Tested 16 flash diffusers. What's good for wide angle?
/forum/topic/817562/0

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photogreen
Registered: Jan 19, 2008
Total Posts: 138
Country: United States

I just published the results of a frame coverage test I've been working on for a while:

Best diffuser for wide shots

The test includes:
Demb Flash Diffuser
Demb Big Flipit!
Demb Mega Flip-it!
SpectraLight
PRESSlite Vertex
Honl Bounce Card
Honld Reflector
Hanson Skin Glow!
DiffuseiT
LumiQuest Softbox
LumiQuest Softbox III
LumiQuest Big Bounce
LumiQuest Quik Bounce
LumiQuest ProMax System
F16 P45A-001
Gary Fong whaleTail Studio

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shatterkiss
Registered: Sep 30, 2004
Total Posts: 3894
Country: United States

It might be useful if, for each configuration, you took meter readings at three locations: direct center, then maybe your -50 and -18 points. While the images are helpful to demonstrate the falloff pattern, raw numbers would really illustrate the impact it has on lighting a scene.

I'd also love to see a test like this measuring the falloff over distance, rather than laterally, at a consistent power setting. I'm sure that a lot of photographers using hotshoe flash diffusers are concerned with the depth from the source that they can reasonably illuminate and how much output power it'll take to get the results they need.


rkgatteleport
Registered: Dec 13, 2003
Total Posts: 672
Country: United States

+1 on metering at a couple of spots. There was a youtube video of somebody doing
this with that new parabolic reflector from Paul Buff - quite enlightening (no pun
intended).

It would also be interesting to see how Chuck Gardner's foam bowls do when stacked
up against these as well...

Best,

rkg
(Richard George)


400d
Registered: Dec 11, 2005
Total Posts: 1295
Country: N/A

All of your reviews are excellent, and the clear pictures are top notch!


photogreen
Registered: Jan 19, 2008
Total Posts: 138
Country: United States

400d wrote:
All of your reviews are excellent, and the clear pictures are top notch!
Thank 400d! I appreciate the feedback!

@ shatterkiss, rkgatteleport
I agree with you. I'll try to allocate some time to do the measurements.
These tests are all about the visuals.


reggie747
Registered: Oct 03, 2002
Total Posts: 1924
Country: United Kingdom

Man !!!!! You never included Chuck Gardners foam DIY option !!

Never leave home without it and ALWAYS include it in a group test !!


Jim Kenny
Registered: Jan 11, 2004
Total Posts: 403
Country: United States

Another request to see Chuck's Gardners foam DIY option included in this test !!!

You drove traffic to your site with a post on a subject that is very interesting and well done ... but this site is VERY aware of Chuck's option !


cgardner
Registered: Nov 18, 2002
Total Posts: 8546
Country: United States

FWIW - Here are a couple shots taken at 10mm on a 1.6 crop 20D with and without the foam diffuser for comparison which are on the page with the template: http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/ along with some other more examples of typical results.



This image is copyrighted by the owner





This image is copyrighted by the owner




Its also worth noting that I usually use the diffuser with two flashes in an key / fill configuration and getting even lighting into the four corners of a room or flat wall is near the bottom of my priority list. I'm more concerned with the lighting on the foreground and more often than not darken and soften the corners of my image to create contrast with the sharper, brighter stuff in the middle.

Chuck

climnof
Registered: Aug 25, 2009
Total Posts: 20
Country: Italy

Nice review. If an update is due, I would recommend you to include Strobella, a small umbrella diffuser I am very happy with.

M


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