Presslite VerteX Flash Diffuser

The Presslite VerteX™ is more than just a flash diffuser as it provides a way to not only diffuse but also control the direction of the light. Two rotating panels sit above the flash head, one side mirrored, the other side white, both move independently and each can be rotated 360°. These two panels, combined with the swivel / tilt action of your flash head, allow you virtually limitless control over the light from your flash and can act to simulate the effect of multiple light sources from just one flash unit.
The VerteX™ was shipped from Presslite in a plain looking cardboard box, about the size of two-decks of cards placed side-by-side. Inside the box were two plastic panels with a pivoting magnetic base, four flexible paper cards (two mirrored and two plain white) that are each individually wrapped in tissue paper, a plastic panel arm that holds one or both of the panels, and a large hybrid elastic band that the panel arms attach to and stretches to fit snugly around the top of your flash unit. This heavy duty elastic band features rubber-like bumpers that ride over the contours of your flash head to help insure that your flash head will not be marred.
Overall, setting up the VerteX™ was pretty straight forward. The trickiest part was trying to attach the panel arms to the rubberized band. On each of the longest sides of the band are two centered holes designed to accept the connectors of the panel arm. Press each panel arm into the band until the tiny pinching prongs of the arm go all the way through the hole in the band. They don't really make much of a 'clicking' sound, but once they're through the band, they won't pop off. For me, this process was easiest to perform prior to placing the band around the flash head. Once I snapped both panel arms into place I then stretched the band out using my fingers (per the instructions) - first stretching the length and then the width. This helps to loosen the band, making it easier to stretch over the flash head.
Once completed, I placed the band along one end of the head and stretched it over the other end. When finished, this band has a nice snug fit and will not loosen during operation. In fact, the band was designed to stay on the flash and does not interfere with normal flash operation. The panel arm can swing completely out of the way when not needed. On the Canon 550EX flash that I used for this test I found that with the band and arm attached, the 550EX was a bit too snug to fit back into its own protective case. This was not an issue for me since I normally put the flash into a compartment of my backpack without the sleeve on it, but you may feel differently.
While the VerteX includes two panels, the use of just one panel will suit many lighting situations. Here are some lighting scenarios that can be accomplished with just one panel. Keep in mind that the possibilities are virtually endless and that these configurations are here just to provide some examples of what makes the VerteX unique. Remember that each panel has a white diffusion card on one side and a reflective mirrored card on the other. Typically you would want to use the white card to diffuse and soften light while using the mirrored side to reflect and redirect a stronger light. As you can see in example (3) these rules can be broken to create unique effects.