What lighting accessories are worth using with a SB900?

cambsno

cambsno

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Simon
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Wondering if various accessories you can get (like lightsphere, softbox for flash) are worthwhile?

I currently shoot with an on camera sb900, bounced off the ceiling which I have to say does me pretty well. I know that taking it off camera, having additional flash or using 'proper' lighting would be the best option, although my shooting is in peoples houses and while I do use a backdrop, many shots are taken away from this, so would not want to keep setting up and moving stuff around.

So, what products would be suitable and what benefit would they be over normal bounced flash?
 
Softbox or softbox brolly should be the top of your list.

Flash is too harsh (especially for shooting children as you do) The bounced flash is also very uncontrollable. Good soft well controlled light is where it's at.
 
Size would be fine, but check out Flash in the Pan - he sells some ready to use with hotshoe flashes at a very reasonable price! (I'll take 5% commission thanks FITP!)
 
I still want to keep the sb900 on camera so umbrellas and the like are unsuitable.
 
why keep the SB-900 on the camera? Why not take it off the camera and use your popup flash as a commander?

Basically, on camera, you've got 2 choices. A dome diffuser (stofen type), which comes free with the SB-900, or a Lumiquest 80-20 bouncer.

Other than that, anything else with on-camera flash is just trying to polish a turd really.
 
Simply because a lot of my pics are kids moving around would keep having to move softboxes around and so missing shots. Appreciate that off camera is better but not suitable for what I do.
 
ahh well, brollies and softboxes have never been a problem in peoples' homes for me - especially if they're limited in their movements by the width of a backdrop, but I'm sure you have your methods. :)

Have a look at the Lumiquest 80-20 bouncer, that's a good bet if you've got white ceilings, 20% of the light bounces back from above the flash, and 80% travels straight through to bounce off the ceiling (so the flash basically becomes its own fill light).
 
What about a Lambency diffuser (FakeFong)?

3807474196_704e6f385b.jpg
 
Simon - I'm a huge fan of the lastolite modifiers. They've just released a new larger Ezybox softbox and it's great. Here it is:-

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lastolite-ezybox-hotshoe-76x76cm/p1519193

If you like to keep the flash on camera I really rate these:-

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/diffuser/

Personally I think the GF Lightsphere is rubbish (although Yv may beat me up for saying that).

There are many other ways of bouncing on camera flash without it having to look ugly. Why not set up a couple of relectors at an angle behind you and bounce the SB-900 into those? Bouncing the flash is all about increasing the size of the light source. So maybe have a really large relector behind you and bounce the flash into that?

BTW, I'm assuming you're only using the flash to supplement existing light??
 
How about keeping the flash 'just' off camera

I use one of these http://www.1stcameras.com/pd_lastolite_camera_bracket__2408.cfm (the A2409 actually, with a small foot adaptor to fit my SC-29)

So I retain iTTL and yet (because it's telescopic) I can get the flash a couple of feet off camera and (as it retains the same flash to camera orientation when swivelled to 90 degrees) it keeps the same 'look' to the flash images

Bonus of course being that as it's away from the camera you can use softboxes or even brollies too

DD
 
That's a great shout Diddy. I might treat myself.......
 
DiddyDave said:
How about keeping the flash 'just' off camera

I use one of these http://www.1stcameras.com/pd_lastolite_camera_bracket__2408.cfm (the A2409 actually, with a small foot adaptor to fit my SC-29)

So I retain iTTL and yet (because it's telescopic) I can get the flash a couple of feet off camera and (as it retains the same flash to camera orientation when swivelled to 90 degrees) it keeps the same 'look' to the flash images

Bonus of course being that as it's away from the camera you can use softboxes or even brollies too

DD
Click to expand...

I've been looking for a good bracket like that.

Thanks DD.

I assume the cable is not included?
 
ryanyboy said:
That's a great shout Diddy. I might treat myself.......
Click to expand...

PsiFox said:
I've been looking for a good bracket like that.

Thanks DD.

I assume the cable is not included?
Click to expand...

The cable isn't included no

But it's quite a sturdy bit of kit and even a couple of clients have been impressed by how the flash stays in the same place while the camera swivels (and locks in landscape mode) so quickly

Most of my venues are dark as Hell for the speeches, so I have to use flash all the time with my 70-200 even wide open at f2.8 - so for longer shots I used to get red-eye with a stroboframe - but I've not seen any so far with this as the flash raises up at least 18" above the camera

Only thing to watch for though - if your iTTL/eTTL cable fits to the flash hotshoe you may need a small 'foot' adaptor to slide it onto the top of the flash-bracket. I did for my SC-29

I think it's a great bit of kit :)

DD
 
DiddyDave said:
How about keeping the flash 'just' off camera

I use one of these http://www.1stcameras.com/pd_lastolite_camera_bracket__2408.cfm (the A2409 actually, with a small foot adaptor to fit my SC-29)

So I retain iTTL and yet (because it's telescopic) I can get the flash a couple of feet off camera and (as it retains the same flash to camera orientation when swivelled to 90 degrees) it keeps the same 'look' to the flash images

Bonus of course being that as it's away from the camera you can use softboxes or even brollies too

DD
Click to expand...

I use a similar Manfrotto bracket http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-manfrotto-mn233b-camera-flash-bracket/p11017 with a 33in shoot-through brolly on top.

It's quite a handful but is in effect a small mobile studio and is great for chasing kids around. The light is always where you want it and E-TTL keeps the exposure right when the shooting distance varies :thumbs:

I also use it with two other remote guns, one for a back-light/hair-light and the other maybe on the background, all controlled by the on-camera master.
 
DiddyDave said:
How about keeping the flash 'just' off camera

I use one of these http://www.1stcameras.com/pd_lastolite_camera_bracket__2408.cfm (the A2409 actually, with a small foot adaptor to fit my SC-29)

So I retain iTTL and yet (because it's telescopic) I can get the flash a couple of feet off camera and (as it retains the same flash to camera orientation when swivelled to 90 degrees) it keeps the same 'look' to the flash images

Bonus of course being that as it's away from the camera you can use softboxes or even brollies too

DD
Click to expand...

That does look great, however I would not buy it for the pure fact I would want the camera grip on the right hand side where it 'should' be when shooting verticly... just a personal thing. Does look like a good buy though.
 
You don't actually need any extra kit - bouncing the flash can create all sorts of great effects - I have examples...as will many others. It's about how you use what you have.
 
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