Lastolite Micro Apollo?

Has anyone used the Lastolite Micro Apollo? It looks a little cheesy to me,

but if it will help for those horrible moments that your main light source is

your flash... Then it's worth it me!<div></div>

I used one for about a week and then switched to the omnibounce. There isn't any recognizable difference in output. This Lastolite is to bulky and requires you to velcro it to you flash unit.

I use this a lot and if used properly with a small degree of fill, it can do wonders. Works a lot better and more consistent then bounce. Takes a small time to get it finetuned in your workflow. Also works a hell of a lot better then those plastic boxes to slide over the flash. Bulky? Bulkier then a small bounce card that's for sure, but on an EOS 1Ds with, let's say, a 70-200mm, it doesn't really matter that much anymore. It's cheap, so buy it, play with it and make up your mind according to your results.

forgot this:

there are indeed velcro's in the package but there is no need to use the velcro's since it will stay over any speedlite i've used with the elastic band that is part of it

You'll see a greater improvement in your flash photographs by getting the flash off the hotshoe. Even the small distance off camera afforded by putting the flash on a simple bracket will help more than using one of these awkward modifiers. <p>But if you like their effect on a hot shoe mounted flash, you'll be <i>very</i> happy with their effect when the flash is further off the camera. Purchase and try a cord and bracket first, then add one of these little "softboxes" if you want more... t