Flash Diffusers

[mcopan]

I am looking at picking up a Sb900 for my D5000. I would also like to pick up a light diffuser. I went on ebay and found many different types and many of them looked cheap and easily breakable. I have seen the Light Sphere that looks like a glorified hunk of semi transparent plastic.

Is there any suggestions for a diffuser?

 

[robertwsimpson]

milk jug and exacto knife

 

[Big Mike]

Do you know what situations you will be using your flash in?

I ask because most flash accessories work well in some situations but not so well (or not at all) in other situations.

To make light softer, you can only do two things....increase the size of the light source, or move the light closer to the subject. While some flash accessories make the source bigger, it's only a little bit bigger, which doesn't really help all that much. And the ones that do significantly increase the size, are well, big and hard to wield.

The easiest way to soften the light from your flash, is to bounce it off of a ceiling or wall. And that's actually where most accessories help most. A typical problem when bouncing, is that all the light then comes from above, giving you shadows like you might see under mid-day sun. So the accessory splits the light, sending some forward while letting the rest bounce. Some of them, like the LightSphere, spread the light out all around, in the hopes that there is something to bounce the light off of. It works well in smaller rooms, but is utterly useless outdoors etc.

There is a time & place where flash accessories can come in handy, but knowing how to use your flash is much more important. If you do use an accessory, it's important to know when to use it, and when not to.

 

[gsgary]

2 pint plastic milk bottle fits a treat if you cut the top off at the handle How can I reuse or recycle plastic milk bottles? | How can I recycle this?

 

[ghache]

if you want something that works and cheap.
i always sujest the aurora mini/max bounce card. it small and it does the job when bouncing your flash.
its does not look cheap. you dont wanna run around with plastic bottles parts on your gear in front of clients. my 2 cents

 

[myfotoguy]

The 900 comes with a diffuser dome for bouncing off the ceiling, while also sending some light forward. For ceilings that are not too high, this works well in many situations. The 900 also has a pull-out bounce card. The flash will come with a small book with suggested uses if I recall corretly (not with my gear right now), you could also check the Nikon site for info.

The other accessory I use for diffusion is the Demb Flip-it Pro because I like the size, portability and flexibility. See site for more info: Demb Flash Products - Flash Modifiers - Flash Reflectors Diffusers and Brackets - Flip-it! - Flip-it! 400 - Demb Flash Diffusers - Demb Flash Bracket

To learn about diffusion in general, this site is REALLY good: flash photography techniques Neil vN – tangents
You can also get a book from Amazon from the photographer that has all the info on the site in a book (I think there is additinoal stuff in the book too).

 

[mcopan]

Thanks