Inon Z-330 Snoots?

[aeweems12]

Does anyone have any recommendations fora  snoot that will fit an Inon Z-330 strobe? I've started looking, but haven't really seen anything that's impressed me. I'm wanting something that has various mask accessories so I can play with different sizes & shapes of light. Any help would be appreciated!

[Barmaglot]

With a Z-330, your first issue is aim. Z-330, like Z-240 before it, has an offset modeling light, which, if used for aiming a snoot, will produce an aiming point that is offset from the spot that gets illuminated when the strobe fires. I haven't experienced it myself, but users report that it is extremely frustrating. Therefore, you want either a snoot that has its own aiming device, or a different strobe that doesn't suffer from this issue.

 

The only snoots that I'm aware of that do their own aiming are 10Bar with laser pointer and Marelux SOFT series. 10Bar doesn't take masks, and I'm not sure it will mount on a Z-330 - they have a model for Z-240 and D-2000, but Z-330 compatibility is not mentioned. Marelux SOFT has an aiming LED light, but it is quite expensive, very bulky, heavy, and also doesn't take masks - it has a knob-actuated aperture, but that only controls the size of the illuminated spot, not its shape, plus I've heard some quite negative things about its durability and reliability.

 

You might want to consider a Backscatter MF-1/MF-2 strobe + snoot combo. This way you can mount it centrally, in place of, or in conjunction with, a focus light, with the snoot permanently attached, and use it when you want to take a snooted shot, while your Z-330s remain bare for regular shots. It is small and light, making it easier to manipulate for aiming, the aiming lights are coaxial with the main tube, and it takes masks for shaping the light.

[Dave_Hicks]

+1 to the suggestion to get a Backscatter MF-2. The Inon 330 is just not well suited for a Snoot. I tried the 10bar snoot and it was terrible. You will be 10 times happier with the MF-2 Snoot combo, and you'll have a spare strobe as well. I pretty much always pair the MF-2 Snoot with a larger strobe like the 330, which acts as a fill light on low power. 

Edited 15 hours ago by Dave_Hicks

[brightnight]

I 3D printed some for my 330's from files on Thingiverse that are also posted on here. They seemed to work ok but was my first time doing macro and I wasn't great at it. Can always modify them as needed.

[Giancarlo M.]

For Inon Z330, I can only recommend the snoo Marelux and Snooty.

Or you can consider buying an AOI UCS-Q1 strobe and with an adapter you can use the Backscatter snoot.

This configuration will be more compact and have a better autonomy than the Backscatter strobe.

[Loïc35]

I will test as soon as the weather conditions improve a SUPE snoot on an Inon z330. I will give you my impressions

Edited 9 hours ago by Loïc35

[ChipBPhoto]

I tried the Retra LSD on the Z-330.  While designed for the Inon offset aiming light, it took frequent attempts to get the light correctly positioned.  I have not heard of anyone having success snooting with any device other than the Marelux SOFT.  The only reason that works is because it is a completely independent design with its own aiming light.

 

Absolutely agree the MF-2 / snoot combo is the best option!  Very manageable underwater and small for travel.  The aiming design is accurate and easy to use.