mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

Found an article where a photog makes his own flash extender. He says it outperforms the better beamers because you can make it bigger.

I'm going to try making one when I get some spare time.

Has anyone made their own?

Anyone use better beamers? How do they do for you?

Please post images made with either!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Vic, I have never used a Beamer, but I have read about the home made ones. I guess the fresnel lenses are pretty cheap. How far out are you trying to get?
I haven't tried my Canon 600 for distance yet, but it will zoom to 200mm with a guide of 200 feet. With a Beamer it might go to 400!
Good luck in making your beamer. ;-)
SS

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

I own a Better Beamer for use on my Nikon SB-600 speedlight. Main use is to illuminate birds at a distance, while using a telephoto lens.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I use Better Beamers on a lot of bird shots. They work great on a 300mm or greater lens.

A side benefit is they reduce the recycle time when you don't need the distance.

This was at about 25'.

(Download)

crimesc324 Loc: West Palm Beach, Florida

I use one only limitation is it says it should be used on lenses 300mm or longer. shorter lenses cause a bright hot spot like a spotlight beam would

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

I don't have a set distance in mind, but I definitely want to play with the technology, just gotta remember not to leave them setting in the sun or they will melt your flash!

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

That's fantastic! That's the kind of bird shot I'm lookin for! I have the Canon FD 400mm f4.5 with the 2X TC and I think the flash extender would allow me to shoot at a faster shutter speed. Thanks for the post!

jcboy3

I own a couple of them; they are sized for specific flash models and don't work between models.

I made one with an adapter to help aim it and keep it stable. Bought one of the fresnel readers (same size as used with beamers), used foam core poster board and silver duct tape.

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Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Bigger is not better, because you cut down the range, and you start illuminating things that you don't want to light up - twigs, leaves, other birds etc.

Better Beamer is a happy compromise. I don't use it often - the camera's sync speed is 1/250 sec so I can really only make use of it in really bad light, or to add a bit of fill and catchlight in the eye.

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

COOL! I will use your photo for reference, thanks!

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

Makes sense, I will keep that in mind. I hadn't thought of that.

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

If you are interested in decent quality Fresnel lenses to make your own, Edmund Scientific used to sell various focal lengths. I have no idea if they are still in business, but you could look them up and see.

Long before you could buy commercial Fresnel lenses for flashes, I came up with the idea of using the lens for extending the ability of a flash. When I was at university, one of my instructors had an open final project for the class. Each student was to design and attempt to improve upon existing camera equipment, and show their results for the final in the class.

When choosing a fresnal lens, you have to look at the focal length of the fresnel lens you intend to use. Proper focal length for the lens really makes a difference. You also need to run tests as to the proper distance from the flash to place the lens.

If I would have known then that the idea was going to be such a success, I wouldn't be here right now, HA. It is funny how many things we invent on a daily basis in our shop or around then find out someone has one for sale years later.

The beamer style flash is OK occasionally, but if you are in the field and shoot a lot of varied subjects during the day, they are less than useful. Fun and useful at a blind or feeding station, but hiking around, not so much. The 200th/250 sec flash sync is the biggest drawback.

CaptainBobBrown

Here on big island of Hawaii I do a lot of bird photography under highly varied conditions with bright skies and deep shadows. Just started using the Better Beamer and it makes a huge difference in producing well lit birds which usually hide in shadows but to my surprise also helps enormously to take good shots of birds sitting in open against backlit bright skies. It's important though to have external flash offset from axis of lens or one gets lots of "steely eyed" birds (flash reflecting in eyes of birds even if 40-60 feet distant). Just ordered an external flash bracket from B&H hoping to get the flash and Beamer off axis so the birds continue to be better lit but without steely eyes. By the way, I find the flash and Beamer improve balance for hand held shots with Sigma 150-500 while walking around looking for birds.

Red house finch in Mauna Kea rain forest

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

I hate it when that happens!! I was drawing pictures of "people movers" vehicles in the early eighties that look just like the mini vans that came out soon after. We are geniuses ahead of our time!

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

Beautiful shot! Looks naturally lit. So get the beamer a bit off axis... Check.