Best outdoor on-camera flash diffuser for portraits ?

[Marco Cinnirella]

New flashgun and in need of some kind of diffuser for outdoor portraits where I want to combine flash and ambient light in a subtle way. There is a large choice !

Assuming I don't want to go down the route of using light stands and instead I want to keep my flash simple by using a hotshoe mounted dedicated flash unit.

Sto-fen push-on type?

Lastolite (or other brand) large round or hexagonal diffusers that stay on with elastic?

Gary Fong lighsphere system?

Anything else that doesn't require a light stand or an assistant holding something?

Actually, also interrested in one that works well indoors when you can't bounce as ceilings/walls are too high or are colored

--
"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." Ansel Adams.

 

[Suntan]

There's no free lunch here, ...and no magic either (fong.)

If you want soft light, you need to make the light source large. A stofen or fong won't really do much of anything compared to the bare flash outdoors.

How big of a floppy light modifier do you want to move around with on your camera flash?

 

[Marco Cinnirella]

There's no free lunch here, ...and no magic either (fong.)

If you want soft light, you need to make the light source large. A stofen or fong won't really do much of anything compared to the bare flash outdoors.

How big of a floppy light modifier do you want to move around with on your camera flash?

Not dramatically cumbersome

I'm currently looking into Rogue Flashbenders as a possibility - been quite impressed with what I have read and watched about them so far

 

[Klaus dk]

Take a look at the Fstoppers flash disc.

 

[Peter3579]

I'm looking for the same thing and came across this (uk).

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www.speedgraphic.co.uk

Has anyone experience of use?

 

[RHWeber]

I have tried many diffusers. I think the Graslon (http://graslon.com) diffusers work best in the studio on speed lights. I think they will work very well outdoors, although I usually prefer to use a reflector to enhance ambient light out doors.

 

[Shutter Crazy]

Anything small enough to be attached to the camera and maneuverable will not give you that much advantage over direct flash or "feathering" with simple diffuser and flash pointed straight up

 

[ParangMehta]

As everyone has already said, small diffusers just won't soften the light enough. To get good light for portraits, you have to move the flash off camera.

I enjoy doing outdoor portraits, and and the most convenient flash modifier is a reflective (silver) umbrella. A 31 inch umbrella opens up or folds up in an instant, and hardly weighs anything. Gives a beautiful soft light if used up to five or six feet away, and can be used with a radio receiver that has an unmrella holder.

Costs very little, too.

 

[itsDing]

A ring flash can be useful. Try masking certain areas of the flash.

 

[goactive]

If you keep the flash on camera you are never going to get great photos for portraits and people photos only ok ones that look like dear in headlights so you have already talked yourself into starting out doing it the wrong way.

 

[Marco Cinnirella]

If you keep the flash on camera you are never going to get great photos for portraits and people photos only ok ones that look like dear in headlights so you have already talked yourself into starting out doing it the wrong way.

OP here - guys, you don't need to lecture me about this - I know that for good pro quality portraits with lighting you would ideally use large diffusers such as umbrellas or large softboxes on lighting stands. I'm just talking about those times when you want to travel light, and you are not doing commercial pro shots. My OP was specifically about using a speedlight outdoors when travelling light. And as I said, in the end I went with a Rogue flashbender. I know it's not as good as an umbrella or large softbox but when I am travelling light it does fine at softening fill flash. No deer in the headlights type shots as I am not using flash as the sole lighting source - balancing flash + ambient. Thanks for all your input.

 

[Paulmorgan]

If you keep the flash on camera you are never going to get great photos for portraits and people photos only ok ones that look like dear in headlights so you have already talked yourself into starting out doing it the wrong way.

OP here - guys, you don't need to lecture me about this - I know that for good pro quality portraits with lighting you would ideally use large diffusers such as umbrellas or large softboxes on lighting stands. I'm just talking about those times when you want to travel light, and you are not doing commercial pro shots. My OP was specifically about using a speedlight outdoors when travelling light. And as I said, in the end I went with a Rogue flashbender. I know it's not as good as an umbrella or large softbox but when I am travelling light it does fine at softening fill flash. No deer in the headlights type shots as I am not using flash as the sole lighting source - balancing flash + ambient. Thanks for all your input.

--
"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." Ansel Adams.

If your traveling light a large soft box would be pretty crap

Flash benders are fine, there is no shortage of pro`s using these and on pro commercial shoots.

Just ignore all the cardboard cutout technicians and do what works best for you.

 

[ParangMehta]

Not doubting the expertise of the OP at all .
I've wanted the same things, and tried out the same solutions - a flash bender, softboxes that fold flat and attach to the speedlight with velcro, etc. These all increase the light source size to 10-13 inches, and work well for close ups, but look more or less like bare flash beyond about 6 feet. Just my personal feel.
The small softbox works very well for flowers, though.

 

[Paulmorgan]

Not doubting the expertise of the OP at all .
I've wanted the same things, and tried out the same solutions - a flash bender, softboxes that fold flat and attach to the speedlight with velcro, etc. These all increase the light source size to 10-13 inches, and work well for close ups, but look more or less like bare flash beyond about 6 feet. Just my personal feel.
The small softbox works very well for flowers, though.

Pretty much everything about photography can be a compromise in one way or another.

I quite like the new XL range from Rogue, its pretty good though quite expensive but very handy when you can`t or don`t feel like lumping a lot.