580EX Catchlight

[photofinish]

Has anybody used the 580ex catchlight panel? Is it worth using? How do you use it effectively?

[John_T]

To quote the manual:

"With the catchlight panel, you can create a catchlight in the subject's eyes to add life to the facial expression."

This is all it's for, though it might add a little fill light indoors. It is used with the flash turned upwards so that theoretically only the catchlight panel gets illuminated and that light gets reflected in the subjects eyes. It is very useful when there is no other light source reflected in the eyes, though it might be too much if there are other bright lights also getting reflected..

[DaveG]

Has anybody used the 580ex catchlight panel? Is it worth using? How do you use it effectively?

I suspect that the panel works better in theory than in practice. A small fill card made out of white corregated plastic (a small chunk of an election sign) attached to your flash with Velcro will work much better. The panel is always there so that's something, but it just isn't all that effective.

[maderito]

I also use the same panel to further diffuse bounced lighting under standard flash conditions (i.e. not fill flash). I aim the flash at a white ceiling, sometimes tilted slightly towards the subject, with the flash panel up. This is the effect you try to achieve by attaching a white index card to the flash with a rubber band or velcro strip.

I've never been sure whether the panel actually diffuses the light better than the naked flash head bounced off the ceiling - but I think ( :rolleyes: ) it does.

Oh ... the catchlight function of the panel does work when shooting in good lighting and using the flash for fill. As DaveG points out, it's always available and very easy to deploy.

I'm suprised to not have seen a post of someone comparing the function of this little panel against a basic white index card. Of course there have been many posts on how best to soften light from a flash; there are a lot of gadgets out there for sale.

[DaveG]

Has anybody used the 580ex catchlight panel? Is it worth using? How do you use it effectively?

I suspect that the panel works better in theory than in practice. A small fill card made out of white corregated plastic (a small chunk of an election sign) attached to your flash with Velcro will work much better. The panel is always there so that's something, but it just isn't all that effective.

[WestFalcon]

I've used it a lot at weddings for candids and it works like a bounce flash. The light is soft and much better than direct flash. I use it on hand/ring pictures and closeups. I really like the light quality. I don't use it the way it is supposed to be used however. I put the flash almost straight up, tilted slightly towards the subject and pull the diffuser about 2/3 of the way out. I don't fold it down over the flash...it is more like a bounce card. Try it. Be careful though since the diffuser is fragile and could be broken in this position. I can go about 10 feet this way.

[photofinish]

Thanks everybody for the help.

[alan sh]

I've used it a lot at weddings for candids and it works like a bounce flash. The light is soft and much better than direct flash. I use it on hand/ring pictures and closeups. I really like the light quality. I don't use it the way it is supposed to be used however. I put the flash almost straight up, tilted slightly towards the subject and pull the diffuser about 2/3 of the way out. I don't fold it down over the flash...it is more like a bounce card. Try it. Be careful though since the diffuser is fragile and could be broken in this position. I can go about 10 feet this way.

On my 580, I have a diffuser and a white card. Which are you using ?

[WestFalcon]

On my 580, I have a diffuser and a white card. Which are you using ?

the diffuser

[Adira_fotog]

The catchlight panel (not the diffuser) is to put a little white light in your subjects' eyes... so it shouldn't be used far away. I've tried it a little, but not enough. The purpose is clear, and so are the alternatives, but who remembers to pack index cards and rubber bands?

I'd think the proof of goddness would be in the results...