DIY Expodisc...save $100

John_B wrote in post #4197722
David John,
Taking orders yet?
I need a 77mm one

+1

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #4184388
Though I always liek the idea of saving money, I don;'t like to do so when the time costs more in the long run.
Trips to Home depot, the cost of two clear filter @ 77mm (or approariate) the cost of the white air filter, the lamp cover, and all the work combine to make this not a value iMHO.

I love that Bill tackled this, and I know his resulting product is just as good as the expo disk, but for those of us looking for a cheap alternative, I gotta say, this is the long way around

I keep soem coffee filters in my kit, and have found they five excellent results.

Ditto! I have expodisc and it is worth every penny in controlled lighting (parties, studio, outdoor portraits etc).

Dekka wrote in post #4197727
+1

+ 2 How much David ?

joe445 wrote in post #4198071
+ 2 How much David ?

Well, if you're serious, I'd only charge you $10.00 to make em (+ $5 for shipping & packaging) ...so you could send me two 77mm filters and fifteen-bucks, and I'll make you a Hickspodisc. Otherwise, if you dont have the filters, I'd only charge exactly what I had to pay for them (I'll include the receipt for your records).

Dave
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Keep in mind that with 77mm UV I will need to splice extra p95 material into the outer edges of the glass. It should NOT effect the performance of the disc because the center will be seamless, I use a 72mm disc with my 77mm lenses with no problem.

David John,
Hey how much to do this lens?

Dave
Sent pm

Thats pretty cool to do, but i bought my expo disc used for 50 bucks

That IS a telescope...right??

John_B wrote in post #4210731
David John,
Hey how much to do this lens?

Its a bit bigger then 77mm
Of course I am just joking with this lens

David I sent a PM to you

David John,
Yes its a Celestron CR-150-HD 1200mm f/8 refractor telescope
It comes in handy every now and then for birds like this

Bird in Tree

IMAGE LINK: http://johnbdigital.co​m/wildlife/bird_in_tre​e.htm

Great DIY, however, I would just caution that over time, the plastic diffuser material (at least in its fluorescent use) seems to yellow, so you'll need to check this periodically.

That said, I'll probably be making mine soon!

Thanks for the post

dicky109 wrote in post #4228576
Great DIY, however, I would just caution that over time, the plastic diffuser material (at least in its fluorescent use) seems to yellow, so you'll need to check this periodically.

<snip>

No...there should be no need to check unless you're leaving this thing on the dash of your car parked outside in an Arizona summer!! The yellowing is due to the heat and constant UV light exposure from florescent bulbs, combined with the dust, smog and cigarette smoke particles in our air that settle, then get baked onto the diffuser.

Also, there are different grades of diffuser material...this is NOT the cheap plastic they were putting in lights 20-years ago, this is high-quality (clear) prismatic acrylic designed to withstand YEARS of florescent bulb exposure...it should virtually last forever used as a WB disc.

**Please note that my original post listed the WRONG maximum size UV lens filter that the P95 material would accommodate. It is a 77mm UV pictured on top of the p95 filter, NOT 72mm.** :o

You better not be charging $100 to make us one....

Haha jk...cool!

I've made an even cheaper alternative Expodisc. The new Pringles lids are clear... but they can still be useful. I took two of them and put them together as though I were stacking them. In between, I used a single sheet of foam packing paper (as found in any WHCC photo order of a 8x10 prints, or larger) cut to form so it would fit inside the lid. I cut two more pieces just like it but before putting them in, I put a single sheet of white tissue paper(like the gift box type, not toilet or facial). Then I added the two additional pieces of foam paper. Then I put the second pringles lid top side to bottom to form a sandwich, and used scotch tape to keep the sandwich together. This fits over the Sigma 17-70 lens perfectly... so anything 67mm or smaller will be good to go, plus the top ridge of the upper lid fits inside the filter rim on all of my 77mm lenses so I'm good there as well. It works pretty well. Not as perfect as the Expodisc, but it's a heck of a lot closer than using a white sheet of paper.

Here are some test shot results:

CWB created with DIY disc:

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great idea. might have to try this out myself.

I'll read the thread properly when I get home...

Forkball, your photo taken with your DIY disc has a bluish tint (at least on my calibrated reference monitor) compared to the shot with the Expodisc. Might be good enough for non-professional applications...but the Hickspodisc will be consistently spot-on with the Expodisc.

If cost is your biggest concern, ANY white opaque material will do the trick (styrofoam plate, coffe filter, etc). But if you want Expodisc-like results, then the 3M p95 material is the ONLY way to go for a DIY white balance filter.

All the homework has been done...all you have to do is copy!!