FZ30/50 Performance ==> Found the missing piece

Ironically, it is a cheap piece of plastic called The Puffer

What is the greatest limitation of the FZ30/50? A poor ISO400 and absent ISO800 which means indoors you usually have to use a flash to get decent results. I use a Vivitar 285HV but it is huge and harsh without a bounce. The built in flash of the FZ30/50 is good and powerful but again very harsh as that is a limitation of direct flash.

The Puffer is cheap (too cheap actually - should be better made) and makes the FZ flash good enough for a lot of situations with a minimum of PP.

Works for portraits of people and pets. My black dog is hard to photograph with and without a flash indoors. I can take usable pictures straight out of the camera with the Puffer.

I don't imagine the Puffer is much better than the many homemade gadgets for the same purpose.