> Certain lanterns these days have a habit of letting the shoe (the part that the lantern which attaches the column/bracket) of the lantern be out of proportion with the rest of the lantern, (e.g. Urbis Evolo 2), which is a shame really because if it had a more streamlined rear proportion (Sapphire, Airtrace, Piano, Luma), it would look great as a side entry lantern (and in the Evolo's case, succeed the ZX and Sapphire range aesthetically) This is because most modern lanterns have a dual spigot 'trapdoor' setup, which is rather large so as to conform to European bracket diameters, which are almost as wide as a column diameter - and so this adds bulk, which for UK installations is often unnecessary.
> Also, I like how certain modern lanterns have external lantern shoes like the newer SOX designs (MAs/SRS201s, Alpha 4s, Iris), although on certain new lanterns the size of this external attachment is bulky, and makes the lantern look odd on normal brackets as retrofits/casual replacements (Teceo, Milewide etc).The Holophane QSS also has an external mounting shoe. You can make up your own mind on that one!