Yet another LSII Thread! Comparison Test

[SuzanneCarey]

Hi all. I just got my LSII. I really have not used it but thought I would do some comparison shots that was suggested in another thread. I have never done an "experiment" so please tell me if there is something I need to do differently. The following images were taken in this order: direct flash, bounce, OmniBounce, and then LSII. All were 60/4.0 using a 50MM on a Canon 20 using a 550EX flash. AWB and I was approx. 4 and a 1/2 feet a way from subject.

My subject is an odd choice, but the only one I could get to stand in the exact same position. :)

[SuzanneCarey]

Omnibounce and then LSII

[KevC]

Hehe. Very cool. Was the omni-bounce bouncing off the ceiling?

[charlesu]

How much will you sell the weird little doll for?

LOL Just kidding!!

That is a weird subject. I got an LSII and it hasn't blown me away. I had a couple of Lumiquest softboxes before (small and large) and was pretty happy with them. The LSII might be a tad improvement depending on the situation. However, it does not fold up and fit into my gear bag like the soft boxes do.

[SuzanneCarey]

My subject is called a "Boohbah". It is an insane kid's show that comes on our local PBS station. My 17 month old LOVES Boohbah. If you push its hand or foot, it moves its head around while playing music and "dances". It will even toot. Yes, toot.

Anywho, yes the Omni was bouced off the ceiling. The LSII seems like it will work for specific situations. I really like my Omni and have only been using it thus far. I need to practice more with the LSII before I use it on a real shoot.

Suzanne

[tim]

Mine arrived today, i'll try and do a few tests on the weekend and post them up.

[SuzanneCarey]

That will be great Tim! Maybe you can post "real life" examples. :)

[markubig]

Hey Tim . . . guess there was a way for them to send the LSII to New Zealand 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

I found that the LSII is giving me the best results for non-bounce opportunities (high ceilings, banquet halls). When I'm inside with a low ceiling and white walls, the omnibounce or naked flash bounce are still great. So yep, I agree that they all work well as long as they are used the proper situaitons.

I do, however, find myself using the LSII more often because it lights my subjects very well in the vertical position, thus allowing me to shoot w/o a flash bracket.

[tim]

It got here really quickly - 12 days for about US$9 is pretty good! My books from amazon.com took 6 days, but cost about US$25 for their mid-speed shipping.

I'll try and find a model who doesn't mind being posted on the net. Give it a week and my new gear should be here, and i'll be able to do:
- Plain flash (direct/bounced, on and off flash bracket)
- Omnibounce (direct/bounced, on and off flash bracket)
- LS II (direct/bounced, on and off flash bracket)

Whether I get time to do all those I don't know!

[tim]

I did a few quick tests tonight, with naked flash, omnibounce, and LightSphere II. I'm not ready to come to a conclusion, but I have a few thoughts so far:
- The LSII and Omnibounce are different, but you can get similar results out of them.
- Using the omnibounce without bouncing it, inside, gives the person an orange tinge. I have no idea why, but it's repeatable.
- Using the Omnibounce at 45 degrees works well bounced from a roof, and to my suprise works quite well if there's no roof. For some reason you don't get the orange tinge you do if it's pointed straight at the person.
- Direct flash looks flat, but when used with FEC-2 in Av mode as fill, it can reduce shadows without eliminating them. Be sure to have a fast enough shutter speed.
- The LSII does not fix side shadow if the person's close to a wall.
- The LSII seems to leave more shadows under cheecks and chins than the omnibounce.

I need to do a lot more testing before I get a good idea of what's best to do. Until I work it out i'll use the flash direct when I need power, the omnibounce bounced or at 45 degrees if I want to preserve some shadows, and i'll experiment with the LSII in various controlled circumstances.