Gary Fong Lightsphere

RustingInPeace

OK. I am looking for a nice flash diffuser. I have been thinking of a Gary Fong lightsphere, but then saw the whale tail. I would like to hear from somebody that owns one. I want to know if it's worth the $$

DavidTO

Probably not, but I like mine.

mr peas

You can go with the Gary Fong look-alikes:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=lambency&category0=

All @ half the price.

I would suggest you also check out Joe Demb's diffuser: http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/

Its the main diffuser I use when I shoot events (that and maybe a Lumiquest soft box for off-camera flash). Its also fully adjustable, the best bang for the buck. Definitely check it out.

You can also experiment with diffusers by making your own, try a little rubbing alcohol bottle, cut out a hole so you can insert the flash in and fire away.

Lots of things you can do and try, just go experiment!

Richard

DavidTO wrote:

Probably not, but I like mine.

It works well, but the price is abusive.

RustingInPeace

mr peas wrote:

You can go with the Gary Fong look-alikes:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=lambency&category0=

All @ half the price.

I would suggest you also check out Joe Demb's diffuser: http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/

Its the main diffuser I use when I shoot events (that and maybe a Lumiquest soft box for off-camera flash). Its also fully adjustable, the best bang for the buck. Definitely check it out.

You can also experiment with diffusers by making your own, try a little rubbing alcohol bottle, cut out a hole so you can insert the flash in and fire away.

Lots of things you can do and try, just go experiment!

So you're happy with the flip it? It looked pretty straightforward.

Eric&Susan

I love my flipit. Versatile and a whole lot cheaper than the GF LS. I sold my GF LS one I go the flipit.

Eric

Zanotti

I have a GF diffuser. It works exceptionally well.

I also have a $0.99 foamie one that works just as well.



http://youtube.com/watch?v=RNCmuExlHvM


If you search here, you'll see lots of info. The foamie one is a Pathfinder special!

Z

3rdPlanetPhotography

I have 2 of the lightspheres. I must say they do a wonderful job, HOWEVER, it's like having another head. The thing is too big and heavy for the flash. I know many times I'm tilted the flash up and the weight of the fong just broght it crashing back down.

I made both of my lightspheres nice pretty shelf items. I ended up buying some very cheap snap on diffuser from ebay. I think I paid 5 bucks for it. I don't even know it's on the flash which makes my life MUCH better. The light is more harsh than the fong but I can live with that. I figure we aim to be professionals, so aim the darn flash in the right place with the diffuser and get the photo you are looking for

mr peas

Best $30ish bucks I spent on a flash accesory. Pick up that Flip-It. You will not regret it.

dogwood

The Gary Fong LS throws light in a 360-degree area-- in other words it's making your flash work twice as hard for no reason (which means longer recycling times). It's big and bulky too. And expensive.

For less than $2 US, you can go to your local craft store and pick up a couple sheets of craft/fun foam, staple them together, cut 'em in the right shape, and voila-- you have something that actually works more efficiently than GF's LS, and is much cheaper too. Oh yeah, it folds flat when not in use too.

This cheap diffusor can also be used for great results without a bracket in both portrait and landscape mode. It throws all the light forward (or you can undo the top 'dish' and bounce it off a ceiling)-- which I gather the whale tail does too but I don't get the feeling you'll find a whale tail for under two dollars.

Here is a lengthy thread on the fun foam over at dpreview for anyone who wants to save money and increase efficiency over a GS LS. I've made two of these fun foamie dealies-- total cost? Under five bucks.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1025&message=18308364&q=fun+foam&qf=m

EDIT: here's also a smugmug gallery explaining how to make and use the fun foam diffuser:

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1427850

Cason

I have the GF lightsphere and the DIY foamy diffuser. I can't really tell the difference other than the difference in $$.

I like to leave the lid open and tell everybody it's my tip jar. Maybe one day somebody will put money in it.

dogwood

RTP wrote:

I have the GF lightsphere and the DIY foamy diffuser. I can't really tell the difference other than the difference in $$.

Well, one difference should be the recycle time. The fun foam is a little more efficient than the GF LS so it doesn't make your strobe work quite as hard pumping out light. Depending on what you shoot, this may or may not matter.

gus

mr peas wrote:

You can go with the Gary Fong look-alikes:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=lambency&category0=

All @ half the price.

Just bought one...will see how it goes. Ive got a hangin' in 2 weeks time & i never ever ever do weddings but i have been asked that my wedding gift to some friends is to act as 2nd photog for a 2nd album at their wedding so thats ok i suppose. Its really then just a never ever (with one ever missing)

sirsloop

I've actually had pretty decent results with the LS. It is a little spendy for a piece of plastic but it works well. With the addition of a jacobs black box battery and quantum cord... I've pushed a single charge over 800 flashes (probably closer to 1000) in a dimly lit reception hall. No problemo w/ recycle times either. If you were stuffing AA's then yeah it would absolutely matter!

Mrs F

I love and hate my Gary Fong Lightsphere. I was the candid photographer at my niece's wedding two weeks ago and I used the Gary Fong at the beginning of the reception, but it kept falling off my 430EX flash. I was constantly chasing after it as it rolled across the floor. I eventually ditched it and used bounce flash for the rest of the evening. I think my best results were with the GF Lightsphere. Maybe I need to get myself some duct tape. I've never tried any of the fun foam diffusers, but I wish I would have before spending the $$ on the GF.

Here's a shot of the bride's parents with the GF lightsphere:


Bride dancing with her little brother using bounce flash:


Direct Flash (yuck):

Eric&Susan

For those who have trouble making their LS stay on their flash, especially the 430ex, I had this same problem.

I fixed it by taking the thicker piece of velcro, the one that is more rigid, I believe it was made by 3M. I cut two pieces the same size as the LS rectangle that fits over the flash head and stuck it to it. That way I could remove it if I wanted to and it was thick enough to hold the LS on tighter but not so tight that I couldn't still take it off easily.

Eric

RustingInPeace

Decided on the Whale Tail
Just unpacked my whale tail today. Overpriced but altogether pretty cool. The results have been better than my do it yourself job fabricated out of fun foam (from the online tutorial).

ziggy53

RustingInPeace wrote:

Just unpacked my whale tail today. Overpriced but altogether pretty cool. The results have been better than my do it yourself job fabricated out of fun foam (from the online tutorial).

Would you mind posting some comparisons?

Thanks,

dogwood

ziggy53 wrote:

Would you mind posting some comparisons?

Fun foam shots (sorry-- I won't buy the GF thingamagigs). Fun foam uses velco and stretches so it doesn't fall off a strobe and roll across the floor.










* remember the jaggies when you'd resize in beta CS3? Look at the glasses on the last shot-- beta CS3!

gus

Mrs F wrote:

I love and hate my Gary Fong Lightsphere. I was the candid photographer at my niece's wedding two weeks ago and I used the Gary Fong at the beginning of the reception, but it kept falling off my 430EX flash. I was constantly chasing after it as it rolled across the floor. I eventually ditched it and used bounce flash for the rest of the evening. I think my best results were with the GF Lightsphere. Maybe I need to get myself some duct tape. I've never tried any of the fun foam diffusers, but I wish I would have before spending the $$ on the GF.

Here's a shot of the bride's parents with the GF lightsphere:


Bride dancing with her little brother using bounce flash:


Direct Flash (yuck):

MrsF i like your shots. I have a GF replica (chinese cheapy) which seems to work well.

Im interested to know your flash setting on the 430 for most of your indoor shots.

Or advice from anyone really with the diffusers & the 430...ive got a wedding tomorrow (and no..im not their photographer) just a friend.

hgernhardtjr

FWIW ... Gary Fong recently wed and here is a link to a most outstanding video (as well as wedding shots): http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=garyfong1.

ziggy53

hgernhardtjr wrote:

FWIW ... Gary Fong recently wed and here is a link to a most outstanding video (as well as wedding shots): http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=garyfong1.

Who would marry him? I mean it's all over the Net that he's a "flasher".

Naw, seriously, I wish them all the best. People that have met him say he's a pretty nice guy.

Yes, that's a fantastic video!

Thanks,

pyrtek

ziggy53 wrote:

Who would marry him? I mean it's all over the Net that he's a "flasher".

You should be forced to eat some more broccoli for that.

Mrs F

gus wrote:

MrsF i like your shots. I have a GF replica (chinese cheapy) which seems to work well.

Im interested to know your flash setting on the 430 for most of your indoor shots.

Or advice from anyone really with the diffusers & the 430...ive got a wedding tomorrow (and no..im not their photographer) just a friend.

This is probably too late for your wedding shoot, but I was shooting with my Rebel XT and the 24-70 f/2.8L in manual mode at about 160 f/4.5 with an iso 100 in some of the best shots. I had my 430EX flash in ETTL mode with about a +2 flash exposure compensation if I remember correctly. (How do I find the exif info from my flash?) I usually fire some test shots as soon as I arrive at a venue to determine how far I'm dialing up the flash. I always have to use > +1 when I'm using the GFL. In hind sight, I wish I would have set the ISO to about 200 and decreased my flash output. I'm still learning how to use the GFL...

Justiceiro

ziggy53 wrote:

Who would marry him? I mean it's all over the Net that he's a "flasher".

Naw, seriously, I wish them all the best. People that have met him say he's a pretty nice guy.

Yes, that's a fantastic video!

Thanks,

I've heard that he's awful litigious. I would be careful about posting instructions for making your own light diffuser.

That beaing said, I bought the straight up light sphere, and it works well.

Nimai

dogwood wrote:

Whoa- what event was that!?

oh, wait - we're talking about lighting here...


I have a GFLS on a 580EX. (Aren't acronyms great?)
I have to admit, I have chased it across the floor, but I love the results. (Never tried "fun foam", but with a name like that, I should!)
If I have relatively low, light colored ceilings, I'd rather just bounce off them than bother with the flash appendage. It is a good conversation starter, though! I always get the "Tupperware" comment, but the one I liked best was an offer to pour champaign in it, so I could drink while shooting!

pyrtek

Justiceiro wrote:

I've heard that he's awful litigious. I would be careful about posting instructions for making your own light diffuser.

He hardly invented the idea of the diffuser. There's nothing to be careful
about. That's just silly.

gus

Mrs F wrote:

This is probably too late for your wedding shoot, but I was shooting with my Rebel XT and the 24-70 f/2.8L in manual mode at about 160 f/4.5 with an iso 100 in some of the best shots. I had my 430EX flash in ETTL mode with about a +2 flash exposure compensation if I remember correctly. (How do I find the exif info from my flash?) I usually fire some test shots as soon as I arrive at a venue to determine how far I'm dialing up the flash. I always have to use > +1 when I'm using the GFL. In hind sight, I wish I would have set the ISO to about 200 and decreased my flash output. I'm still learning how to use the GFL...

Tks & yes. Still good info for me.

The immitation lightsphere from eBay did a fantastic job though. Much much better than all my foam models.

Justiceiro

pyrtek wrote:

He hardly invented the idea of the diffuser. There's nothing to be careful
about. That's just silly.

Yes.

That's why I post-scripted it with the "ironic wink" smiley.

pyrtek

Justiceiro wrote:

Yes.

That's why I post-scripted it with the "ironic wink" smiley.

Oh. I don't get smileys. ;-)