Quick question about Sto-fen type diffuser

John Young

John Young

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I asked a short while back about the Sto-fen type diffuser on here and most agreed they were of little use and no use outside.

I have just been watching the Nikon school of lighting and they were using them all the time. They were not advertising them or anything and never mentioned them so doubt it was a sponsor thing but on nearly every shot both inside and out they had them on their speedlights

So what gives..... :thinking:
 
I've used one on my small 430ex outside a wee bit, although it wastes a great deal of the flash power, it makes fill light a lot less contrasty.

If the device is getting the job done, forget what the masses say :thumbs:
 
Since the Stofen is no larger than the flash head itself, it can do nothing (except waste light) without something close by to bounce off.

Press photographers often have them permanently fitted, but a) the gun is often switched off, and b) if you're close you can afford to waste power and in the usual scrum the chances are there will indeed be something for the light to bounce off and provide marginal softening.

Could be the person standing next to you, which could make a useful difference if he's wearing something light toned, or a doorway, or a car, or anything in the close vicinity. It all helps, so if the loss of light isn't an issue, you can't really lose.

It's very easy to try - buy a cheap Stofen clone for a fiver off Amazon and have a go. If you're really out-side outside, the only difference you'll notice is the shadows cast will be slighly different because the Stofen raises the height of the flash head slightly.
 
I don't necessarily have mine in use constantly, but I do make use of them.
If used with your typical Chinese built speedlight softboxes, the light is thrown around inside the box to a greater degree before exiting the diffusion panel. You tend to get less of a hotspot centrally.
When used in what are effectively bare head situations, (no modifier other than the dome) such as this one or even this one, I utilise the fact the dome "throws light everywhere", and will therefore light the ground much closer to the light stand than otherwise. The second example didn't make use of this technique, as the heads were further away, and were therefore zoomed. I also use the domes as visual indicators, due to the fact that without the domes, I cannot always tell if the flash has fired when shooting from behind the speedlights and using several of them.
 
Almost forgot. If you add a dome to the Nikon speedlights, it sets the head to a wideangle setting that is wider than can be attained by setting it manually. There's a micro-switch on the underside of the head, about a centimetre from the leading edge.
My domes are adapted so as to activate the wider setting if fitted one way up, but doesn't if fitted upside down.
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
I have just been watching the Nikon school of lighting and they were using them all the time.
Click to expand...

You sure? Nikon speed lights come with diffusers that look awfully like sto-fens but aren't. I bet they were using those really.
 
Michael Sewell said:
Almost forgot. If you add a dome to the Nikon speedlights, it sets the head to a wideangle setting that is wider than can be attained by setting it manually. There's a micro-switch on the underside of the head, about a centimetre from the leading edge.
My domes are adapted so as to activate the wider setting if fitted one way up, but doesn't if fitted upside down.
Click to expand...

Hmmm.. maybe that is one answer as they mentioned that wide spread in the video

JonathanRyan said:
You sure? Nikon speed lights come with diffusers that look awfully like sto-fens but aren't. I bet they were using those really.
Click to expand...

Well cannot be certain but here are some screen grabs (sorry about quality)

Indoors
screen1.PNG


and these two were outside
screen2.PNG


screen3.PNG
 
Yeah. That's the special new one they made for the SB900. You can tell by the sweeping curve at the bottom in the fist pic.

Not StoFens - the internal patterning is different. It seems designed to spread the light more. Whether it works or not is anybody's guess.

BTW they are being used exactly like the Sto-Fen manual tells you not to use Sto-Fens. Point 2 in the FAQ http://www.stofen.com/info/faq.asp
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
Hmmm.. maybe that is one answer as they mentioned that wide spread in the video
Click to expand...
The SB900 dome doesn't need adapting, as it operates exactly the same anyway. Correct way up = 14mm spread, fit it upside down = zoomable setting. The other SBs didn't have this feature, they all automagically set themselves to 14mm. Not sure about the SB700 though, as it came out after the SB900, and I would have thought it may have similar characteristics.
Ain't got one, so can't check it out for you, sorry.
 
I use my stofen outside all the time. Never had any problems...providing you're not a ridiculous distance from your subject it is fine.

49A66.jpg


Shot outdoors with stofen at 90 degrees.
 
ohara said:
I use my stofen outside all the time. Never had any problems...providing you're not a ridiculous distance from your subject it is fine.

<snip>

Shot outdoors with stofen at 90 degrees.
Click to expand...

And it looks exactly like direct flash without a Stofen...
 
I'm not sure which I find more amusing, the idea of using a Stofen outdoors, or your arrangement of the group..... :lol:
 
I do and I don't. use stofens outside.
In large groups like the one above taken a a fair distance, it makes little difference than a direct flash. In close ups it definitely helps to soften edge shadows. The chances are that if I put one one outside for a close up, I will leave it on, unless power is an issue... it rarely is with a 580cx.

Indoors, I tend to bounce the flash and only use it to give a lift to the existing lighting. A stofen give an even more indirect feel to the quality of the light. The alliterative is tilt and spill which achieves a half and half look between direct and bounce.

Direct flash is unavoidable in some circumstances. In such situations you can not hide the flash looking like flash, and putting on a stofen simply reduces the light available.
 
i fail to see what the funny/wrong thing is about using a stofen outside, yes it reduces the power of the light, but in some instances i have found i prefer to `dampen` the harshness of the light and give me the results i want when needed.

ah well least it keeps you fellas sniggering anyway!
 
ohara said:
I use my stofen outside all the time. Never had any problems...providing you're not a ridiculous distance from your subject it is fine.

<Snip>.

Shot outdoors with stofen at 90 degrees.
Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but I would of at least cloned that sign out (top left corner) I now need to change my tshirt and go make another cup of tea. :thumbs:
 
Haha yeah, wondered how long it would take for someone to spot that! The place was taken over and only opened very recently, there seems to be an influx of ridiculously named night clubs here right now :lol:
 
Some quick comparisons, outside on the patio.

First shot is Canon 580EX fired direct, from about six feet (5D2, 200mm lens). Second is a Stofen angled at the suggested 60 degrees and with the flash power increased a massive 3.3 stops to maintain correct exposure. Third is the same with a cheapy Stofen clone, and last is with a Lumiquest QuikBounce, flaps closed and with the flash power 2.7 stops up on the direct output.

If you can see any difference between the softness of the shadows cast between the first three, that's more than I can. Though it's notable that the Stofen and the clone, which put the flash head a couple of inches higher than normal, projects the shadows slightly lower behind the subject, which is maybe an advantage.

Last is the QuikBounce which has an area about 6-7 times larger than the bare flash. There's a useful softening, but even that is not huge at six feet. Outside, it's more effective at closer distance when the light area becomes relatively larger compared to the subject, and it's also much less wasteful of light when used closer with a wider lens (it will cover 28mm on full frame).

Edit: something I'd not noticed before, the Stofen clone is very fractionally more blue. White balance was set to flash for all.

Canon 580EX, direct
IMG_8741-1.jpg


Stofen, 60 degrees
IMG_8737-1.jpg


Stofen clone
IMG_8738-1.jpg


Lumiquest QuickBounce
IMG_8745-2.jpg
 
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I feel these sorts of things are clutching at straws. A on camera flash is a small light source, and will always be a hard light source, regardless how focussed it is. Most of the Stofenesque breed of modifiers make it a very slightly larger small light source> if you have no choice, they are marginally better

Indoors we often bounce the flash of a ceiling or wall to make the light source appear large, soft and off camera. outdoors, if you have the time and the space, this can be achieved using a reflector
 
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