Diffuser causing colour cast

Grayman

Grayman

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Graeme
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I recently purchased a 580ex mkii which came with a Stofen diffuser. When I use the diffuser the image has quite a yellow(y) looking cast to it. If I change the Kelvin to between 4000 - 4400 then it appears more natural looking. Does this normally occur when using a diffuser? I don't intend using the diffuser much, but am a bit curious as to why there is such a difference.
 
that is very unusual. i tend to use a stofen diff quite a lot but have never come across any prominent colour cast to speak of.
what WB are you using? have you tried custom WB?
 
I have tried it on Auto and flash...both with the same results. Adjusting the Kelvin to 4600ish gets it spot on in my opinion. I have yet to learn how to do a custom WB:shake:
 
The problem is almost certainly not the Stofen itself, but the surface you're bouncing off. It's picking up some colour from that.

That's how these things work. They spread the flash all around, mostly towards the ceiling. That then becomes a very big light source, so the light bounces back nice and soft. Then there is a proportion of the light that goes straight forward to the subject - just like direct flash from the gun - which fills in the shadows and adds sparkle and lift.

It's bounce-fill technqiue, in one very handy and easy package. And if you've got a suitable ceiling to work under, it looks great. However, the light from the ceiling (and surroundings) is providing the majority of the exposure, so the colour gets picked up big time.

The quality of light you get from Softens, and many other diffuser attachments, is much more to do with the environment you shoot in than the diffuser itself.
 
HoppyUK said:
The problem is almost certainly not the Stofen itself, but the surface you're bouncing off. It's picking up some colour from that.

That's how these things work. They spread the flash all around, mostly towards the ceiling. That then becomes a very big light source, so the light bounces back nice and soft. Then there is a proportion of the light that goes straight forward to the subject - just like direct flash from the gun - which fills in the shadows and adds sparkle and lift.

It's bounce-fill technqiue, in one very handy and easy package. And if you've got a suitable ceiling to work under, it looks great. However, the light from the ceiling (and surroundings) is providing the majority of the exposure, so the colour gets picked up big time.

The quality of light you get from Softens, and many other diffuser attachments, is much more to do with the environment you shoot in than the diffuser itself.
Click to expand...

:thumbs:
You'll always get some colour cast from a diffuser, especially as it ages, but it should be insignificant. Richard's explanation, environmental polution, will the the right answer.
 
Garry Edwards said:
:thumbs:
You'll always get some colour cast from a diffuser, especially as it ages, but it should be insignificant. Richard's explanation, environmental polution, will the the right answer.
Click to expand...

Cheers Garry. Would green diffusers polute the environment less? :D
 
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