Gary Fong Lightsphere Diffuser.

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I've been interested in this diffuser since I saw posts about it being in the development stage quite some time ago. It is now available in the UK so, I ordered one a couple of days ago, and it's now been delivered. This shot shows the Lightsphere mounted on the the 580EX and set up for macro shots. (Taken with the nifty fifty)

Macro_setup.jpg


Sorry, just another fly shot... but they're easy prey when you're looking for a subject. :shrug:

fly2.jpg


This shot was taken at 1/250th. at f20 (ISO 300) and allows a greater depth of field than would normally be possible without flash. Unfortunately, it's often difficult to avoid the harsh flash reflections from the harder shinier bits of most flies and bugs. The diffuser seems to have worked remarkably well in this shot in avoiding flash glare.



So far I'm very impressed with the diffuser which seems to be a well designed, well thought out bit of kit, and probably the best answer to diffusing flash mounted on the camera I've yet seen.
 
Interesting. So is it just a bowl in a cup on an attachment then? I've only ever seen them in profile, just wondered as it must be possible to cobble one together at home!
 
You perhaps could Spencer, although even allowing for the marketing BS hype, I suspect there's a lot of development gone into it. The end cap is removable and is an inverted dome. The dome is also more opaque than the rest of the diffuser, which has the effect of bouncing the flash back into the diffuser, the whole thing then lights up impressively, so your flash source is much larger than normal and goes a long way to reducing harsh shadows. There are grooved patterns cut into the dome and the body of the diffuser which are supposed to optimise light spread.

I wish I'd had one of these when I was doing wedding interior shots. It comes with an instructional CD which shows interior shots with and without it, and it's really most impressive.
 
And it set you back?
 
You'd have to be carefull someone doesn't try to fill that with coffee :D

Hows the tripod head performing?
 
LOL. It's bloody fantastic Matt.... great bit of kit. I just need your 800mm to stick on it now. :'(
 
Well, you might get the opertunity if I can make it to Twycross.

I like the fact that you can put the flash on the top of the head, something manfrotto have missed on the 393.
I need to get one manufactured so I can do the same.
 
Matt said:
I like the fact that you can put the flash on the top of the head
Click to expand...

That's a bonus I didn't expect. You can actually use that mount to mount a second camera, (just screws into the camera body or into the tripod collar) or just mount your camera there if you want more up and down vertical free movement.
 
IanC_UK said:
You can get a second QR plate for that as well cant you CT ?
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Well it comes with three different sized Arca-Swiss plates. They're not QR, but yep you can get QR plates.
 
IanC_UK said:
Sorry, i should have expressed myself better ! lol i believe there is an option to have a second QR fitted to the head, so can fit 2 cameras using QR plates ! :)
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LOL I dunno mate, but that would make sense. All the plate would have to have would be a threaded tripod bush in the base.
 
hmmm, see, now, as soon as you said 'interiors' you sparked my inerest!

Wonder if one of these would be handy for work? Don't suppose you fancy doing a 3 shot compare of an interior for me do you? un-diffused, normal diffuser and lightsphere?

Understand if you're busy and all that.......
 
Gandhi said:
hmmm, see, now, as soon as you said 'interiors' you sparked my inerest!

Wonder if one of these would be handy for work? Don't suppose you fancy doing a 3 shot compare of an interior for me do you? un-diffused, normal diffuser and lightsphere?

Understand if you're busy and all that.......
Click to expand...

I'll do it later mate... no probs. Gotta fight throught the traffic and pick Jab up. :shrug:
 
CT said:
I'll do it later mate... no probs. Gotta fight throught the traffic and pick Jan up. :shrug:
Click to expand...

no hurry ced, I'm off to the wedding pre-party in a bit so wont be back til monday!

Mucho appreciated though!
 
oh my, that is funky doodle dooo! who's kit is that? anyone from here?

BTW what you doing in the week Ian?
 
No its from Dietmar Nills website, the creator of the Gimbal head Cedric is using ! :)

As to what im doing in the week, it depends on work ! lol i can either be at home "working" or i could be in Edinburgh or Glasgow or London ! or anywhere in between ! lol
 
Great setup.
One question though - How much does all that cost ?

I guessing by the time you've bought the Flash cord, brackets and diffuser you're not far away from the cost of a Macro flash?
 
Well i know the head isnt cheap ! lol but theres no additional brackets involved i think ! thats the way the head works ! the off camera cord is about 40 quid i think, the diffuser is 50, so is 95 quid for flash stuff, plus the *coff* small amount for the head ! which of course can be used for all sorts of photography not juts Macro ! :)
 
hmm doesn't the lens cost like 1k?

why don't you havew the flash on top of the cam?
 
SDK^ said:
One question though - How much does all that cost ?
Click to expand...

Head is as i said not cheap ! £499.00 ! You would never need another head though by looks of it !
Off camera Flash cord £40.50
Lightsphere £50.00
580EX £289.00

Used Warehouseexpress for prices ! :)

MR14-EX Macrolite £329.00
MT24-EX Macro Flash £589.00

So if you already have the head and flash ! Its a lot cheaper than a dedicated macro flash ! :)
 
Cant keep up witht he replies to this.

Is it just me or does this "DOME" not look like a dome off of one of those Solar lights for your garden......

Not saying it is, but its very cleverly designed and looks very similar.
 
thats close, with the 180 zoom :o

But it's expensive!! I was recently thinking about getting a macro lens, but 100-400L Is my next purchase, well I say purchase, but when CT lets me play with his, I'm going to run off with it ;)

Kidding btw :P
 
Marik said:
Kidding btw :P
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Lies I tell ya. Thats why we got the slimming post. He was identifying who could stand in the way of him so as to let him have a safe passage back to the car. :razz:
 
don't mean to thread hijack but can some recommend a cheap macro?
 
Marik said:
why don't you havew the flash on top of the cam?
Click to expand...

The whole idea is to get the flash further forward and over the subject Dan,where it throws the light downwards and casts more natural and less hard shadows. In every day life we're used to light coming from above, whether it's from the sky or room lighting, which is why flash on camera produces that stark 'frightened deer in the headlights' look - it's totally unreal, which is why it's better to bounce the flash off the ceiling, which throws the shadows more downwards. Also, because the ceiling is now acting as a huge reflector, the light is much softer compared to being beamed at your subjects straight from the flash like a searchlight!
 
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