$0.76 Flash Diffuser Knockoff

John E, that is a nicely inexpensive way of making a diffuser. Have you used it much yet, and how are you finding it?

To me, this is no more a rip-off of a proprietery design than using a tupperware lid for the same purpose. Following your line of reasoning, we shouldn't do that either because the material is similar to what you find in a Sto-Fen Omnibounce.

If the commercial product is vastly superior to what the OP has made, they might be justified in their pricing, and shouldn't fear a little do-it-yourself project like this. I think you're over-stating the case against doing so.

Nice one!

Nobody is wrong. Since time immemorial, newspaper photographers had white card and an elastic band on their Vivitar 283s. We have all used newspapers as white reflectors. We have all used cut up plastic milk jugs as diffusers too. The fact that some company is now making then - ripping off an old idea - is beside the point. Copyright can only be infringed if the duplicate is an exact copy. I see no exactness in any copies.

John E:

Excellent idea!! You did a great job, the ingenuity is fantastic.

Ditto that: I look forward to hearing how well it works. Then I may be off to Wal Mart with my mere pennies in hand!

RTMiller wrote in post #2513951
I think you should just turn yourself in to the Authorities. That's really the only thing to do at this point.

^ This had me ROFL!!

I did a bit more searching, as I was wondering exactly how it attaches to the flash head:

http://milagrid.homest​ead.com …tyGuide.html#an​chor_13125

Some methods of attachment seem to utilize one piece of Velcro stuck to the flash head; which I'm not crazy about.

Another method of attachment would be a Velcro band that fits snugly over the flash head (tight friction fit), then the diffuser with its own Velcro strips would attach to the band.

This way, the diffuser could be mounted at two positions, 90 degrees to each other. Endless possibilities.

One shouldn't be limited to this mesh material. Although mesh does tend to diffuse light to some extent, an opaque piece of plastic could be used for a different effect.

Of course the concept of cutting holes in various positions to let more light through (say to the ceiling) would be a highly patented concept.

What really impresses me is that the diffuser is flexible, thus is not fragile and can be stored easily. The big Light Sphere thingy may be effective, but I'd need another bag just for it.

I'm guessing that this latest convolution is going to spawn more ideas - keep em coming.

However, I hesitate to thank the OP.

John E:

The diffuser stuff looks like the backing that is used for cross-stitching - which would make it available at a sewing store.

The MilaGrid people are suggesting that the openings are "light gates", and the mesh constitutes "light conduits". Sounds a bit like hoopla to me, but then I'm a pessimist.

I'm heading off to a couple of local stores to do some research.

I was interested to see some results from this, so... I went and made one myself.

30D 580 EX
ISO 400
f/22
1/60 sec.
Processed in PSCS2, as is. nothing done to any of the shots.

Here are the results I got, maybe to totally accurate but fun to try none the less..

Shot 1 without diffuser:

shot 2 with diffuser:

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That's exactly what mine is made out of, but don't give away my secret's to everyone please.

My price is $49.95.

No comment. I'm in enought legal trouble.

I am looking into selling my Pringles can covers, also. $19.95 or 2 for $50.00.

Oh my! I think I am in trouble too! Last week I saw a background for sale on the internet for $99. I got some muslin and Ritz dye and made one that looked nearly identical for $40. Go ahead and handcuff me.

PuR HART wrote in post #2514072
Hey John E man sweet design can you sell me that piece of plastice for 34.95 i would love one
did yo ucome up with this design your self
DUDE YOUR A GENIUS
now where is my tupperware bowl design i invented ohh sorry Gary
By the way John i am not knocking you one bit
i bet you what ever his name is above has never tried to shoot a subject with out an outside influence or has never tried a different technic in PS that he learned on a forum and maybe he has never added a slightly different angle on his compostion that he learned somewhere else.
get real man You telling us that you have never tried something that you learned from an outisde source but did it for cheaper?

Absolutely! I would be a fool not to, now wouldn't I.

There is, however, a difference between saying "I found a cheaper way of doing such and such," and denigrating the originator of the idea.

And, no matter the idea, it is free to use. One cannot patent an idea.

However, an implementation of an idea is a different thing altogether. Substantially duplicating someone elses construct for your personal use is fine. The law clearly says so. Disseminating the construction of that substantial duplication is not.

And John E acted, I believe, in a total honest manner. He is, I believe, an innocent. However, innocents become broke as a result of litigation every day the courts are open. I would hate to see that happen.

rhys wrote in post #2514190
Nobody is wrong. Since time immemorial, newspaper photographers had white card and an elastic band on their Vivitar 283s. We have all used newspapers as white reflectors. We have all used cut up plastic milk jugs as diffusers too. The fact that some company is now making then - ripping off an old idea - is beside the point. Copyright can only be infringed if the duplicate is an exact copy. I see no exactness in any copies.

Sorry, rhys. Copyright law has nothing to do with it. You can't copyright a "thing." The diffuser is patented, and Patent law applies.

Keeping it very simple, no-one can patent a white card attached to the side of a flash unit because it is well known in the art. It is therefore, not unique.

Only the first person to use such a diffuser could have patented it. Once its use became common, he lost that right.

The same applies to diffuse plastic "filters," e.g., cut-up milk jugs.

The MilaGrid diffuser in question is patented because they conceived and implemented the idea of using a translucent grid over the front of a flash unit as a diffuser. They took steps to preserve their right of invention.

If this diffuser is the best thing since sliced bread (the automatic bread slicer--a significant invention that revolutionized baking and, because it was patented, made its inventory lots of money), the other companies will license it and you will see many different versions. You will especially see lots of rip-offs once the patenet has expired.

If it turns out to be no great shakes, it will disappear. How many Flashcubes® have you seen lately?

Roger, I bet at gatherings you are the life of the party, huh?

Sheesh. I can think of so many better things to devote my time to.

queenbee288 wrote in post #2515114
Oh my! I think I am in trouble too! Last week I saw a background for sale on the internet for $99. I got some muslin and Ritz dye and made one that looked nearly identical for $40. Go ahead and handcuff me.

Sorry, no. You might like that a little too much.

belmondo wrote in post #2514108
To me, this is no more a rip-off of a proprietery design than using a tupperware lid for the same purpose. Following your line of reasoning, we shouldn't do that either because the material is similar to what you find in a Sto-Fen Omnibounce.

If the commercial product is vastly superior to what the OP has made, they might be justified in their pricing, and shouldn't fear a little do-it-yourself project like this. I think you're over-stating the case against doing so.

Nice one!

Feel free to use all the Tupperware lids you wish. Since Tupperware never intended the lids for photographic purposes, you violate none of their rights.

Of course, you should probably wash off last Saturday's chili first... Unless, of course, that is what gives your shots that certain je ne sais quoi.

cfpackerfan wrote in post #2515200
Roger, I bet at gatherings you are the life of the party, huh?

Sheesh. I can think of so many better things to devote my time to.

You'll never know...