I see a great number of flash attachments out there for on-camera units to soften the harshness of direct flash. I'm using a Nikon SB-26 on a 300s body. I'd be interested in other's experiences with these devices - pros and cons. Do they work? Are they worth it (for fill or primary flash)? Or is it just more "stuff" to clutter up my camera case! What size do you find works the best?
I like the Westcott Apollo for my off camera Canon speed lights. You are simply trying to go from a small light source (hard light) to a larger light source (soft light). By using one of these modifiers, you are increasing your light source by a factor of (depending on the size of the modifier) 4 or more thereby accomplishing the task easily. That is what happens when you bounce off a ceiling if done correctly. I use the modifier up high enough to where the bottom of the modifier is even with the chin of the subject and placed at approximately a 45 degree angle from the camera to subject. Just my preference on using the light, though.
Of course, if you are doing this outside the ceiling is too high up for bounce so the modifier sure helps.
I've used these as both the primary light source and for fill-flash. You will not get the same results you would with studio lighting or a sizeable soft box off camera, but they can be an asset and most are not budget-busters IMO.
For on-camera/in-camera flash, I had a buddy who took a ping pong ball and cut a pie piece out of it and he would just pop it on over his built in flash. Seemed to work pretty well for his investment in it.
Douglas
jbirdfl wrote:
I see a great number of flash attachments out there for on-camera units to soften the harshness of direct flash. ...Do they work? ...What size do you find works the best?
Most of them will work at least to some extent, if you understand how they work and under what conditions.
For example, the inexpensive little Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce (and the similar device that comes free with some Nikon Speedlights) works well in small rooms by casting the light from the flash in all directions, so that the subject receives bounced light from all the walls, ceiling, and other surfaces in the room, in addition to some direct light from the Speedlight itself. But in a large room -- or especially outdoors, where there are no bounce surfaces except the ground -- they don't work well. Simply putting a piece of frosted plastic in front of the Speedlight's lens won't make the light softer, because it doesn't make it bigger.
That answers the second part of the question: what size works best. The answer is, the bigger the better, within reason, when it comes to softness. (For a key light, you may not want absolute softness. Some directionality and shadow casting provides depth and reveals shape.) Size matters, because softness -- which is actually the apearance of the line between highlight and shadow -- is created by non-parallel light rays striking the subject from multiple directions.
In addition to size, distance plays a part: the closer the light is to the subject, the larger it appears in relative terms. A 28-inch softbox 36 inches from a subject's face will look larger than a 50-inch inch softbox on the other side of the room.
The problem with big modifiers, obviously, is size. You specifically asked about modifiers for on-camera flash, and no one is going to mount a 50-inch Apollo on a camera-mounted flash. So that puts us back to using bounce flash, with or without modifiers. If you have a Speedlight that can tilt and swivel, and if you're indoors, you can usually bounce the light off a nearby surface to soften the light without needing any kind of modifier. Outdoors, a bounce attachment like the LumiQuest Big Bounce that Henry mentioned can help. (I have both the Big Bounce and the Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce for my on-camera flash, in addition to larger modifiers for my off-camera flash.)
Before investing any money in gear that may or may not meet your needs, I suggest getting a copy of this book, which goes into this subject in great detail:
On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk
Thanks for the suggestions. I've not liked my results when bouncing flash indoors (no doubt operator rather than equipment problems!), and definitely not liked the harsh results of direct flash from the camera. I'll check out the units mentioned and hopefully find something I like.
You can put whatever crap modifier you want on your flash, but anything that's big enough to actually make a difference is likely too big to be practical.
Your two real options are to get the flash off the camera:
I used that tupperware looking thing for my flashes for about a day. Cant remember now off the top of my head what it was called. I thought it was pretty much worthless. Never stayed on my flash and didn't do anything that I couldn't have rigged myself for cheaper. I graduated to a 80-20 diffuser and use that once in a while but not often.
Unless you're using on camera for subtle fill I don't think there is any 'good' solution.
