Stefan Patric <not@thisaddress.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:33:45 -0400, David Ruether wrote:
>> "Stefan Patric" <not@thisaddress.com> wrote in message
>> news9aek.20444$YO1.96@newsfe08.phx...
>>> On Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:41:10 -0700, Ben wrote:
>>
>>>> Got an indoor ****tail party/silent auction shoot coming up, and I
>>>> need suggestions on a good homemade diffuser which will be used on-
>>>> camera. I've used a milk jug, to some pretty good results, but it's a
>>>> little bulky to be lugging around. Isopropyl alcohol bottle?
>>>> Suggestions?
>>
>>> Instead of a homemade one, which can cause color shifts or uneven
>>> coverage, just buy a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce. Best $20 investment I ever
>>> made. Works best with tilt-head flash tilted up about 35 to 45
>>> degrees.
>>>
>>> Stef
>>
>> While most people think they want to "diffuse" the light source, what is
>> really needed is to enlarge it (relative to the bare flash head size).
>> This is the ONLY thing that will soften shadow edges, and this can be
>> accomplished by increasing the effective size of the light source, or by
>> using bounce illumination. Adding a small diffuser to the end of a flash
>> head does nothing unless reflective surfaces are very close to the
>> subject. As for color shifts and uneven lighting, these are unlikely
>> unless there is something unusually wrong with the homemade setup, or
>> the WB is locked down...
> While that may be true with neophytes, the OP seemed to know what he was
> talking about and what he wanted.
> As to the Sto-Fen diffuser, it works surprising well for something so
> small. I've used softboxes and umbrellas with portable flashes on camera
> before and, although they work and give beautiful results, they are too
> unwieldy, particularly in crowded conditions, and loose too much light.
> And while the Sto-Fen does not equal softbox results, it's an excellent
> compromise.
But does it work as well as a bounce card, e.g the nearly A4 sized
bounce card fitting that is an optional accessory for Metz flashes?
That's a lot bigger source than a Sto-Fen diffuser, but almost as
easily portable.
Ben wrote:
> Got an indoor ****tail party/silent auction shoot coming up, and I
> need suggestions on a good homemade diffuser which will be used on-
> camera. I've used a milk jug, to some pretty good results, but it's a
> little bulky to be lugging around. Isopropyl alcohol bottle?
> Suggestions?
A wide bounce might do you better:
Tape a sheet of white stiff paperboard to the back of the flash going up
about 10 inches and out to sheet width. Bend it only slightly into the
path of the light.
Aim up 75 - 80? from lens axis.
You'll get a strong pop off of it plus off of the ceiling.
> As to the Sto-Fen diffuser, it works surprising well for something so
> small. I've used softboxes and umbrellas with portable flashes on camera
> before and, although they work and give beautiful results, they are too
> unwieldy, particularly in crowded conditions, and loose too much light.
> And while the Sto-Fen does not equal softbox results, it's an excellent
> compromise.
The Sto-fen alone does almost nothing from a diffusing POV. It does get
the light above the subject which is useful and is perhaps the best way
to assure redeye elimination. And then if there is a white ceiling you
get a diffuse fill. Alone, it does little.
Better is the LumiQuest which spreads out the light surface area
resulting in diffusion.
Ben wrote:
> Got an indoor ****tail party/silent auction shoot coming up, and I
> need suggestions on a good homemade diffuser which will be used on-
> camera. I've used a milk jug, to some pretty good results, but it's a
> little bulky to be lugging around. Isopropyl alcohol bottle?
> Suggestions?
It is a big four-foot diameter golfer's umbrella and I found a roll of
mirrored mylar. Interesting that it actually focuses light to as far as
20 feet away from a source near the handle that points back to the
surface. Similar setups are used for solar collectors in the other
direction: in theory it would cook my hand if held down in the sun.
I held it upside down to a chandelier and it made a very mottled
four-foot diameter hot spot on the ceiling... rotating, that can be
projected across the room. The 'real' version of these has a frosted
silver surface which softens the mottling I got from wrinkles &
irregularities. The same design is used in a flashlight (torch) and the
look is similar from this umbrella.
On Jul 13, 1:38*pm, Alan Browne <alan.bro...@Freelunchvideotron.ca>
wrote:
> Stefan Patric wrote:
> > As to the Sto-Fen diffuser, it works surprising well for something so
> > small. *I've used softboxes and umbrellas with portable flashes on camera
> > before and, although they work and give beautiful results, they are too
> > unwieldy, particularly in crowded conditions, and loose too much light. *
> > And while the Sto-Fen does not equal softbox results, it's an excellent
> > compromise.
>
> The Sto-fen alone does almost nothing from a diffusing POV. *It does get
> the light above the subject which is useful and is perhaps the best way
> to assure redeye elimination. *And then if there is a white ceiling you
> get a diffuse fill. *Alone, it does little.
>
> Better is the LumiQuest which spreads out the light surface area
> resulting in diffusion.
I have a Softbox by LumiQuest, and the results are generally dark - I
have to crank up the flash exposure to +1/3 to 1 to get reasonable
results.
On Jul 13, 1:34*pm, Alan Browne <alan.bro...@Freelunchvideotron.ca>
wrote:
> Ben wrote:
> > "after-market" rigs. *If I can get 'em like this, I don't need to
> > invest any more than $.97 and five minutes prep
> > time:
>
> >http://www.pbase.com/sigphotography/image/100067257
>
> Not what I call a very diffuse light. *Look at the shadows under the
> boys chin; behind his ear, etc.
No matter what I do, I'm getting some chin shadows. Whether it's the
supplied diffuser with the SB800, the "Larry Thong", a bounce w/ the
built-in card, etc. All done at multiple angles, as well. They are
soft, but they are there...
On Jul 13, 6:16*pm, "Rita Berkowitz" <ritaberk2...@aol.com> wrote:
> Ben wrote:
> > No matter what I do, I'm getting some chin shadows. *Whether it's the
> > supplied diffuser with the SB800, the "Larry Thong", a bounce w/ the
> > built-in card, etc. *All done at multiple angles, as well. *They are
> > soft, but they are there...
>
> Get the flash off the camera or at least use a flash bracket. *It can be
> tricky, but the best way to eliminate shadows is use the ones you can't
> remove to your advantage.
On Jul 13, 6:52*pm, "Rita Berkowitz" <ritaberk2...@aol.com> wrote:
> Ben wrote:
> >> Get the flash off the camera or at least use a flash bracket. It can
> >> be tricky, but the best way to eliminate shadows is use the ones you
> >> can't remove to your advantage.
>
> > Suggestions on a bracket?
>
> I use a Stroboframe Stroboflip VH2000.
On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:27:19 +0000, Chris Malcolm wrote:
> Stefan Patric <not@thisaddress.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:33:45 -0400, David Ruether wrote:
>
>>> "Stefan Patric" <not@thisaddress.com> wrote in message
>>> news9aek.20444$YO1.96@newsfe08.phx...
>>>> On Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:41:10 -0700, Ben wrote:
>>>
>>>>> Got an indoor ****tail party/silent auction shoot coming up, and I
>>>>> need suggestions on a good homemade diffuser which will be used on-
>>>>> camera. I've used a milk jug, to some pretty good results, but it's
>>>>> a little bulky to be lugging around. Isopropyl alcohol bottle?
>>>>> Suggestions?
>>>
>>>> Instead of a homemade one, which can cause color shifts or uneven
>>>> coverage, just buy a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce. Best $20 investment I ever
>>>> made. Works best with tilt-head flash tilted up about 35 to 45
>>>> degrees.
>>>>
>>>> Stef
>>>
>>> While most people think they want to "diffuse" the light source, what
>>> is really needed is to enlarge it (relative to the bare flash head
>>> size). This is the ONLY thing that will soften shadow edges, and this
>>> can be accomplished by increasing the effective size of the light
>>> source, or by using bounce illumination. Adding a small diffuser to
>>> the end of a flash head does nothing unless reflective surfaces are
>>> very close to the subject. As for color shifts and uneven lighting,
>>> these are unlikely unless there is something unusually wrong with the
>>> homemade setup, or the WB is locked down...
>
>> While that may be true with neophytes, the OP seemed to know what he
>> was talking about and what he wanted.
>
>> As to the Sto-Fen diffuser, it works surprising well for something so
>> small. I've used softboxes and umbrellas with portable flashes on
>> camera before and, although they work and give beautiful results, they
>> are too unwieldy, particularly in crowded conditions, and loose too
>> much light. And while the Sto-Fen does not equal softbox results, it's
>> an excellent compromise.
>
> But does it work as well as a bounce card, e.g the nearly A4 sized
> bounce card fitting that is an optional accessory for Metz flashes?
> That's a lot bigger source than a Sto-Fen diffuser, but almost as easily
> portable.
No, it doesn't, but there's a lot less light loss with the Sto-Fen. Years
ago, I used a homebuilt, dual Vivitar 283 set up--side-by-side--with a
high voltage battery pack, each flash with the accessory 8x10 inch card
holder for fast photojournalism type work--24mm or 18mm or even 16mm full
frame fisheye lenses on 35mm. Had to use 2 flashes to get the f-stops I
needed with the film I shot with--Tri-X rated at 200 and Ektachrome 64.
(I carried two cameras with this set up. Plus, a bag with two back up
bodies, lenses, film, etc. I was younger then. ;-) ) Worked great.
VERY soft, even lighting. Filled a room nicely. Just heavy!
The Sto-Fen produces light as even as that old set up, just not as soft,
but at a fifth the size or smaller and 1/10th the weight, a good trade-
off. I use it on a Nikon SB-600 flash mostly to do documentation of
interiors (and exteriors, too) for real estate agents, architects,
contractors and interior designers. Although, it works well for the "as-
long-as-you're-here-can-you-get-a-quick-shot-of-the-staff" shots.
I have yet to find any other flash accessory that is as compact, light
efficient and does as good a job. I have a friend who was using a Gary
Fong set up for similar work, and after seeing how well the Sto-Fen did,
he started using one instead.
Re: Homemade diffuser (on camera) 
9aek.20444$YO1.96@newsfe08.phx...
Linear Mode
