Dim Flash wrote:
I'm looking for suggestions for an on camera flash modifier. I would like something small but effective and easy on and off. This would be for indoor photos with walls and ceilings less than ideal for bounce flash.
“Small, but effective”, unfortunately isn’t going to work. Your on-camera flash is already small, and not giving you the effect you want.
Bounce light is softer because it comes from a large area. Essentially the light from your flash lights up a large circle of the ceiling, and that large circle of brightness illuminates the subject, and most of the room as well.
When the ceiling is gone (outdoors) or too high, you really can’t bounce light off of it.
The usual alternative is to use large flat diffusers or reflectors, or umbrellas. Umbrellas fold up, making them more portable. Generally, from any given distance, The larger the light source the softer the light.
If your flash can be oriented to aim up, a simple 9x12 white card can be taped on at a 45degree angle to give a slightly softer light, particularly when used at portrait distances. Go smaller, or fold it if you need it to fit your gadget bag.
You can fold a larger card, too, but in order to cover the most area with light it needs to be mounted several inches above the flash. Consider using small sticks or dowel rods as supports.
If your flash doesn’t rotate, or even if it does, you may have luck using a common plastic gallon-size milk bottle as a diffuser. Remove a rectangle smaller than your flash, extend the cut lines 1/2” or so and create flexible flaps that hold the bottle (somewhat) securely. It is an ugly and amateurish setup, but does a highly effective job of diffusing the light.
These diffusers also spread the light over a wider field and allow use of very wide angle lenses—but at the same time they waste a lot and will reduce maximum distance.
Simply because the weight and size of a large light source make it very difficult to use on camera, consider getting a light stand to hold your light. Then put your flash with diffuser or reflector on that and connect with cord from camera hot shoe to flash.