Flash diffuser? bounce card? what to get?

[Invalid]

Hello,

I just got a SB-600 flash for my Nikon d40x and I'm new to owning a flash. I've been looking at a diffuser since I see some photos that people have them on their camera. While on the other hand, some people talk about "bounce cards"? What would be the best choice? (or recommend something other than what i mentioned if its better)

Is this true for what I would get for a diffuser if I bought one on ebay? (see photo at bottom of post)

Thanks in advance.

[OsmosisStudios]

A) There is NO way that initial picture was taken with the Sb-600
B) there is NO way that second picture was taken by simply adding the diffuser.

What is pictured seems to be what is included with the SB-800. It helps soften light, but doesnt broaden it by much.

Instead, try bouncing the flash by tilting the head. ive found that for the most part shooting straight up into the ceiling works best.

A bounce card would work in conjunction with the angled flash head. It bounces some of the light directly to your subject.

[inkista]

For my money, buy craft foam sheets. They're about $1 apiece at Michael's. Then make your own diffuser (an omni-bounce isn't really a diffuser so much as an approximation of bare bulb light) or flags/snoots with 'em. I like to use spray adhesive to laminate white and black sheets together.

[sk66]

Those pictures could both be taken with a flash, but not really comparing "apples to apples"...the first picture definitely had the flash "zoomed", the second was "wide angle" and bounced more off of the ceiling....maybe some different editing as well.

That said, I use a stofen on occasion and I like it.
I also bounce/snoot my flashes as appropriate. Inksta's tip about the foam sheets is good, plus gluing them together really helps stiffen the assembly...

I've also found that foam "beer coolies" can easily be modified to work as snoots/flags, but the logo's/ print looks pretty tacky. A quick shot of black spray paint might help, or they can be turned "inside out" after cutting out the bottom..

[smc1377]

Having just processed hundreds of photos that Seltzer (another mod here) took with his 580 EX-II using the built-in diffuser pull-out panel vs what I normally use (a cheap $75 flash with Sto-Fen Omni-bounce), you can definitely tell the difference between his flash and mine.

While those examples are somewhat exaggerated by the extreme wide angle shots, there is a noticeable cutoff in Seltz's pics compared to mine with the omni-bounce, especially when not shooting straight on.

For as cheap as they are, Sto-Fens are definitely worth it.

[Jim Bryant]

I've got five of those plastic ones shown, one for each of my 550EX and 580 EX flashes.
Think they were about $20.00 each, but worth the money. I use the portable flashes to shoot informal portraits, that don't require to break out the Speedatron system. I set the flashes up in various location throughout the room and they are fired together using the Speed light transmitter ST-E2.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by sk66

Those pictures could both be taken with a flash

Im sure they were taken with a flash: i just dont think it was an external one. It looks like the (bad) result of what one would get with the pop-up flash

[stitchbug]

http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/

[KimberleyPhotography]

Does anyone know why the planetneil.com is black? Wouldn't more light be bounced if it was white?

[Samanax]

Originally Posted by KimberleyPhotography

Does anyone know why the planetneil.com is black? Wouldn't more light be bounced if it was white?

Are you talking about the black Better Bounce Cards? The side that faces the flash has a small white reflective area that the flash will bounce off of...the black card is so that the flash doesn't bother wedding attendees...it blocks the flash from people's eyes, but you can still bounce upward and forward.