jim_coba2 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Gary Fong has some new kind of flashdiffuser. It's called the Whaletail. I wanted to order a Lightsphere and now I see this on his site. See: http://store.garyfonginc.com/wt.html It's only out there for a week so I expect no hands-on experience reports, but nonetheless any opinions? If you thought the LS was ugly, wait and see this. I just want to have something to use on location indoors for portraits (most BW). Up till now I use a folded business card with a rubber band. It works ok but I could do better. This Whaletail thing is not cheap (99 USD) and you can also order accessory gels in 4 colors, but I don't need/want that, as that's way to artificial for me. Do any of you think I should go for the Whaletail, or just stick to a LS? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_parker2 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 It looks a lot like a toilet. Don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicola inglis Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Yeah, if I thought the Lightsphere was a conversation starter, wait till I turn up to a wedding with a toilet on my flash :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonsmith Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Jim - I have tried most of the flash modifiers including the Lumiquest Softbox,Omnibounce, Big bounce and the Stofen omni bounce. They all work well to some degree. I purchased a Lightphere II last year but tend not to use it any more as on the SB800 it seems rather large and unweildy. The weight of the LS II tends to make the flash head drop. And to be honest - i dont see any great improvement. I wouldnt rush into buying it - it looks a little gimmicky... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 "the most anxiously awaited development in on-camera flash photography" How utterly utterly pathetic. The general consensus as Mark says is that it is an on flash toilet, not much of a development from my point of view and I love my LSPJ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Wow, only 80 bucks! I'm sticking with business cards and rubber bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.th Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 hahhha.! <i>"It looks a lot like a toilet."</i> <br><br> <i>"a lot"</i> being the understatement then... , ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoneguy Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 He was doing demos at WPPI. His booth was packed. I think he'll sell quite a few of his toilets regardles. I wouldn't buy one, I rarely even use the lighsphhere anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_marby Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 As someone else said recently, Gary Fong is the Ron Popiel of photography. I'm sure the Whaletail slices, dices and makes perfect french fries every time. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 The phrase " Laughing all the way to the bank" comes to mind. As far as Ron Popiel is concerned, I should have his money, and he should spend every beautiful Summer Saturday sweating out a wedding : -) Enough with the "Fong Flash" devices already, they're piling up on the shelf ... every time Canon changes their flash design, another couple go to flash modifier heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d._diehl Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 I ordered a LS PJ form Gary Fong, it works just ok when shooting wide open, but other than that the built in white card on my SB800 works just as well. He coes out with a new attachment / color correction device / chrome dome thing every few months to keep people buying his stuff over and over. I regret spending the $40+ I did on the LS. For $80-100 for the Whale thing you'd have to be crazy. I'm surprised he hasn't started the late night infomercials! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdp Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Grab a plastic milk just, cut the opening, rubberbank it to your flash, it's a BIGGER diffuser and works better.. of course you'll look like the ultimate dork walking around with a 1/2 or full gallon of milk container on your flash.. oh, and it's lighter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 try a white translucent plastic cup : it'll give you the same effect without lightening your wallet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjogo Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Tried them all >>> bounce card with a hinge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_clark___minnetonka_mi Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 I use Pocket Wizards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari douma Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 When The lightsphere (#2 I think) came out, there was a lot of talk about it, so I bought one. I really liked it! Then he came out with the LSPJ, so I bought it. Then the clear and cloudy verson.... I started to get skeptical. Then the different tops for them.... Well, I fell for this one and orderd a few tops and was disapointed. Now this.... I really do like my LSPJ. (But, it wasn't really different from my Lightsphere II). I use my lightsphere all the time. But, enough is enough. Now he is looking very gimmicky and money hungry. It is one thing to develop somthing good, that a lot of people like and use with success, and even then to modify it a little.... But, come on... does it need to be modified this many times? Do we need to keep buying all is gadgets? I'm sure the new one works fine, but I doubt it will be a big improvement over the two other light spheres I already have. Gary is starting to give himself a bad name.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armando_reyes Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Some times people ask me smiling why I use a hat on my strobes when they see my Lumiquest ProMax, or make some other funny coments about it. It would be interesting hear their crazy comments on one of those new Gary Fong gadgets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicola inglis Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Wow, I thought we had tall poppy syndrome badly in NZ, you guys are harsh! It looks like it would do a great job. Is it a vast improvement over the lightsphere? Probably not but if I was buying another flash and needed another diffuser I'd probably buy it. I really like the lightsphere and this does seem like an upgrade. Not enough of an upgrade to make me ditch my LS but an upgrade nevertheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebell Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 anyone used this....? http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Waller Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 While the better bounce card (and its cousin, the business card and rubber band) are actually quite effective, have a look at this little item. http://www.dembflashproducts.com/diffuser/ I bought one, loved it and bought 2 more so that I have one for each of my 3 flashes. Yes it is sort of like the business card/rubber band or the better bouncecard, except that it is more "elegant" and easier to use and to carry. At $29.95 it is a very inexpensive accessory. By the way, I own 2 different models of Fong Lightsphere. As others have said, looks particularly stupid, a royal pain in the *ss to carry and always seems to fall off of the flash. Oh - and it doesn't work particularly well either.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_ridout1 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 you'll loose the shot play'in with the toilet and waist money to boot. Forget about it......I'd rather use 3200 iso and leave the flash at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jml Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Well I admit it, I too became a Lightsphere "collector" and have more than one version. I will not admit how many, lest I should hear clicking tongues out there ;-) I recently was amused watching Peter Gregg make his "A Better Bounce Card". I made one, (with the recommended foam sheet) did some comparison tests and like it quite well. The results of the two are almost identical, very little variance in my tests. I have looked at the Demb Flip It online, and you know I think Fong's Whale Tail has been modeled somewhat on that design which I find very interesting. I also saw Gary demo it at WPPI. I started to ask him about the apparent specular light and he anticipated my question, finished it for me, admited it in at least one configuration and then showed how to position the "tail" and it's flaps to avoid that. But again, to me it seems like a plastic Flip It with a few more "bells and whistles". I do like the way it attaches to the flash however, a much better design in that regard anyway. So, alas and alac I will continue to use my Lightsphere(s)and my bounce card as I have no other options right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_butner___portland__or Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 I'm quite satisfied with the, http://www.dembflashproducts.com/diffuser/ Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_s___hampton_roads_va Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 I can't help but wonder how Gary'll market the fuzzy seat covers for these new toilets on his site... And wonder how much he'll charge for DVD "training program sets" that turn out to be infomercials for these things, like the "Digital Intensive" set did, for Bullzeye & LS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conraderb Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 it is most useful for people who don't know how to use flash in the first place. gary fong has my respect as a marketer, but not as a photographer. most people who can figure out how to bounce will do better in all situations except for when they absolutely cannot bounce at all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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