Flash Diffusers

divuk83 · 14 Dec 2006 at 10:15

Bought a feebay version of a Stofen Flash Diffuser a few weeks ago and its knackered already! Should have really expected for what I paid for it and where it came from! Anyways, aside from this being a warning to others, I was wondering if anyone had any similar problems with the proper Stofen ones?

Cheers

Dave

saddler · 14 Dec 2006 at 10:19

The proper ones are quite flexible, I dont think mine would crack like that. They seem to be resonably rugged as mine survived being dropped a few days ago (whilst still attached to the flash, thankfully in landed in a muddy puddle

)

MacX · 14 Dec 2006 at 10:46

That's a bit rubbish isn't it?!

But you'll find the genuine Stofens are much better made and will last ages.

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 14 Dec 2006 at 11:57

You couldnt do that to my stofen. They are putty like flexible and very hard to do that. You would need a lot of force/weight concerntrated around a specific area to do that to a proper stofen.

Raymond Lin · 14 Dec 2006 at 12:20

Fstop11 said:
You couldnt do that to my stofen. They are putty like flexible and very hard to do that. You would need a lot of force/weight concerntrated around a specific area to do that to a proper stofen.

Same, proper ones are a little soft and kinda thick as well.

Sp00n · 14 Dec 2006 at 12:32

Lol, can't you just use a plastic milk carten or something?

divuk83 · 15 Dec 2006 at 00:11

Cheers all, I will stop being a cheapskate and buy a stofen.

Dave

scoop · 15 Dec 2006 at 08:44

This migt be useful; this chap seems to shun diffusers in favour of better flash technique.......depends what you're shooting, I guess...

http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-techniques.html

Bolerus · 15 Dec 2006 at 11:01

what are the falsh difusers made of? if you dont mind me asking.

Belly · 16 Dec 2006 at 16:51

Bolerus said:
what are the falsh difusers made of? if you dont mind me asking.

A friend of mine used to use the foot/toe part of a pair of tights, sometimes he would use a white hankerchief afixed to the flash with a rubber band! He never had any problems

SDK^ · 16 Dec 2006 at 16:59

cykey uses a Flash diffuser that costs around £50 - madness !!!
I prefer to bounce from ceilings or use the flash off the camera

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 16 Dec 2006 at 17:43

Is that the Gary Fong sphere thing.

SDK^ · 16 Dec 2006 at 18:05

Fstop11 said:
Is that the Gary Fong sphere thing.

Yup, it makes your camera look like a hair dryer

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 16 Dec 2006 at 18:11

lol.. Great results with something that can easily pop into your pocket.

cyKey · 21 Dec 2006 at 08:11

SDK^ said:
Yup, it makes your camera look like a hair dryer

Yeah but it does make people look at you

It does allow me to get shots like these though.

Tonks · 21 Dec 2006 at 14:43

You can always make your own on the cheap

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 21 Dec 2006 at 16:13

Im buying one after seeing the video demonstration. Since my Stofen slips off my flash anyway and makes me mad!

Tonks said:
You can always make your own on the cheap

I love how hes quite willing to pay a good sum for a Canon 1D but wont pay £15 for a diffuser!

cyKey · 21 Dec 2006 at 17:54

Fstop11 said:
Im buying one after seeing the video demonstration. Since my Stofen slips off my flash anyway and makes me mad!

My lightsphere also fell off my 430ex till I felcro'd it on. Now I never take it off. First real time I used it was at a gig and it rolled across the floor. Kinda embarrassing chasing it

The video is good but I suspect it took him a while to find a good location. I have had some harsh shadows from mine but on the whole its nicer than my Stofen and always produces fantastic catchlights.

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 21 Dec 2006 at 20:39

Well I make a good job not using a stofen at all so I am confident that I can use the lightsphere to my own advantage on the 580. I also at first thought they were made from solid plastic but after simple research I see they are very duruable and flexible.