GF Lightsphere or Rogue Flashbender

Hello POTN! I'm pretty new into flash photography and I have done a couple things with my 580 EX II and now I want to invest in a flash diffuser/modifier. Just to give you an idea, I mainly like using my flash to take portraits or people in general, both indoor and outdoor. So obviously I'm aiming towards achieving some soft diffused light on my subjects that's evenly distributed.

Now I don't want any bashing saying that this product is better than that other product but rather, instead, input on what you think is the pros and cons of each. If there are any other flash diffusers or modifiers that you wanna suggest then that would be awesome!

NEITHER...

The Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Professional www.dembflashproducts.​com

I have a selection of reflector/diffusers that I tried before I settled on the Demb Flash Diffuser Pro. None of them match the capabilities of the Flash Diffuser Pro...

It is an excellent and very versatile tool...

I haven't used the lightsphere but I do have a medium size flashbender and like it a lot, it's my most used flash accessory.

I think they are both designed on quite different principles.

The Lumiquest products are quite good. I got my first Pocket Bounce back in 1990. They are very inexepensive, fold flat and fit in a jacket pocket nicely. It will throw the light forward rather than scatter and weaken with the GF. The GF requires reflecting surfaces like walls and ceiling to have some effect. Obviously those are not available outdoors so it would not be effective.

RPCrowe wrote in post #14709405
The Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Professional www.dembflashproducts.​com

I have a selection of reflector/diffusers that I tried before I settled on the Demb Flash Diffuser Pro. None of them match the capabilities of the Flash Diffuser Pro...

It is an excellent and very versatile tool...

Yea I was thinking the Demb diffusers which have a lot of positive feedback from people. Wouldn't the flashbender seem just as or even more versatile than the Demb though? Just wondering.

elogical wrote in post #14709419
I haven't used the lightsphere but I do have a medium size flashbender and like it a lot, it's my most used flash accessory.

I think they are both designed on quite different principles.

Alright. I'm planning to get the large flashbender.

sapearl wrote in post #14709440
The Lumiquest products are quite good. I got my first Pocket Bounce back in 1990. They are very inexepensive, fold flat and fit in a jacket pocket nicely. It will throw the light forward rather than scatter and weaken with the GF. The GF requires reflecting surfaces like walls and ceiling to have some effect. Obviously those are not available outdoors so it would not be effective.

Yea you do have a point The GF just seems to just throw light in all 360degrees instead of where your subject would be, especially in an outdoor scenario.

En_code wrote in post #14709487
.......Yea you do have a point The GF just seems to just throw light in all 360degrees instead of where your subject would be, especially in an outdoor scenario.

That's correct - I'm guessing it costs you close to 2-stops of light in that regard. I just put the wideangle flip down lens over my 580ex, dial about 1/2 stop less than ambient on the output, and point straight ahead outdoors.

sapearl wrote in post #14709513
That's correct - I'm guessing it costs you close to 2-stops of light in that regard. I just put the wideangle flip down lens over my 580ex, dial about 1/2 stop less than ambient on the output, and point straight ahead outdoors.

I guess I will just stick to buying the flashbender and maybe a slip a cheap slip on bounce dome as well for my flash after considering that wasted flash power I would get on the GF.

sapearl wrote in post #14709440
The Lumiquest products are quite good. I got my first Pocket Bounce back in 1990. They are very inexepensive, fold flat and fit in a jacket pocket nicely. It will throw the light forward rather than scatter and weaken with the GF. The GF requires reflecting surfaces like walls and ceiling to have some effect. Obviously those are not available outdoors so it would not be effective.

Had a Fong dome for a while and the above comment is accurate. If you're in a decently small room with light colored reflective walls and ceilings it can make some really nice soft light. Anywhere else and it's just spraying light all over the place, very little of it in the direction you want it.

You might laugh at what I use, but I've made it work fairly well. A StoFen omni bounce diffuser and a piece of white plastic, of which I bought a 6x8" sheet of at a hobby store for 3 bucks. I cut a couple pieces of it in different sizes and hold it on with a very low-tech rubber band to act as a very nice bounce card. I also have enough of the plastic left over to make a couple of these cards, which I've done in different sizes just to see how they work.

It may not look as professional as the high-dollar stuff that Fong and Demb sell, but I'm quite happy with the results.

Actually, you might surprised at the results you get with just a regular old white index card and a rubber band. The little flip up panel in the 580 is IMO a bit small, but a nice index card gives you a very handy bounce card. Of course they don't last very long, so you either carry a bunch of them or go buy a sheet of white plastic like I did. If you really take offense to the rubber band idea you could always use a couple strips of velcro.

DennisW1 wrote in post #14709596
Had a Fong dome for a while and the above comment is accurate. If you're in a decently small room with light colored reflective walls and ceilings it can make some really nice soft light. Anywhere else and it's just spraying light all over the place, very little of it in the direction you want it.

You might laugh at what I use, but I've made it work fairly well. A StoFen omni bounce diffuser and a piece of white plastic, of which I bought a 6x8" sheet of at a hobby store for 3 bucks. I cut a couple pieces of it in different sizes and hold it on with a very low-tech rubber band to act as a very nice bounce card. I also have enough of the plastic left over to make a couple of these cards, which I've done in different sizes just to see how they work.

It may not look as professional as the high-dollar stuff that Fong and Demb sell, but I'm quite happy with the results.

Actually, you might surprised at the results you get with just a regular old white index card and a rubber band. The little flip up panel in the 580 is IMO a bit small, but a nice index card gives you a very handy bounce card. Of course they don't last very long, so you either carry a bunch of them or go buy a sheet of white plastic like I did. If you really take offense to the rubber band idea you could always use a couple strips of velcro.

Hey man whatever works! I would do the DIY method but I think I'm going to invest on the flashbender since I know I can use it more than just as a huge bounce card. Also I have heard some interesting feedback of people actually using the omni bounce with the flash bender as a combination to get some nice lighting.

I have the Flashbender kit and find a lot of use for the small flashbender and the bounce card ( the bounce card is has a removable black panel so it can be a bounce card or a flag, quite handy). The large flashbender, while it has it's uses, is just a bit on the heavy side for the flash head and can pull the head out of position. It makes a great snoot though.

BTW, if you're just getting into on camera bounce flash, you may be interested in this book:On Camera Flash Photography, Neil Van Niekerk

Scatterbrained wrote in post #14709917
I have the Flashbender kit and find a lot of use for the small flashbender and the bounce card ( the bounce card is has a removable black panel so it can be a bounce card or a flag, quite handy). The large flashbender, while it has it's uses, is just a bit on the heavy side for the flash head and can pull the head out of position. It makes a great snoot though.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #14709922
BTW, if you're just getting into on camera bounce flash, you may be interested in this book:On Camera Flash Photography, Neil Van Niekerk

Alright, thanks for the input! I'm probably still going to just get the large flashbender, it's not like I'm going to be running around with the flashbender on (or I hope I wont be) cus then I would understand why the weight of it could be a problem.

Hmm I always been skeptical about buying books but I will check it out since you mentioned it.

En_code wrote in post #14711342
Hmm I always been skeptical about buying books but I will check it out since you mentioned it.

If you skeptical about buying his books, go check out his site first to see if he has information that would be of interest to you ...http://neilvn.com/tang​ents/

His site features many of the same articles he presents in his books, and he goes out of his way to present lighting and processes in the simplest of fashion.

En_code wrote in post #14709487
Alright. I'm planning to get the large flashbender.

My friend gave my a the large flashbender (w/ the diffusion panel) as a gift for helping him shoot his daughter's Sweet 16 about a month ago.

My only problem with it was it was too heavy for the flash head (580EX II) when I was shooting in portrait orientation. It would fall back to the left because of the weight. It got so cumbersome I took it off half way through the event.

I was first introduced to the Rogue flashbender when I attended a workshop a couple of months ago ... Rick Friedman Location Lighting. It works great for outdoor shots too.