Gil S: If you own an external flash you probably know that one of the great things about it is bouncing it off walls and ceilings to achieve a soft and more balanced light effect, unlike direct light on your photo subject. Well, if you don't know, then look it up right away! it upgrades indoor photos by a factor of about zillion...
But the problem with bouncing is that
A) you don't always have the right wall to bounce from - it may be too far (or too high if it's a ceiling) or it may be dark or the direction is not what you expect and
B) if you change the way you hold the camera from landscape to portrait of the other way around you are likely to need to re-tilt the plash which is annoying.
This simple and reasonably priced gadget fixes BOTH issues. No longer bouncing, just put this on your flash and tilt it 45 degrees (or even directly at your subject if you're using ETTL) and you're done. The only caveat is that it reduces the light level but I didn't think it was an issue with photos i've taken so far.
Unlike some other diffusers, this one simply goes on top of your flash and is tight enough to stay there. no adapters needed.
United States on Jan 24, 2013
M. Gonzalez: As a full time professional photographer who loves to get the most out of her very little money, I had to try this diffuser, right?
This thing is amazing! I bought it for my 430ex flash after my beloved Opteka SB-1 diffuser fell apart. The SB-1 still works, what with only needing to be a piece of material, but I have to sit down and fasten it on since the velcro loops broke (really soon after buying it!).
This Sto-Fen diffuser fits like a glove! I was worried about that, because I do a lot of moving around when I shoot and I didn't want something flimsy that could fall off. This baby is snug!
It does a lovely job with the diffusing, as well! I would say it does as good a job as my old Opteka, and I adore that thing. I use flash in just about every shot. Even camping in broad daylight. It's beautiful!
I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a STEAL on a diffuser. The Opteka is great before it falls apart, but even then you have to loop the velcro strap through and yada yada. This hard plastic does not wrinkle like the Opteka (so I can just toss it in the bag), it takes up very little space in my bag(which makes up for it not being collapsible), and it...
United States on Jul 17, 2010
Steven Kohus: The Sto-Fen OMEW Omni-Bounce Diffuser works fairly well as a diffuser. It fits snugly on my Speedlite 430EX-II flash, and has improved my flash photography considerably in certain situations, such as indoors or in confined spaces. Without a diffuser, the flash can sometimes give a very unnatural harsh look. With a diffuser, the light looks softer and more natural. I have found it helpful for outdoor night photos as well to lower the shutter speed to let in more ambient night light (like a city skyline), and use the flash diffuser to get a close photo of someone without the light being overpowering.
It does a very good job of diffusing the light, but I often have to remember to use it when near the subject, and remove it if the subject is further away. My only complaint is the same one that many other reviewers have, it is kind of expensive for a small piece of plastic. All camera gear is already quite expensive, so seems silly that something as simple as this costs $8-10 (plus shipping and handling). There are many online tutorials about creating your own diffusers from milk jugs or other materials, which can save you money if you don't want to spend ten bucks on this....
United States on May 04, 2009
| Sto-Fen OM-EW Omni-Bounce Flash Diffuser for Canon Speedlite 430EX, 430EX II, and 430EX III | Neewer Camera Flash Diffuser for Improved Light Quality - Compatible with TT560 and TT520 Speedlite | Neewer Photography Studio Lighting Reflector: Pop-Out Foldable Soft Diffuser Disc Panel for Evenly Diffused Light | |
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| B2B Rating |
86
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95
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93
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| Sale off | $2 OFF | $3 OFF | $1 OFF |
| Total Reviews | 8 reviews | 19 reviews | 54 reviews |
| Date First Available | May 12, 2006 | May 19, 2016 | September 11, 2017 |
| Item Weight | 0.64 ounces | 0.3 ounces | 2.04 pounds |
| Manufacturer | No | No | No |
| Product Dimensions | 5.87 x 4.02 x 2.09 inches | 6.7 x 4.7 x 1.3 inches | |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4/5 stars of 587 ratings | 4.4/5 stars of 1,148 ratings | 4.5/5 stars of 172 ratings |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No | No | No |
| Item model number | SFOMEW | 10087087@@794 | 10090905 |
| ASIN | B000CLNHXY | B01FW3VE54 | B075K6VFG3 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #79 in Lighting Diffusers#208 in Camera Flash Light Diffusers | #22 in Camera Flash Light Diffusers |
There are several of these "after market" diffusers offered for the "Canon 430 EXII" flash. Many are cheaper and some are far more expensive and all seem to have some reviews indicating problems with the "fit" to the flash. I chose this one by "Stofen" because it was both "middle of the road" in price and seemed to have the best chance of satisfaction for "fit" to the "Canon 430 EXII" flash according to my reading of a lot of reviews.
Well I can safely say I am very pleased with this "Stofen" diffuser that I received. Now, I obviously cannot speak for ALL "Stofen" diffusers but the one I received works very well for me. It does fit my "Canon 430 EXII" flash very well. The diffuser is of course plastic but is just flexible enough to fit my flash without falling...
United States on Aug 29, 2015