Diffusers and studios

[sagephotoworld.com]

I'm putting together a portable studio. I've probably gone a bit overboard with

kit like I normally do.

 

Since then I discovered this (http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/

DIY Reflector-Diffuser). Has anybody tried them and are they any good?

 

I figure if they're good and will replace my plan of using brolleys then I can

sell my brolleys at the same time that I sell my Dynophos tungsten lights (which

I bought before I realised most US domestic power supplies can't handle more

than 100W).

[picturesque]

No way does that diffuser replace an umbrella. It is meant for on-camera flash use. I haven't made one of those for myself, but I am sure it is very similar to using a Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer, which I have used. Most on camera flash diffusers rely on bouncing light off a larger surface, such as a ceiling or wall, or itself, as in this case. That example with the room is misleading. Residual light bouncing off walls and the ceiling is what makes the diffuser image look evenly lit. The sample with direct flash looks bad because the flash does not cover the focal length very well. If you took a picture outside in the dark using that diffuser, you will not see so dramatic a difference.

[sagephotoworld.com]

Hmm... The DIY version reportedly costs about $5. The B&H Lumiquest is $20. Seems hardly worth the hassle of doing the DIY to make it at that kind of price difference.

[jonny_mac]

Rhys,

 

I made that diffuser and it works great. I basically have the exact setup that Chuck Gardner has, with the stroboframe bracket. Get the new off-shoe cord if you do that (OC-3 or something not the OC-2). I wouldn't use that diffuser for an off camera flash.

 

As far as the price difference, I guess it depends on your value of doing something yourself. I personally liked the project and the foam version looks quite nice. You can adjust the angle of the diffusion with the velcro as well. Even nicer is it folds FLAT! It may well be superior to the premade one as well...

[picturesque]

IF you are going to use such a device, the home-made would be preferable just because you can make it with the features you want, and any size you want. Softness of light depends on the size of the source of the illumination to the the size of the subject--bigger is better. Plus, making one yourself will show you exactly how it can work for you (or not) at little cost. I still don't think it is the best for a portable studio unless you are looking to use it as a fill light for the on camera flash only--not as an umbrella replacement.

[sagephotoworld.com]

I think I'll try it. Essentially the difference between a small white reflector such as this and an umbrella is distance. The light will spread. Predicting the spread is the interesting issue.

 

My plan is 2 Canon speedlights on stands. I do have brolleys but anything that will simplify and lighten the gear I have to carry is good. This is why the strobist approach interests me so much.

[picturesque]

I believe strobist uses compact folding umbrellas. I have two of those as well as the compact stands he uses. You can't make the homemade ones like this as big as those--they would flop over, I think. I can put two stands, 2 umbrellas, and the flashes, with slave receivers in a 20" duffel bag.

[jonny_mac]

Rhys why do you want the two lights on stands? Why not use an on-camera flash with the

diffuser and then an off camera flash with an umbrella? This is what I use and Chuck Gardner

talks in his tutorial about what you are proposing vs. his approach. Just curious as to why

you want both flash units off camera.

[William Michael]

For quick and easy solution on loaction: hard white cardboard and an elastic band mounted on the 580EX works fine for me.

 

For the (portable) studio: 3 flash heads, 3 umbrellas, a snoot, 1 set of doors and 3 modelling lights.

 

The outfit in the question above, whilst might be fun to make; is an `in between solution` IMO.

 

It has less appeal than my white card, which costs less than 10cents and 3 seconds to make, as a `quick and easy`

 

And it has less capacity and features than a reasonably in expensive three head, light weight studio flash lighting kit, which surely can picked up in the USA, for far less than what I would pay.

 

WW

[zigzag]

I have two of those diffusers made. They perform quite well but I also have two umbrellas with my 580exs and mix and match. One thing I do sometimes do is mount the diffuser backwards so it reflects back into the umbrella. I will replace the larger umbrellas I have with the Westcott foldable 43" ones and the LP604 stands (from www.mpex.com). These Chuck Gardner diffusers fold flat which is why I like them for travelling in preference to the Gary Fong Lightspheres - compact is good and compact gets the job done. You have to make sure with the Chuck Gardner diffusers that you put the stiffener in to give it some backbone - also machines stitching wasn't an option, by hand was good. I got enough materials to make 4 (made 2 so far) but making if them too much bigger you would need more stiffener to help them keep their shape.

 

I also have a beauty dish made out of a turkey basting tray :-) Now that is a bit floppy but provided a bit of interest around the house.

 

I can supply a photo of my setup if you wish - eBay wireless, CGardner diffusers, umbrellas - and one day PWs to replace the ebays (or radiopoppers if they prove to be functional/reliable).

[zigzag]

<i>"why do you want the two lights on stands? Why not use an on-camera flash with the diffuser and then an off camera flash with an umbrella? This is what I use and Chuck Gardner talks in his tutorial about what you are proposing vs. his approach. Just curious as to why you want both flash units off camera."</i>

<br><br>

I sometimes have an eBay master wireless on camera and then the two diffused lights free to roam on wireless. I also sometimes use the diffuser on camera as Chuck says. The advantage of having the second light off camera is flexibility - if you want you can duplicate the CG recommended setup - or you can move the second light higher, to the side or anywhere else. Straight on fill lightens all camera visible shadows which is not always what you want. You may wish to go higher or maybe mix hard and soft directional light coming from the same direction. Another advantage occurs when you are using ambient (sunlight) to act as either fill or key light - your second light then can act as a third light.

<br><br>

As discussed recently on here it is also possible to get the off camera 580ex to trigger the second 430ex/580ex in manual mode, even though the first one is triggered by the eBay wireless.

<br><br>

I don't have a studio setup at home or as a mobile option so this 2 light setup gives me much flexibility to try things. (I would not claim to know what I am doing fully.)

<br><br>

I am just working my way through the strobist assignments and lighting themes on photo.net so not having fill fixed to the camera (even on a bracket) is an advantage.

[William Michael]

>>> And it has less capacity and features than a reasonably in expensive three head, light weight studio flash lighting kit, which surely can picked up in the USA, for far less than what I would pay. <<< WW

 

Should read:

 

And it has less capacity and features than a reasonably INEXPENSIVE three head, light weight studio flash lighting kit, which surely can picked up in the USA, for far less than what I would pay.

 

 

WW

 

PS. BTW I am not knocking the setup, or its uses, just stating it is an `in between solution`, and as such I would not take the trouble to make it.

 

This fact bears on the question, in so far as the OP mentions he has already bought studio lamps and umbrellas in the past.

 

WW

[sagephotoworld.com]

My aim is to run a lightweight portable studio. For those occasions when I need a real studio, there's one I can hire for $25 per hour which is about 30 miles away from me. Round trip there and back comes to about $9 since I get 19mpg.

 

My portable studio is something that I want to be able to set up quickly and dismantle quickly. Thus I kinda sorta followed the Strobist route. Having said that I realise I could have kinda-sorta followed it a bit cheaper but I have my gear now and won't make major changes. Here's what I have:

 

Impact background stand (the B&H $100 stand which opens to around 12 feet wide and 9 feet high).

Amvona 6x9 and 5x7 backgrounds - one chroma key blue and one white with dappled blue patches.

2 x 10' light stands with flash/brolly holder attachments.

2 x 6' light stands with flash/brolley holder attachments.

One very large duffle bag to carry the longer stuff.

One plastic trunk to carry the smaller stuff.

4 x black/white 42" umbrellas

 

I also have the following stuff that I might just sell on ebay:

 

4 x white 42" umbrellas (Not shoot through - bought these by mistake).

4 x bulb holders (not sure of which screw mount - no name, plastic type from ebay) with a swivel.

2 x Dynophos light heads with 8 bulbs - 4x 1000w and 4x500w.

 

Ebay radio slaves (4) and ebay radio trigger. I believe that a guy from the local camera club wants to buy these - which saves me a ton of hassle. They're not good for my intended purposes.

 

I do intend to get a set of pocket wizards.

 

My existing flash gear consists of 1x420ex, 1x430ex, 2x580ex2, 1xste2.

 

In retrospect it might have been better to abandon ettl and go for thyristor control with something like a bunch of Sunpak 383s with their battery packs instead of spending a ton of wonga on ettl.

[picturesque]

Glen--IMHO, the Lightsphere and the Gardner diffuser do different things. I carry the Lightsphere on my camera bag by attaching a springy, coiled keyfob thingy inside and around one side of the LS through my shoulder strap. It just hangs off the strap. I shoot weddings every weekend this way. When I want the LS, it is right there.

 

Rhys--I also have a strobist type studio I use when I want to travel light. As stated above, 2 compact stands, 2 Sunpak 120Js and 2 compact folding umbrellas all fit in a 20" duffel bag. I also have some pop-up backgrounds and a background stand with muslins if I want them. However, I don't carry a long bag besides the background stand bag, which I don't bring all the time. I also frequently use my on-camera flash as fill with various on-camera diffusers or just plain bounce off the ceiling or a wall. However, I don't use these diffusers in place of an umbrella, when needed. The background stand is a very short one, and I use a Vivitar 285 for the background light, with a Pocket Bouncer loosely attached to throw the light onto the background. I don't bring a hair light--too difficult to control and aim properly in the field, although I do have several clamps that can be used if there is something handy to clamp to.

 

I use GT301B cheap ebay triggers. They have worked great for me for at least 3 years. I haven't had too many problems with them. I now have 3 triggers and 5 receivers.

 

Getting back to the original question, IMHO, the Gardner diffuser is nice, but I agree with William W.--you can get very similar results with a large white card.

[zigzag]

Thanks Nadine, a tip worth remembering. I have done a bit of testing lighting a (whole) room with the various options (nothing (24mm), nothing with 14mm flop down,CG Diffuser, shoot through, reflective white, silvered) and am doing a bit more - tried manual flash.

[William Michael]

>>> by attaching a springy, coiled keyfob thingy <<< (NO)

 

Yellow or Red?

 

WW

[sagephotoworld.com]

When I get finished with this wretched virus I have at the moment, I'm going to play with my flash setup to see what works best.

[picturesque]

William W.--teal blue, actually. If the store had purple or hot pink, I would have gotten either one instead.

[frolickingbits]

That diffuser is for a pop up flash-seems like a cool concept. I rather like my brolly box-it sets up faster than a softbox, and packs a bit smaller. I also have several umbrellas of various sizes that I carry with my compact travel kit, which includes a Sunpak 555, Quantum Qflash, and a couple 430EX flashes, with stands and wireless triggers. The nice thing about a brolly box is that you can mount it on an umbrella bracket, stick a shoe mount flash in it, and have a simple softbox-like setup that produces very nice results for way less money and hassle than buying and carrying a softbox around.

[sagephotoworld.com]

Hmm... I just encountered the Westcott 2200 Micro Apollo flash diffuser in another conversation and wondered how these things stack up against brolleys etc?

[picturesque]

Micro Apollo does not stack up against an umbrella at all just because it is still way smaller.