Diffuser for 580ex

[motogeno]

I need a reccomendation for a really good diffuser for the 580ex. Although direct flash is a last result, it sometimes cannot be avoided and so I need one. Thanks, and where do you guys get your camera gear online?

[Grace]

b&h, adorama. I am looking into the lumaquest soft box and diffuser/ pocket bouncer system now ;)

[CyberPet]

This might sound laughable, but check this out.... works like a charm!
http://abetterbouncecard.com/

[ZekaG]

This one should do. http://store.garyfonginc.com/lightsphere.html

[nvrl8]

This might sound laughable, but check this out.... works like a charm!
http://abetterbouncecard.com/


Great. Thanks for sharing!!

[anndecrist]

I've been using the "a better bounce card" and absolutely love the look and the portability.

[LuisE]

I've been using the "a better bounce card" and absolutely love the look and the portability.

I agree. I use it a lot even for night photography outdoors.

[motogeno]

Thanks everyone. I saw a pro using the Gary fong rig on two 580ex's, just didn't know what it was till now. I did like that setup just watching him. It also eliminated the flash bracket, which is a plus. Thanks again

[tim]

There's a thread about the LightSphere, mostly negative. I don't use mine any more.

My favorite diffuser is a wall. Yesterday I used a person wearing a white shirt, I bounced my flash off them as fill. Worked pretty well.

[Eoseni]

I use the Lightsphere II on my 580 and it works well. But I can see the betterbouncecard doing the same much more affordably. I think US$50 for the LS II is too much.
I also bounce off walls as has been mentioned.

It comes down to personal style and preferences. If you can, go to a store that has several kinds and try them all.

[sapearl]

Both Petra and Tim have very good suggestions - the Better Bounce card is a variant of the pop up card on a 580, and bouncing off adjacent light colored surfaces often has excellent effects.

I purchased the Westcott Micro Apollo Softbox for On-Camera Flash which does a very nice job of softening the strobe, but it will cut down on output.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=3750&A=details&Q=&sku=62832&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

I find the Westcott to be very effective for couples dance floor shots, and other close in work. I also own a couple of the Lumiquest pocket bounce products - inexpensive, effective, and highly portable.

[Lin-z]

What about Stofen Omni bounce

[sapearl]

Moto - just a few more thoughts. Light diffusion and "appreciation" of the quality of lighting output is often a very personal thing, a matter of "taste". Don't spend a lot of money on a solution right away, without some experimentation.

There are many free and inexpensive solutions to handling this situation.... anything from simple bouncing to the rubber band and index card trick. But EXPERIMENT with the materials at hand first- it does not cost anything ;) . Then when you determine the effects you prefer or hate, start spending your money.

Check out the following links here:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=257595

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=218149

There's been a lot of discussion on diffusers here - I'm sure you'll find more if you do some detailed searches. Make sure your read the comments on the Stoffen. It's excellent in some circumstances and less than that in others. - Stu

[motogeno]

Moto - just a few more thoughts. Light diffusion and "appreciation" of the quality of lighting output is often a very personal thing, a matter of "taste". Don't spend a lot of money on a solution right away, without some experimentation.

There are many free and inexpensive solutions to handling this situation.... anything from simple bouncing to the rubber band and index card trick. But EXPERIMENT with the materials at hand first- it does not cost anything ;) . Then when you determine the effects you prefer or hate, start spending your money.

Check out the following links here:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=257595

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=218149

There's been a lot of discussion on diffusers here - I'm sure you'll find more if you do some detailed searches. Make sure your read the comments on the Stoffen. It's excellent in some circumstances and less than that in others. - Stu
Good advice. Now I'm a little more conflicted about the subject. In wedding scenarios I am sure that most venues have ceilings that are too tall for bounce, and I really was hoping that something like the lightspheres would allow me to turn some of my focus away from constantly trying to find surfaces for bounce. I like soft, diffused light. I find that bounce, in a lot of situations, makes for nice light but you also loose the eyes to shadows created by overhead light. Bounce cards only add catchlights in the eyes. And of course there is my least favorite, which is direct flash that makes for flat light and harsh shadows behind the subject. I guess there is no one fix. So, am I to understand correctly that the lightspheres rely on ceiling to bounce on still, or do they work as a better quality of direct flash. Thanks for all the answers guys

[sapearl]

Check out a photograph I posted in another thread:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=260862

You'll probably have to scroll down a screen or two. That cake cutting shot was done with only the 580ex's little white card extended, bouncing the flash off a medium high ceiling. I bumped the RAW exposure just a little bit in PP because the cake threw things off a little, but that little white card often does more than we think.

I can't comment on the lightspheres or Stofens because I've never used them. But the right ISO, a MANUAL camera setting and a little experimentation can often achieve very pleasant results.

..... In wedding scenarios I am sure that most venues have ceilings that are too tall for bounce, and I really was hoping that something like the lightspheres would allow me to turn some of my focus away from constantly trying to find surfaces for bounce. I like soft, diffused light. I find that bounce, in a lot of situations, makes for nice light but you also loose the eyes to shadows created by overhead light. Bounce cards only add catchlights in the eyes. ......

[coreypolis]

I used one all day yesterday. It was a ~3x7 piece of cardboard wrapped in tin foil. Worked great.

Flash diffusers are very easy to make and IMO generally not worth the retail price. They all do the same things.

[Eoseni]

I agree.