Recommendations on Light Modifier for SB-700 on Nikon D3100

[erin_mathias]

<p>I recenlty purchased a SB-700 for my Nikon D3100. I do on location portraits using mostly natural lighting, but I wanted something to supplement when lighting is tricky. I wanted to use a modifer or bouncer to soften to flash. The personal I worked with at the camera store recommended the Gary Fong collapsible lightsphere. Thoughts? Recommendations? Etc?</p>

[bobcossar]

<p>The small light modifiers like the Gary Fong stuff does virtually nothing except eat light, and eat your money... The key to softening the light has to do with the physical <strong>size </strong>of the reflector/modifier....... bigger means softer, and smaller is harder light...<br>

Best bet on a budget is to have a flash which can be swivelled towards a large reflector held by an assistant or friend...it is a bit fussy to use, but is also very versatile in it's scope....Robert</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>Robert is correct and there is not much you can do with those speedlight modifiers. I would get some difussion paper and put it between your flash and subject somehow. Also even though the speed light is small if you can take it off the camera via pocket wizzard and have it closer to the subject it will appear softer as the rule of the closer the light the softer.</p>

[studio460]

<p>I don't know why the Gary Fong modifiers are so popular either--they don't increase the source size very much, and they ultimately rely on having a low, white ceiling to work effectively. Although I don't use it anymore, the Lumiquest Big Bounce ($34.95) was the largest on-camera flash modifier I could find, so that's what I bought. I used it as bounce only--I didn't use the diffuser panel that it now comes with, since mine didn't come with one (or, it did, and I lost it).</p>

<p>PocketWizards are great (I own four myself) but she would need both a TT1 and a TT5--that's $430 for triggering only one flash. An Ebay-purchased, 10-foot, third-party, Nikon TTL cable, or cheap, Ebay-sourced RF trigger (Cactus, Yongnuo, etc.) would be a much more affordable option. If shooting indoors only, Nikon's SU-800 IR commander works great with the SB-700 for off-camera, i-TTL controlled flash. Outdoors, the SU-800 is very unreliable due to high-ambient sunlight and humidity.</p>

<p>The best Speedlight modifiers I've found are the Lastolite Ezbox softboxes (the ones designed for hot-shoe flashes). Great bracket design, lightweight, and super-quick set-up. But these are for off-camera use, and would require a light stand.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>While there are elements of truth in what Robert said about the GF Lightsphere, it does have it's uses, especially for the amateur/starting photographer and especially for crowded events in dark(ish) places - it allows a very even spread of flash light which saves a lot of new photographers from literally blasting their subjects with tons of light and ending up with "wax-like" figures and completely dark backgrounds. In that, the GF lightsphere is pretty good.</p>

<p>But for professionals? You'd need something better. The problem with the D3100 and the SB700 is that your setup is becoming increasingly top-heavy and adding another item on top would mean your camera would weigh uncomfortably way too much at the top to be used properly. So, whatever you end up choosing, take that into account...</p>

<p>Personally, I favour the EZ softbox which mounts on top of the flash and, due to it's light weight, it does not make things too uncomfortable. Problem (for you) is that I say this coming from a D3/s and a set of f/2.8 lenses, so weight WOULD be better distributed anyway...</p>

[john_deerfield]

<blockquote>

<p>...about the GF Lightsphere... it allows a very even spread of flash light which saves a lot of new photographers from literally blasting their subjects with tons of light and ending up with "wax-like" figures and completely dark backgrounds</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>How does it do that? I mean sure, if I am in a small room with a low ceiling and four white walls maybe... but in such a room, simply bouncing the flash off the ceiling with have the same effect.The GFLS doesn't control the ambient to flash ratio, the photographer does (background to "wax-like" subject. The <em>only</em> thing the GFLS would do is diffuse the light, at which point the diffusion dome that is <em>included</em> with the SB700 will do the same thing.</p>

<p>For the op, I think it is important to <em>learn</em> lighting. Simply buying a flash and/or attachments and/or reflectors/umbrellas won't deliver the results you want unless you know how to achieve the results you want. Such as: the larger the relative light source in relationship to your subject, the softer the light. Great tidbit of knowledge. Especially if you are using the SB700 as you main light source. But if you are using the SB700 as your main light source, then getting it off the camera is more important than how soft it is. <em>Direction </em>of light reveals depth, color, and texture. Another great tidbit of knowledge. And you also need to learn to control contrast. I can have an 8' softbox 90º to my subject (split lighting) that will give my soft light, but the other side of my subject has <em>no </em>light: high contrast, yet soft light. And a great deal depends on whether the SB700 <em>is</em> your primary light source. If it isn't, you may not need to modify it at all. If you are using the flash as fill, as a light source to simply raise the shadows without creating it's own shadow, then modifying the flash won't do anything (besides eat flash power). So my advice: gain knowledge. Here are some links to get you started:</p>

<p>http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html</p>

<p>http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/</p>

[henryp]

<p>Basically, there are three sorts of options. A diffusion panel like the Gary Fong - Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffuser adds a sheet of diffusion materiel but keeps the flash pointed straight at the subject.<br>

A bounce adapter, like the Sto-Fen 2-Way bounce adapters or larger Aurora Reflector are designed to do what bouncing your light off the ceiling does when there's no ceiling.<br>

A mini softbox is just what it sounds like. Small enough to be used on-camera but providing some of the advantages of a soft box.<br>

Size does matter, as others have noted. The larger your apparent light source, the softer it's likely to be, all else being equal.</p>

<p>With that in mind I'd look at the <a href="http://www.lumiquest.com/">Lumiquest</a> <a href="http://www.lumiquest.com/store/products/LumiQuest-SoftBox-III.html">Softbox III</a> or their <a href="http://www.lumiquest.com/store/products/LumiQuest-Pocket-Bouncer.html">Pocket Bouncer</a>.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

 

[studio460]

<p>Henry said:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>With that in mind I'd look at the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.lumiquest.com/" target="_blank">Lumiquest</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.lumiquest.com/store/products/LumiQuest-SoftBox-III.html" target="_blank">Softbox III</a> . . .</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, I've been wanting to buy one of those for years, but always thought they were too large for on-camera use (in that it would block the lens). Looks like I'll be getting one, since from the manufacturer's picture, it does appear to fit while still mounted on the camera's hot shoe.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>@John: you're right, of course. I was merely pointing out that, to a beginner, the "set the thing straight up and shoot to your heart's content" solution that is the GFLS is easier than constantly trying to judge where the best bounce area is or what the angle of the diffusion dome on the SB should be. With the GFLS (which, by the way, even with higher ceilings, taking the top dome off works fine) all these "problems" are simply reduced to a "bend the flash when shooting vertically" solution.</p>

<p>@ Ralph: a friend has the Lumiquest Softbox and it is simply not good enough. Go for the lastolite one - the construction is better, the materials too, it attaches easier adn provides and much more pleasing result. SLIGHTLY heavier, true, but so much more versatile. And NO, they do no obscure the lens in any way (unless you're shooting with a 10mm fisheye..;-))</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>If you want real diffusion, get the flash off the camera and bounce it into an umbrella. But I use the Sto-Fen Omnibouce and it's a huge improvement over straight flash. Not saying it's perfect, but a big improvement nonetheless.</p>

[wmervine]

<p>I recently got to try out a few different lighting modifiers with on camera flash. While getting the flash off camera is always better, there are times it isn't feasable (conventions etc.). For me the best compromise solution is the rogue flashbender for when you can't use bounce. Cheap, fairly robust and the fact that it is flat helps for packing your bag.<br>

The Fong came a close 2nd for me but seemed more dependant on having surfaces to bounce off, so will just use bounce in those cases. ( see Neil v Niekerk for some good tutorials on bounce flash, or check for similar posts in the weddings forums.)</p>

[bikealps]

<p>I've been using both a Rogue large Flashbender and a HONL Traveler-8. I'm very happy with them but they perform differently.</p>

<p>The Rogue Flashbender is a square reflector and gives a bit of a softbox look. It also splashes light all over the ceiling. For indoor photos, it makes a very nice soft look, lighting the subject and also the background.</p>

<p>The HONL-8 is a round 8" softbox that attaches to your speedlight. It also has a softish look, but 8" is pretty small. It does not splash light all over the room, so you get darker backgrounds. Because 8" is a small diameter, you get some pore detail. 20 years ago people referred to this as "skin pop." It reminds me more of the hot light photos we took with 6" reflectors 20 years ago, not a softbox.</p>

<p>Both pack flat, which I like. They go in the notebook section of my LowePro backpack.</p>

<p>The disadvantage is that both are unwieldly. The Flashbender flaps around and the HONL-8 is awrkward to setup and is kind of big.</p>

<p>I just bought a Gary Fong Lightsphere and have only just started to use it. So far it seems to have a nice light quality, but I don't have enough experience yet to judge. It is nice and compact on top of the camera but it doesn't pack conveniently in my bag.</p>

<p>It seems like it should be less directional than a Rogue Flashbender and more than a Stofen. From the physics of it, it doesn't seem like it should be that great of a light modifier. Sure, it is bigger than a Stofen, but not by much, and it still splashes light in every conceivable direction.</p>

<p>I bought it because I saw some wedding photos that were done with it and I admired the quality of the light. I heard that wedding photographers use it because it is dependable (no fuss, no muss, may not be the best but pretty much works in every situation) and easily fits on top of the camera. It seems to be very well accepted by wedding photographers. I expect to get a lot of experience with it in the next month.</p>