Gary Fongs Lightsphere II - Cloud or Clear

Wondering who here use's Gary Fongs Lightsphere II for weddings.

Please let me know if you use the new Cloud or Clear.

I will be doing a wedding as a 2nd shooter for the Recp. in Feb.

I have a Canon 580EX flash w/ flash frame.

I know the cloud version mentions and show's on the web site that it does not cast shadows, but the frame is just to be sure perhaps.

Let me know your thoughts on Gary's solutions.

Thank you very much.

Cheers...

Dave

I see a lot on the use of FlipIt for bounce flash -

Is that a better choice than Gary Fong's solution?

Thanks!

Dave

I don't like lightspheres, they're inefficient and mainly a means to line Gary Fongs pocket. Has he gone from cloudy, to clear, and back again? He seems to release a new one every few months, to take advantage of the suckers who'll buy whatever he recommends. What a great business model - he really has that revenue stream well sorted.

www.abetterbouncecard.​com

so, Tim, what do you use? I was going to purchase one Fong and one omni bounce...so that my daughter and I could have different ones during our shoot. But, I am curious as to what you would use on an indoor setting? Or do you just bounce the flash with no card or anything?

I did notice when I did that bounce card of foam, that if you did it wrong WOW..the shadows...I mean, you can go one way or the other and you better know what you are doing...

LB

Yeah, that is what I did and shared with you guys..." abetter bounce card...and it did work...jsut looks kinda trashy on the flash for wedding day, but, it works...

I cut mine down even more...it probably sits off of the flash maybe 5 inches.

Rakefet wrote in post #2455982
so, Tim, what do you use? I was going to purchase one Fong and one omni bounce...so that my daughter and I could have different ones during our shoot. But, I am curious as to what you would use on an indoor setting? Or do you just bounce the flash with no card or anything?

I don't always use flash, when I do even in low light at a reception it's often fill flash. At various times I use direct flash, bounced flash, and off camera flash. An omnibounce is a reasonable diffuser, but then again so is the pull-out white card on the 580EX. You just need to understand the tools, the effect they have, and how to achieve the effect you want.

Outdoors I use direct, undiffused fill flash. Diffusers seem to make little difference to me outdoors.

I use flash on just about every image we take, minus the actual wedding photos inside the church. I agree with "tim" I can not stand LightSphere's I would rather go down to the corner store and buy a gallon of milk, make a cup of choc. milk and while drinking it pour the rest out down the sink, cut a hole out of the jug and stick it over my flash head. I would get the same results, cheaper and looks just as good.

Don't get me wrong the product does what it says, it softens light, but too much I want shadows in my photos I just want to control where they are.

I use an omnibounce, it softens it just enough to allow direction of light but not flash burn. However I do alot of bouncing and moving of the flash head while I shoot.

And please don' think this is Gary bashing, I actually think Gary is a great guy and one heck of a business man, one I am green with envy at his mad skills, I just perfer not to use this product for my style or art.

I just did some browsing on ebay and they have TONS of omni bounce on there...not sure if they are the legit ones..but they sell for about 9 dollars or so? They are probably fakes..not sure again..but if anyone is interested...

coreypolis wrote in post #2455977
www.abetterbouncecard.​com

exactly! even though i do own a GF LSII and find it useful, but after trying the better boucecard.. which cost me only 99 cents for the foam paper at Michael's, i don't think i will use the LSII that often. it's just too bulky and funky to use. great for shooting kids though... cuz they love that big thingy on your flash... haha

Mike Fulton wrote in post #2456883
I would rather go down to the corner store and buy a gallon of milk, make a cup of choc. milk and while drinking it pour the rest out down the sink, cut a hole out of the jug and stick it over my flash head. I would get the same results, cheaper and looks just as good.

I did just that a few months ago, (a friend of mine had donated to the Fong Retirement fund, so I thought I would have a laugh) I was really surprised at how good the milk bottle results were!

Hey, I just found my old Lightsphere II! It was the 2nd box down in a pile in the corner, and it was covered in dust. Probably for the best, it's obsolete now anyway...

I got sucked in on buying one of the original cloud versions of this. While it did work, it just looked absolute goofy and I could get the same results with other methods.

This is one of those things that is a personal preference. Some love it, some hate it. I could care less either way. I don't think it is necessary to bad mouth Gary Fong. No matter what you think about him, he is a very successful business person that most of us would give up body parts to be half as successful as he is.

When all else fails on a close up portrait, out comes the Gary Fong clear for me. But not often. I also use the little white card on the 580 or a white index card with a plan rubberband. Then there's are times I use the omnibounce and the Lumiquest softbox. Mostly, no flash for me. The 5D with 50 1.4 or 85 1.8 are great even in very low light. I don't like red eye or harsh lighting. I learned to do with less flash photography here in the forum. Made a huge difference in my work this year. Also, if you have a good flash (580 or 430), that is half the battle if you have to use it.

Edit: My new avatar has my kids with their little cousin - 5D, 24-70L at 40mm 640 ISO, no flash. Less is more.

Thank you so much for all the feedback... very interesting in deed.

How about the Flip It - I know it is a concept of the rubber band and index card but appears to be a bit more commerical packaged and the price is not all that bad, for the hinge ability and all.

Also , if you goto his web site - they just came out with some diffuser add-on's ...

Looks interesting.

I am now leaning more towards the Flip-IT solution -

Here is the web site, for those who dont know about FlipIt

http://www.joedembphot​ography.com/flipit/

Cheers,