Flash diffusers - which?

[enzodm]

In addition to the embedded flash on my Canon, I have also a Yongnuo YN465 to be used either in TTL or off-camera. For better use of both (when on camera), I would like to buy a portable diffuser. When I use embedded flash, I sometimes put a paper tissue on, but it is not so practical, though it does its work. And YN465 already has a 18mm diffuser consisting in a popup extra screen.
Looking around, I saw some clip-on diffuser for popup flash (different kinds), mini softbox to be applied to external flash, inflatable diffuser again for external flash, Gary Fong lightsphere... are these sort of things decent and which I have to choose for both popoup flash and external flash?
Thanks.

 

[fokker]

If you don't want to spend much money you can just use the yn465 in TTL mode on the camera with it aimed upwards or to the side (as if to bounce off ceiling or wall), but with your other hand (you'll need to shoot one-handed this way) you can hold a piece of white card or paper to bounce the light at your subject - cheapest portable diffuser out there that I know of and works surprisingly well. Even better is buy one of those cheap popup reflectors on ebay and do the same thing with that, only have someone else hold it or prop it against something.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, bouncing the flash off of a wall or the ceiling, is usually a much better way to improve the quality of light from your flash. In fact, most of these flash accessories, are meant to be used when you are bouncing the flash anyway.

To make light softer, you need to increase it's size, relative to the subject. So that means moving it closer and/or actually making it larger. Most of these accessories don't actually make the flash much larger, so they don't really make the light any softer...unless it's because they spread the light around so that it bounces off of other surfaces and comes back to your subject.

 

[Edsport]

Some people put a slit in a ping pong ball for the onboard flash. There's lots of diffusers for the 465 on ebay. Do a seach for diffusers on there and it'll give you some choices...

 

[Vinny]

I am waiting for the Lumiquest 80/20 with promax accessory kit that I got from ebay. It is capable of bouncing light off a ceiling/wall (80) along with some light going forward (20). The accessory kit consists of a white, silver and gold bounce reflector along with a soft box light attachment that doesn't seem to be a true soft box. Not sure how it will work but for bouncing seemed to make sense.

 

[enzodm]

Thank you all. Big Mike: in fact that sort of pseudo-softbox to be attached to the flash are about 10x15cm. Larger than the flash, but not sure if significantly larger to give some effect.
fokker: I would prefer to use two hands . Anyway, perhaps I could do something similar to be attached to flash side... I'll think at it. YN465 has a creditcard sized popup reflector too, but is as large as the flash.