Diffuser - pop up

Hi guys

I do a lot of indoor shoots - typically of friends and family so more often than id like I have to use the flash - i dont like using higher ISOs and I do not have a prime lens (standard 18-55 is the one i use)

the pop up flash produces a rather harsh lighting and often causes my subjects to blink - can this be avoided with a diffuser (i.e placing the diffuser on the pop up lens) ? - i have seen them selling for as little as 4 pounds on amazon

thanks.

I still have a Gary Fong pop up diffuser in one of my bags somewhere and yeah, they do work. I'd really suggest a proper, hot shoe mounted flash, like the Yongnuo 565EX but to answer your question the pop up diffusers do work.

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The little diffuser for the camera's flash does work but with a price. It cuts down the light and if you're shooting from a reasonable distance, then the flash is not strong enough. A hot shoe mounted flash either bounced or diffused will through a lot more light on your subjects giving you more depth of field to keep people that are not exactly in the same focus plane sharp. These flashes are not that expensive and will make a major difference when you shoot events or indoor parties.

Thanks guys - informative as always

The other thing I forgot to mention is that the little diffuser on the onboard flash is still close enough to the lens that it could produce the infamous "Red eyes" effect.

I dont mind that so much as I heavily edit my photos in lightroom and always shoot in raw - I just dont like the harsh lights that the flash uses and i always end up not using it forcing me to use the higher ISOs

sorabh said:

I dont mind that so much as I heavily edit my photos in lightroom and always shoot in raw - I just dont like the harsh lights that the flash uses and i always end up not using it forcing me to use the higher ISOs

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Find a cheap knock-off version of the Gary Fong. These little diffusers will work fine for what you want.

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Yep - Exactly what ive done and ordered - thank you so much for your advice - great as usual

The diffusers work great but you should also look into a bounce card for the pop up flash. It works wonders in small rooms and by bouncing the light on the walls it softens/redirects the light enough that it is not disturbing to anyone you are shooting.

Great! thanks skene - they seem a bit pricey but ill be sure to look into them

at this price however - wouldnt it just be better to buy an external flash with a diffuser attached ?

sorabh said:

Great! thanks skene - they seem a bit pricey but ill be sure to look into them. at this price however - wouldnt it just be better to buy an external flash with a diffuser attached?

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Yes. Yes it would.

While the pop-up is good for a little fill-flash, or if you have absolutely no other choice, you can get the Yongnuo I linked to in my first post on the cheap and have oodles of power to play with. The head will tilt and swivel to allow you to bounce your flash off the ceiling or walls. You'll be like a fat kid in a photon-based candy store. Do it. You'll be glad you did.

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Look into something like the lightscoop. If you want simple, you can also use something like an index card and place in front of the flash at a 45* angle when you are using your pop up flash. You will see a large improvement when shooting indoors.