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If you’ve read our review of Gary Fong’s Lightsphere flash diffuser, you’ll remember that I decided to return mine and set out to build a flash diffuser myself, one which would match the response of the Lightsphere while providing other features and all for a lot less money.

To recap, there were really only two things I disliked about the Lightsphere: its bulkiness and price. And just to clarify, its not that the $49 Mr. Fong charges for the Lightsphere is a lot of money for something that works well and will get plenty of use, but its that I felt that it was way too much for something that closely resembles the food container used by my local Indian food restaurant and also doesn’t fit into my camera bag. The bulkiness of the Lightsphere also led me to think that if such an instrument needs to be large, then it should have a purpose when packed away in my camera bag. That purpose, I realized, should be to protect my Nikon SB 800 flash unit.

Laying out the requirements helped quite a bit early on (as it always does). There are very few materials which met each of the specified criteria. Obviously, the flash diffuser had to be home made so the materials would have to be available at a local hardware store or a similar shop. The fact that it had to protect my flash in the front pocket of my camera bag meant that it had to be made from a soft, flexible and cushion-y material. It also had to be white (or close to it). Lastly, it had to be very cheap (for the simple reason that it could be).

Materials

After giving this some thought, I decided it was time to take a walk and do some research. I stopped at a couple of hardware stores and eventually ended up at The Container Store on 6th Avenue in New York City which proved to be a great resource. I came across a number of possible solutions there (some canvas-based, others made out of soft plastic) but the best and cheapest material appeared to be clear, thin foam. Sold by foot from a perforated foam roll, these foam squares cost less than a quarter and appeared to be the perfect choice. The fact that foam is smooth meant that I could use clear tape (solid tape could be used as well, more on this later) to turn it into a desired shape and also that heat-based sealers could be used to create more sophisticated and durable versions.

Aside from the foam, I needed some packing tape and some scissors. And that’s it!

Putting it all together

The simplest way to describe the process would be through the photos which I’ve provided here: http://reviews.gallerama.com/gallery/700. The steps are outlined below as well.

1. Buy a square foot of clear, thin foam which should be thin enough to be flexible and thick enough to be sturdy. This is available at The Container Store.
2. Cut the foam along one side to the height of your flash unit.
3. You may want to apply some packing tape along the bottom and top edges of the foam. This will make your diffuser more durable and sturdy.
4. Wrap the foam around your flash to measure the required width.
5. Preserve this position by taping it using clear, packing tape. Do this near the top of the flash as this is the position where it will be mounted when in use.
6. Pull out the flash from the diffuser and tape the top part of the foam to keep this end in place as well. This end should be wider to allow the bulkier part of the flash and to provide enough space to fit the flash unit when packed away.
7. Mount the flash diffuser and you’re done!

Photos

Please visit the Gallerama photo review for a visual guide for making your own flash diffuser. http://reviews.gallerama.com/gallery/700

Gary Fong’s Lightsphere vs. DIY Flash Diffuser

So, how does this do-it-yourself diffuser compare to Gary Fong’s Lightsphere? Well, the I posted a few test samples in the photo review and plan to add a few more, but I would suggest that you give it a try for yourself and see what you prefer for your shooting subject and environment. That said, below is a table outlining what I see are the key features and differences between the two.

Alternatives

As suggested above, there are a few things you could do to affect the performance of this DIY gadget. For example, using a solid white packing tape (instead of the clear kind) will produce softer light which will more closely resemble the response of the Lightsphere II Cloudy. You can wrap the entire diffuser or only a part of it in such tape to achieve different results. Similarly, using a white foamy material rather than the clear foam will achieve a similar effect. I’ve seen some white foam-lined envelopes which could probably be turned into very effective flash diffusers.

During my search for a better flash diffuser, I also came across Peter Gregg’s site www.abetterbouncecard.com which contains an excellent tutorial for making another very effective diffuser in practically no time.

Various photography forums such as those on dpreview.com will also prove to be a most valuable resource for ideas and experiences with different home-made and sold flash diffusers. I encourage you to experiment with any and all of these ideas in your endeavor for a flash diffuser that best suits your shooting style and habits. Feel free to contact me with any questions and suggestions.