Flash Diffusers... Frame coverage TEST. 16 diffusers tested.

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Green Li

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Being curious about how a flash diffuser illuminates a scene I ended up testing 16 different diffusers.
For the wide angle applications knowing the frame coverage of a diffuser is important.
Here are the results I got: Diffuser Frame Coverage Test
I'm limited to 6 images here, so I post 6 out of 22:
demb-flip-it.jpg
presslite-vertex-wide.jpg
lumiquest-softbox-iii.jpg

lumiquest-big-bounce.jpg
honl-photo-reflector.jpg
demb-mega-flip-it-mega-vertical.jpg

Cheers!
 
Green Li, you have put a lot of time and trouble into those tests, so thanks for that. Unfortunately, any diffuser which sends light upwards, from the sides or back, must use a ceiling or walls to provide the majority of the light. You acknowledge this fact in your related review linked on your link (The Best Flash Diffuser). The light which comes out of the front is merely fill-in, so I don't see the relevance of the tests at all.

In your related review of "The Best Flash Diffuser" http://photo-tips-online.com/review/best-flash-diffuser/ you have also gone to a lot of effort. However, the usefulness of those tests is nevertheless compromised by a set of questionable performance parameters and weightings, plus a test procedure which appears to feature a small ornament shot at close distance. I'm not sure how such a procedure compares to real use.

Sorry to be blunt. If you are at all interested in why I think this, with a view to doing better and more relevant tests, I'll elaborate if I can. There are very few comparative reviews of these things, so thanks again for your hard work :)
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Actually, I find it quite refreshing that he's taken the time to review products other than the usual Stofen or Fong ones
:thumbs:
Click to expand...

:thinking: The whole point of a comparison test is to find out which is best, so what is the benefit of leaving out the market leaders?
 
HoppyUK said:
Green Li, you have put a lot of time and trouble into those tests, so thanks for that. Unfortunately, any diffuser which sends light upwards, from the sides or back, must use a ceiling or walls to provide the majority of the light. You acknowledge this fact in your related review linked on your link (The Best Flash Diffuser). The light which comes out of the front is merely fill-in, so I don't see the relevance of the tests at all.

In your related review of "The Best Flash Diffuser" http://photo-tips-online.com/review/best-flash-diffuser/ you have also gone to a lot of effort. However, the usefulness of those tests is nevertheless compromised by a set of questionable performance parameters and weightings, plus a test procedure which appears to feature a small ornament shot at close distance. I'm not sure how such a procedure compares to real use.

Sorry to be blunt. If you are at all interested in why I think this, with a view to doing better and more relevant tests, I'll elaborate if I can. There are very few comparative reviews of these things, so thanks again for your hard work :)
Click to expand...

Well, yes the idea was to test the fill in light. Nothing else. That's why the tests are done outdoors. Let me quote if you don't mind...
"Using the diffusers indoors may render different results, but the "direct" light component will be similar to what you see in these outdoor tests."

In the diffuser reviews I go over the designs and don't really test the diffusers (there is a test sections for that, which I admit have very few tests at the moment). Those "ornament shots" you mentioned are just random samples taken with a particular diffuser. They are not very informative, agreed.
 
Green Li said:
Well, yes the idea was to test the fill in light. Nothing else. That's why the tests are done outdoors. Let me quote if you don't mind...
"Using the diffusers indoors may render different results, but the "direct" light component will be similar to what you see in these outdoor tests."

In the diffuser reviews I go over the designs and don't really test the diffusers (there is a test sections for that, which I admit have very few tests at the moment). Those "ornament shots" you mentioned are just random samples taken with a particular diffuser. They are not very informative, agreed.
Click to expand...

:)
 
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