The DoPchoice SnapBridge is claimed to be able to offer a uniquely creative and efficient way to paint with light and shadow that produces optimized skin tones. Essentially, the system is a softbox for reflector panels and it helps spread the light out and soften it. It also helps with potential spill if you are using lights that don’t have a tight beam.
The Snapbridge Glide is a lightweight solution that comes in a compact pouch and it folds out to become a nearly flat 5′ or 3′ octagonal shape depending on which version you choose. As it is lightweight and has a shallow depth you can place it in tight spots where there isn’t a lot of room.
Lightbridge combined forces with DoPchoice with goal of creating a soft, beautiful light source that offers full creative control and the ability to add a soft but punchy addition to lighting, without bulky gear. Lightbridge calls this approach “layered lighting“. The beauty of this combo is that it works with any light source.
At first glance, this concept might be hard to get your head around, but it actually works really well. With lighting there are a lot of different ways to create the look you want and lots of different tools to do it with. The SnapBridge Glide isn’t a replacement for any particular piece of equipment, it is simply another way of doing things.
Come to the dark side
There are dark and a white sides for two completely different modes. The white side, or Soft Mode, helps create gentle and beautiful bounced fill light around the precision reflector. Conversely, the Dark Mode provides negative fill with a glow of light while reducing spill around the Precision Reflector. Both sides quickly accept Lightbridge Precision Reflectors at their center, thanks to the rail on the back of each Precision Reflector and the smart C-Wheel mount that fits standard 16mm Baby pin mounts. To help make mounting easy and safe, included is an anti-rotation Lightbridge Extender.
SOFT MODE
- Soft beautiful bounced fill light from the DoPchoice Snapbridge.
- Key with two options: Precision Reflectors (DIFF2 or DIFF3).
- Shallow build, works in tight spaces.
- TIP: Flood or spot your lightsource to define the level of fill & key
The whole idea behind using the Soft Mode is to create a broader and softer source from a Lightbridge CRLS Reflector. Depending on what strength of diffusion you are using the results will change.
I was surprised the first time I actually tried this system out as I wasn’t sure what to expect.
DARK MODE
- Negative fill with a glow of light from the DoPchoice Snapbridge.
- Reduces spill-light around the Precision Reflectors.
Key with two options: Precision Reflectors (DIFF2 and DIFF3). - Shallow build, works in tight spaces.
I do a lot of filming with food and beverages and I often use the CRLS Reflectors. The biggest issue I have found with them is that if you are using one of the smaller sized versions you need a light with a very tight beam angle. If you don’t you can end up with a lot of ambient spill light which is not ideal.
With the Dark Mode, I can prevent that spill. Now, there is an obvious caveat if you use the SnapBridge 5ft SLIM, and that is your physical footprint becomes considerably larger. This is not ideal if you are trying to fly a CRLS Reflector out over a bench or counter top and need to have it at a particular height where it won’t be in shot. In this instance it is better to go with the smaller SnapBridge 3ft SLIM.
Build Quality & Design
The SnapBridge 3ft & 5ft SLIM are very well made and they feature a clever design that allows it to break down into a very compact and travel friendly form factor.
The way it works is sort of how a fan folds out. There are a bunch of very hard coiled rods that are attached to a main rod. These fold out to create a what almost looks like an umbrella.
Size & Weight
The SnapBridge 5ft SLIM has physical dimensions of 150 x 150 x 30 cm / 59.1 x 59.1 x 11.8 in (when folded out) and it weighs 1.2 kg / 2.6 lb.
The SnapBridge 3ft SLIM has physical dimensions of 90 x 90 x 12 cm / 35.4 x 35.4 x 4.7 (when folded out) in and it weighs 0.8kg /1.7 lb.
The SnapBridge 3ft SLIM packs down to just 65 x 20 x 8 cm / 25.6 x 7.9 x 3.1 in, and the SnapBridge 5ft SLIM folds down to 93 x 17.5 x 6 cm / 36.6 x 6.9 x 2.4 in.
3 Different Color Bounces
To achieve more nuanced reflected ambient light to mimic ambient reflections, Snapbridge offers optional Bluff Bounce unique colored fabric options. These custom attachments mount via hook and loop directly to the SNAPBOX. The selection includes Unbleached Muslin, to breath life into skin tones, Day Blue, for producing a cool blue skylight effect, and 50/50 Unbleached Muslin and Day Blue, to subtly imitate the mix of colors found in a shooting destination.
How easy is it to set up?
The SnapBridge is very fast to set up. You can do it in under a minute.
You just unfold it, attach the velcro to make the round shape and then fasten it with two clips.
All you then need to do is attach a CRLS LIGHTBRIDGE Reflector to the included mount and you are ready to go.
If you need to change the fabric, you just place a different version over the top as it attaches via velcro.
Real World Use
I personally think that the DoPChoice SnapBridge makes the Lightbridge Reflectors a lot more versatile product. By themselves, the reflectors can be a little fiddly to use and there is certainly a learning curve, because its a different way of doing things.
With the DoPChoice SnapBridge and Lightbridge Reflectors you can create nice in-direct lighting sources with a much bigger footprint than if you just used a reflector by itself. You can also control the light by using the Soft Mode or the Dark Mode and change the intensity by swapping over different reflectors.
You can also place your light in a position that best works for the space that you have.
Above you can see a few quick example shots I took by just using a single Dedo light and the DoPChoice SnapBridge and Lightbridge Reflector. These are untouched images straight out of the camera.
Above you can see what the set-up looked like.
I was interested to see how the DoPChoice SnapBridge 5′ and Lightbridge Reflector would work outdoors when lighting a subject.
Light On 
Light Off 
Light On 
Light Off
In combination with a Prolycht Orion 675 FS, there was a decent amount of illumination. Your talent also doesn’t have to look at a direct LED source which can be very unpleasant.
In the above example, I also used the larger SnapBridge 5′ just to reflect some ambient light to fill in shadows under the chin.
So what about if we use the smaller SnapBridge 5′ with 50/50 Unbleached Muslin and Day Blue.
Light On 
Light Off
Above you can see what the smaller SnapBridge 3′ using the Bluff Bounce 50/50 Unbleached Muslin and Day Blue looks like. I really like this combination because it creates a nice amount of warmth in the skin tones and it looks very natural.
The only slight downside with using in-direct light is you need more light stands as you have to set up the DoPChoice SnapBridge and Lightbridge Reflector as well as a lighting source. Of course, you could attach your light to the same light stand as the SnapBridge and Lightbridge Reflector if that works for what you are trying to do. If you are bouncing light from an available lighting source such as the sun, then you don’t need anything else.
You can also use the DoPChoice SnapBridge by itself without a Lightbridge Reflector if need be. You can spin it around and use it as a quick black flag, or just as a regular reflector.
I liked the Bluff Bounce colored fabric options because in the real world reflected light is always picking up colors from a lot of different sources. These really help with mimicking real-world ambient lighting sources.
With lighting, there is no such thing as the perfect solution that works for every type of application and that is why we have so many different options and ways of doing things.
The DoPchoice SnapBridge in combination with the Lightbridge Reflectors is another solution that works well depending on the application and what you are trying to achieve.
The ability to create a lot broader lighting source is very handy.
You can also spot a light up if you want to create a tighter angle of light.
You can create a nice wrapping light source that has a nice gradual fall-off.
I like how you can also turn the SnapBridge around to create a black when you want to control the spill and create a more concentrated light source.
It’s quick to set up and easy to use, and most importantly, its versatility allows it to be used lot of different ways. They are arguably a lot more versatile than any soft box and I think that’s what primarily makes it an interesting product.
Price & Availability
The SnapBridge 5ft SLIM retails for $635 USD. The SnapBridge 3ft SLIM retails for $475 USD.
The Bluff Bounce color bounces retail for:
- Color Bounce for SNAPBRIDGE 3ft – $ 145 USD
- Color Bounce for SNAPBRIDGE 5ft – $ 165 USD
Yes, they are on the expensive side and they are going to be considered by a lot of people as a niche product. Like a lot of lighting modifiers, it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish as to whether it is something that would be of interest to you.
Snapbridge Glide kit
Snapbridge 5-foot Shallow
1 x each 50×50 Lightbridge DIFF2 and DIFF3 Precision Reflector
1 x Speedbag 50
1 x C-Wheel Receiver
1 x Grip Bag
1 x Lightbridge 16mm Extension
1 x Cleaning Cloth.
The Snapbridge Glide kit retails for $1,875 USD.
