit difficult, but once I did it a few times it loosened up nicely. It is built very solidly and should stand up to much abuse – and residing in my bag, it better!

I really found the Rouge 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid very easy to use and very easy to put up and take down. I think that the 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid will be a regular part of my bag and it will find a place on my flash regularly and so I can highly recommend the 3-In-1 Honeycomb Grid.