Speed light / flash adapters???? Opinions???

[olive]

I have been looking at a couple of different hot shoe / flash mount adapters and would like and opinion or preference ideas...
I have looked at the Gary Fongs light sphere and the Lumiquest products... I am looking to add fill to outdoor and some small indoor shots... people and babies mainly. Without having to lug along light boxes.
Ideas, thoughts, experience?
Thank you all for your VAST knowledge once again !!!!

[RichardTaylor]

See this thread.

Flash diffuser comparison

[scootermcq]

Most tupperware that you put on your flash are intended to scatter light everywhere and use walls, ceiling etc. For outdoors, you have nothing to bounce off (unless you bring a reflector and an assistant), so you will need something along the lines of a bounce card or small hotshoe flash softbox.

[olive]

Thank you scott... that is the lines that I was thinking also. I will check more into the Lumiquest type then.

[scootermcq]

Check out this one out of fun foam here:

DIY Reflector-Diffuser

It has worked well for me

[vandergus]

Originally Posted by scootermcq

Check out this one out of fun foam here:

DIY Reflector-Diffuser

It has worked well for me

I rigged up something similar to this for my flash, the main difference being that I used 15 gage copper wire (you're basic home wiring materials) around the edge of the foam so I can bend it into whatever shape I need. It'll go from snoot to bounce card just like that. Unfortunately, I didn't end up using it much. If I'm indoors, I'd much rather bounce off a wall and I never really like the results while using it as a bounce card/diffuser. The theory behind a bounce card is that it turns the flash into a larger light source, softening the shadows on the subject, but I don't think it increases the size of the light source enough to have an impact. I suppose it also scatters light around the room giving you more even fill but I'd rather have the soft directional light you get from bouncing off a wall or ceiling. Just one dudes opinion.