Originally posted by pcfranchina I am shooting with a Pentax K10 and a 540 flash either on the camera or off camera. What sort of diffusers or modifiers are you using for this flash? I currently use a Sto-Fen on it and I really don't find the results flattering for portraits. I was even looking to see if they made the "gold" warming Sto-Fen for the 540 but no luck.... Any idea?
I agree with jamesm007 that the best results are almost always produced by bouncing, when you shoot indoors. Nevertheless, I own several modifiers, always carry them with me, and frequently use one.
I agree with you that the results produced by the Sto-fen Omnibounce are not very exciting. The only thing I can say in its favor is that it's easy to use, because it has no options and there's really not much to think about. With the Omnibounce on the flash, I generally just point right at the subject and fire away.
I also own and have used a Demb Flip-it.
Demb Flash Products - Flip-it! the variable-angle flash reflector
I think I like the Flip-It better than the Sto-Fen, in most circumstances, but the Flip-It takes some thought. It's pretty inexpensive, though, and easy to pack. Some of the Lumiquest products seem to produce a similar result (I've not tried them personally) but they're less flexible than the Flip-It.
The Gary Fong products are very popular but I simply don't understand why, aside from the fact that the maker is an energetic self-promoter. Perhaps it also helps that the Lightsphere is so strange looking that, well, you must be a good photographer to use one.
I've talked to a lot of other wedding photographers who have more experience than I do, and they all seem to have a whole drawer full of these products. What's interesting is that there does NOT appear to be any consensus about which is best. What this tells me is that none of them are very good, really.
Will