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DIY Speedlight Diffuser
I call this a Semi-DIY project because the piece in the far upper left, which is somewhat complex, comes from a disassembled cheapo ringlight which I'd purchased for $38 but decided to return. Instead, I made a deal and simply got a $28 refund while keeping the item. So this plastic and velcro piece cost me $10. It works very nicely.
The funnel was cut to have four tabs with holes drilled in them (look closely) to match the four screw-holes in the attachment dingus. I used my own nuts and bolts and the two parts are very securely connected.
I sanded the inside of the funnel just to make sure the paint would stay put. One coat of some latex enamel. I cut a circle of small-bubble bubble wrap from a large sheet of the stuff I often use as diffusing material. Taped into place this alone does a nice job, as can be seen in photo #5.
But I wanted the final illuminated disk to be larger, and I wanted to make sure the light would be thoroughly and smoothly diffused, so I cut the flat inside panels out of three plastic bin covers. I bought a bunch of these shoe-box sized containers for $1 each to organize my stuff on bookshelves and with incredible foresight had saved all the covers. Three cut-out panels wrapped around the funnel and taped into place then trimmed to size added just enough extra diameter for me. The plastic is light and flexible - this whole unit will pack well and take a beating; it weighs the same as four AA batteries. The final diameter is 7.5 inches - between a softball and a volleyball.
Last step: I cut two circles of see-through fabric and taped them separately into place, taut and with the "grain" of the two pieces at right angles. In photo #6 the result is tested with a Nikon SB-600 speedlight. The SB-600 is set for maximum spread with the wide-angle flap down. I expected a nice circle of projected illumination but was surprised at just how smooth it was and how nice the edge fall-off looked.
This is a wide-angle device and would very likely get in the way of the shot if I tried to use it to illuminate just a part of the subject. From a few feet away it will illuminate the entire frame quite evenly. The nice fall-off on the edges gives me the ability to use this on half the frame to even out other lighting or get an effect. Though I'm not much of a portraitist I can see this being a nice unit for that purpose; it would make very nice reflected highlights in eyeballs. But this will really come into its own for macro and close-up work. Placed just outside the frame this will act like a huge softbox (costing $thousands) does with a human. It will be like half a light tent, but much easier to use and maneuver than either a real softbox or tent.
Note that there is a horizontal rectangular area of slightly more intense light in the center of the projection - matching the shape of the speedlight. It's subtle enough to not be a problem. Total cost (guesstimate) if you count only $10 for the manufactured part and include $1 for each of the three plastic covers: $15.
DIY Speedlight Diffuser
I call this a Semi-DIY project because the piece in the far upper left, which is somewhat complex, comes from a disassembled cheapo ringlight which I'd purchased for $38 but decided to return. Instead, I made a deal and simply got a $28 refund while keeping the item. So this plastic and velcro piece cost me $10. It works very nicely.
The funnel was cut to have four tabs with holes drilled in them (look closely) to match the four screw-holes in the attachment dingus. I used my own nuts and bolts and the two parts are very securely connected.
I sanded the inside of the funnel just to make sure the paint would stay put. One coat of some latex enamel. I cut a circle of small-bubble bubble wrap from a large sheet of the stuff I often use as diffusing material. Taped into place this alone does a nice job, as can be seen in photo #5.
But I wanted the final illuminated disk to be larger, and I wanted to make sure the light would be thoroughly and smoothly diffused, so I cut the flat inside panels out of three plastic bin covers. I bought a bunch of these shoe-box sized containers for $1 each to organize my stuff on bookshelves and with incredible foresight had saved all the covers. Three cut-out panels wrapped around the funnel and taped into place then trimmed to size added just enough extra diameter for me. The plastic is light and flexible - this whole unit will pack well and take a beating; it weighs the same as four AA batteries. The final diameter is 7.5 inches - between a softball and a volleyball.
Last step: I cut two circles of see-through fabric and taped them separately into place, taut and with the "grain" of the two pieces at right angles. In photo #6 the result is tested with a Nikon SB-600 speedlight. The SB-600 is set for maximum spread with the wide-angle flap down. I expected a nice circle of projected illumination but was surprised at just how smooth it was and how nice the edge fall-off looked.
This is a wide-angle device and would very likely get in the way of the shot if I tried to use it to illuminate just a part of the subject. From a few feet away it will illuminate the entire frame quite evenly. The nice fall-off on the edges gives me the ability to use this on half the frame to even out other lighting or get an effect. Though I'm not much of a portraitist I can see this being a nice unit for that purpose; it would make very nice reflected highlights in eyeballs. But this will really come into its own for macro and close-up work. Placed just outside the frame this will act like a huge softbox (costing $thousands) does with a human. It will be like half a light tent, but much easier to use and maneuver than either a real softbox or tent.
Note that there is a horizontal rectangular area of slightly more intense light in the center of the projection - matching the shape of the speedlight. It's subtle enough to not be a problem. Total cost (guesstimate) if you count only $10 for the manufactured part and include $1 for each of the three plastic covers: $15.