Pros:
- Inexpensive way to add a color tint to your on-camera flash. If you're tired of taking flash photos where the background has a much warmer color than your subject, use the warming (orange) filter and set your white balance to tungsten. You could theoretically use the blue filter for the opposite effect - if the ambient light is very blue, use the blue filter to match it. Alternatively, you could introduce mismatched lighting for creative effect.
Cons:
- Cheap build. The plastic has molding edges all over. I'd recommend sanding the edges that touch your face, to make it less uncomfortable.
- Light loss. There's nothing you can do about it when building a device like this; you're going to lose light. The plastic absorbs some, and a lot is scattered out-of-frame (which is sort of the point of a diffuser anyway.) Don't use this if you're shooting something at the edges of your flash's capabilities.
- Less diffusion than you're hoping for. You'll only really notice the diffusion when your subject is in front of a wall; the shadow they cast will have a blurry edge, rather than sharp. Flash glare on people's faces is cut down slightly, but not as much as I had hoped.
- You could get the same color tint effect with some clear tape and a CTO or CTB gel, which is significantly cheaper, loses less light, and is more flexible.
- You're going to realize that available light is not the holy grail of photography, turn down your ISO, switch back to your slow zoom lens, and discover the expensive hobby of lighting. Soft Pop-Up SLR Flash Diffuser for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus, & Pentax On-Camera Flashes with White, Blue (Cooling), & Yellow (Warming) Screens by Cowboystudio
Got it... opened it... popped it on and Whalla! It worked. Took it off and took a picture. Put it back on and took a picture. It was a definite softer result. Not too crazy about the yellow and blue diffuser. But I'm sure I can find a use for it. The white is a must have for your pop up flash.
Same review as Julie, I got it, put it on, took a picture; took it off and took a picture. The difference is definitely noticeable. Softens lighting with aforementioned qualities: reduces background shadows to a blur, and reduces harshness of direct flash on faces. It evens-out the total amount of light within the frame of the shot.
I haven't used the yellow and blue yet since I mostly use my speedlight w/diffuser. I figured those two pieces were free bonus's. The white diffuser warms the shot, toning down the white balance so-to-speak. This product is handy when you're doing some quick photos with a general-purpose lens and don't want to drag out and set up your camera with all the attachments.
The only issue I have is that the mounting bracket is too wide for my hotshoe. I have to squeeze it together really hard to get it to slide in. Maybe I'll try to heat it up and attach it quickly and let it cool; then maybe it'll fit better once cooled in the position that it needs to be... we'll see.
Overall, this product does what it was designed to do and at a much more reasonable cost than the name brands. Be realistic in knowing you won't get studio quality lighting with a $10 attachment for a pop up flash. It DOES increase the quality of lighting than without it.
It won't work with Canon T2i :(
apparently when something is inserted into hot shoe of T2i - camera thinks it's external flash and disables the pop-up flash, so the puffer is useless.
I just wish it was stated in the description that it won't work with certain models.
It does work with T1i, Xs and it works great on those.
It is exactly the same as Gary Fong's, but cheaper :) result is the same and you get 2 more
Cool item to have. It works great. Only the white beam is useful though as the yellow and blue give a weird color effect. I give 4 stars because the plastic feel cheap, but it does its job and good price.
Does what it says it does, and costs half of what the Gary Fong diffuser does. I don't really use the blue or yellow covers, but the white one is really all you need, I think. Yes, it's cheap and plastic-- but it works. Overall I think it's great. - Soft Screen Diffuser - Flash Diffuser - Photography - Canon'
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