Stofen Omni-Bounce.....any good ?

[John Young]

I am thinking about buying a Stofen Omni-Bounce for my Nissin flash and just wondering what people think of them ?

I understand when bouncing light indoors they throw the light around more so giving a softer result but do they work well and are they worth buying ??

 

[Johnd2000]

I use them. They're okay. Not really worth the silly money they charge but they do soften a little. Bare flash is, IMO, usually fairly horrible so anything that takes the edge off helps.

 

[Mr. Fish]

i quite liked mine!...till i lost it haha! i did some tests with and without and it made a noticeable difference on my 430exii

 

[imustbedreamin]

price is ridiculous (as with most things in this hobby) but ive found it does a good enough job of softening the light.

put it this way, im glad ive got one in my bag

 

[HoppyUK]

I am thinking about buying a Stofen Omni-Bounce for my Nissin flash and just wondering what people think of them ?

I understand when bouncing light indoors they throw the light around more so giving a softer result but do they work well and are they worth buying ??

Stofen works well in the right environment, ie normal room with white ceiling.

Like all these devices, 75% of the result you get depends on the surroundings, as that's how they work. Most of the light is bounced off the ceiling (and with the Stofen, also walls, and behind) and that's what delivers the softening.

Then a small dash of light is also sent directly straight foward to the subject to lift the shadows under the eyes and chin that you get with normal bouncing.

Puts a sparkle in the eyes too, which is nice, but use one outside for example, and there is zero benefit as the area of the Stofen itself is no larger than the bare flash. You just waste tons of precious flash power illuminating the clouds.

Stofen is small, cheap and robust (get a cheapy from Amazon for a fiver - same difference) but if you want a more effective and versatile attachment that also works outside, look at a Lumiquest Quik Bounce - excellent weapon

 

[John Young]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I have a large reflector type thing that I made myself and it works OK but seeing all these people using the stofen type diffuser I thought I was missing a trick. Wonder if it would be worth buying a cheapo copy brand rather than paying £15 for some plastic. I did make myself one a while back from the bottom of a milk carton but it was ugly and to big

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I have a large reflector type thing that I made myself and it works OK but seeing all these people using the stofen type diffuser I thought I was missing a trick. Wonder if it would be worth buying a cheapo copy brand rather than paying £15 for some plastic. I did make myself one a while back from the bottom of a milk carton but it was ugly and to big

Plastic milk bottles make superb flash diffusers, and the whole subject is ripe for DIY. Big is good - it's the size of the light source that gives the softening, hence the appeal of bouncing where the whole ceiling becomes the light source.

Light isn't fussy about where it comes from. A plastic milk bottle, some gaffa tape and kitchen foil can be fashioned into a very effective and versatile device that works at least as well as anything commercially available.

Edit: 2L bottle, cut off the top to fit over the flash head, pointing vertically. Line the back with kitchen foil to push more light forwards. Cut off the bottom (which is now the top) and attach it with a hinge of gaffa tape. Line that with foil (optional). Indoors, use with the top open or partially open to moderate light to the ceiling. Close the top outdoors, and the front surface of the bottle becomes a nice big light source

 

[stevewestern]

A stofen copy is worth the couple of quid it costs but I use a piece of black foam like Neil van Neikerk way more these days - google him to see what and how - very simple, very easy and very cheap !!

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Plastic milk bottles make superb flash diffusers, and the whole subject is ripe for DIY. Big is good - it's the size of the light source that gives the softening, hence the appeal of bouncing where the whole ceiling becomes the light source.

Light isn't fussy about where it comes from. A plastic milk bottle, some gaffa tape and kitchen foil can be fashioned into a very effective and versatile device that works at least as well as anything commercially available.

Edit: 2L bottle, cut off the top to fit over the flash head, pointing vertically. Line the back with kitchen foil to push more light forwards. Cut off the bottom (which is now the top) and attach it with a hinge of gaffa tape. Line that with foil (optional). Indoors, use with the top open or partially open to moderate light to the ceiling. Close the top outdoors, and the front surface of the bottle becomes a nice big light source

As long as you don't mind walking around looking like a ****, with a milk bottle stuck on top of his £200 flashgun

 

[HoppyUK]

As long as you don't mind walking around looking like a ****, with a milk bottle stuck on top of his £200 flashgun

Quite. I wouldn't be seen dead with a cheap £200 flashgun.

 

[John Young]

Plastic milk bottles make superb flash diffusers, and the whole subject is ripe for DIY. Big is good - it's the size of the light source that gives the softening, hence the appeal of bouncing where the whole ceiling becomes the light source.

Light isn't fussy about where it comes from. A plastic milk bottle, some gaffa tape and kitchen foil can be fashioned into a very effective and versatile device that works at least as well as anything commercially available.

Edit: 2L bottle, cut off the top to fit over the flash head, pointing vertically. Line the back with kitchen foil to push more light forwards. Cut off the bottom (which is now the top) and attach it with a hinge of gaffa tape. Line that with foil (optional). Indoors, use with the top open or partially open to moderate light to the ceiling. Close the top outdoors, and the front surface of the bottle becomes a nice big light source

Thanks for that a good guide

A stofen copy is worth the couple of quid it costs but I use a piece of black foam like Neil van Neikerk way more these days - google him to see what and how - very simple, very easy and very cheap !!

Do you have a direct link to it as I just find his gallery when I google

Quite. I wouldn't be seen dead with a cheap £200 flashgun.

*LOL* Nice one......

 

[CT]

I wouldn't waste your money on the Stofen Omnibounce. I shot weddings with two of these years ago and the problem is the diffuser is no bigger than the bare flash head so it has little softening effect on shadows where your subjects are close to a wall for example.

The idea is to enlarge the light source as much as you can and to that end I have a Gary Fong Lightsphere diffuser which I can honestly say is hands down the best diffuser I've found for flash on-camera. It's ridiculously priced but there are cheaper ebay copies which probably do just as good a job.

 

[stratocaster72]

oops wrong thread..... ignore this post.

 

[stevewestern]

Do you have a direct link to it as I just find his gallery when I google

I do - here it is !

http://neilvn.com/tangents/2011/03/08/video-using-the-black-foamie-thing/

 

[srichards]

I bought a cheap one off amazon. Was a few quid. Wouldn't pay £25 odd for what looks the same.

 

[John Young]

I wouldn't waste your money on the Stofen Omnibounce. I shot weddings with two of these years ago and the problem is the diffuser is no bigger than the bare flash head so it has little softening effect on shadows where your subjects are close to a wall for example.

The idea is to enlarge the light source as much as you can and to that end I have a Gary Fong Lightsphere diffuser which I can honestly say is hands down the best diffuser I've found for flash on-camera. It's ridiculously priced but there are cheaper ebay copies which probably do just as good a job.

Well I think the idea with the Ominibounce thing is you bounce the flash of the ceiling as you would when bouncing but because its got the little plastic thing on the end it bounces the light all around as well as the ceiling so making the whole effect softer...... I think that's the gist

I do - here it is !

http://neilvn.com/tangents/2011/03/08/video-using-the-black-foamie-thing/

Thank you, I will look at that

I bought a cheap one off amazon. Was a few quid. Wouldn't pay £25 odd for what looks the same.

Yeah I was thinking about maybe getting a cheaper version