Whale Tail by Gary Fong

[Dayna Schroeder]

Has anyone used the Whale Tail by Gary Fong? I heard you don't need a bracket anymore if you use this New Diffuser. I would love the weight taken off by not using my bracket. I bought my husband one for his birthday and if you really don't need to use the bracket anymore I will defintely invest in a couple of them. Does anyone have any feedback on this?

daynaschroeder
http://www.daynaschroeder.com

 

[Phil Raphan]

I have successfully used the WhaleTail on my D200, when I don't feel like lugging around my Quantum T5d-r and Custom Bracket. The results were excellent. However, you cannot beat the Quantum.
PhilR
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[Newspaper Man]

please follow the link...

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1025&message=26437323

maybe you may want to consider other alternatives...

:-7

 

[Bill C]

Dayna - as you are probably aware - mention the name 'Gary Fong' and lightsphere or WhaleTail and probably 80 percent of the responses will mention much less expensive solutions, which there are many. I shoot quite a lot of 'ad hoc' shots of a childrens chorus during practice and before a concert, and I really can't setup lightstands, etc. I use the WhaleTail on an SB800 on camera, (no bracket), and I've been very pleased with the results. Could I have gone for a much less expensive solution - certainly, but I use the WhaleTail with good results.
Bill

 

[Dan Wagner]

If you want the flash over the lens you need a bracket. Custom Brackets are wonderful. I've tried Gary's products and they will work in certain situations. Like in a smaller room with light colored walls. The diffuser that comes with the Nikon SB800 works very well for me. So does the flip-it.

Gary's products absorb too much light and force you to use a higher ISO and wider f/stop. If you're shooting a group shot you will have depth of field issues at wider apertures. So to get the f/stop you need you have to move closer to your subject and now you may need a wide angle for the group shot which introduces distortion.

As if all this wasn't enough, I recently tried Gary's products on an SB800 at B&H photo in NY and was appalled at how poorly, in my humble opinion, his products fit on the SB800. Gary's maximum profit approach to have one size fit all really means, in my opinion, that one size doesn't fit very well.

My advice go to a store and try Gary's stuff. If you like it great. If you go to a store with a good return policy you can try it on location.

One great thing about brackets is they give you a place to attach your radio slave for triggering other flash units.

--
Nikon D3, Nikon D300, Nikon Lenses 10.5, 14-24, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 VR,
85 1.4 Other brands: Zeiss 50 1.4, Canon G-9 & Underwater housing.
Nikon TC-17E II 1.7x,Three SB800's, Two Quantum 5d-r's, & More.

 

[LightInspire]

Yes, there are alternatives BUT the alternatives shown are limited also, limited in distance for group shooting. The flipit is only good for a short distance and the better bounce card is good ONLY if you have a ceiling to bounce off of and it is white.

I have both cloudy and clear lightspheres with the chrome dome and amber dome and I have only went thru 8 AA batteries in my 580ex II flash using them for an entire wedding from beginning to end and those are rechargeable batteries so it doesn't eat up the light like you think. I shoot everything on 4 or 5.6 at 1/60, 1/30 and sometimes 1/100 ISO 800 at FEC +1.

But you can't beat the soft light. Yes light spreads out everywhere but that is the purpose to wrap your subject in soft light. I plan on getting the whale tale reporter soon. But there are some situations where you use a bracket.