Small on camera flash modifier

[glancaster]

Dear All

In my efforts to visit all parts of the Pink Fish kingdom, I have a photo question for the fishes...

Looking to get a small on camera flash modifier to soften the light a little for

(a) macro

(b) general indoor shots when there is no neutral surface to bounce off (was annoyed at my Dad's birthday meal in a restaurant with dark brown ceiling and walls and the shots came out looking typically direct flash like)

Needs to work on a typical full sized flash gun mounted directly on my DSLR. Ideally would also work with my little Nikon SB400.

Was considering something like a Micro Apollo, small Ezybox, or a Rogue Flashbender.

- Does anyone have any experience of these or anything similar?

- Are they worth the bother, or no better than a DIY thingy made from standard white card?

Thanks for reading.

Kind regards

- Garry

 

[gavreid]

I have both a large Flashbender and the honeycomb grid - both excellent (if a little pricey) and much better than tupperware.

 

[Rico]

I've been using a simple clip-on diffuser on SB600's for years. It's tough, virtually indestructible, and softens the light enough to work well with bounce or direct.

I can't see the point of these uber-trick and expensive modifiers like the lightsphere etc, too much of a faff to carry/setup/take down, and likely to get broken.

Ot, get a TTL cable and use your flash off camera with your left hand.

HTH

 

[Derek Wright]

I have used a Lumiquest Flash bounce for the last 10 or so years. It gives a soft light and is easy to put on the head of the flash gun, it also folds flat so it can easily slip into the camera bag.
See

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Electronics-Photo/LumiQuest-LQ-101-Pocket-Bouncer-light-modifier/B007SEZT1Q/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1488719144&sr=8-9&keywords=lumiquest

using this style of device you could cobble together something similar with white card or drape a white cloth over the flash head to defuse the light..

 

[Rico]

(b) general indoor shots when there is no neutral surface to bounce off (was annoyed at my Dad's birthday meal in a restaurant with dark brown ceiling and walls and the shots came out looking typically direct flash like)

Thanks for reading.

Kind regards

- Garry

Just a thought... when I'm using SB600 in these conditions I look at what I'm bouncing off... I almost always use rear-curtain synch and set a manual exposure that's within about a stop for the scene. Then I'll set up the bounce, adding power if the reflective surface is going to suck light (eg your brown ceiling) and it usually comes out fine. eg low light restaurant something like ISO1600, f5.6 1/30 add some flash power, and bob's yer uncle. Frequently I'll turn the flash head around and bounce off a back wall and ceiling... it all depends on distances and angles and how much light I need.

PS - the diffuser I use is the Stofen omni-bounce. it's old, very durable, and it just works. My starting point is always flash head at 45 degrees facing subject.

HTH

 

[glancaster]

Just a thought... when I'm using SB600 in these conditions I look at what I'm bouncing off... I almost always use rear-curtain synch and set a manual exposure that's within about a stop for the scene. Then I'll set up the bounce, adding power if the reflective surface is going to suck light (eg your brown ceiling) and it usually comes out fine. eg low light restaurant something like ISO1600, f5.6 1/30 add some flash power, and bob's yer uncle. Frequently I'll turn the flash head around and bounce off a back wall and ceiling... it all depends on distances and angles and how much light I need.

PS - the diffuser I use is the Stofen omni-bounce. it's old, very durable, and it just works. My starting point is always flash head at 45 degrees facing subject.

HTH

So, you think the colour cast of a brown ceiling bounce could be managed? Interesting, maybe I should be a bit less fussy.

I have a basic wide angle diffuser already, which looks very like the Stofen. Maybe I should experiment with that too. But it's so small, and light softness is about size relative to subject, so I'm a little sceptical of how well it could work in a non-bounce scenario.

re TTL cable: Yup, have one of those too! Use it with some success for macro images, but still think softer light would be better.

Thanks to all who replied - plenty of food for thought!

Kind regards

- Garry

 

[Rico]

to be sure, a brown ceiling is always going to cast more than a white one... I just try to minimise its influence, as it were! #8 ) or I bounce more off something like the off-white wall behind me, changing my angle to utilise it.... that's (what I find is) the fun in trying to light difficult situations for quick candid shots with on-camera lighting.

Macro - off-camera is IMHO alway better, prefably two or more flashes (one either side of your subject).

 

[Bananahead]

I can't remember the last time I used on camera flash.

I will either use flash off axis (pocket wizards were one of my best photo purchases) or simply use whatever available light there is.

 

[gavreid]

I can't remember the last time I used on camera flash.

I will either use flash off axis (pocket wizards were one of my best photo purchases) or simply use whatever available light there is.

Of course, modifiers can be used off camera too