> -----Original Message----- > From: gfen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > On Thu, 6 Mar 2003, Bruce Rubenstein wrote: > > Fill flash is used to compress the contrast of a scene (subject to > > background) so it fits into the dynamic range of the > film. For people, > > usually -1 to -2 stops of fill to ambient looks natural > and will put > > some nice catchlights in the eyes. > > Do you still get the catchlights as effectivly when using a > bounce/diffuser, however?
Yes, they just will have a different shape, and the shape won't be as sharply delimited. > > > Bounce/diffusers: > > The smaller the size of a light source, the more > directional and harder > > I do understand this part, I also know its the basis of why tilt is > important on a flash, to bounce from the ceiling. I've > pretty much taken > every flash picture, to date, with the AF280T bounced from > teh ceiling. > > > its look is. This is why photographers use things like soft boxes. > > A softbox is basically a large, white box that you shoot > your strobes into > and they then reflect out, correct? More or less. They vary - some have more reflective surfaces, some have baffles, some just have a diffuse material between the light and the subject. Most on-camera softboxes just have the diffuser material. > > > Bouncers/diffusers spread the light around so that it is > not coming from > > a point source. The down side is that you are now > lighting up a space, > > instead of a subject, so less light hits the subject and > the you lose a > > couple of stops of light. The greater the distance > between the flash and > > the subject the less effective the light modifier is in > softening the > > look of the light. > > So, a bounce/diffuser is only effective at closer > distances, and further > away its preferable to just use the naked flash? Depends on the power of the flash. If you have a diffuser, you only need to use the bare flash if you think the diffuser is going to cut your power enough to underexpose. > > Will a bounce/diffuser assist in removing the unsightly shadows from > behind people, as well, or is that really only do-able when > bouncing off > ceilings? If the flash is aligned with the lens, you shouldn't see too many shadows. If you see shadows, that's due to the angle of the flash wrt the subject. A diffuser will soften the edge of the shadow. The bigger the light source, the more indistinct the shadow. > > > Bouncers work well, but: either have to be somewhat big > and clumsy to do > > much good, or take advantage of the room's surfaces > (you're SOL it they > > are too far away or a funny color). I use a Stofen > Omnibounce. It is > > much smaller than a bouncer, doesn't have to be close to a room's > > surfaces, but will be effected by them. > > I looked up the Omnibounce on B&H, and then checked the > offical name of > the items I was looking at: > > The "pocket softbox" > http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bh5.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=Prod uctActivator__Aproductlist_html___93262___LUSBM___REG___CatID=0___SID= F3FED674290 This will soften things up a little bit. The "pocket bouncer" http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bh5.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivat or__Aproductlist_html___32576___LUPB___REG___CatID=0___SID=F3FED674290 This thing is ok, but sucks on a bracket. --------- Another reason I'm looking into this is so I can have slightly better flash usage when I'm stacking lenses and doing macro that way. I know, I know, the best way is to do off-camera flash (or a ringflash, but that's not affordable now), however, I'm on a budget and the various off camera attachments are alot more than $25. :) Its because of concept of trying to extend teh flash and better angle its light towards a close macro subject I figured a bouncer would be teh way to go. I now wonder, however, if perhaps these two goals aren't going to be acceptably reached via the same equipment, and perhaps I should be just pursuing them seperatly. ----- For some reason my emailer isn't quoting that last section correctly. Anyway, you might want to just get a reflector and counce your light of that. Anything that is flat and white will work. ------------- > If you're going to do a wedding with a single, shoe mount flash I would > suggest a bouncer/diffuser (go to direct flash if you're more than 15 >From the various items above, and having an idea (I presume) of what I'm looking to accomplish overall, which would be the preferred way? Ominbounce? Pocket softbox? Pocket bouncer? Save my money and make do with tilting the flash? ------ I would just point the flash up and use a big white reflector of some sort if you're trying to do cheap macro. tv
