Diffuser choice

[imhotep]

Need help with a diffuser choice.

I've been an assistant photog at a few wedding shoots, and I've had the oppurtunity to use both the Lumiquest system as well as the Lightsphere.

Which do you use and why?

[Hank2122]

I have experience with the clear Lightsphere and Flip-it with Diffuser at weddings. I prefer using the Flip-it because it covers larger areas better and doesn't waste as much flash light as the Lightsphere. The Flip it also works great when there's no ceiling to bounce off of. Just direct the card forward. The Lightsphere is great in small rooms or close up shots. Both create nice, soft light, but I would use the Flip-it for weddings vs the Lightsphere. sorry no comment for the lumiquest.

[xtravaluemeal1]

I hear for weddings, gary fong's diffuser is a good choice

[tim]

I have the LightSphere II, an Omnibounce, the Lumiquest mini soft box, the promax system, and probably other things lying around. I rarely use any of them, what I use most is a wall or the ceiling, with the 580EX bounce card up sometimes. If we're outside usually i'm using ambient light with flash as fill, which I don't feel the need to diffuse. If i'm outside on a bright day the 580EX doesn't usually have enough power to overpower the sun so you just work with what you have.

[tim]

I hear for weddings, gary fong's diffuser is a good choice

I think the LightSphere is a good choice when you're a beginner, as it gives reasonable results when you don't have the time or mental capacity to think of anything better. Once you're more comfortable you can use more creative lighting, be it ambient, bounced, or off camera.

The LightSphere is also quite wasteful of light, and inefficient, so if you use one take plenty of batteries and use ISO400 or faster.

[Phil V]

I think the LightSphere is a good choice when you're a beginner, as it gives reasonable results when you don't have the time or mental capacity to think of anything better. Once you're more comfortable you can use more creative lighting, be it ambient, bounced, or off camera.

The LightSphere is also quite wasteful of light, and inefficient, so if you use one take plenty of batteries and use ISO400 or faster.
Given that the original question was about which diffuser,;) not the rights or wrongs of using them or the alternative methods for correct exposure.....

I rarely use flash, and even less so with the diffuser, but when I do I use the LS PJII and I'd recommend it. Yes it can be wasteful of light - but then that's physics for you.

In the UK this months Professional Photographer magazine has a group test and the Lightsphere came out on top.

[Wilt]

I use a mini softbox by Wescott, on a flash mounted on a rotator bracket so that most shadows are hidden from the lens, and any shadows that do appear have a softer edge to them. This is useful not only for using flash as main source of light, but also as synchro sun fill source. Whenever possible, I dual light (a radio remote fired flash on light stand) with this source serving as main light and with a softbox on it, too. By using softboxes I am never at the mercy of high ceilings, colored ceilings, or missing ceilings (outdoors).

[coreypolis]

watch this video:
www.abetterbouncecard.com

[coreypolis]

if I had to buy any, it would be the Flip -It

[imhotep]

I think the LightSphere is a good choice when you're a beginner, as it gives reasonable results when you don't have the time or mental capacity to think of anything better. Once you're more comfortable you can use more creative lighting, be it ambient, bounced, or off camera.


That's the plan. I've tried bouncing a few times with fairly good results, but I'm not super-confident with it yet.


The LightSphere is also quite wasteful of light, and inefficient, so if you use one take plenty of batteries and use ISO400 or faster.

Thanks for the direct advice.

[imhotep]

I use a mini softbox by Wescott, on a flash mounted on a rotator bracket so that most shadows are hidden from the lens, and any shadows that do appear have a softer edge to them. This is useful not only for using flash as main source of light, but also as synchro sun fill source. Whenever possible, I dual light (a radio remote fired flash on light stand) with this source serving as main light and with a softbox on it, too. By using softboxes I am never at the mercy of high ceilings, colored ceilings, or missing ceilings (outdoors).

Thanks, I will check that one out. I felt pretty good about the two I was trying to decide between, but I try not to be close-minded.

[Grace]

watch this video:
www.abetterbouncecard.com (http://www.abetterbouncecard.com)


great video..long, but good.

thanks
kp

[Arnie1]

wall, ceiling (not as good for modelling) or a small Lastolite diffuser panel held in front of the flash.

[imhotep]

watch this video:
www.abetterbouncecard.com (http://www.abetterbouncecard.com)

I watched the video. I'm usually a huge fan of do-it-yourself solutions, but this one makes me hesitant. The use of the thick rubber band with the homemade card didn't strike me as having as professional of a look as the narrator says in the video.

Not trying to say that looking professional makes you a better photographer. But I could see how a client might be unimpressed or even a little disenchanted with the appearance of that set-up.

I probably didn't say that very well. Again, not trying to get stuck on appearances.

[Wilt]

Not trying to say that looking professional makes you a better photographer. But I could see how a client might be unimpressed or even a little disenchanted with the appearance of that set-up.

I probably didn't say that very well. Again, not trying to get stuck on appearances.

I know I would be hesistant to use a physician who listens to my heart thru a rolled up and taped paper cone, or who uses a popsicle stick for a tongue depressor! And I would hesitate to use a pro photographer who uses twine on his camera for a shoulder strap. The impression is, "If this guy cuts corners on a relatively small expense, has he cut corners in other more important places (like using a WalMart off-brand lens or a computer monitor purchased from Goodwill)?"

[imhotep]

I know I would be hesistant to use a physician who listens to my heart thru a rolled up and taped paper cone, or who uses a popsicle stick for a tongue depressor! And I would hesitate to use a pro photographer who uses twine on his camera for a shoulder strap. The impression is, "If this guy cuts corners on a relatively small expense, has he cut corners in other more important places (like using a WalMart off-brand lens or a computer monitor purchased from Goodwill)?"

What I was trying to say exactly. Those are some hillarious analogies :)

[picturecrazy]

I'm with Tim. NO diffuser. I've also been through a bunch of diffusers and none of them let you get as creative as regular bouncing.

[imhotep]

I'm with Tim. NO diffuser. I've also been through a bunch of diffusers and none of them let you get as creative as regular bouncing.

So what do you do when you can't bounce? I thought that was the whole point of diffusers, something to fall back on when bouncing isn't an option.

[picturecrazy]

There's always something to bounce off of.

If there's no walls or ceilings, I often use wedding guests, tablecloths, chairs, the floor, my own shirt, my wife/assistant, whatever. Using things like this gives a much different look than your standard diffused light shot.

I still bring along a lumiquest mini softbox in my bag, just because it hardly takes any room. But I NEVER use it.

[Wilt]

There's always something to bounce off of.
If there's no walls or ceilings, I often use wedding guests, tablecloths, chairs, the floor, my own shirt, my wife/assistant, whatever. Using things like this gives a much different look than your standard diffused light shot..

Mental image forming in my demented brain, of picturecrazy holding the flash off camera on the end of the Off Camera Shoe Cord 2, aimed at his own white shirt to serve as a diffusion panel :rolleyes: ;)

[picturecrazy]

Haha, actually I have been seen holding the camera upsidedown and firing the flash into my shirt. The light isn't directional, but it's a nice, soft diffused light and a much larger lightsource than a mini-softbox. But that's my last resort. There's always other people to bounce off of.

[imhotep]

There's always other people to bounce off of.

I can appreciate the skill and resourcefulness that this method must take. Still, aren't you constantly having to rotate and adjust the flash head with this method? People move around a lot at weddings. My mental image is of me setting up a shot and thinking, "I'll just bounce off of this guy in the white suit", and then by the time I press the shutter I'm bouncing off of an enormous woman in a dark purple dress who just moved in to hit on the poor guy.

[picturecrazy]

I can appreciate the skill and resourcefulness that this method must take. Still, aren't you constantly having to rotate and adjust the flash head with this method? People move around a lot at weddings. My mental image is of me setting up a shot and thinking, "I'll just bounce off of this guy in the white suit", and then by the time I press the shutter I'm bouncing off of an enormous woman in a dark purple dress who just moved in to hit on the poor guy.

Yeah, you gotta aim the flash head a lot and of course some turn out and some don't. But the more you do it the faster you get. Soon you do it without even thinking. And sometimes I purposely bounce off someone in a very coloured outfit with the knowledge that this is gonna be a romantic shot and would look good black and white or sepia.

I'd rather get a few creative shots with a couple failed shots than get dozen boring but consistent shots. That's what gives me my style I guess.

[sebmour]

good info need to look at this again...thanx for the video

[TheAztech]

The Idea from the video is not bad........Im gonna try it...lol

[bpuppy]

I've pretty much given up on anything but the built-in bounce card ... gives great results, and it's one less thing to bring with me and take up room in the bag.

Save some money ... point the flash straight up, with the bounce card out and it looks just about the same as a LS.

[Philco]

I've almost always found things to bounce off of, but next week I'll be shooting on a huge boat that has ceilings made up entirely of gold mirror. At 300 feet, The decks are huge, wide open spaces, and the 'walls' are 6 foot tall windows all the way down both sides. I can't imagine where I could bounce here, so I am really wondering if a small softbox on a 580 would be all that much better than just shooting direct, naked, flash. Does anyone think a lumiquest softbox makes that much difference?

[picturecrazy]

Does anyone think a lumiquest softbox makes that much difference?

I tried mine for one reception and I thought it sucked... though it was a hair better than direct, undiffused flash. The shadows are still hard. If you can, set up a bunch of slaves around the place firing into umbrellas or something. Or practice bouncing off people like I mentioned. You can get some really great results. Someone's back is a MUCH larger light source than any softbox you'll get onto your flash head.

[Philco]

I tried mine for one reception and I thought it sucked... though it was a hair better than direct, undiffused flash. The shadows are still hard. If you can, set up a bunch of slaves around the place firing into umbrellas or something. Or practice bouncing off people like I mentioned. You can get some really great results. Someone's back is a MUCH larger light source than any softbox you'll get onto your flash head.

I had a feeling that what you are describing would be the case. The other night I was in a venue with black ceilings and wooden walls...luckily there was a big, stuffed shark hanging from the ceiling and I was able to bounce off of it!

Thanks.

[tim]

Soft boxes work by making the light source large from the point of the view of the subject. A 2 meter high soft box 5 meters from a person wouldn't be as effective as a 75cm soft box right beside them (i'm making up the numbers, not calculating this). A tiny soft box on a shoe mounted flash doesn't do much given how far it usually is from the subject.

[Wilt]

Haha, actually I have been seen holding the camera upsidedown and firing the flash into my shirt. The light isn't directional, but it's a nice, soft diffused light and a much larger lightsource than a mini-softbox. But that's my last resort. There's always other people to bounce off of.

I just came up with an idea! Hey, if I market a photographic vest made out of crinkled aluminum foiled (with some pockets for accessories, of course) do you think I could sell them for $60 to photographers who want to use your technique, where they fire the flash into their aluminum photo vest and use it as a big reflector when there is no ceiling or walls nearby? ;) the Wilt Fong vest...and every once in a while I could come up with an improved version and sell it for a higher price. The first improvement could be the vest wtih white anti-chafe collar that doubles as an additional reflective surface to keep light from going backward away from the subjects and serves as a catchlight...$80 The second improvement could be a vest with replaceable panels, to permit gold panels for warming vs. white panels for softer light vs. silver panel for greater shooting range...$100. The third improvement, a vest with translencent white back panel, which can be flipped around the front to even out the light distribution from the silver vest panel...$120