New Gary Fong Puffer Difuser

[gooble]

Gary Fong has a new diffuser for pop-up flashes on DSLRs. Looks interesting. Don't think I'll be getting one but it might interest some here.

Here's a link:
http://store.garyfonginc.com/puf-01.html

[Curtis N]

Man, that guy is shameless. He should be selling weight loss and hair growth products where the real money is.

The sample pictures cracked me up.

$19.95 to turn a nearly useless flash into a totally useless flash.

[JWright]

Man, that guy is shameless. He should be selling weight loss and hair growth products where the real money is.

The sample pictures cracked me up.

$19.95 to turn a nearly useless flash into a totally useless flash.

My sentiments exactly...

[cdifoto]

Wow.

[Go Go]

Kleenex, works! Try it, or toilet paper if your in a jam!

[Laramie]

$19.95 to turn a nearly useless flash into a totally useless flash.

Who is this really marketed too? In my opinion, by the time a person into photography gets around to realizing they need a flash diffuser, they will have ALREADY come to the realization that they need a flash like the 430 or 580.

Just my .02

[Jakpro]

I thought that a "Puffer" was a fish?

[Go Go]

maybe, and still
Kleenex, works! Try it, or toilet paper if your in a jam!


Who is this really marketed too? In my opinion, by the time a person into photography gets around to realizing they need a flash diffuser, they will have ALREADY come to the realization that they need a flash like the 430 or 580.

Just my .02

[Lotto]

My sentiments exactly...

+1. Out of all the Canon lenses, he had to pick the 24-70L with the popup flash. What a joke.

[Mike R]

check out his return policy!

We stand behind all of our products and will gladly exchange any physical merchandise that: a) is damaged during shipping; b) is defective; or, c) if we have shipped (as a result of our error) the wrong product, quantity, or size. Claims for incorrect or missing items should be made within 7 days of receipt by emailing support@garyfonginc.com.

Other returns are accepted on a case-by-case basis. We may - at our sole discretion - accept for return a product that you have ordered in error or are dissatisfied with. We may - at our sole discretion - exchange the item for a replacement (eg. a different size), or issuse a refund.

When an item is returned for exchange or refund through no fault of Gary Fong, Inc., the buyer is responsible for all shipping charges plus a $10 re-stocking fee.

[Jon]

Looks like he's hooked an idea from Lumiquest (http://www.lumiquest.com/softscreen.htm). And theirs is cheaper.

[Curtis N]

Looks like he's hooked an idea from Lumiquest (http://www.lumiquest.com/softscreen.htm). And theirs is cheaper.... and bigger, and has a white panel behind the flash to catch wasted light, and it folds flat for storage.

[simwells]

When an item is returned for exchange or refund through no fault of Gary Fong, Inc., the buyer is responsible for all shipping charges plus a $10 re-stocking fee.

$10 re-stocking on a $20 item!! now that's service!

[TMR Design]

Incredible!! And the thing is he is laughing all the way to the bank.

I'm surprised we don't see one of his usual videos demonstrating the product.

[Mike R]

We should hold off on judgement until we hear from the mighty Ken Rockwell . If he says it's good, then it must be and we should all buy one.:rolleyes:

[Livinthalife]

I had made my own before buying a flash, I used plastic from from a plastic bottle, and tissue. I got the same results, for $20 less.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b386/atgrzymala/P1010441.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b386/atgrzymala/Untitled-1.jpg

[gooble]

Ha, I didn't really expect this response but it's funny though. Almost seems like Gary Fong is regarded as well here as Ken Rockwell.

I have looked over Gary's website and watched some of his vids and while they sorta give me a bad taste in my mouth I guess some people find his products useful.

[tom in mpls]

I had made my own before buying a flash, I used plastic from from a plastic bottle, and tissue. I got the same results, for $20 less.



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b386/atgrzymala/Untitled-1.jpg

Wow, works great! I'll use it for all my flashes at 2 feet. Really, though, can it throw light far enough for real use?

[tom in mpls]

I tried the lightshpere. It worked but I refused to go out in public with the thing. My stoffen works just fine, thank you. It sounds like people here have a similar opinion of the lightsphere, yes?

[Lightstream]

The reasons why all these gadgets sell so well are that firstly, flash IS difficult to master. It is difficult to envision a pulse of light that only lasts 1/1000th of a second. Secondly, in today's quick-fix-band-aid-solution world, people don't want to take the time to actually work with the flash and learn it. They want to buy something that fixes their problems *NOW* and that all they need to do is pop it on their flash and stop thinking about it.

This thinking is akin to using the green box mode because it SHOULD fix all my problems right? And I don't need to think about it? Yay! Hooray for green box!

My suggestion would be to read Strobist and understand the fundamentals of lighting. Is it easy? No. But neither is using a DSLR, and one would not really be considered a photographer if they did not understand the fundamentals of exposure, right?

I'm not saying diffusers don't work. They do work. They work in specific situations and one has to understand how they work. Again to do this one needs a fundamental grasp of light, to see how un-modified light would react in various situations, and how the light changes when you modify it using a diffuser (aka modifier). One does not just simply look at 'before and after' photos on the web and say "oooooh that one looks like it will solve all my problems!" But if you do understand what a specific diffuser will do for you, and it meets your needs, go for it. I am not putting down or singling out particular piece of hardware here. I'm just saying, know what they do for you and don't expect them to be a band aid in all situations.

Yes, believe it or not, there are actually situations where direct flash produces BETTER lighting than bounced flash. Believe it or not. Understand light... :)

[Wilt]

Robert, I think we're missing the opportunity of marketing your wonton take-out soup containers!!! And we can charge a $9 restocking fee, to undercut Gary, and be earning lots of money. I will handle your marketing for you; you do the production and eat the wontons. My take is simply $1 for each hit on the website that is hawking the Wonton Light Modifier. We can prey upon the innocent and gullible pretty well, I think.

[Lightstream]

Robert, I think we're missing the opportunity of marketing your wonton take-out soup containers!!! And we can charge a $9 restocking fee, to undercut Gary, and be earning lots of money. I will handle your marketing for you; you do the production. We can prey upon the innocent and gullible pretty well, I think.


mmm, good wonton soup is hard to find!

[TMR Design]

Hi Wilt,

You kill me. Can you imagine how much money I could be making with the SoupSphere?

LOLOLOLOL

[Lightstream]

Hi Wilt,

You kill me. Can you imagine how much money I could be making with the SoupSphere?

LOLOLOLOL

Hmmm.....

This reminds me of the reference to "Soulsphere" (bonus points to anybody who remembers where this came from), and subsequently, "chicken soup is good for the soul".

So will your marketing tagline have something to do with drinking the soup first to revive you and then using the container? ;)

[jr_senator]

... and bigger, and has a white panel behind the flash to catch wasted light, and it folds flat for storage.

But, will it hold as much salad as Gary's?

[Wilt]

We can supplement our SoupSphere income by publishing a book, Chicken Soup for the Aspiring Photographer

[jr_senator]

We should hold off on judgement until we hear from the mighty Ken Rockwell . If he says it's good, then it must be and we should all buy one.:rolleyes:

Joke, right?

[Hogloff]

I believe we just reached Dpreview status with this post.

[Lightstream]

Why chicken? Because duck is sacred on POTN? ;)

[jr_senator]

We can supplement our SoupSphere income by publishing a book, Chicken Soup for the Aspiring Photographer

Does that come with eggroll?

[Wilt]

Why chicken? Because duck is sacred on POTN? ;)

Multiple choice:

1. Chickens are more plentiful, so there is no danger of shortages
2. No Jewish mom would dream of feeding her child duck soup for a cold
3. If you run out of ducks, POTN members will have a hard time trying out their purchases.
4. None of the above
5. 1,2,3 are true.

[gjl711]

Kleenex, works! Try it, or toilet paper if your in a jam! A pec pad and rubber band works better. The thickness of the pad diffuses the light and softens the harsh spots more.

[Lightstream]

Multiple choice:

1. Chickens are more plentiful, so there is no danger of shortages
2. No Jewish mom would dream of feeding her child duck soup for a cold
3. If you run out of ducks, POTN members will have a hard time trying out their purchases.
4. None of the above
5. 1,2,3 are true.

Oh dear, 3 is quite alarming! ;)

A pec pad and rubber band works better. The thickness of the pad diffuses the light and softens the harsh spots more.

Hmm, this actually sounds like a pretty good idea. One could craft a 'softbox' using a pecpad around the popup flash in an emergency....

[TMR Design]

The Large SoupSphere

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=132970&d=1166998046

[RichNY]

I think it's time for Robert to get a title change to "Inventor of the SoupSphere"

[Glenn NK]

The reasons why all these gadgets sell so well are that firstly, flash IS difficult to master. It is difficult to envision a pulse of light that only lasts 1/1000th of a second. Secondly, in today's quick-fix-band-aid-solution world, people don't want to take the time to actually work with the flash and learn it. They want to buy something that fixes their problems *NOW* and that all they need to do is pop it on their flash and stop thinking about it.

This thinking is akin to using the green box mode because it SHOULD fix all my problems right? And I don't need to think about it? Yay! Hooray for green box!

My suggestion would be to read Strobist and understand the fundamentals of lighting. Is it easy? No. But neither is using a DSLR, and one would not really be considered a photographer if they did not understand the fundamentals of exposure, right?

I'm not saying diffusers don't work. They do work. They work in specific situations and one has to understand how they work. Again to do this one needs a fundamental grasp of light, to see how un-modified light would react in various situations, and how the light changes when you modify it using a diffuser (aka modifier). One does not just simply look at 'before and after' photos on the web and say "oooooh that one looks like it will solve all my problems!" But if you do understand what a specific diffuser will do for you, and it meets your needs, go for it. I am not putting down or singling out particular piece of hardware here. I'm just saying, know what they do for you and don't expect them to be a band aid in all situations.

Yes, believe it or not, there are actually situations where direct flash produces BETTER lighting than bounced flash. Believe it or not. Understand light... :)


Well thought out, well said, and a good message to read and take to heart (mind). This could also be called the one size fits all approach.

I've been using a piece of white plastic milk bottle; until now it's just been a flat piece of plastic, but seeing the post from livinthalife gives me some ideas on mounting it rather than hand-holding.

[Mike R]

Joke, right?
I thought that Ken was the next Adams ! Boy, have I been dealt a blow:cry:

:lol::lol::lol:

[Mike R]

I believe we just reached Dpreview status with this post.

Nah, There is a difference between the humor here and the type of comments at DP Review

[TMR Design]

I think that even at our (POTN) worst we don't even approach the level of DPR.

[Glenn NK]

I think that even at our (POTN) worst we don't even approach the level of DPR.

Well, in general, I would agree, but there are threads on DPR that are really surprising.

Let's see how many of us can follow and understand the following thread from DPR:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1019&thread=24593264&page=1

[jr_senator]

I thought that Ken was the next Adams ! Boy, have I been dealt a blow:cry:

:lol::lol::lol:

Well, he is the best money can buy.

[amonline]

What a hunk of crap. Didn't he get the memo that there were already buttons supplied on the camera that do the same thing? :lol:

We should hold off on judgement until we hear from the mighty Ken Rockwell . If he says it's good, then it must be and we should all buy one.:rolleyes:
LOL... I'd believe that if Gary Fong wasn't so money grubbing that he doesn't do affiliates. :D

Man, that guy is shameless. He should be selling weight loss and hair growth products where the real money is.

The sample pictures cracked me up.

$19.95 to turn a nearly useless flash into a totally useless flash.
Ditto.

[_aravena]

Man, that guy is shameless. He should be selling weight loss and hair growth products where the real money is.

The sample pictures cracked me up.

$19.95 to turn a nearly useless flash into a totally useless flash.

How about "Get Quick Rich" schemes instead?

http://store.garyfonginc.com/gri2set.html

[jr_senator]

How about "Get Quick Rich" schemes instead?

http://store.garyfonginc.com/gri2set.html

Gary must be laughing all the way to the bank.

[TMR Design]

I'm sure he is. ALL the way there and back to the Yacht.

[Mike R]

Remeber the words of old P.T.Barnum "There's a sucker born every minute" :lol:

[amonline]

I was curious about this product, dug a little and found the "tutorial" for it... http://garyfonginc.com/puffer/Puffer.mov

Then I saw the sample images again in the video, which brought me back to Curtis' and my mentioning of it earlier.

Did anyone notice that the "sample" "without the Puffer" had the shadow much further away?

Am I supposed to believe that this was with the on-board flash and not a more powerful HS flash? :lol:

Save your money... adjust your flash compensation. :lol:

Don't they usually smile in the "after? :lol:

http://www.garyfong.com/imagesdaily/pufferart/pufferportraitbeforeafter.jpg

[amonline]

I thought this "flash diffuser" search was funny too...

[TMR Design]

Oh man that video kills me.

He uses the phrase "big, soft flash surface" twice when describing his little diffuser. He also looks like he just wants to get the video out of the way so he can get back to the vault to count money... LOLOLOL :D

[Jon]

I also noticed a colour cast in his "with puffer" shot. Plus he blew out the exposure on the "straight" one.

[Glenn NK]

I was curious about this product, dug a little and found the "tutorial" for it... http://garyfonginc.com/puffer/Puffer.mov

Then I saw the sample images again in the video, which brought me back to Curtis' and my mentioning of it earlier.

Did anyone notice that the "sample" "without the Puffer" had the shadow much further away?

Am I supposed to believe that this was with the on-board flash and not a more powerful HS flash? :lol:

Save your money... adjust your flash compensation. :lol:

Don't they usually smile in the "after? :lol:

http://www.garyfong.com/imagesdaily/pufferart/pufferportraitbeforeafter.jpg


Now that I look at the samples again, I'm trying to figure out why the pic on the left (shot with no diffuser) has the shadow all on one side.

Seems to me that most pop-up flashes are centered over the lens which means that either there should be no shadow, or it should be centered too.

[SkipD]

Now that I look at the samples again, I'm trying to figure out why the pic on the left (shot with no diffuser) has the shadow all on one side.

Seems to me that most pop-up flashes are centered over the lens which means that either there should be no shadow, or it should be centered too.The camera was in "portrait" mode, putting the on-board flash (and any hotshoe-mounted flash) to one side or the other.

[Glenn NK]

The camera was in "portrait" mode, putting the on-board flash (and any hotshoe-mounted flash) to one side or the other.

Yup, you're right.:oops:

[amonline]

Yea, what's funny is that the shadow amazingly moves with his diffuser... I guess you also get that amazing automatic white balance too. :D :lol:

It's so obvious that he blew it out with a HS flash. :lol:

[jr_senator]

I wonder what Gary will come up with next?

[fiveFPS]

We should hold off on judgement until we hear from the mighty Ken Rockwell . If he says it's good, then it must be and we should all buy one.:rolleyes:



Im new but who's Ken Rockwell?

[jr_senator]

Im new but who's Ken Rockwell?

kenrockwell.com

the best money can buy

[osiriz88]

Sorry for bumping a really old thread, but I'd like to see some shots taken with and without the puffer for side by side comparsion.

I hope its good, because the puffer could be awesome to take with you when you want to travel light.

[SwiftFootTim]

Sorry for bumping a really old thread, but I'd like to see some shots taken with and without the puffer for side by side comparsion.

I hope its good, because the puffer could be awesome to take with you when you want to travel light.

I think that you missed the point of this thread...

Try using some paper in front of your flash, same effect.

[tvphotog]

I thought that a "Puffer" was a fish?
Or someone with a hyperinflated ego.

[Phelix]

Somehow I think everyone may be missing the point of the Gary Fong Puffer.
I do not think his target market market was intended for the many many professional photographers present here in this forum. Probably aimed at the non professional average consumer who managed to buy a DSLR through some illegal underground means (because we all know you have to be a pro to buy a DLSR). The needs for that shameless pro-wanna-be photographer are much much simpler than yours, and only needs flash for little Timmy's birthday party or for Christmas morning. There a store bought device like the puffer fits the bill perfectly. You have to understand these low level snap shooters don't need a $400 flash. They also do not have the intelligence and creativeness to read on the internet how you can use a kleenex or cut up a milk bottle and fashion a diffuser that does similar. Don't be too hard on these folk.
No doubt some of you are cut from the same royal cloth when it comes to cars and make your own rear spoilers from mechano sets and plywood that does the same thing as a manufactured spoiler. LOL you guys sound like wine snobs...seriously!

[gjl711]

Whoa.. Flames a three year old thread. :):)

Welcome to the forum..)

[Go Go]

Somehow I think everyone may be missing the point of the Gary Fong Puffer.
I do not think his target market market was intended for the many many professional photographers present here in this forum. Probably aimed at the non professional average consumer who managed to buy a DSLR through some illegal underground means (because we all know you have to be a pro to buy a DLSR). The needs for that shameless pro-wanna-be photographer are much much simpler than yours, and only needs flash for little Timmy's birthday party or for Christmas morning. There a store bought device like the puffer fits the bill perfectly. You have to understand these low level snap shooters don't need a $400 flash. They also do not have the intelligence and creativeness to read on the internet how you can use a kleenex or cut up a milk bottle and fashion a diffuser that does similar. Don't be too hard on these folk.
No doubt some of you are cut from the same royal cloth when it comes to cars and make your own rear spoilers from mechano sets and plywood that does the same thing as a manufactured spoiler. LOL you guys sound like wine snobs...seriously!

Welcome Phelix, you must be one SuperBad dude!

[hollis_f]

Welcome Phelix, you must be one SuperBad dude! A SuperBad Dude who has just splashed out cash on a Gary Fong Puffer; and is somewhat upset to find that it's not the greatest device ever invented and that he has, in effect, bought a very expensive Kleenex. And then decided to register for PotN just to let everybody know that's what he's done!

[MR do little]

Phelix is my hero!

[Chad R.]

Somehow I think everyone may be missing the point of the Gary Fong Puffer.
I do not think his target market market was intended for the many many professional photographers present here in this forum. Probably aimed at the non professional average consumer who managed to buy a DSLR through some illegal underground means (because we all know you have to be a pro to buy a DLSR). The needs for that shameless pro-wanna-be photographer are much much simpler than yours, and only needs flash for little Timmy's birthday party or for Christmas morning. There a store bought device like the puffer fits the bill perfectly. You have to understand these low level snap shooters don't need a $400 flash. They also do not have the intelligence and creativeness to read on the internet how you can use a kleenex or cut up a milk bottle and fashion a diffuser that does similar. Don't be too hard on these folk.
No doubt some of you are cut from the same royal cloth when it comes to cars and make your own rear spoilers from mechano sets and plywood that does the same thing as a manufactured spoiler. LOL you guys sound like wine snobs...seriously!

Good flame. bw!

[Yno]

You say 'wine snobs' like it is a bad thing....