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Westcott Fast Flags: anybody use them?


Guy Staley

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I'm getting ready to purchase a flag kit, and I came acroos these:

 

http://fjwestcott.com/product-category/westcott/reflectors-and-scrims/fast-flags/

 

and I'm wondering if anybody has experience with these and their general opinins on them?

 

TIA for any input!

 

I've had my eyes on those, but they are too frickin' expensive. But they'd really come in handy, even more so if someone could invent a seriously lightweight collapsible C-stand to use them with.

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  • 1 month later...

The school I attended used these flags and the only bad thing I could say about them is that sometimes the sliding clasps that hold the frame open slip and the frame folds. An easy fix for this is a thin piece of gaff to keep them from sliding, so its a small problem. Also, they can take an extra minute or two to setup. Other then that they are just as good as any other flag.

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I have the flag kit from DigitalJuice, which is identical - just an other label on them - and I really like them.

I would prefer to have that stud that goes into the gobo head, in the middle of the flag instead on the side though, but no deal breaker.

 

Frank

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  • 6 months later...

I have the 18x24" version and I don't find myself using it much. The silks are too small for my taste, the flag is okay but I have 4 Matthews 24x36" flags that I usually grab first, the nets are handy when I need them. It does work well with the Matthews Mini Grip Kit.

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I just picked up one of the 24x36 kits. Almost was going to go with the set from filmtools, but I like that the wescott ones fold down nicely. I'll agree on the sliding holder thing though.

 

Actually, looking at the bag now... maybe the package doesn't fold up much more compact than the full flags them selves.

 

Still not horrible though.

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FYI, I'm the OP, and I actually ended up going with a 24x36 set of flags, nets and silks from these guys:

 

http://www.canvasgrip.com/

 

Extremely high quality, on par with Matthews or American, at a considerably lower price point. Everything is hand made in the USA, and they are really great people!

 

I couldn't be happier, and I highly recommend them. And NO, I don't work for them! :)

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They don't look very durable. I suppose they're for travel?

 

Yeah. I think the biggest market is photographers/videographers on budgets, that DSLR crowd. And since I know a bunch of photographers, that's how I came across it. And people like that you can shove it all in a car and call it a day. And they have that brand association from their other lighting stuff.

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  • 4 months later...

They don't look very durable. I suppose they're for travel?

 

I have a Road rags set in 18x24, rarely gets used. I see stuff like this as marketed toward the videographer who think they can have a whole grip truck in a duffel bag. Fantasy really. With any kind of compact, trick, fold up stuff, it's the time to setup/deploy that counts on a shoot. When a DP calls for another flag or a change from a single to double net (between takes), do you have time to lower the stand, remove and replace the fabric on the frame, raise the stand, put the other fabric away so it isn't ruined? Or is it quicker to swap out a standard flag or net.

 

Just my experience/opinion

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They are def more travel oriented. I have road raggs and wescott and leave them in my truck for, whenever you may need them. If they are what I know i'll be using for the day (say quick corporate interview) i'll have them pre built. However, they are small so not as useful and as soon as you're getting a g/e package of any kind; you'll not be using them.

 

 

PS JD, Good to see you again on here!

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