zoom lens + flash + gary fong difuser or still better prime lense+flash+difuser?

Scott,

 

I value your comments and answers, here is my decision.

 

<So, whaddya think?>

 

As promised, and most people on this site who know me and have worked with me, know my word is good. I have a AA rating with the Better Business Bureau, and 100 percent satisfaction as a seller on Ebay, confirming honest practice.

 

I therefore WILL support Fongs products, and will NOT EVER buy, recommend, or post to others anything related to DEAL EXTREME.

 

So if the moderator, I think it is Mary Ball, wishes to edit out or completely remove my posts related to Deal Extreme please do so. Thanks

Steve C is right. I know I stated what I did about the Lightsphere. But in my search for a good deffuser, I did alot of

research on the "Knock offs" stated and opted for the Fong because it was made here in America. Believe it or not, if

there is an American alternative to my needs, I always by it. Just for that reason.

 

By trade I am an engineer for a European Automotive Manufacturer here in Alabama, and see everyday how hard it is

for US suppliers to maintain business due to Mexico/China/Taiwan etc. Its killed several US companies here when

they(suppliers) moved their company to Mexico/China in favor of that all mighty dollar. Steve C is sooo very right

about the injection molding, tooling costs and quality control.

 

Hell, China cant even give us

those Cadbury Eggs without quality trouble. Did you see the news today. They're recalling them made and sent from

China. Contamination! Its always something with that junk they pedal over there. I could go on for hours about

it, but this is about photography, so I digress

 

 

Fact is, the Gary Fong worked very nice as I stated above. And it was worth the $50 because of it. Just had to give

Steve's comment a bump.

Bob and David, I appreciate your great comments, and that you folks are with me on supporting American businesses. We've just heard too much bad news lately about the foreign junk coming here from the Orient, and it seems their quality control has not kept up with their ability to make inexpensive merchandise. Now, a lot of the stuff I've gotten from overseas has been great, but when there's an American alternative, we as Americans really have to support it. I guess I'll never look at a Cadbury chocolate the same way again!

 

And Bob, it's not just Deal Extreme that's selling those Fong knockoffs, there are a number of other distributors who have that stuff in the pipelines too. I'm sure a lot of what Deal Extreme sells is alright, but I really had to take exception to the Fong and Stofen knockoffs.

 

I was watching a documentary series called America's Ports, which centers around the Port of Los Angeles and how these container ships are bringing goods in from overseas on a constant basis. One of the operators who moves the containers around with a crane said that America's biggest export is AIR. Because the containers come here full, and leave empty. We've got to change that somehow. It's killing our economy (bad bank loans notwithstanding).

 

Bob, I know you're a standup guy, you don't have to worry about that. We've always had good exchanges on this forum, and I respect your thoughts and expertise. Thanks again!

Steve thank you for the kind words. Today the stock market fell about 600 points. I guess we all need to rethink our values about supporting America and I thank you Scott for opening my closed eyes.

You got it Bob, Steve.

 

I also think its our illegal aliens(from mexico mostly) who come here, take a job, dont pay taxes, then send all of

their money back home. Instead of putting it back into circulation here in the US. Thats a huge problem along with

bad loans and not supporting our American businesses. I'm glad the 700 Billion dollar bail out fell flat. If these

companies are that bad off(huge bail out), they've been doing bad business for a long time and its not the

governments place to fix that. Let'm fall. I dont see them bailing me out. I cant help but wonder how much of that 700

billion was gonna end up in some elected officials pockets :-) Hence the big push.

 

Boy, you start talkin American economy and the thread gets hijacked quick. LOL :-) Sorry

I'm right with you David!

Two comments:

 

1) The WSJ reported that some trader in these financial instruments made 3.4 BILLION in ONE year. This guy is probably one of the ones crying that the sky is falling hoping to re-sell these bad investments to the treasury and bill YOU.

 

2) The Gary Fong LightSphere worked well for me between 1 and 10 meters. Outside that range I had to go to other options. His videos showed him working within this range as I remember. If you shoot weddings by yourself, as I do, and you need soft light, you need natural light most of the time. I am migrating to control by the Canon 580 EX (decidedly NOT the II version without the mechanical switch) and Quantums with the Norman 19" soft box.

 

Stu

Stu, you're right on both counts. I found the same thing with my Lightsphere too.

Actually, re: the Lightsphere, if you look on Gary's LS website, you'll see a sample photo from Anne Ruthman Photography of a large wedding party group in a church, without, and then with the Lightsphere. Now, I don't know how Anne did this shot, but have often wanted to ask. The difference is dramatic, and much farther away than 10 feet. My bet is that she was using a very bright flash unit with the Chromedome on the Lightsphere, but that's just my guess. Perhaps I might research this and post some details here.

Steve, Anne's a member of the forum and is generally happy to help members with questions....suggest you shoot her an email with your question on the shot.

Steve C.--its all right here.

 

http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00HYH3

 

It worked because of high ISO, wide aperture, but mostly because the whole church is white. I've photographed large, white spaces with the Lightsphere--no problem. If you read the text, there is no Chromedome and only the regular 580EX.

I should add--you get this kind of good result in ideal situations, like all white places. In some other less than ideal situations, you won't get this result. So as not to mislead people considering the LS, hoping it is a miracle diffuser.

Thanks for the info, Nadine! That did clear it up for me. I've been out of town all day or I would have dug the info up myself, but you saved me the trouble. Much appreciated!

Here's a Fong knock off that I'll be buying:

 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4834

 

$12 versus $100! no brainer for me. If Gary wants to charge $100 for a plastic bowl, he won't get my business.

Rick, you apparently haven't read the exchanges above in this thread (or perhaps don't care). If you had, you'd realize the problem with this.

 

My friend Bob Bernardo had listed the same link you did, then when I pointed out the problems with it, he realized the issue these foreign knockoffs create for our economy. He's since recanted his recommendation, and I respect that. I'd suggest you scroll back up and read more carefully.

 

The Lightsphere is much more than a simple "plastic bowl". A great deal of design and engineering goes into a product like that, to produce an injection molded product in various sizes, with quality materials, made in America. Too many people have an over-simplified view of things, and don't realize what the modern American inventor goes through to create and produce an American-made product and bring it to market successfully.

 

If you would rather support cheap foreign knockoffs than a true American inventor and businessperson, that's your prerogative. I don't think it's a very American attitude, though.

I'm sorry Steve, but the fact is that the Lightsphere is incredibly overpriced. American flag waving is fine and all, but in today's Bush ruined economy, I have to buy the product that I can afford.

and steve, look around your house and tell me you don't own foreign made products.

The issue isn't foreign made products. We all shoot with Japanese cameras. We print with Japanese printers. I drive a Japanese car. It's about Asian companies that directly rip off an American product. In fact, these guys have ripped off three of Gary's uniquely designed inventions, the Lightsphere, the Whaletale, and the Puffer. What if it was you in Gary's position? What if you came up with these products, and did your best to support our American economy by making the product here as Gary has? You'd go after these jerks too. If you want to complain about our economy, you can directly attribute it to those who oversee the huge government run programs like Fannie and Freddie (I'll give you three guesses what party they are) and because we are too quick to buy cheap foreign goods when we have American workers here who make the real deal, and a superior product. If you saw all the millions of 40 ft. containers that traverse the Pacific year after year, and saw how many go back over there empty, you'd have a real idea of why buying American is so important.

 

And, if you're shooting weddings, don't cry poor to me. I'd wager you've got plenty of pricey gear in your kit, and have plenty of money to spend on peripherals.

Flash in the hands of an amateur (who doesn't have lighting skills) can look "ugly". You might want to spend some time understanding and developing skill in using flash instead of looking for the 'quick and dirty' Fong approach. Learning how to light appropriately will open a broad range of lenses that you can use.

 

Admittedly, I favor the Old School approach of actually learning the craft instead of taking the path of instant photography gratification provided by 'whiz bang' gizmoes like the Fong sphere.

Chris, you're right that folks really need to learn to use a flash properly in various wedding conditions, and there's a lot of technique to be understood. However, I think most folks agree that direct flash is usually pretty unnatractive indoors, and needs to be adjusted and modified (whether you bounce from surrounding surfaces, bounce off cards, or diffuse the light with a Sto-Fen Dome, Fong, etc. There's nothing really "dirty" about these devices, but I'll take "quick" any day in getting the job done in the rigors of shooting a wedding. It's enough work as it is, and devices like these have been great problem solvers (and I've used them all). As I've said before, use the techniques and products you like that work for your needs. And, there's no one product that really does everything well, but that's true with everything in life.

A concern with the Fong type of diffusers - and he is on generation 3 of his product, is that they add unnecessary weight to the top of the strobe and torque the foot where it mounts onto the camera's hot shoe. I have already had to have one camera repaired and after that switched to the less expensive, more compactly stowed, and much more versatile LumiQuest modifiers.

 

Even cutting off the top of a Stofen or the Canon diffuser also helps through more light up to a wall or ceiling and this can greatly reduce recycle times. Diffusing the light going to the ceiling accomplishes nothing.

 

Outdoors the trick is to have the flash EV adjusted so it is not providing more light than the ambient light - even with back lit subjects. Indoors if you bounce the light off of walls and ceilings you will get a more natural look that augments the available light.

 

The ability to produce images with flash that look natural requires both skill on the part of the photographer and a good camera and flash system. Some cameras and flash units are much more consistent from shot to shot and for me this was a key determinant in my decision to sell my Canon Mark III's and replace them with D3 cameras for my wedding photography. The differences in difficult situations was substantial.

 

Above all else practice in hotels with friends and family. Do not experiment on your clients.

Bruce, I agree with most of what you're saying here. For me, the stresses haven't been so much in using the Fong, or the weight, but in squishing it onto the flash unit firmly. I haven't broken or overstressed anything though so far. Luckily.

 

I do find that the Fong with the white dome works well when shooting around black ceilings or when you're outside at night. Bouncing off the white dome (or even the Chromedome with the center hole blocked off) gives a nice illumination when you have no ceiling to bounce off of.