BEST Flash Diffuser for the WIDE ANGLE shots: 16 diffusers tested

[Green Li]

I've been curious about what diffuser I can rely on during wide angle shooting. And in general, how exactly the diffusers illuminate the frame.
So, I've put some work into testing various diffusers (I've got 16 at the moment):

Flash diffuser for wide angle shots (http://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/)

http://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/demb-mega-flip-it-mega-horizontal.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/honl-photo-bounce-card.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/honl-photo-reflector.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/lumiquest-big-bounce.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/presslite-vertex-wide.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/lumiquest-promax-system-white.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/spectralight-direct.jpghttp://photo-tips-online.com/test/flash-diffuser-frame-coverage/images/icon/lumiquest-softbox-iii.jpg ...

Hope this is helpful.

[TweakMDS]

Thanks, that's a pretty nice comparison.
I'm wondering what exactly you are looking for though. Are you looking for a soft spread over a relatively small area (umbrella - softbox, the goal should be to get as big a lightsource as possible), or are you looking for maximum angular diffusion (stofen effect - the goal is to spread the light evenly in all directions). To me, these are two completely different purposes, and they should both be available when necessary.

In my opinion, something like a stofen and it's many variants work best for the widest spreads. All the other gizmos / tupperware just add bounce or angle to it.
However, getting the spread as wide as possible, does almost nothing to soften it. You'll still get (unwanted) specular highlights on reflective surfaces and corners on your subject.
For that I'd really prefer a shoot through umbrella or bigger softbox. The only thing that I use super wide diffusion for is to bounce light evenly in a large room, or to use cross lighting in groups (2 x stofen flash gives almost bare bulb from 45 degrees either side of the group).

[Green Li]

Thanks, that's a pretty nice comparison.
I'm wondering what exactly you are looking for though. Are you looking for a soft spread over a relatively small area (umbrella - softbox, the goal should be to get as big a lightsource as possible), or are you looking for maximum angular diffusion (stofen effect - the goal is to spread the light evenly in all directions). To me, these are two completely different purposes, and they should both be available when necessary.

In my opinion, something like a stofen and it's many variants work best for the widest spreads. All the other gizmos / tupperware just add bounce or angle to it.
However, getting the spread as wide as possible, does almost nothing to soften it. You'll still get (unwanted) specular highlights on reflective surfaces and corners on your subject.
For that I'd really prefer a shoot through umbrella or bigger softbox. The only thing that I use super wide diffusion for is to bounce light evenly in a large room, or to use cross lighting in groups (2 x stofen flash gives almost bare bulb from 45 degrees either side of the group).

The objective was to see what frame coverage we get from flash diffusers (in the most commonly used configurations).
There are many talks about softening the light - clearly the purpose of every diffuser. I wanted to compare the diffusers in terms of frame coverage. I'm talking about the fill light only here. The tests are done outdoors.

[c2thew]

the whale tail did pretty well for giving a nice, smooth light, however alot of the light was thrown out 360 degrees. cool test.

[FlyingPhotog]

Glad to see the LumiQuest ProMax fared well.
(Since I bought one recently) :lol: