Sto Fen Omnibounce alternative with less diffusion?

Hi,

I am looking for a alternative to the omnibounce. I want the same design, just a lighter materlal thats less translucent so it diffuses less.

Also, I know there are plenty of alternatives in other forms. I have several. Just looking for this specific item for some examples in a class I teach. The omnibounce is a bit too thick/white for my taste.

Anyone know of a clone that's almost clear or clear?

making my popcorn now...

Alright, I had a really snarky answer all typed out but I figured I would revise. Due to the overwhelming distaste for Stofen and Fong do-dads, why would someone want to find various alternatives that do even less than the originals? Just sayin!

KurtGoss wrote in post #12736487
making my popcorn now...

Thanks for giving me a chuckle.

drill some holes in it.

Farley121 wrote in post #12736536
Alright, I had a really snarky answer all typed out but I figured I would revise. Due to the overwhelming distaste for Stofen and Fong do-dads, why would someone want to find various alternatives that do even less than the originals? Just sayin!

I know people are very opinionated about the various flash diffusers. I'm not looking to debate or defend them. I just know lots of knockoffs are out there and have heard many are made of a much less cloudy material. Just looking for one of them for a few tests to compile some shots for examples for a class.

If you want to make yet another thread debating flash diffusers, move along and do so. I'm not looking for any of that. If you have not bought a knockoff stofen and therefore have no answer to the original question, thanks for taking time to read the question.

Yeah it is kind of tough heading in with this question. Due to the distaste with these types of modifiers it is going to be difficult to find references to ones that diffuse less. Omni which is probably has the most common name is usually the first one tried by most people. Once a user decides they do not like it's performance and/or gets feedback on it they don't often look for similar alternatives.

This is probably why this thread got a rocky start.

OK, I will be less snarky and more helpfull this time.

1. No I have never seen/heard/tried one.
2. There is no need to start another stofen debate thread, a million already exist on this forum, and they all start like this one.
3. I guess what I was originally alluding to in a rather unhelpful way is this, a very large percentage of forum users find the stofen gives no diffusion what so ever. So my point was (and I am trying to be honest and helpful), if the original does diddly, what are you actually going to be able to show your class in comparison by using something with "less diffusion"?

Farley121 wrote in post #12736939
OK, I will be less snarky and more helpfull this time.

1. No I have never seen/heard/tried one.
2. There is no need to start another stofen debate thread, a million already exist on this forum, and they all start like this one.
3. I guess what I was originally alluding to in a rather unhelpful way is this, a very large percentage of forum users find the stofen gives no diffusion what so ever. So my point was (and I am trying to be honest and helpful), if the original does diddly, what are you actually going to be able to show your class in comparison by using something with "less diffusion"?

yeah it seems like the first post here is a trick question. It does not diffuse at all.

Good questions. I am showing the "bare bulb" effect of "caps" like this one. IE spreading light around the room, etc. They will see other modifiers too. IE The rogue system, some lumiquest stuff, and even up to a qbox 24 and apollo 28. While showing this, I wanted to show them how much light can be eaten up by the stofen and thought the comparison of a clear or near clear model would be an interesting look. I had someone mention the difference in a cloudy gary fong lightsphere and a clear one. I think the difference would be similar to the stofen and a clear or near clear knockoff. However, I want to try it out first and I don't want to buy any Fong stuff. The stofen knockoff is way cheaper and will be good anough for my tests.

CxThree wrote in post #12737020
Good questions. I am showing the "bare bulb" effect of "caps" like this one. IE spreading light around the room, etc. They will see other modifiers too. IE The rogue system, some lumiquest stuff, and even up to a qbox 24 and apollo 28. While showing this, I wanted to show them how much light can be eaten up by the stofen and thought the comparison of a clear or near clear model would be an interesting look. I had someone mention the difference in a cloudy gary fong lightsphere and a clear one. I think the difference would be similar to the stofen and a clear or near clear knockoff. However, I want to try it out first and I don't want to buy any Fong stuff. The stofen knockoff is way cheaper and will be good anough for my tests.

http://www.diyphotogra​phy.net …o/blz/soft-flash-diffuser

Here is a demonstration of light being eaten up by a Stoffen. In this case, we are using flash fill to reduce shadow intensity of shadows left by the sun. On the left, no flash. In the center, flash fired with only the inherent flash lens (clear), at the right a diffusive surface which is no larger than the flash lens (a Stoffen-like surface)

Thank you. That's a very good example.

I say this with all due respect, but I think maybe you shouldn't teach students to use this kind of stuff as it's just snake oil

If you want to spread light around the room, just bounce the flash. Unless you are using a Fisheye lens or something it's not necessary to get a bare bulb effect. I'm fine even using a 14mm rectilinear lens on FF by just bouncing off the wall or ceiling behind me

Thanks. It's not really a "use this" type of class that I am working on. I am trying to show real world examples and replicate them with hands on shots in the class. I want them to see some of these devices that are out there, see what they do, and understand how light works with and without them. I bounce flash whenever the situation allows it. It's my preferred way of shooting.