where to find free flash gel covers?

[mdwsta4]

i've read that you can get free sample sheets of gel covers that fit perfectly over most canon/nikon external flashes. i can't for the live of me remember which site i read this on.
does anyone have experience with free samples? link?

thanks!

[googlit]

I would check with theater supply shops... not sure where else to check. Google it?

[Saralonde]

This is where I got mine:

Rosco US: Filters : Swatch Book (http://www.rosco.com/us/filters/swatchBookRequest.asp?type=roscolux)

They took about 8 weeks or more, but they were free. You can make a holder for them by taping bent paperclips to the sides of your light then sliding the gels in place.

[smc1377]

Saralonde,

The link you provided is a truncated link and doesn't work. On most forums, including this one, if you enter a really long web address, the visible part of the website address will be shortened. One tell-tale way to know that the web address has been truncated is by seeing the "..." in the web address.

To correct this, copy the address directly from the browser bar instead of copying the text in a post.

[Nicole]

Link fixed.

[mdwsta4]

thank you. i believe that was the exact place i was looking for.

This is where I got mine:

Rosco US: Filters : Swatch Book (http://www.rosco.com/us/filters/swatchBookRequest.asp?type=roscolux)

They took about 8 weeks or more, but they were free. You can make a holder for them by taping bent paperclips to the sides of your light then sliding the gels in place.

[Morca007]

I oredered some as well, thanks for the link. :)

[mdwsta4]

i ordered a free color swatch from another place as well and i was surprised they came in already! i'm not quite sure how i'm going to mount them on my flash (probably end up doing the tape/paperclip thing) so for the moment i'm just holding them over the flash with my hand.
anyway, here are how many samples they give you
http://images19.fotki.com/v19/photos/5/51621/4246906/swatch-vi.jpg

i didn't have time to play with them that much so i just pulled out a couple random colors and did a quick shot on a white couch/gray wall
http://images20.fotki.com/v384/photos/5/51621/4246906/red-vi.jpg

http://images14.fotki.com/v379/photos/5/51621/4246906/blue-vi.jpg

http://images20.fotki.com/v384/photos/5/51621/4246906/green-vi.jpg

i don't recall the site's exact address, but i'm sure if you do a search for Lee Filters you can find it.

[Nicole]

i ordered a free color swatch from another place as well and i was surprised they came in already! i'm not quite sure how i'm going to mount them on my flash (probably end up doing the tape/paperclip thing) so for the moment i'm just holding them over the flash with my hand.
...
i don't recall the site's exact address, but i'm sure if you do a search for Lee Filters you can find it.

The site is Lee Filters (http://www.leefilters.com/LP4.asp?PageID=118), but I'm trying to find how I can actually order the swatch book from them. How'd you order your swatchbook mdwsta4?

[mdwsta4]

honestly, i don't quite remember nicole. i did it 6 weeks or so ago after seeing it on strobist. this looks very familiar so i believe i just typed in a request here: http://www.leefilters.com/CU.asp?PageID=144

in the message portion i asked if they would mail me a free color swatch. killer deal for being free!!

cheers,
matt

[Saralonde]

I finally tried my free gel filters on my 430 speedlite. All I did was pull the built-in diffuser down to hold it on. Since it was cold outside, I decided to try a smoke shot. I'm not too happy with them, they're not too sharp, but I was just curious how the filters would work.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23733128@N00/360834760/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/360834760_8efc8240af.jpg" width="480" height="320" alt="Red Smoke" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23733128@N00/360834764/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/360834764_29490f5b72.jpg" width="480" height="320" alt="Pink Smoke" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23733128@N00/360834769/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/360834769_77c1d6a139.jpg" width="480" height="321" alt="Blue Smoke" /></a>

[mdwsta4]

tried that after i read your post and you're right; the filters fit in their perfectly. nice find!

I finally tried my free gel filters on my 430 speedlite. All I did was pull the built-in diffuser down to hold it on.

[Dr. WooD]

Had to dig this thread up to send a massive THANK YOU to Saralonde.

I got mine in about 3 weeks from Roscolux. I'm gonna probably wait till the week end to try them out.

Thanks Again!

[Saralonde]

Hi WooD, I'm amazed you found this thread again! I'm glad to hear they are still offering the free samples. Hope others decide to try them out, too. Have fun with them!

BTW, here's what they look like and one way you could use them:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23733128@N00/1792345465/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/1792345465_23c9a84dca_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="gels" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23733128@N00/1792345455/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/1792345455_233d982090_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="gel on speedlight" /></a>

[windrider86]

I called them and was aamzed at how many they sent. There has to be literally hundreds!

[velvet4269]

I vaguely remember ordering some before, and not getting them. I'll try again, and see what happens.

[porterd2nz]

I've been dying to get hold of some of these for a while.

Went to Lee Filters (http://www.leefilters.com/lighting/contact/) and had a job finding the right place to go. This link goes to the Contact Us page and down the bottm are the check boxes for the free swatches.

Rosco don't seem to ship to NZ (at least it isn't selectable on the web form).

Will wait and see if anything arrives in the mail.

[porterd2nz]

Received a package containing the Lee Filters Designers Edition today, 6 days after filling in the web form. Sent from the UK no less. I'm impressed.

Still haven't had a reply to my email to Rosco.

[ike]

I got my lee filters the other day. Really impressed, although i only chose the basic colours from the swatches i was sent.

I got both booklets, the small ones and big ones, which i cut into circles to fit directly onto my lens, for when i dont use flash.

Should get some experiments done with them soon.

ike,

[mhuk05]

Thanks for the heads-up on Lee Filters. I had been meaning to google gel filters- no need now :)

[Jamesc359]

Apollo Design Technology Swatch Book (http://www.internetapollo.com/ContactUs/MarketingMaterials.aspx)

I've already ordered the Lee and Rosco filters, so I don't think I'll be ordering any from Apollo, but I thought somebody might find the link useful. Don't know if they'll ship without a business name though.

[porterd2nz]

Don't know if they'll ship without a business name though.

I just used my initials and added 'Photography' to the end, i.e. 'DP Photography'. Worked for me.

[filemanager]

I ordered the Rosco filters and got them in about 3 weeks, then I ordered the Lee filters and got them in 1 week - ridiculously fast!

[velvet4269]

I got my Lee filters today, so now I'm trying to figure out the best way to use them with my camera (since all I have is the built-in flash). It'll be interesting, to say the least.

[Nicole]

Velvet, have you seen this thread (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=222)? ;)

[velvet4269]

Velvet, have you seen this thread (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=222)? ;)

I did, but unfortunately, don't have a clear film cannister to use. The other thing I'm noticing is that my flash is apparently a bit on the HOT side, and will singe the filters.

[Nicole]

The other thing I'm noticing is that my flash is apparently a bit on the HOT side, and will singe the filters.
That sounds like the bigger problem of the two ;)

[velvet4269]

That sounds like the bigger problem of the two ;)

Yup. But I'm experimenting with alternate methods - which includes blue painters tape.

Blue painters tape is your friend.

[RussHeath]

Apollo Design Technology Swatch Book (http://www.internetapollo.com/ContactUs/MarketingMaterials.aspx)

I've already ordered the Lee and Rosco filters, so I don't think I'll be ordering any from Apollo, but I thought somebody might find the link useful. Don't know if they'll ship without a business name though.

I placed orders with Roscoe, Lee, and the above link at Apollo. The Apollo ones are the only to arrive, and they did so in less than a week. Great! Thanks for the link!:)

[Saralonde]

I ordered the Apollos a week ago and they arrived already. Very fast!

[mpslabman]

Popular Photography calls this product "Brilliant." It is called Sticky Filters and can be seen at www.stickyfilters.com

It is a color flash gel system that is made into a removable, reusable sticker that you simply stick to your flash reflector.

[Jamesc359]

Those are pretty neat mpslabman. I'd say you've come up with a pretty good product. Do you happen to have any idea about whom your customer base is? I'd imagine it'd mostly be professionals that'd be interested in such a product, but I could also see a few amateurs who'd be interested if they were aware they existed and the benefits.


Anyways, I went a head and requested the Apollo swatch book. I got tired of waiting for the ones I requested from Rosco and Lee to arrive. Naturally Lee's arrived the next day. Both Apollo's and Lee's arrived not even a whole week after ordering them. Still nothing from Rosco though.

Red has been my favorite color, blue and green are pretty cool too though. I haven't played much with the exotic colors, so far the results from them aren't overly interesting.

[RejectReality]

For the record, I ordered the sample swatch packs from both Lee and Rosco. Lee's filters arrived in around a week and a half (shipped from the UK to Australia).

Rosco sent the request to their Australian distributor to send locally. I know this because their mail server was horribly broken for a couple of weeks and the request emails bounced back to me.

Long story short, Rosco Australia don't send them any more (postage was too high - the did send a catalogue though); you can apparently pick them up from a number of different stores around capital cities.

If anyone wants to know where, PM me the state you're interested in and I'll send over a list.

[rikkersc]

I ordered the Apollo gel samples and they got here in 4 days! Amazingly fast!

I also requested the gel slide converter which matches the color number from the Apollo gels to ones from Rosco, Lee, and Gam. That way if you have ordered swatch books from more than one company you can use them together (if needed) by matching up the color numbers so you will have an exact match.

I also ordered swatches from Rosco, but haven't heard anything on them yet.

[neilwood]

Ordered them on Tuesday from Lee and got them last night. Hopefully get a chance to use some at the weekend (doubt i will ever use all of them - theres hundreds!!!!!)