Flash modifier for a hotshoe mounted flash?

<p>I'm looking for a light modifier for my hot shoe mounted flash. I'm thinking a bounce card arrangement of some sort would be good. I am shooting some family portraits in a an indoor botanical garden, and I won't have anywhere to bounce my flash. I'd love to get my flash off the camera, but I have a very limited budget. I think this would be the best solution. I have a Canon 5D and a 420 ex flash. Any recommendations?</p>

<p>Just to get a little separation between camera and flash, I always liked the lumaquest 9 inch bouncer. I've been using those for some 20-30 years. It will at least give you a little texture on faces and kill red eye.</p>

<p>The 420EX does point straight up, doesn't it?</p>

<p>Yes, it does stand straight up. I swivels too. Thanks, I'll look into that!</p>

<p>Or the Gary Fong type deal.</p>

<p>I use both the Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer, and a OmniBounce I use them both and they work very well. The OmniBounce is less cumberson when on and also eaiser to in stall. The Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer requires velcro to attach to the flash and provides more light. I dial in a .05+ to 1.0+ exposure compensation. it gives very good diffused even light coverage, wrap around light with a soft shadow.</p>

<p>Thank you all for your advice!</p>

<p>You might check out the Gary Fong Whale Tail. I have the Reporter version and it works pretty well..</p>

<p> </p>

<p>What is the goal? Why do you want a diffuser? If there is nothing to bounce the flash off of, the best you can hope for is a reduction of specular highlights and a slight softening of the edge shadow. Shoe mount flash diffusers in principle work by bouncing the key light off another surface such as a wall or ceiling and then redirecting some light forward. Now here's the catch: the larger of the light source relative to your subject determines how soft the light is. Your light source must be larger than your subject to create soft lighting. No way around this. And if you can't bounce your flash, there isn't an attachment that will make the flash larger than your subject. So this means the best you can hope for is to soften the edge shadow and/or reduce specular highlights. To illustrate, I found this review of the LumiQuest:</p>

<p>http://photo-tips-online.com/review/lumiquest-softbox-iii-flash-diffuser/</p>

<p>Scroll down and look at the two samples. There is still a very hard shadow because you have a SMALL light source. However, the shadow <em>edge</em> is a bit feathered. Now armed with that knowledge, IMHO, you have two choices for a flash diffuser: the classic Sto-fen dome style or a Demb Flip-It. If you are looking for something to attach and forget, the Sto-fen is it. Otherwise, the Flip-it offers more versatility, but you need to think about how to use it. We use both, and if I where shooting outside with no place to bounce, I would be using a Sto-fen type dome knowing that I am just using the flash as fill, not key, and that by using the dome I reduce specular highlights (forehead glare) and fill in existing shadows without adding any hard shadow via the flash.</p>

I have been using this lately and it beats all the other hot-shoe flash modifiers I have used so far.

 

http://www.adorama.com/Reviews/pwr/product-reviews/Flash-Lighting/The-Shell/p/FASFA-The-Shell-Bounce-Flash-Attachment-for-small-swivel-head-flashes.html

<p>I've a couple the<a href="http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/"> these</a> ...and they work well. Softens the light and you can control (somewhat) how much light goes forward by the szie of the card you use.</p>

<p>Get some white cardboard about 3-4 feet square , have someone hold it and bounce off it at about 45 degrees. Flash can be on camera for that. Turn that 6 square inch light into 1296. That's softer than that on flash card stuff and isnt flat on axis. Get it off camera with an inexpensive cord. Shoot it through a white sheet or translucent reflector. It will give you soft, wrapping, form revealing light, not that flat on camera stuff. Or for harder light shoot it with a stoffen or piece of wax paper taped over it without the diffuser in between flash subject. But get it off the camera - subject axis. </p>

<p>Thank you all for your excellent responses! You really got me thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish here. This will only be fill flash, but still, I want to avoid harsh shadows. I realize there is no ideal solution for on camera flash. You gave me some things to think about, and that I what I was looking for.</p>

<p> I find the Demb Flip-It, to be the best of the light modifying devices. Designed and built to last, very portable.<br>

<a href="http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/">http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/</a> </p>

<p>Russ</p>

<p>You will generally only get harsh shadows if you stand the models close to a wall or something directly behind them. Get them as far away from anything behind them as possible. I use the white styrofome used in packaging meats. Cut it to be about 2-3 inches wide and about 4 inches long. Use a rubber band to attach it to the back of the flash and point flas at about a 30-45 degree angle. Increase exposure comp by about a stop or so since you will loose some light this way. Will reduce red-eye and soften the flash cheaply.</p>