Grin &Stir Announces Expansion of FourSquare Speedlight System
February 20, 2010 (Denver, CO): Grin&Stir today announced three new accessories for its FourSquare speedlight mounting system along with the unbundling of the FourSquare “block” that will allow owners of other lightbanks or soft boxes to economically get into the system.
The new Swivel Adapter was designed to meet the needs of photographers who are using one or more speedlights on the FourSquare block and need to be able to point the flash’s infrared (IR) port directly at the on-camera controller. The Swivel Adapter permits a full 360-degree rotation of the speedlight’s flash head allowing users to place its built-in infrared receiver at any angle but always aimed directly towards the camera for reliable triggering. A single Swivel Adapter costs $21.95 but you can buy a four-pack for only $79.95 that also includes a high quality Lightware-designed carrying pouch.
“The idea for the Swivel Adapter came from noted sports photographer Dave Black who has been using FourSquare’s products since the beginning to create dramatically lit action images and has tested our products at their extreme so we can create new accessories to benefit all FourSquare users,” said founder Peregrine. “These days, it’s not enough that photographers be creative,” he remarks, “they’ve got to be quick on their feet and lugging lots of heavy lighting gear is not going to cut it in today’s highly competitive marketplace.”
The keystone of the Grin&Stir's FourSquare speedlight mounting system is the “block,” a hard anodized T6061 aircraft-quality aluminum block that’s designed to mount up to four speedlight flashes at one time. Its unique hard anodization protects your speedlight’s circuitry and prevents unintentional firing. Another new product, the multipurpose Center Mount Adapter, allows the placement of a fifth strobe on the FourSquare block. It also answers a question from users who wanted to aim one speedlight directly into the center of the FourSquare lightbank. The Center Mount Adapter sells for just $24.95. Originally the FourSquare block was only available as part of a lightweight kit that included the 30 x 30-inch FourSquare lightbank and a compact sleeve that fits inside any airline carry-on. Starting now, the FourSquare block is available separately for a introductory price of $99.95.
Attaching the FourSquare to a light stand can be done with any standard umbrella stand adapter or similar attachment device, using either the one-quarter-inch twenty or the three-eighths-inch sixteen standard threads. The FourSquare’s design allows the user to freely rotate any of the four (or five) flash heads to aim directly into the lightbank’s front diffuser or into the box’s side panels and any position in between. This lets users adjust each flash separately to obtain that special look photographers are always trying to create.
Now that the block is unbundled, owners of other manufacturer’s lightbanks can use the new Spindle Adapters to take advantage of the FourSquare speedlight mounting system. The set of four spindles is needed to attach most currently available soft boxes or lightbanks. A four-pack of Spindle Adapters costs just $54.95 and expands the scope for other applications of the FourSquare speedlight mounting system to produce images limited only by the photographer’s imagination.
Lightware Inc. is currently handling all product sales for new and existing Grin&Stir designed products exclusively through www.lightwaredirect.com.
