Gary Fong Lightsphere Diffuser.
- Thread starter CT
- Start date
OP
- Messages
- 26,617
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Gandhi said:
Here you go Spencer...
These three shots were taken hand held - couldn't be arsed to set up the tripod. All taken at 17mm. Metered for the room light and exposure for all three was 1/8 at f4.5, so probably not the sharpest. All jpegs, all 400 ISO. All shots were taken with the 580EX pointing straight up at the ceiling. None have been processed at all other than reduced to web size and sharpened.
1. 580EX WITHOUT WIDE ANGLE DIFFUSER.
Ugh!
2. 580EX WITH WIDE ANGLE DIFFUSER
Better - in fact it's not bad at all.
3. 580EX WITH LIGHTSPHERE AND DOME FITTED.
By far the nicer version for me, giving the least shadows and the most detail in the shot from the light thrown sideways from that large diffuser body. It's also slightly warmer, which is a tendency of the 'Cloud' (more opaque) version I opted for. In some of the baronial halls you probably have to paint with light, you might be better off with the 'normal' (clearer) version?
There is a 4th option actually, which is to use the Lightsphere without the dome but that's only recommended for unusually high ceilings.
You may not see enough difference in it for your purposes Spencer, but when I talk about wedding interiors, I'm talking about photographing people in close proximity to walls which show up harsh shadows, and try as you may, you can't always get the room you'd like between your subjects and those walls to lessen the shadows, which is where I think the lightsphere will really prove it's worth.
Hope that helps mate.
M
Marik
Guest
wow, that's really really impressive, it makes such a difference 
OP
- Messages
- 26,617
- Edit My Images
- Yes
SDK^ said:
Well, like most of us, I have to be pretty choosy where I spend the dosh. If money was no object then a macro flash would be great, but I chose to spend the money on the gimbal head having regard to the fact that it was going to have the most benefit to both my wildlife and macro photography. Once the head is set up properly then you can swing the camera to any position and rotate it to the portrait position, virtually with the touch of a finger. With really long lenses, then a gimbal head becomes an absolute necessity, so I'm thinking long term about where the dosh is best deployed.
I've already grabbed shots with this head which I'd have missed messing about with knobs and levers, so it's money well spent for me.
Gandhi
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 4,666
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Cheers for that ced, much appreciated!
It does make quite a difference. I use the diffuser that came with the sb800 at the moment and it's fine for use in most situations, but I do get problem shadows if the room has big windows and I'm trying to balance the interior light with the windows as it means shorter exposures and more flash. I think I may have to get another flashgun too as I've been having problems with these bloody open plan living arrangements lol.
I now also know what you mean about the wedding interiors too! BIG problems with shadows on walls as I'm sure you'll see when I put up some shots out of the 400 odd I shot!
Thanks again (even though you have made me spend money!)
It does make quite a difference. I use the diffuser that came with the sb800 at the moment and it's fine for use in most situations, but I do get problem shadows if the room has big windows and I'm trying to balance the interior light with the windows as it means shorter exposures and more flash. I think I may have to get another flashgun too as I've been having problems with these bloody open plan living arrangements lol.
I now also know what you mean about the wedding interiors too! BIG problems with shadows on walls as I'm sure you'll see when I put up some shots out of the 400 odd I shot!
Thanks again (even though you have made me spend money!)
OP
- Messages
- 26,617
- Edit My Images
- Yes
petemc said:
I took this shot the other morning in portrait mode. It must be an absolute 'worst case' scenario... Jan was about two feet from the wall, the flash was pointing vertically at the ceiling, and I was very close, using the 50mm 1.4. You can see how that huge diffuser body has filled in the face and avoided the dark eye sockets. You can also see how slight that shadow cast sideways behind her is, even at these short distances. The shot was taken with the dome in place. If I'd have removed the dome it would have had an even more killer effect on that shadow.
I'm really chuffed with it. If I was buying it again I'd probably go for the clearer version rather than the cloudy one which tends to give rather warm skin tones for my taste, but I'd definitely get it again... it's the best on-camera solution I've yet come across.
So would you say its a cheap substitue for a studio setup? Obviously not a replacement, but for those times when you cba taking a whole studio on location would you say it'll do the job? Reason I ask is that I have a client who wants me to shoot some people against a white backdrop so they can cut the people out and paste them into their designs. Do you think it would cope without producing harsh shadows?
OP
- Messages
- 26,617
- Edit My Images
- Yes
LOL. I know what you mean.
I got mine from here... quick delivery!!
http://www.bbjimports.com/productinfo.html
I got mine from here... quick delivery!!
http://www.bbjimports.com/productinfo.html
dazzajl
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 5,993
- Name
- Darren
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I think you could but that doesn't mean that it can. You can diffuse light as much as you want but it's never going to look anything like light comming from multiple sources
The yog pot thing will make an on camera flash about as good as you'll ever get it but it won't look anything like a real 2 or 3 head set up.
Great bit of kit to have though as there will always be times where a full set up just isn't possible.
OP
- Messages
- 26,617
- Edit My Images
- Yes
ffej1405 said:
I haven't done a direct comparison, but I used two Stofens on separate flashguns for quite a while and I was never impressed with them. They do soften the light somewhat, but their effect on hard shadows is nowhere near as good as the Fong. Whilst the Stofens do diffuse the light, they effectively reduce the size of the flash source (which is the opposite effect of what you actually want) while the Fong substantially increases it.
There huge !! people thought I'd got some kind of tupperware container stuck to my flash Ok after a test using my newly found white background it does do something.
From what I can see the fill-in flash is more balanced and theres less shadows on the right hand side of the image. I'm more chuffed with the fact that I found a portable white background lying round
From what I can see the fill-in flash is more balanced and theres less shadows on the right hand side of the image. I'm more chuffed with the fact that I found a portable white background lying round
H
Hoodi
Guest
The shadows under your eyes seem considerably less & the skintones more neutral - looks good to me!
How much was it?
How much was it?
H
Hoodi
Guest
was that second one with the lightsphere bounced or direct? Looking good, regardless...
I'm thinking it probably is worth the 50 notes
Oh, and nice shirt
I'm thinking it probably is worth the 50 notes
Oh, and nice shirt
Hoodi said:was that second one with the lightsphere bounced or direct? Looking good, regardless...
I'm thinking it probably is worth the 50 notes
Oh, and nice shirt
Yeah the lightsphere was also bounced. I put it on the flash after the first shot and didn't change the angle or anything. The shirt thanks you
H
Hoodi
Guest
NoooooOo!dod said:Collar needs ironed
Tried the lightsphere as direct flash?