DIY Ultimate 'Bug Eye'

[Don Hoey]

Are you up for another DIY then. I was just about to post this, nearly the ultimate ' bug eye '.

Another rainy day here today so I decided to look at making a diffusion head for the Metz as I do not have a stofen for it.

Lots of experiments later I came up with this, and well impressed so I thought I would share it, as all the testing was done with the standard SB80-DX flashgun mounted on the camera. Performance is lots better than the stofen at the expense of 1 stop of light. The drill was used for testing as the aim was to produce more diffused shadow than the stofen. I was giving the stofen a hard time as lens to drill distance was 1 metre.

The first to fall by the wayside was the food storage container. The sides are nearly parallel so the light tends to bounce from side to side rather than exit the front. This container shape would also fall down as a ringlight.

Second. The inside needs to be crinkly kitchen roll for max diffusion. Straight shiny surface was a lot less effective. The kitchen foil used here was lightly crunched before putting into the bowl.

Note to Christine ; I have shiny tape now. It was used o join and tape down the beam splitter, and tack down the foil as it is in two pieces.

As the flash light enters directly it is necessary to deflect the beam round the bowl. For this I split the beam on the long side. To get sufficient light round the bowl the angle of the splitter has to be quite sharp. See attached diagram.

The fixing to the SB80-DX is a temporary affair and I have not yet worked out fixing for the Metz and may well go for a 12 inch bowl for that. In fact no holes have yet been cut in the container at all.

This could be the ultimate no cost device as once used can be returned to the kitchen cupboard. Otherwise the cost will be around £0:69p. I have tried it just holding it up flush to the flash and it works just as well as attatched.

IMPORTANT NOTE : If you do not cut through the bowl then be aware that a lot of heat is created by the flash tube, so either hand hold or remove between shots. If a hole is cut through the bowl then this heat can escape through the diffusion material.

Don

[Saphire]

Excellent Don, in photo 2 you have it connected to the flash and you say you haven't cut a hole, I can't see any gap in the foil in the last photo around the splitter, I am presuming that you made a gap for the flash to shine through, just a tad confused.

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Saphire

Excellent Don, in photo 2 you have it connected to the flash and you say you haven't cut a hole, I can't see any gap in the foil in the last photo around the splitter, I am presuming that you made a gap for the flash to shine through, just a tad confused.

Christine,

I will do a quick graphic to explain.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Don Hoey

Christine,

I will do a quick graphic to explain.

Don

Christine,

Took a bit longer than expected, but I hope it explains. I can take a pic tomorrow if you like.

Don

[Saphire]

With it now Don. I looked closely at the third photo but couldn't see any gaps in the foil. Thanks for the explanation and drawings.

[Lello]

Hi Don can you show me a photo of the splitter from behind (where the flash unit goes in) I'm intrigued.

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Lello

Hi Don can you show me a photo of the splitter from behind (where the flash unit goes in) I'm intrigued.

Lello, I'll take a pic tomorrow as I did not use it on the final version. Perhaps I should also take a pic of the Metz on the X for Foxy.

I was about to post this, so here goes.

I have finally finished the Metz 45 CL3 flashgun diffuser.

The idea is that I can use it as I would the SB80-DX with stofen fired through a reflector. The big advantage for me is that this provides a similar quality of light in a stand alone package.

The only difference between the trial unit and the finished article is that I did not need the beam splitter if I used the diffuser screen. So with a bit of rubber to protect the screen from scratches, that was the final choice.

The diffuser bowl is attached by 2 velcro straps so easy on, easy off.

The copper mount was cut using variously, hammer and chisel onto a block of wood and a cheap pair of workshop scissors. Dressed with a fine file/emery cloth.

Cost:
£0:69 pence for the bowl,
£1:50 max for 1/2 a sheet of K&sS ' Create With Metal ' .025 x 4 x 10 Copper sheet,
13 inches of 20mm wide stick on velcro ( some of it is doubled over ),
1/4 of a standard pillow protector, about 3 inches of pipe insulation foam rubber wrap ( could have used carboard ), 2 off M5 x 10 screws and nuts, 3 inches of foil tape, kitchen foil and gaffer tape.

I'll settle for less than a fiver.

Don

[Lello]

Very neat Don, It looks a lot more professional than any thing Blue Peter turned out. Not only does it look good I bet it works a treat as well!

[Saphire]

Its brilliant, I can't wait to see some photo's taken with the setup. Another cracker.

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Lello

Hi Don can you show me a photo of the splitter from behind (where the flash unit goes in) I'm intrigued.

Lello,

A few pics attached that may help to explain all.

As in all things there are several ways of doing things so include a pic showing how a studio flash overcomes initial diffusion. Aslso includes a comparison of the SB80-DX and Metz to show why I did not need the splitter for the Metz.

A pic of various wide angle diffusers, so you will know something useful in a pile of junk when you see it. ie similarity with certain lenses in car reversing lights/clear indicator panels etc.

Not forgetting the pic you requested, and an explanitory graphic.

I hope this is useful.

Don