The 7 Best White Shoot through Umbrellas (2023 reviews)
We consider a white shoot through umbrella to be a worthy investment in the long run.
We are here to help you choose the right one for your purposes from all the best available products in market today.
Our review process:
Our Top Picks:
Best Overall: Buy: Neewer Translucent White Umbrella READ REVIEWBest For on The go Shooting: Buy: Neewer White Shoot through Umbrella READ REVIEWBest Shoot: Buy: Westcott White Shoot through Umbrella READ REVIEWBest For both Video: Buy: Fotodiox White Shoot through Umbrella READ REVIEWBest For diffusing The sun: Buy: Westcott Silver Umbrella READ REVIEWBest For Parabolic Umbrella: Buy: Impact White Shoot through Umbrella READ REVIEWBest For outdoor Use: Buy: Fotodiox Great Umbrella READ REVIEWBest Overall: Neewer Translucent White Umbrella
Buy on Amazon If you want nothing short of the optimal umbrella for your regular usage, this neewer translucent white umbrella is certainly a wise investment. If you want to build a studio from scratch, this is an inexpensive way to go with great quality. It softens light and gives a gorgeous looking portrait. The shaft of the umbrella is very thin and would bend easily if handled a bit too rough. It has a reusable clear sleeve that keeps it closed and clean. The handle feels like it could use a tad more metal. The umbrella is taunt and with a very nice translucent white. It will fold up like an umbrella. It is built for at least light use and so far no problems at all.Why We Like This:
- Soft light is critical for portraits
- Nice umbrella for a soft look for key lighting
- Small enough to carry as part of travel kit
Best For on The go Shooting: Neewer White Shoot through Umbrella
Buy on Amazon The neewer white shoot through umbrella is capable of outshining several other umbrella featured in this list in overall features in its price range. These umbrellas are easy to use. They give off a nice soft white diffusion. It is great for shoot through diffusers as well as reflective lighting. At 32 inches, it provides surprisingly good diffusion and actually better than most of the smaller light boxes measuring 20 inches and less. They do their job and diffuse the light nicely. The color is a nice crisp white, so no issues with any color cast, etc. The umbrellas work exactly as expected without breaking the bank. It allows approximately 50% light transmission. It is perfect for photographers on the go for indoor or outdoor portrait photography.Why We Like This:
- Well made and plan on using again for home stay portrait for social media
- Diffuse light well but low quality
- Great cover for new delicate plants
- Lightweight and they work just fine
Best Shoot: Westcott White Shoot through Umbrella
Buy on Amazon Not everyone likes to purchase umbrella for their daily usage, but the westcott white shoot through umbrella would be an anomoly. This umbrella works perfectly for diffusing the flash. It is made of better chromed metal and is easier to open and close. It is easy to assemble/disassemble, compact and easy to store. It is heavier plastic with a snap closure that actually works. You can use it as a bounce, but the light is more of a radiation from the glow of the satin, not a true reflector umbrella. It is constructed with flexible fiberglass ribs and a steel shaft, these umbrellas will withstand the test of time when used in the studio and out on location.Why We Like This:
- Better material, better ribs and center pole
- Very stable and feels more "heavy-duty" than other umbrellas
- Nice umbrella for attaching to studio lights, folds quickly and easily for location work
Best For both Video: Fotodiox White Shoot through Umbrella
Buy on Amazon The fotodiox white shoot through umbrella might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year, thanks to multiple price cuts and added new features over the past few months. This white umbrella without a black backing may also be used as a makeshift softbox, although the use of the light will not be as efficient as softbox. It fits very nicely, which means they are of a standard size for most strobe equipment. It comes with a fairly thick, clear plastic sleeve to help keep them clean and white. The large size and circular shape gives the light additional softness. The higher quality one has a sturdier rod in the center so it won't crimp as much in a stand when it's tightened up as well and has more durable hinges on the umbrella portion itself. It is great lighting for both video and photo. These also set-up and tear down very quickly, when compared to setting up a soft-box, rings, poles, etc.Why We Like This:
- Does a very good job as shoot-through
- Inexpensive, simplistic option when a soft-box is out of reach
- Great build quality and nice soft light
Best For diffusing The sun: Westcott Silver Umbrella
Buy on Amazon Westcott offers a variety of umbrella for personal choice and yet maintaining quality in all the variants. If you are a location shooter, this is one of the best umbrellas you can buy. It throws a huge amount of soft light that is just pure cream on a subject. It is meant to be a shoot through umbrella, and the entire umbrella is made of diffusion material. The steel hinges look durable enough for the task and so does the rod. It softens the light nicely, but your subjects may still squint. The build quality is very nice, fiberglass ribs with metal shaft, Westcott doesn't cut corners here. It's great for diffusing the sun when doing outdoor photo shoots. It is so easy to open and close and it provides such incredible light.Why We Like This:
- Very soft light and easy to set up
- Great construction, great quality of light
- Shoot your light source through a 7' diffusion umbrella for large, glamorous lighting
- Highly recommend for photographers who shoot outdoors and care about soft diffused light
Best For Parabolic Umbrella: Impact White Shoot through Umbrella
Buy on Amazon This soft and natural light is what makes this umbrella a favorite of wedding and portrait photographers. It has a design for an umbrella to be effective, it needs to maintain its shape, and the fabric should remain taut. When used as a shoot-through umbrella, the translucent white fabric softens and broadens light from your flash and provides you with a seamless and natural-looking light for your subjects. It will also emit a broad enough beam for full-length portraits. Due to the special shape of the umbrella there's a unique mix of soft enveloping light with the kind of crisp detail you only get from reflectors. The parabolic shape produces a more natural wraparound light than a regular umbrella. It is made of durable fiberglass. The improved "finger-friendly" locking mechanism means you won't pinch your fingers when you're setting up or breaking down. It has a unique structural design as well.Why We Like This:
- Of bendable metal, the 16 inner ribs are made of durable fiberglass
- Good investment for long term
Best For outdoor Use: Fotodiox Great Umbrella
Buy on Amazon The fotodiox great umbrella is the best convenient umbrella on the market today. It's hard to get too excited about umbrellas, but they're a handy, inexpensive modifier that you should have in your kit. It's easy to store, easy to set up. The product has a Fotodiox logo on a tag on the black side of the umbrella. While not as directional as a soft box with a grid, this is very easy to set up and provides a large diffuse light source for portrait work. This is a nice size, not too small, not too large and usable in just about any situation. The trick is to hold the umbrella slightly open and hook one side then the other, then work your way around.Why We Like This:
- Easy to change to shoot through umbrella
- Sturdy umbrella, good for outdoor use
- Good umbrella, build quality, lack silver lined layer comes off completely