Just got Gary Fong's Lightsphere II [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

markubig

18th of March 2005 (Fri), 22:27

Here's some test shots that I took today with my Drebel and 550ex with the Lightsphere II. Unfortunately, I didn't have my Omnibounce with me, so I won't be able to show any comparison.

The website claims that the LSII eliminates your need for a flash bracket in order to shoot in the vertical position. I have included 2 verticals and 2 horizontals. What do you think about the light distribution in the shots, especially the verticals? It was a low ceiling, so I also had the dome on the LSII, as well.

I guess it looks alright, but then again, what do I know . . . I just a beginner . . .

markubig

18th of March 2005 (Fri), 22:27

Here are the verticals: You could see the shadow cast in the background by having the flash on the left side, but the subject (my godson) himself, looks well lit

Skip Souza

18th of March 2005 (Fri), 23:10

Looks good to me. Lighting even, no real hot spots. Great photos of a delightful subject. Especially like vertical #2 ahe "What you lookin' at look."
We are all learning.

HJMinard

18th of March 2005 (Fri), 23:31

Yeah ... I think they look pretty darn good for some quick test shots. And the look on his face in the last shot ... priceless ...

johneric8

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 01:07

to be honest with you that is as good as I have seen in a home with a flash.. I have gotten similar results aiming my sunpak 5000af at the celing. I have about 10 ft ceiling that are off white so it works well. But, get me in a more challenging situation and it would be darn nice to have The Lightspere I believe. As soon as I get my 580EX I will order one as well. Thanks for the pictures.

tim

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 01:25

I think I need to get myself a lightsphere some time :)

dhbailey

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 05:09

I still want to see more comparison shots with the Omnibounce.

How is the flash activated if it is off the hotshoe? Does the 580EX have a cable that my 420EX is missing?

sparker1

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 05:55

Shots are great. Tell us more about this toy.

markubig

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 06:26

Thanks all . . . there is a picture of the lightsphere II here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=57856&highlight=lightsphere+II). People's comments of it being big and looking like tupperware (especially with the dome on) are pretty accurate, but from what I've seen, the results pretty much overpower its size.

Here is a link to Gary Fong's LSII page (http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=3354218&showprevnext=1). The video and sample pictures on this page are what really sold it for me. i bought two (550ex and 420ex). the 420 was actually the same one for the 550, except that he included a vinyl gasket adapter to have it fit the 420. I also saw that he has one for the 580ex.

I've read about issues with his shipping; however, I ordered on Wed and received it yesterday (Fri) via USPS. So from California to New Jersey in 2-3 days is pretty good, if you ask me.
Have fun!

mbze430

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 08:50

Whelp I am glad you are happy with your Lightsphere II. Get ready for alot of people asking what it is. lol.

Have fun

cargo123

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 09:10

Mark,
I was in the flash section of this forum earlier in the week and seen the question about the Gary Fong diffuser. I really liked the sample photos and watched the video. I was skeptical but spent the $30 plus $18 for shipping. I ordered mine Tuesday night, and got a notice from the postman I need to go get at the Post Office. I am on my way. Your pictures have giving me hope that I didn't waste my money. I have a special event to shoot this coming Friday and Saturday and was concerned about the vertical shots. If I learn how to posts shots I will give it a try. Mike G

cargo123

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 11:58

I new I would have trouble when they stated they were sending it USPS. Spent the last two hours going back and forth with the Post Office (standing in line, driving the neighborhood, talking to them on the phone..)trying to find where my package is. They said it would be delivered before noon. No sign of the Post Man. I was pumped this morning to get out and try. Now I have a headache from trying to track it down from the USPS. UPS gets it delivered every time.

tim

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 15:54

If anyone's interested you get them from here (http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=3354218&showprevnext=1).

markubig

19th of March 2005 (Sat), 17:15

Get ready for alot of people asking what it is. lol.

it started last night . . . after i explained to everyone what it was, they started handing me tupperware and saying, "try this"

:D :D :D

mbze430

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 03:26

LOL, I usually tell people it's my drinking cup...heheh :)

Harry Settle

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 07:36

mbze430

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 09:07

that' sthe whole point of a diffuser. It's is to diffuse a "direct" light source. It completely takes away the harse light to give it that smooth "wrap-around" light.

markubig

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 10:02

#$%@!*&^ you guys!!! I've been looking at this gadget for over a month now and have resisted buying it, until last night.

Anyone wonder why it isn't made to direct a little more light to the front, even just a little bit.

in gary's video on that website, he uses the analogy of "misting water from a hose vs. a strong/direct stream from a hose". misting will spread water evenly and softly and the strong/direct stream will knock over everything.

Harry Settle

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 11:11

that' sthe whole point of a diffuser. It's is to diffuse a "direct" light source. It completely takes away the harse light to give it that smooth "wrap-around" light.

That is true enough, but, do you need 360 degrees of wrap around the photographer? I make no bones about the lightsphere working or not, I like the results that I see. I also see some light being wasted.

Why not something a little more than 180 degrees? It's something that I will be experimenting with after I get mine.

Headcase650

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 11:36

You could tape a piece of aluminium foil over the back side of the sphere when it is pointed up, Then remove it for direct flash with the cover on.

Harry Settle

20th of March 2005 (Sun), 13:06

You could tape a piece of aluminium foil over the back side of the sphere when it is pointed up, Then remove it for direct flash with the cover on.

This is what forums are good for. I was only thinking of the ls being used upright, totally forgot about forward position.

OceanRider

29th of March 2005 (Tue), 19:23

Todd Jacobsen

31st of March 2005 (Thu), 18:11

I saw some great pic tonight comparing the lightsphere & Omnibounce and hands down it was a tie. There was a SLIGHT (ever so) better look to the LS, but not anything worth noting or spending any money on. The OB worked just as good. I cant find the link anymore, but u can trust me. If the site was legitmate, they are equal. Since I already have the OB, I feel much better.

Cheers

Joel

Omni-bounce is effective - IF - you have bounce-able surfaces. Sometimes walls are not white, and colored walls throw that color onto the subject if bounced on...

I did an initial "test" run last night and naked bounced flash as well as omni-bounce (45 degree bounce) proved better than my vertical LSII. But my test setup (which included a ceiling lamp) may have negatively impacted the LSII.

In another thread I mentioned I will be conducted a "personal" evaluation between the LSII, omni-bounce, nake flash, Lumiquest Softbox, and ProMax System components (which include the 80-20 and white insert). Both E-TTL(10D) and E-TTLII(20D) will be utilized.

sGu

1st of April 2005 (Fri), 08:05

Any chance to see some comparison test shots without any bounce, then with stofen and with LSII???

Nothing is more convincing then seeing it yourself :)

AzzKicker

1st of April 2005 (Fri), 08:23

I'm not sold on the LSII yet. I think its a lot of wasted light and plastic and money imo. I have to see any real comparison shots out there comparing all the different types.

Todd Jacobsen

1st of April 2005 (Fri), 08:48

Any chance to see some comparison test shots without any bounce, then with stofen and with LSII???

Nothing is more convincing then seeing it yourself :)

I'll post shots next week when I evaluate the LSII against the other products I am purchasing (lumiquest).

tim

3rd of April 2005 (Sun), 03:01

I'm interested to see any comparison photos people with the LS II would care to do and post, and any impressions you all have :)

tim

5th of April 2005 (Tue), 15:36

Has anyone outside the US ordered and received a LSII? There's no explaination of the shipping types, Gary recommended a type that didn't exist and didn't reply to my follow up email. I'm trying to get hold of one within 2 weeks, I think it could be helpful for a wedding i'm probably doing in a few weeks.

SuzanneCarey

11th of April 2005 (Mon), 14:31

I have the Omnibounce and really like it. But don't you think the big difference would be not having to use a bracket?

markubig

11th of April 2005 (Mon), 14:42

I have the Omnibounce and really like it. But don't you think the big difference would be not having to use a bracket?
absolutely! i've used my LSII both with and without my bracket and the ones without have just as good results.

SuzanneCarey

11th of April 2005 (Mon), 14:44

Thanks Mark for your comments on the LSII. I have been looking at getting it for months but just have not taken the initative to do it. Thanks for "kicking me in the butt" about it. I just ordered it a few minutes ago. I have the Quick Flip bracket, but would love to not have to use it if I can help it. I find brackets a bit cumbersome.

Thanks again!

Suzanne

SuzanneCarey

11th of April 2005 (Mon), 14:46

I looked through your gallery. Are the pictures of the kids using your LSII? The kids are just ADORABLE! And the bride also?

What kind of dog is this in your gallery? He is so darn cute! http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3012625

tim

11th of April 2005 (Mon), 14:52

I don't think a LS II will be enough for me at weddings : sure it sounds good when you're up close, especially if you're inside, but it's incredibly inefficient and won't work if the subject's more than about, what, 3 meters away? Using a flash bracket/direct flash will give good results where the lightsphere won't help at all. Also, while the LS II will reduce the severity of the side shadow, it won't eliminate it.

I'm going to get a cheapish bracket to try myself, worst case is I don't like it and send it back or sell it on.

markubig

11th of April 2005 (Mon), 15:27

I looked through your gallery. Are the pictures of the kids using your LSII? The kids are just ADORABLE!
Hi Suzanne. First off, WELCOME TO THE FORUM! You will get lots of useful information from all the great people here. To answer your question, i only got my LSII less than a month ago, so most of my recent pictures in the gallery are with it. Glad to see you ordered one . . . just to give you some examples:

Here's a photo with the LSII on my 550ex WITH a flash bracket
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3273648-lg.jpg

Here is a photo with the LSII on my 550ex flash WITHOUT a bracket
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3273647-lg.jpg

So as you can see, results are pretty cool with the LSII in the vertical position without a bracket.

And the bride also?
Nope. That photo was taken with my old G3 with a 420ex bounced off an index card. One of the first events where I started thinking about photos before pressing the shutter http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

What kind of dog is this in your gallery? He is so darn cute! http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3012625
I believe he is a Shizhu (sp??) . . . and his owners named him, "Ganja" . . .

Thanks for looking at my gallery and the kind compliments. I hope you enjoy your Lightsphere II. Post some pics when you finally get to try it out!!

.

SuzanneCarey

12th of April 2005 (Tue), 07:41

Todd Jacobsen

12th of April 2005 (Tue), 09:21

Thanks Mark for all your examples! I am a member of a couple of other forums and I started a thread or two asking for examples but did not get a great response. I find this forum and there were several threads on the LS II. I have found this forum very helpful so far! I love the pictures people post and everyone seems to be thoughtful and honest. I think I am going to like visiting this one! Thanks again for your time.

Suzanne Carey

Suzzane,

Mark has provided good photos, not a good reason to believe LSII does its job BETTER than other flash oriented diffusers.

If you are looking at getting a diffuser, the photos Mark has provides show that the the LSII can do the job - for the scenarios provided.

I am an LSII owner and I have not seen consistently better results from the LSII compared to the other products. They all have their place and use.

Other diffuser products you may want to investigate include the Omni-bounce (I own three); Lumiquest products such as 80-20, Softbox, ProMax System (w/80-20; I own all of these).

The most expensive of all of these products is the LSII. None of the products are budget busters.

SuzanneCarey

12th of April 2005 (Tue), 10:47

Thanks Todd for another prespective. I have the OmniBounce and will not use my flash without it! It has given me terrific results. I agree with you that different diffusers for different situations. I am excited to add the LS II to my arsenal. I would hope I could determine which diffuser to use in whatever situation I am in. I would also like to try the Promax system as well. I have talked to those guys and they are very helpful.

Thanks again for your comments as well! Always good to learn from as many sources as you can.

The picture I am sharing was taken with the OmniBounce in a large gym. I was impressed with how it worked, not really having a ceiling to bounce off. I did have the flash head tilted at about 45 degrees, as it suggests. I was using a 550EX without flash bracket on a 20D. 50MM 1.8

I have heard other photgraphers say that the Omni is obsolete outside, so I am thinking maybe the LS II will help with some soft fill light outside. Any comments on that are welcome!

Sincerly,

Suzanne

Todd Jacobsen

12th of April 2005 (Tue), 12:10

Suzanne,

Notice the glare spot at the center of the forehead, and to a certain extent the cheeks. Spilling some of the light off of the subject will help reduce this (if you consider this "glare").

1) Stopping down the flash (FEC) may help with that
2) Doubling up the Omni (stack it) will help with that
3) Using Omni vertically, with notecard (rubberband-ed ) will help with that (580EX comes with white card).
3) Using the LSII vertically (without lid) will help with that
4) Using a softbox (Lumiquest) will help with that
5) Using the 80-20 (Lumiquest) will help with that.

So there is a variety of options.

Using the notecard method with the Omni-bounce does produce useable results outdoors as well.

SuzanneCarey

12th of April 2005 (Tue), 12:24

Thanks Todd! I appreciate such detailed responses. :)

markubig

12th of April 2005 (Tue), 14:01

Using the notecard method with the Omni-bounce does produce useable results outdoors as well.
Hi Todd . . . do you mean to rubberband the notecard to the back of the omnibounce to bounce the light forward? Out of curiousity, when outdoors (since there's no walls/celings to bounce off of), why not just axe the omnibounce altogether and just use the index card to bounce off (as a cheap pocketbounce) to get the maximum amount of light and still have the light diffused by the card?

.

Todd Jacobsen

13th of April 2005 (Wed), 10:06

Hi Todd . . . do you mean to rubberband the notecard to the back of the omnibounce to bounce the light forward? Out of curiousity, when outdoors (since there's no walls/celings to bounce off of), why not just axe the omnibounce altogether and just use the index card to bounce off (as a cheap pocketbounce) to get the maximum amount of light and still have the light diffused by the card?

.

That is a viable option.

SuzanneCarey

13th of April 2005 (Wed), 14:49

Todd Jacobsen

13th of April 2005 (Wed), 15:50

markubig

13th of April 2005 (Wed), 15:58

Hey, when you guys talk about using and index card, can you be more specific. I have hear do this before, but have never tried it. How far up is the index card above the flash? Do you tilt the card forward over the flash or just straight up?

I hope that makes sense!

Thanks.
Hi suzanne . . . i stick the index card about 2 inches above the flash. Most of the time, I leave the flash straight up, but I have heard people tilting to 45 degrees. Here's a picture that it was used straight up with a high ceiling. It adds a nice catchlight in eyes (see the baby's eyes?)
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3045571-md.jpg

tim

13th of April 2005 (Wed), 16:09

The 550EX has a catchlight built in, which should do the same job if i'm not mistaken. I don't know if the other EX flashes have it or not.

markubig

13th of April 2005 (Wed), 16:21

The 550EX has a catchlight built in, which should do the same job if i'm not mistaken. I don't know if the other EX flashes have it or not.

Yes, the 550 has it, as does the 580, i think . . . i forgot to mention that my picture above was taken with a 420ex, which doesn't have the catchlight/wide-angle reflector

SuzanneCarey

14th of April 2005 (Thu), 08:33

Thanks guys, that is very helpful!

lime

14th of April 2005 (Thu), 13:14

What the 580EX has that neither the 550EX/420EX have is a white plastic that can pulled out (basically a built-in white index card).

Streetshooter

15th of April 2005 (Fri), 04:44

Just got the lightsphere and have to admit...it's ugly as sin but works great...the biggest advantage is that it's round so you don't have to change positions between vertical and horizontal framing....very even allumination and comes with a dome cap to disperse the light if you shoot straight on.....great product....no plugging here but an honost reccomendation....don
www.garyfong.com