I bought a Stofen diffuser and didn't realize the SB800 came with a diffuser similar to the Stofen. Any major differences? The SB800 is smaller than I thought!
Try this. Get a bottle of rubbing alcohol with frosted plastic bottle.
Empty contents, cut open near and across the top where the cap is, dry and cut 4 half inch slits at the upper corners.
With the flash head vertical, slip it over the SB 800 and slide a heavy duty rubberband to secure.
Fan out a 5 x 8 inch piece of aluminum foil and place the bottom on the back of the unit in the rubber band. This will reflect unused light forward.
fourfa wrote:
Lou didn't read the post. why would he want yet a third one?
Bill - no difference. return the Stofen?
If I didn't read the post, I wouldn't respond. By simply taking two photos with each diffuser, one can compare the results and see how similar the SB800 and Stofen may be. I don't own a Stofen, but I do know that the SB800 diffuser is able to communicate to the SB800 that it is in place via a switch on the unit located just under the flash head. That adjusts the "Flash Focus" to be as wide as possible.
My purpose for posting was to offer an inexpensive way to observe an alternative diffusion effect. As the bottle is much larger than the SB800 if creates a larger light surface when shooting close.
Here is an example of my contraption. Note the size of the catch-light in the eyes. While it ain't no "Softbox", it is larger than the almost point source effect of smaller units.
I wouldn't recommend returning anything unless one tests it out, especially if I don't own the exact two items. You never know what advantage or unique application two similar items may offer. In this particular case, if the Stofen is similar in size to the SB800, there is probably no advantage. If it doesn't hit the wide angle switch on the SB800, then it may even be a disadvantage.
