Last year, while I was gathering parts for my photobooth, I bought the Switchback thinking that it would serve as the diffused light but it turned out to be too weak and so it ended up being used for ocassional accent lighting. I learned however that I could mount it (somehow) on a hotshoe which I now have with the OM-D.
On its own, the switchback is basically an outdoor lighting solution which you could alternatively mount on your head through the flexible band hidden away inside the enclosure when using it as a lamp.
It has two intensities for the main lamp and a red light and soft white light as alternative settings. Power is derived from 2 AA batteries on the bottom that would allow for a listed 72 hours of operation and I have plenty of those.
Here is the OM-D with its bundled flash:
Alternatively, here it is with the switchback mounted on it:
It is important to note that the mounting section of the Switchback is a little tapered and doesnt exactly fit snugly into the hotshoe so there is a need to support it somewhat. As an alternative to video light, this can work for close proximity subjects and to add catchlight to the eyes of a subject. Since video use does require steady operation (mostly) this is a great position for it to be in with enough elevation to cast light that wont create weird shadows for subjects in front of the lens, the torch also generates diffused lighting because of its coating.
This is such a pleasant unexpected accessory for a camera with a hotshoe and I can see myself using it for quite a number of situations… watch out for those. The Joby Gorillatorch Switchback is available at LowePro shops for Php2895.
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