Flash diffuser for mirrorless compact camera.

[John E Earley]

I saw this idea somewhere on the net, posssibly here on RFF but can't remember where. This took me about 45 minutes to make from leftovers of a UHMWP cutting board that gave up it's life for some other project. Everything was done with hand tools. The next step is to cut it down to a minimum that still works.

IMG_20140913_132059 by John Earley, on Flickr

DSC02092 by John Earley, on Flickr

 

[daveleo]

John,

How are you going to decide how small it can be?
Can you glue the pieces instead of screw them together??

 

[John E Earley]

John,

How are you going to decide how small it can be?
Can you glue the pieces instead of screw them together??

I'm going to cut it back a bit at a time, testing as I go. This type of plastic is difficult to glue although it can be done. I don't know exactly what I would use so screws are easier.

 

[rbiemer]

I suspect you could go pretty small: on my digital, I sometimes use a 35mm film canister. I've cut a slot from the open end to the bottom just wide enough to slide over the pop up flash, then put the cap on to hold it in place.Rob

 

[Nokton48]

I cut a ping-pong ball in half, and it was perfect for use on my Sony Nex flash.

 

[John E Earley]

I cut a ping-pong ball in half, and it was perfect for use on my Sony Nex flash.

How was the color balance?

 

[Nokton48]

How was the color balance?

Perfectly usuable for me. You might want to try it.

 

[John E Earley]

Perfectly usuable for me. You might want to try it.

I think I will.

 

[David Hughes]

What's wrong with the traditional cigarette paper?

 

[nikon_sam]

Used a napkin directly in front of the flash...
1/15 @ 4.8...ISO160...tripod mounted.

 

[pvdhaar]

Neat.. not only because it diffuses the light, but also keeps the built-in flash tilted up.

Such a thingamajig would solve my main beef with the NEX-6; even without hood, the 10-18 casts a shadow when using the built-in flash.. that is, unless I'm resorting to finger acrobatics for making it bounce against the ceiling..