Gary Fong Lightsphere...

[Steve5D]

Maybe we should have a speedlite death match. One person use a fong dong, one person just use pure bounce. We can argue all day that a fong dong can give a better result than pure bounce. Yes, there will be a scenario where it will give a way better result but not that often. Plus it will take up space in your bag, plus gazzilion non photographers will ask you what that is, plus a lot of photographers will make fun of you (in their head), plus it will bounce your light everywhere even to dark wall and it will eat up your battery. It is almost as silly as the stoffen diffuser but at least the stoffen generic one is only $5.

Wow, your panties are really twisted over this.

I asked a simple question. Your responses to that question were all about the people using the product, and not the product itself. I've seen folks using them, and I've never thought to laugh at them. I've seen the results people have gotten from them, and many have been pretty impressive. I was asking for feedback here.

Since you're more concerned with someone laughing at you than anything else, I will give your input every consideration it is due...

 

[pgriz]

Well, I was the only one with the camera, and if they laughed, they wouldn't have gotten any pictures. Of course, there were lots of laughs... fortunately not at the expense of the Fong. Or me.

 

[tecboy]

Gary Fong is misleading his lightsphere and trying to knockoff other competitors. Beside, it is not really a sphere. Just a dome on top. Take the dome off, and it looks like a cereal bowl.

 

[pgriz]

The thing is, any time we add some piece of equipment, it takes a while to explore when/where/how to use it effectively. That's true if you're using a flash, or a bounce card, or another tool. Think of music - a reed flute may be a very simple instrument, but no-one figures out how to play it really well without a lot of practice. I see our camera equipment the same way - we need to understand its strengths and weaknesses, and see where it can be best used. It also takes practice until the desired results start to come together. I was turned to the Fong by a professional photographer in our club who had some very good images using it, and she gave a workshop where we explored how to use it effectively. Therefore, it is part of my kit, and I take it out when appropriate. The same approach is used for my UWA lens, or my flash brackets, or my focusing rails. They have a place where they are very useful. Using them outside their "core" area, however, is much less effective. As long as you know the limits of the gear, and shoot within those limits, you should be fine.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Sigh.. I gave you many reasons... I was trying to be funny but it is kinda true. I gave you many reasons other than people will make fun of you.

 

[Robin Usagani]

I gave you a link from 2009 where i wasnt part of. A lot of haters on the product by respectable photogs.

 

[pixmedic]

honestly, I want to buy one now just so i can say i have a "fong dong".
thanks Robin... hilarity ensues and now i have to go spend $40 so I have a running gag every time i reach into my camera bag...

 

[tecboy]

I'm planning to shoot crowded people, art pieces like sculptures, charcoal drawings, and paintings. Should I get lightsphere?

 

[pgriz]

I'm planning to shoot crowded people, art pieces like sculptures, charcoal drawings, and paintings. Should I get lightsphere?

Probably not, unless the "environment" is right for that piece of equipment. When I shoot my wife's stuff (art and paintings), I use two umbrellas at 45 degrees on either side to give even light. If I shoot sculpture (or pottery, as I have a potter friend), then the light needs to be more sculptural, and depending on the surface finish, either very close or further away (depending on the sharpness of the shadow I want), and I may have two or more flashes at various power levels to get the effect I need. For crowds in large rooms, I usually set up two or more flashes in umbrellas. The only place where I would use the Fong is in relatively small areas with low white ceilings, and hopefully white walls, and again, only if I had to use a one-flash setup. Really, it's a specialized piece of equipment.

 

[Steve5D]

Sigh.. I gave you many reasons... I was trying to be funny but it is kinda true. I gave you many reasons other than people will make fun of you.

Where?

All I read were comments about how the people you had seen using them didn't know what they were doing. Again, that's not a comment about the product but, rather, the user.

I didn't see "funny". What I saw was a fantastic failing at answering a pretty simple and straightforward question.

Re-reading this thread, the comments about the actual product are basically that, when someone knows how and when to use it, the results are pretty favorable.

Can you comment about actual results about the product, or are you going to continue to refer to it by some childish name while bemoaning the people you've seen using them?

 

[Steve5D]

**Tips requested for Gary Fong Lightsphere - FM Forums

That, in no way, shape or form, even approaches being an answer to the question.

You don't like them. I get that. A lot of people don't like them. I get that. You're afraid of people making fun of you. I get that.

From an operational perspective; the "can it work?" perspective, what are your thoughts on the product?

 

[PeK77]

Because I have seen this product in action like 3X. All three times were being used by someone who had no idea what they were doing. I see them shooting bride and groom in the open with fong dong with flash on.

Curious. If you didn't have a bounce on location wouldn't the fong be able to be used? Or by in the open do you mean far away from the flash etc...

 

[pgriz]

Because I have seen this product in action like 3X. All three times were being used by someone who had no idea what they were doing. I see them shooting bride and groom in the open with fong dong with flash on.

Curious. If you didn't have a bounce on location wouldn't the fong be able to be used? Or by in the open do you mean far away from the flash etc...

The Fong spreads the light around a lot. In a small room, that can work for you. In a large area, it's wasted. I consider its range to be about 10-15 feet max (T1i, ISO 400, 580EX-II flash), and that includes the distance to the reflecting surface.

 

[runnah]

At this point I might just send Steve a light dome to end this thread.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Yes, there will be a scenario where it will give a way better result but not that often. Plus it will take up space in your bag, plus gazzilion non photographers will ask you what that is, plus a lot of photographers will make fun of you (in their head), plus it will bounce your light everywhere even to dark wall and it will eat up your battery. It is almost as silly as the stoffen diffuser but at least the stoffen generic one is only

i gave 3 other reasons?