Need recommendations for diffuser for SB-600

[mfer]

All-

I'm going to order a SB-600 for my Nikon D40.

Any recommendations for a good diffuser? My primary goal is for shooting people indoors. Having a baby and all.

My lenses I'll be using are in my signature.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Big Mike]

Try bouncing the flash off of the ceiling and/or walls etc. Then decide if you want to waste money on a 'diffuser'.

 

[mfer]

Try bouncing the flash off of the ceiling and/or walls etc. Then decide if you want to waste money on a 'diffuser'.

All my walls in my house are painted from DARK Brown, Green, light Blue, etc. I don't want that glow necessarily.

But all my ceilings are white, so that is good, but a couple of the ceilings are vaulted with fans. Didn't know if that would be ideal bounce situation.

Figured since I'm ordering the flash, might as well get one (or two) diffusers since the shipping is already free.

 

[mfer]

Oh and secondary use would be for closeups of watches too. Diffuser should help with glare on crystals.

 

[KmH]

Oh and secondary use would be for closeups of watches too. Diffuser should help with glare on crystals.

No, a diffuser won't really help for either use.

A diffuser scatters the light so it goes in more directions. Often that means to get enough light onto your subject you have to increase the power output.

Sof tlight for portraiture and for shoorting products like watches comes from a large light source, or an apparently large light source.

That's why photographers use light directed into umbrellas and reflected back onto the subject, it makes the light source look lots larger.

I recommend you invest in a basic photographic lighting book that explains the principlals:

Light: Science and Magic. An Introduction To Photographic Lighting, by Fil Hunter.

The first half of the book will help with shooting watches, and the second half will be helpful for shooting baby.

If you insist on getting a diffuser for the SB-600 get a Sto-Fen diffuser: Sto-Fen | OM-600 Omni-Bounce | OM-600 | B&H Photo Video

 

[inov8ter]

I bought the Sto-Fen from B&H and I really like it. And it was only like about 15 bucks.

 

[taraj_00]

I ordered the StoFen omni-bounce for mine too, but I rarely use it. I get much better results (on people at least, which is mostly what I've used the flash for) by bouncing off a ceiling or wall.

 

[Derrel]

http://comps.fotosearch.com/comp/corbis/DGT096/styrofoam-cup_~42-17983208.jpg

 

[Dao]

Homemade Bounce Flash Toys

 

[mfer]

Ok, thx for the tips then. I didn't think I'd be wasting too much money on the diffuser. Just want to try a "good" one out so I can see the difference for myself.

Appreciate the tips.

I've tried the cup last night on my pop-up. Unfortunately the pop up doesn't have enough power.

Thanks for the link Dao. I just read this a couple days ago. Another STL'er!

 

[NateS]

Don't get a diffuser. As said, bouncing it will work fine. My folks have cathedral ceilings that are probably near 25 foot tall at their tallest point. It does take a lot more flash power, but the SB-600 is able to bounce off that just fine. If you get anything, I would suggest a bounce card that throws a little bit of light foward but still does some bouncing off the ceiling. I still am not a big fan of those as they tend to throw enough light forward to create shadows behind your subjects. I have a stofen and used to use it....once I TRULY learned lighting I realized that I can almost always get better results without it than with it. It's probably been a year and a half since the stofen has even been used.

 

[Dao]

You know, recently I just bounce the flash off the ceiling and use the bubble wrap to get some forwarding light. And it works pretty well.

 

[NateS]

You know, recently I just bounce the flash off the ceiling and use the bubble wrap to get some forwarding light. And it works pretty well.

How on earth did you manage to bubble wrap your ceiling? That would be a big job. :razz:

 

[Dao]

You know, recently I just bounce the flash off the ceiling and use the bubble wrap to get some forwarding light. And it works pretty well.

How on earth did you manage to bubble wrap your ceiling? That would be a big job. :razz:

LOL I actually wrap around my head so that I can see the effect.

 

[Newcastle Shooter]

Sto-fen.