Demb Flip-It vs. ABBC

jamiewexler wrote in post #14541251
I'm a big fan of the Demb Flip-It. The big thing it has going for it IMHO is the hinge, which allows me to control the amount of light going forward. I use mine all of the time when there is not a convenient wall to bounce from.

ditto

i have one for me and one for my wife. although it may be $30 for $5 worth of material,
it looks a lot more professional than anything I could make for $5!

my problem with putting anything on the flash is my goodness the combo get's so long.
from the bottom of the grip, to the tip of the flash modifier it is so long,
i knocked a champagne flute off the head table this past saturday

i was chimping or something, someone tapped my shoulder and I turned and crack!

I have 2 Demp Flip-it cards. Great product.

I also have a rogue flashbender and never use it. What I like about the Demb is that I can fold it out of the way when I am not using it, but flip it up in a second when I need it. The rogue doesn't fold easily out of the way.

Anyone a fan of Gary Fong products?

I considered a Flip-It but decided on a Gary Fong Half-Cloud Diffuser. This product doesn't let you control bounce like the Flip-It does, but it does a nice job of softening the light when you can't bounce.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …versal_Inverted​_Dome.html

JohnThomas wrote in post #14543046
Anyone a fan of Gary Fong products?

but it does a nice job of softening the light when you can't bounce.

No!! And no it doesnt. In order to soften the light, it would need to make the light source larger and it simply doesnt do that. The fong products only work when you have nearby bounce surfaces, without that, they only eat battery power. Do yourself a favor and do some actual test shots. The fong, absent a bounce surface, doesnt soften anything.

I've been using it with nice results though. Instead of direct flash when you can't bounce, the cone fills with light and turns into a much larger source of light. Needless to say, it's no softbox, but its more surface area than a bare flash head.

I'm going to buy a Flip-It now though, I'm curious to compare.

I'll take some compairson shots tonight with the cloud diffuser and post. I'm in NY.

JohnThomas wrote in post #14544521
I've been using it with nice results though. Instead of direct flash when you can't bounce, the cone fills with light and turns into a much larger source of light. Needless to say, it's no softbox, but its more surface area than a bare flash head.

I'm going to buy a Flip-It now though, I'm curious to compare.

I'll take some compairson shots tonight with the cloud diffuser and post. I'm in NY.

Its just over twice the size of the bare flash, not enough to make a difference more than a few feet away from the camera. You cant defy physics. We all want the fong device to work, but repeated tests show it really doesnt. For most people it lowers the flash exposure a bit and they confuse brightness for softness.

jamiewexler wrote in post #14541251
I'm a big fan of the Demb Flip-It. The big thing it has going for it IMHO is the hinge, which allows me to control the amount of light going forward. I use mine all of the time when there is not a convenient wall to bounce from.

Ditto

I know you can make these. But in my opinion 99% of the DIY's look like Krapola. The demb flips are just easy and they look professional. Im a professional and the last thing I want is some 3x5 card with a rubber band hanging from my camera. Perception is reality here.

But Tim is right a wall is the best way to go. But i like the ceiling and the flip. Just looks better to my eyes. If high ceilings then i put on an omni bounce and put the flip on behind it to throw the spread forward.....it works great.

I went ahead and just ordered a Demb Flip-It rather than try and make an ugly DIY version.

fotojennik wrote in post #14545732
I went ahead and just ordered a Demb Flip-It rather than try and make an ugly DIY version.

Me too. I ordered the mega size with a diffuser. I'm going to compare it to my gary fong diffuser tomorrow evening once it arrives.

Much excite

JohnThomas wrote in post #14545826
Me too. I ordered the mega size with a diffuser. I'm going to compare it to my gary fong diffuser tomorrow evening once it arrives.

Much excite

The fong dong is good in a dark trashcan where nobody can see it

I use the one i baught 4 yrs ago as a pencil holder to remind myself not to jump at every gimmick that comes along. You will love the demb flips. Great little product.

umphotography wrote in post #14546799
The fong dong is good in a dark trashcan where nobody can see it

I use the one i baught 4 yrs ago as a pencil holder to remind myself not to jump at every gimmick that comes along. You will love the demb flips. Great little product.

HAHA, mine is used for loose change! lol

Demb flip it for me but I take off that diffuser thing that it comes with for the front. As stated by Tim and others, I prefer a wall if poss but the hinged card tucks out of the way when not in use.

I have two, and the white square reflector has cracked or torn and so I drilled out the rivets that fix the reflector to the hinge and cut up a white plastic tray from Ikea and used small nuts and bolts to re fix - it now looks better than the original.

I think we're all comparing two different situations. I only use a diffuser when I'm outside and can't bounce, where the alternative is direct, bare flash.

When I'm inside, I am lucky enough to be able to bounce off white walls/ceilings. I haven't encountered black walls/ceilings yet.

My Flip-It came yesterday. As soon as I can pull my wife aside for a few minutes I'm going to take some shots with the Flip-It, Lightsphere and Sto-Fen.

Here's the results of my flash diffuser testing. While there may be *minor* differences in softness, I was most surprised by the differences in flash exposure. I would have thought that since the flash was in ETTL mode that I would have seen the same flash intensity across all three diffusers, but that obviously ins't true.

As gonzo noted earlier, these pictures may confirm that some people are confusing flash brightness with softness.

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