Opinions wanted

ADMIT Photography

What are everyone's thoughts on the softbox's that go on your flash like this one as opposed to the plastic difuser that comes with the SB800 and 900 flash? I can't decided if it's worth the purchase for weddings and portraits. I've also heard about the Gary Fong items. What do you all use/suggest?

Art Scott

FarnsworthPhotography wrote:

What are everyone's thoughts on the softbox's that go on your flash like this one as opposed to the plastic difuser that comes with the SB800 and 900 flash? I can't decided if it's worth the purchase for weddings and portraits. I've also heard about the Gary Fong items. What do you all use/suggest?

i have not used that one but I do use this one from LUMIQUEST.....and I really like it becuase it has a notch for the focus assist light or in the case of some of my older flash units...it allows the thyristor to baboe to read the scene and adjust for exposure........it also folds flat for easier storage.....i can attach it to a very small flash or to a very large Sunpak 622 handle mount flash.....as with stofen's, Gary Fongs and other made to fit specific flash units, it will fit on 99.999% of all handle mount or hotshoe mount flash units using velcro tabs or a rubberized velcro strip that just wraps around the flash head.

ziggy53

FarnsworthPhotography wrote:

What are everyone's thoughts on the softbox's that go on your flash like this one as opposed to the plastic difuser that comes with the SB800 and 900 flash? I can't decided if it's worth the purchase for weddings and portraits. I've also heard about the Gary Fong items. What do you all use/suggest?

Anything that diffuses the light as well as presenting a larger emitting surface is almost always a benefit. Anything that lifts the flash away from the lens axis is also a benefit.

I prefer to use either a flash bounce card or a "scoop" modifier.

The bounce card works well by using a ceiling or wall to spread and diffuse the flash and then the bounce card works to fill in some additional light, reducing shadows and adding a catch light for the eyes.

The scoop modifier works well when there is either a dark ceiling or very high ceiling so that the bounce flash and card is ineffective. The scoop provides both lift and diffusion and even works fairly well outside.

Both are easy DIY projects and very inexpensive.

http://www.fototime.com/inv/908195739C4C0D3

http://abetterbouncecard.com/

Joe Demb also makes an interesting device for sale (reasonable):

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/

I own a FlipIt product and it works well and is very well made.

dangin

i'm old school and prefer the pull-out bounce card (caveat: when shooting on w/ a bracket). can't beat the price!

on the other hand, if i'm shooting w/o a bracket, then i use the whale tail. there's an optional mirrored flap you can use to kick some light forward. my biggest grip is with how most of the diffusers out there is the amount of light just wasted (i.e. lightsphere) that just throws light in all directions for no good reason.

Art Scott

dangin wrote:

my biggest gripe is with how most of the diffusers out there is the amount of light just wasted (i.e. lightsphere) that just throws light in all directions for no good reason.

That is why I have always used the Lumiquest Softbox.....light goes forward.....it is directional......but soft.