Gary Fong Lightsphere...

[tecboy]

I like Sto-fen. It is very good in small room and closed subject.

 

[Steve5D]

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?

So your opinion of them consists of the following:

1. Plus it will take up space in your bag - Everything takes up room. Everything. If the right environment for this piece of equipment is to be encountered, why would you treat it differently than any other piece of equipment you have? My flashes take up room in my bag. I bring them if I think I'll need them. According to you, though, I shouldn't have bought them because they take up room.

2. plus gazzilion non photographers will ask you what that is - Seriously? This is a reason to not buy a piece of equipment? I would imagine that only someone who's socially inept would be afraid of such a thing. Do you get upset if people ask if your camera takes nice pictures?

3. it will bounce your light everywhere even to dark wall and it will eat up your battery - This is the only thing you've said which begins to border on an actual response.

I thought it was pretty obvious that I was asking for input from people who've actually had experience using the product. I think you and I can both agree that you're just not that guy. Considering that, I do think it's interesting that the loudest, whiniest voice of opposition to the Gary Fong Lightsphere is coming from someone who's never actually even used a Gary Fong Lightsphere....

 

[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...

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.

That totally makes sense. So in a situation where you're in a field, if you're close enough to your subject it may not be a total waste.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Friends don't let friends buy a Fong Dong

I guess you are not my friend.

 

[pixmedic]

I have only used the fong a few times, (borrowed) so i have no real experience with it on which to base an opinion that would be considered valid here....
however...i was not impressed enough to run out and buy one. I have a few small softboxes and a few rogue flashbenders that seem to do everything we need. sometimes i will even bounce with the softbox on.
to be honest, i did not use the fong in any confined spaces, so if that is where it shines, i totally missed that trial.

there are sooooo many different flash diffusers on the market, but its really just about someone finding one that works for you and how you shoot.
i have had people tell me i was crazy spending $40 on the rogue flashbenders when i could get much cheaper bounce cards, but i have really loved the rogues, so thats what i have stayed with. i am sure there are plenty of people that felt the same way about the fongs.

 

[Steve5D]

Friends don't let friends buy a Fong Dong

I guess you are not my friend.

Oh... the horror...

 

[Steve5D]

I have only used the fong a few times, (borrowed) so i have no real experience with it on which to base an opinion that would be considered valid here...

It would be far more valid than some of the nonsense that's been posted.

I think the most important question, though, is this: Did people laugh at you?

 

[pixmedic]

I have only used the fong a few times, (borrowed) so i have no real experience with it on which to base an opinion that would be considered valid here...

It would be far more valid than some of the nonsense that's been posted.

I think the most important question, though, is this: Did people laugh at you?

Nah.. Noone at the wedding reception seemed to notice. Or care. It was just another part of the camera. Softbox, bounce card, fong dong...

It was a large open room with high ceilings, so i preferred the softbox. The fong sphere, dome, whatever wasn't "bad" per se, but with the dome on, i had little directional control over the light, and with the dome off, it was more like a snoot, and my rogue flashbender folds into a snoot.
The dome did diffuse the light, so i got some ok shots with it, but in that scenario, i did better with the softbox concentrating more light where i actually wanted it. I can see how it would do better in a smaller area.
The room was very dark. The only real light was from the aquarium tanks.

So.. There it is. My gary fong experience. If i saw one at a garage sale or flea market for $10 i would probably grab it, but im not going to order one new when i already have several flash diffusers for different situations.

 

[Derrel]

SNIP> i already have several flash diffusers for different situations.

You mean you use different tools for different situations? Madness!!!!

 

[Steve5D]

So, I buckled down and made a diffuser, much the same as I made several years ago. I think the grand total was about three bucks.

Here are five images I took this morning. They've had zero editing done, other than resizing. Other than that, they are absolutely unmolested. The flash used was an EX 580EX II:


1. Flash head pointed straight ahead:

2. Flash head pointed directly upwards towards a white ceiling, about three feet from the flash head:

3. Flash with a Stofen, pointed directly ahead:

4. With the Stofen aimed towards a white ceiling, about three feet from the flash head:

5. With the $3.00 foam flash diffuser, flash head pointing straight up into the diffuser:

This is the basic design of the one I made: DIY Reflector-Diffuser

And I have no idea why this annoying "thumbnail" is down here...

 

[tecboy]

If you set your flash at 45 degree angle with Sto-fen attached, you should get better lighting this way.

 

[JerryVenz]

Derrel was right-on with his explaination of how PROFESSIONALS use light modifiers. My wife and I have been doing weddings for over 25 years--international award winning CERTIFIED, MASTER photographer, etc.,etc. I bought Gary Fong's Photo-journalist LIght Sphere when it first came out--had been using Stofens on all my flashes up to that point because you MUST use SOMETHING with on-camera flash--a professional does not use DIRECT on-camera flash on people!!

So, I was amazed at how well it worked with most interiors. If I have a cieling I angle the flash head at 45 degrees--which is where I usually have it--without the cap installed--and the results are always great--IF I ADJUST FOR THE RELECTIVITY OF THE ROOM AND CEILING HEIGHT WITH MY SHUTTER SPEED. That means I DRAG THE SHUTTER--slow the shutter-speed--until I get the look I want. Sometimes I use 1/60, 1/30, or 1/15th--it depends on the room.

BTW, these are NOT portraits! These are for candids--getting ready at her home or hotel, fun stuff, walking interiors, elevator shots, limo interiors, and of course the reception coverage.

MY portraits are usually done by WINDOW LIGHT, NATURAL LIGHT OUTSIDE, or If I have to studio style lighting inside.

Another area the Fong LIght Sphere really shines is in close-up photography. At the cake table ( WHEN I DON'T HAVE WINDOW LIGHT ) I always do images of the cake with their invitation, rings, toasting glasses, flowers and special decorations that my wife puts together very artistically--we've actually won several international awards ( both PPA and WPPI ) for this usually very cliche type of wedding photography!!

The trick with close-ups with the Light Sphere is to point it STRAIGHT-UP WITH NO CAP ON TOP. Again, I'm also dragging the shutter and on a tripod.

I'm not as happy with the newer collapsing Light Sphere because it's heavier than my old style and the weight can over come the flash head's detents allowing the unit to drop-down from the 45 degree to the 90 degree--pointing straight at my subject--the worst possible position!!

Anyway they're great tools--would not do a wedding without them!!

 

[pixmedic]

while not a diffuser, i like this system.
i assume they will have diffusers as an add on at some point.
i would hope so anyway.

 

[tecboy]

So, I buckled down and made a diffuser, much the same as I made several years ago. I think the grand total was about three bucks.

Here are five images I took this morning. They've had zero editing done, other than resizing. Other than that, they are absolutely unmolested. The flash used was an EX 580EX II:


1. Flash head pointed straight ahead:

2. Flash head pointed directly upwards towards a white ceiling, about three feet from the flash head:

3. Flash with a Stofen, pointed directly ahead:

4. With the Stofen aimed towards a white ceiling, about three feet from the flash head:

5. With the $3.00 foam flash diffuser, flash head pointing straight up into the diffuser:

This is the basic design of the one I made: DIY Reflector-Diffuser

And I have no idea why this annoying "thumbnail" is down here...

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Shoot inside a closet. You will get awesome photos!

 

[Steve5D]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Shoot inside a closet. You will get awesome photos!

I wasn't going for "awesome photos". All I intended to do was illustrate the differences resulting from different approaches...