Any preference

[u8myufo]

On a soft flash diffuser for a 580ex? , do I need to spend the earth on one? Ive seen the blow up ones and the plastic type, but was wondering if the material they were made of was inferior to say a brand that I have not yet seen but somebody could recommend.

[scot079]

There's the Gary Fong Lightspheres and the Lumiquest softbox. Both of which are too expensive and don't work as well as bouncing off a white wall or umbrella.

[Bootlegger0173]

I personally, prefer the Lightsphere for indoor shots for the more even fill light (also still bounced straight up at ceiling), compared to a white bounce card, but it is way overpriced. Also, it won't throw light nearly as far as a card, and a card can fit almost anywhere. Just depends on what you like.

[poloman]

I have the Lumiquest Pro Max System. It has an 80/20 unit (80% forward and 20% bounce), three different colored inserts so that it will only push light forward and a soft box cover. It all fits into a flat package that will stow in your sport coat pocket. You will want to use this system with a flash bracket.

[sapearl]

I second the Lumiquest products. They're time-tested and have been on the market for years and won't break the bank. You can get the Pocket Bounce alone for as little as $19.95 if you don't want to get the whole system:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/32576-REG/LumiQuest_LQ871D_Pocket_Bouncer.html

Or, as poloman points out you can get the 80/20 which I also own for just a couple of bucks more:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/32577-REG/LumiQuest_LQ872D_80_20_Pocket_Bouncer.html

I first began using the pocket bounce about 20 years ago with a MF film setup and continued when I migrated to digital. Another major benefit of them is that they are very light weight and will fold flat in a camera bag, suit pocket or even a pants pocket. A lot of the others won't do this. Most of the time I'll just extend the little white card on the 580 and perhaps tilt the head forward a tad. That in and of itself will illuminate a lot of situations. Experimentation though will be your best tool. Good luck and have fun - welcome the world of diffusers as well as POTN :D Glad to have you on board.

I have the Lumiquest Pro Max System. It has an 80/20 unit (80% forward and 20% bounce), three different colored inserts so that it will only push light forward and a soft box cover. It all fits into a flat package that will stow in your sport coat pocket. You will want to use this system with a flash bracket.

[u8myufo]

Thanks again for the answers guys, and thanks for the welcome.

[sapearl]

You're welcome - you will find this place to be very detrimental to your wallet adn liquid assets :lol:. And Happy New Year.

Thanks again for the answers guys, and thanks for the welcome.

[Stefano7]

I think there was an article in a photo magazine in the last 6 months on this subject - might have been Shutterbug, Digital Pro Photo, PC Photo or Outdoor Photographer. It evaluated a number of flash diffusers. You might run a search. I use the Sto-fen Omni-Bounce as well as a Westcott micro Apollo and LumiQuest pocket bouncer. As Stuart noted, the pocket bouncer is extremely portable and works well. Very similar to the DIY diffuser described on Chuck Gardner's site:

http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/

Bottom line: Chuck is recognized as the hot-shoe flash guru and I have no doubt that if there's another design that would achieve better results than his DIY unit, he would have the pattern on his site! That might weigh in favor of the LumiQuest since it's very similar, but I'm sure others will have different opinions based on their usage.

[Stefano7]

One other side note: I've found the HonlPhoto Speed Straps to be an excellent mounting device for the on-flash diffusers.

http://www.honlphoto.com/servlet/the-8/speedlight-strobe-flash-nikon/Detail

[u8myufo]

Thanks once again. Its just a case of buying one and see how I get on with it, I imagine they all produce subtle differences anyway so its a case of working around it.

[poloman]

I like the Lumiquest Pro Max because it packs flat and offers a lot of options. I guess I could carry a pasta salad along if I had the Gary Fong offerings. :) In terms of performance, I think most would have a hard time telling the difference between all the offerings by looking at a print.

[sapearl]

Not only that but Fong's products seem to get "reinvented" every 6 - 12 months or so, while the Lumiquest system of choices has been pretty unchanging for years, and still maintains solid sales. I completely agree about its number of sensible and easy to use options.

What does that tell you when product keeps getting re-released? Looks to me like the Marketting boys and accountants are running the show for the bottom line rather than the photographer.

I like the Lumiquest Pro Max because it packs flat and offers a lot of options. I guess I could carry a pasta salad along if I had the Gary Fong offerings. :) In terms of performance, I think most would have a hard time telling the difference between all the offerings by looking at a print.