Gary Fong vs. all

[erenales]

Having a hard time picking out a diffuser. I am debating between the two below because I have seen the results via online but no real photos from actual consumers.Gary Fong Lightsphere (Clear or Cloud)Demb Flash DiffuserIf you have any photos, please forward. I would like to only purchase one if possible. I am shooting with an Xti and the diffuser will go on a Canon 580EX II. The shooting will be for nightclubs mostly followed with portraits. Any thoughts appreciated?Thanks.

[cdifoto]

Save your pennies. Use an index card. Put it on the short side so you can use it in portrait as well as landscape. Bounce off the ceiling. No ceiling, shoot direct. Maybe get a Lumiquest Promax system or their SoftBox (I have the latter, seldom use it since I bounce indoors and go bare direct outdoors). I use it when I have to shoot direct indoors.

[Wilt]

if you plan to shoot where there are high ceilings or colored ceilings or outdoors at night, forget the Fong products entirely!

[blackshadow]

The only reason I'd get a Fong thing is to have something that looks like a toilet attached to my flash. I'm sure I wouldn't have a problem getting people to smile for photos with that thing!

[tmonatr]

http://abetterbouncecard.com/
Cheaper, and just as good, if not better.:D
This was taken using a BBC.

[adamp88]

I have a Lightsphere II and it does work pretty much as advertised. Good quality diffuse light. However, it is huge, it is bulky, and it's overpriced. The better bounce card is great. Another option, and the one I currently use is the Flip-It (http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/).

Looking at the website just now, it looks like they raised the price (at least I don't remember paying $30 for mine...). I will say though, that it is just as good at producing diffuse light as the Lightsphere, and is better because it's much smaller and you can easily adjust the ratio of direct/bounce flash.

[erenales]

Thanks for the fast replies.

tmonatr: nice photo w/bbc but i will be using mine at a night club that always have different light conditions.

I tried using just my flash one night and it didn't work out. Photos came out mostly dark while a few came out good. All photos were taken trying to bounce off low ceiling or wall. Then again, I am still a newb.

[Moppie]

Gary Fong vs Chuck Norris = Chuck Norris everytime.

Gary Fong vs Ken Suckswell = hmmm, a difficult one. If the fong dong was on a noink it might be enough to give him the edge over Ken.

[bbqKing]

The only reason I'd get a Fong thing is to have something that looks like a toilet attached to my flash. I'm sure I wouldn't have a problem getting people to smile for photos with that thing!

lmfao:lol::lol:

[marylou]

if you plan to shoot where there are high ceilings or colored ceilings or outdoors at night, forget the Fong products entirely!

I have the LightSphereII (LSII) and can agree with this post. But then any product that requires you to bounce off the ceiling will have the same issues as the LSII

Another draw back I am finding even with my 580EX II flash being able to turn when I go portrait is that I don't get the same quality bounce as I did with the camera Horizontal even with ceilings that cooperate.

Inside my dark living room(it is painted a wine color on the walls and has a ceiling fan w/ 3 low wattage florescent bulbs) with nice white ceilings this is what I got as a comparison:


580EX II flash straight on.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/1336353991_19280abf9b.jpg

580EX II flash upright to bounce off the ceiling w/o LSII:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1208/1336365909_5d133707d7.jpg


580EX II flash w/ LightSphere II attached in the upright position:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/1337244172_d0efb43bcd.jpg

15yo daughter says "OH MA!!! did ya have to post my acne on the web!"

In closing the LSII is good at exactly what it says it is good at and not much more. I don't have any Night club comparison shots for you but if the ceilings are high....... I would suggest the better bounce card (BBC) or something similar that creates it's OWN white area to bounce the light back at the object of the lens.

~M

[jhom]

I've had the LS II and PJ. Under the light conditions they worked well. I now have the Joe Demb Diffuser Pro. I like it much better because I can direct the light. Also, it is much more convenient to pack and use

[erenales]

I've had the LS II and PJ. Under the light conditions they worked well. I now have the Joe Demb Diffuser Pro. I like it much better because I can direct the light. Also, it is much more convenient to pack and use

Does the demb diffuser make images look softer or fills more light than the LSII? I have heard only good things about the demb diffuser.

[cdifoto]

Does the demb diffuser make images look softer or fills more light than the LSII? I have heard only good things about the demb diffuser.

It's not a diffuser it's a fancy catchlight card. It's designed to let you control the forward:up ratio.

[cosworth]

That 580 straight on shot looks better than using a $$$$ diffuser - I'm taking into consideration if it were exposed properly.

My stofens sit unused in a box.

[cdifoto]

My stofens sit unused in a box.

I gave mine away with the first 580EX I sold off. Haven't missed it.

[jhom]

It's not a diffuser it's a fancy catchlight card. It's designed to let you control the forward:up ratio.

Not quite right. The DDP has a front diffuse panel as well as a adjustable catchlight card. This makes it much more versatile than the Fong LSII.

[cdifoto]

Not quite right. The DDP has a front diffuse panel as well as a adjustable catchlight card. This makes it much more versatile than the Fong LSII.

I was thinking of the original Flip It. Hadn't realized he came out with variations on it.

[jhom]

Does the demb diffuser make images look softer or fills more light than the LSII? I have heard only good things about the demb diffuser.

It all depends on how you use it and the conditions when you take the shot.

There is no magic bullet. I have gotten excellent results with the DDP, LS, the popup card on the 580, etc. I've also gotten poor results with them.

[erenales]

cdifoto: Thanks for the clarification. Still learning...

Going to a nightclub this Friday to take photos. It seems that majority of the comments say that the diffuser isn't necessary?!? I just need to control the exposure and if needed, use the bounce card built in the 580ex II.

[cdifoto]

cdifoto: Thanks for the clarification. Still learning...

Going to a nightclub this Friday to take photos. It seems that majority of the comments say that the diffuser isn't necessary?!? I just need to control the exposure and if needed, use the bounce card built in the 580ex II.

If the club has strobes and other colored lights, you might want to get a Lumiquest Softbox or similar and shoot direct rather than bouncing off the ceiling. That would let you get skin tones normalized and dragging the shutter would let the colored strobes illuminate everything else. Bouncing fills up a room and could kill that ambiance.

[Wilt]

erenales,

Shoot with available light whenever possible, when in nightclubs. Flash in a nightclub ruins the ambience! Shoot with available light whenever possible, when in nightclubs. Stage lighting is often bright enough to shoot available light at very reasonable shutter speeds. Shoot with available light whenever possible, when in nightclubs. Bouncing light off ceilings is even worse than direct flash for ruining the ambience of the nightclub. Shoot with available light whenever possible, when in nightclubs. Nightclubs don't even look like nightclubs any more, when you use flash, and especially so if you use bounce flash. Shoot with available light whenever possible, when in nightclubs.

[johnstoy]

Wilt's got hiccups. :lol::lol::lol::D:rolleyes:

[sapearl]

Erenales, based on an earlier post I'm curious about your exposure settings. If was doing this in a typically dim nightclub, I'm guessing that my settings would be something like:

Camera: Set to MANUAL
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/30 approx
Aperture: f/6.3 thereabouts
580ex: AUTO-ETTL, bounced, with the white card extended

This is how a I do wedding and event work in dim halls. Are your settings anywhere near this? I'm taking a guess that you are using higher shutter speeds and smaller apertures which can cause your images to go dark as you stated. And if you don't want to destroy the "club ambience" as Wilt states, shoot with available light. He is right about that. - Stu


cdifoto: Thanks for the clarification. Still learning...

Going to a nightclub this Friday to take photos. It seems that majority of the comments say that the diffuser isn't necessary?!? I just need to control the exposure and if needed, use the bounce card built in the 580ex II.

[Wilt]

Did I mention you might get your *ss ejected from the nightclub by the bouncer, especially on a Friday night, if you shoot a lot and fail to use available light but use ceiling bounce all the time?!

[sapearl]

Excellent point - shows you how much I visit clubs myself :rolleyes:.

Did I mention you might get your *ss ejected from the nightclub by the bouncer, especially on a Friday night, if you shoot a lot and fail to use available light but use ceiling bounce all the time?!

[erenales]

Lucky for me, I can't get kicked out even if my flash goes at the rate of a strobe light. :-)

SApearl: unsure of the camera settings as I don't have it right now.

Camera: originally set Av but changed to P
ISO: 200 (Its way low compared to your)
Shutter: 1/15 approx
Aperture: 3.5-5.6 (use 17-85mm IS)
580ex: AUTO-ETTL, bounced, stofen diffuser

I got good pictures but they were inconsistent. I'll post them later when I get home.

The nightclub setting:
One room is the dancefloor whereit's dark with a bunch of strobe lights. low ceiling.
Another room looks more orange'ish. Probably because of the orange colored booths, brown walls, and dim lights.

Once again, I'll post the photos when I get home.

Thanks.

[shannyD]

i like the index card idea.. and i have been using it. and i like the results.. granted i admit i know nothing about lighting still but it doesnt look like hard flash. and its good..

the toilet bowl thing cracks me up when i see it online all of the time.

[Mr. Clean]

That 580 straight on shot looks better than using a $$$$ diffuser - I'm taking into consideration if it were exposed properly.

My stofens sit unused in a box.

I gave mine away with the first 580EX I sold off. Haven't missed it.
I have a warming Stofen that does some cool stuff when you change the white balance via color temperature.

Other than that, no funky slip on fong diffuser type stuff for me. Index cards, business cards, and the back of some 4x6 printer paper.