FEEDBACK & COMMENTS PLEASE

[FUJI]

Hi, again folks,

 

Here, I think, is the definitive test of my £2.45 DIY Basin Diffuser, for comparison against the £100 Gary Fong version.

 

 

SUBJECT:

 

A White Ping-Pong Ball stuck to a curved white-paper background....ambient light, cloudy via window at left:

 

The shot with the harsh shadow was with the straight flash with no front (basin-lid) diffusion.........Settings f11...... S160 ....ISO 200 as far as I recall:.

 

The soft-shadow-shot was taken a few seconds later......this time the Diffuser front (basin-lid) lined with two layers of white kitchen towel with the camera on the same settings:

 

Both shots uncropped, as taken:

 

The shadow softness and improvement in the quality of light is obvious in the second shot, provng that my diffuser works....comments, suggestions and feedback very welcome:

 

Best viewd LARGE.....click on Pic:

 

FUJI

[Guest DaveW]

The flash shot has a bit of a warm cast Fuji so maybe in post processing, but the basin diffuser has an even warmer one though this can be corrected in post processing. I would have thought white on white should come out more like below?

 

 

A straight shot direct with your flash gun should reproduce as white.

Edited April 16, 2013 by DaveW

[FUJI]

I agree Dave, Thanks! .......I realise that I can correct it as you demonstrate, but I wanted everyone to see exactly what the camera saw or at least, recorded.

If anything, the softer plastic of the expensive Gary Fong Diffuser is even more yellow looking than my basin one......I think I must look at my camera setting.......or might it be that I should use the highest setting on my Speedlight?

I am finding this a fascinating exercise and series of posts.

FUJI

[roicead]

dave's looks better in terms of white balance.  use a grey card or your white paper and ping pong ball and set a custom wb if you want to use what the camera records.  the soft shadows look good.

[colinb]

I agree Dave, Thanks! .......I realise that I can correct it as you demonstrate, but I wanted everyone to see exactly what the camera saw or at least, recorded.

If anything, the softer plastic of the expensive Gary Fong Diffuser is even more yellow looking than my basin one......I think I must look at my camera setting.......or might it be that I should use the highest setting on my Speedlight?

I am finding this a fascinating exercise and series of posts.

FUJI

 interesting Fuji and I think its more what light you are letting the camera see by than 'what it saw'. The expensive version while softer does have far more noise than your basin version, depending on the final effect I prefer your basin shot. If you are shooting raw there is always the opportunity of adjusting the W/B afterwards?

[Guest DaveW]

"If anything, the softer plastic of the expensive Gary Fong Diffuser is even more yellow looking than my basin one."

 

I noticed that too Fuji in your previous thread in which the Fong had an even warmer colour balance than your dish, which is surprising as unless advertised as a "warm up" device I would have expected the Fong Lightsphere to be neutral in rendering?

 

Interesting that many modern cameras and dedicated flash guns also compensate for the change in colour temperature from a shorter to a longer flash duration, something the old standard flash setting does not:-

 

http://www.scantips.com/lights/flashwb/