LIGHTSPHERES...

THE-BIG-MAN-SAYS

THE-BIG-MAN-SAYS

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,397
Name
Stevie
Edit My Images
No
I've got one of the Microglobe ones - Gary Fong are expensive!

I've got one but I hardly ever use it, it's bulky and I prefer to soften my flash by bouncing off walls or ceilings. Next time I do walkabout event portraits I might dig it out again.

It does give a nice effect and the tungsten top is very useful to balance it against other lights.
 
I've got a Gary fong one and a microglobe one. I can't see any difference at all in quality between the two.
Some people like them. Some hate them. I like them. They light up the room nicely. Giving a nice all round ambient light.
I used mine for the first time in a country house where it was impossible to bounce from the high ceilings.
I suppose you could say 'they have their place'.


Kev.
 
just use a stofen. same results and you don't look like a **** lol

THE-BIG-MAN-SAYS said:
Hi wondered if anyone out there is shooting with one of these...just got a Canon 550EX and considering as are reasonable and look quite easy to use to get good results:

I know FITP does some but heard they are a bit heavy...can cause the flash to fold down...

http://www.microglobe.co.uk/catalog...-universal-dome-cloud-diffusion-for-all-flash

OR

Gary Fong Collapsable Lightsphere...

http://store.garyfonginc.com/lsc-01.html


SORRY CANNOT POST URLs YET...


THANKS to all who help...


STEVIER
Click to expand...
 
Kev,

Similar post to a few months ago...but different question...

I was asking if anyone was using FITP Lamberancy Lightspheres in the first one (apparently these are heavy and can cause some flashes to drop down...hance who not asked about again)...

I also asked about the GF Lightspheres in general...

In this post I asked about the new collapsable GF or the Microglobe option...

Now that I have the flash on its way...and I am in the position to buy...


SO FAR...will prob buy a cheap stofen & Microglobe...Less than £30...or maybe just the stofen to start...but it would be great if someone had tried the GF collapsable...

BUT GREAT you were able to give me an answer on the Microglobe...THANKS


STEVIER
 
kevshore said:
I've got a Gary fong one and a microglobe one. I can't see any difference at all in quality between the two.
Some people like them. Some hate them. I like them. They light up the room nicely. Giving a nice all round ambient light.
I used mine for the first time in a country house where it was impossible to bounce from the high ceilings.
I suppose you could say 'they have their place'.


Kev.
Click to expand...

Pretty much agree with this, I have a Fong clear, and an FitP cloud, both are equally useful, and about the same weight. Yes, the flash really does need to be either totally upright or at 90 degrees, but they give a lovely soft light without too much loss of power. I love mine and use them a lot with flash guns, both on and off camera.

Might be an idea to see if anyone local to you can lend you one to try out before buying, although for what FitP charges for them, its not a huge amount if you find you dont get on with it.
 
Yv said:
Might be an idea to see if anyone local to you can lend you one to try out before buying, although for what FitP charges for them, its not a huge amount if you find you dont get on with it.
Click to expand...

I am local and he's more than welcome to have a shot of one if he wants :thumbs:
 
I like to make one of these find you get good light from them and cost less then any other kind. All of your light goes forward
so none lost light behind you
3578770102_df64877ba1_o.gif
 
Yv...

When you use off camera do you use the flash with a lead...to keep the auto set for the flash...or manual...?

Also how do you find they compare with a softbox etc...noticed that you can also shoot straight on with the cap on and facing forward...in one of the GF vids...thought that off camera for macro/closeups this could also work...

THANKS for all the help and offers to try...cant wait to get the flash...

STEVIER
 
I use it manually, using Nikons inbuilt comander system, so no lead required. Though you can use it in ttl even when off camera, but not sure this applies to canon models :shrug:


FWIW, I have used it to do macro & still life, on and off camera, and the softening of the light certainly helps with this kind of thing, especially when you can have the whole kit and caboodle off camera and position to best advantage. As already said, lightspheres are marmite, great for some poeple, not for others.

I would suggest popping round to see flash, he has these and flash softboxes [which I also have] which are great if they can be used...by that I mean they are studio style softboxes, not the mini ones, but again, when used for still life, portriats, etc but need a stand, very very useful.
 
THANKS...

This is my first DSLR (50D)...First Flash 550EX...had a Pannie fz30 Bridge before...so big learning curve...

BUT GREAT FUN...

Cant wait till the flash arrives (Monday)...

I'll take on board all comments...great having help...nothing to beat people who use the gear...


STEVIER
 
THE-BIG-MAN-SAYS said:
THANKS...

This is my first DSLR (50D)...First Flash 550EX...had a Pannie fz30 Bridge before...so big learning curve...

BUT GREAT FUN...

Cant wait till the flash arrives (Monday)...

I'll take on board all comments...great having help...nothing to beat people who use the gear...


STEVIER
Click to expand...


ENJOY!! :D A year ago I was terrified of using flash, but a member here lent me one to shoot my dads wedding with. Since then....well...errrr.... flashguns and various attachments from stofens, to softboxes, and a 3 light studio set up, with all the usual paraphernalia that goes with it....i LOVE flash now and its a huge learning curve that I still know I am near the bottom of, but climbing it slowly but surely.

Have a great time learning, ask all the questions you want here, someone will have an answer....and make friends with Flash in the Pan, he is a very useful chap to know, not just for what he sells, but because he does understand using flash and how to get the best out of it. ;)
 
All these diffusers - Stofen, Fong, Lambency etc - work in the same way. They redirect most of the light all around - above, to the sides and behind - and also forward. All the light that is bounced around needs a reflective surface like ceiling and walls to provide any fill-in light which does virtually all the softening.

With the Stofen, the light coming directly from the head itself is not softened at all because the area of the Stofen is still small. The Fong is bigger and this gives some softening of direct light, but not a huge amount especially at distance.

Basically, the room you shoot in has far, far more effect on the final result than there is any difference between the diffusers individually, unless you are shooting close, when the bigger diffusers are softer.

If you shoot outside when it's dark you will see the effect of the direct light only, and it's not massively different to flash without any diffuser - unless you are close, when the size of the diffuser is relatively bigger. Then again, if you shoot in a small light coloured room, the effect is dramatic with lovely soft light bouncing in from all around, plus the direct element lightening faces and putting a sparkle in the eyes. It looks great.

By the same token, a bounce card does exactly the same thing (see here www.abetterbouncecard.com ) and so does the little pull-up hi-lite card built in to many hot-shoe guns. I don't think the 550EX has one, but you can use the diffuser wide panel pulled out but not flopped down and get a similar result.

I use a Stofen because in the right room it works really well and is so easy (and you don't look so stoopid). When the room is more difficult, or I just want to look a little daft, I use a Lumiquest Quik Bounce. It does everything pretty well - soft-fill, bounce-fill, vertical or horizontal shooting. It is also more efficient by not blasting light out of the back and sides which is mostly not much help - it's the ceiling bounce that really makes this flash technique work. This fella http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lumiquest-quik-bounce/p1031217
 
Stevier,
I'd take graham up on his offer if I were you. Try it out, no cost and a bit of advice thrown in. Cant go wrong. ;)
I've just had a delivery of gear from him and the quality is spot on. I suspect his spheres will be the same as the more expensive ones.

Kev.
 
Yip...thats the plan...

Although it will be in a few weeks time...bought quite a few bits & pieces this week and want to plan out my next move...

STEVIER
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top