Chrishants Loc: England

I need to take a few macro shots, and wonder whats the best way to make a simple diffuser? Have a Nikon 105 2.8 Micro lens, and a D7100 with onboard flash, but also an SB600 add on flash.

pshane

I've had success with the sides of a plastic Milk Jug, cut to fit.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

1) Take a standard, white business envelope. Turn your SB600 flash head straight up, place envelope against back dies of strobe, secure with a rubber band.

2) Take a translucent white Tupperware style container that is large enough to cover your strobe head (when vertical) secure with sufficient gaffer tape to strobe. This one's harder because you get light leak out of the bottom of the tub unless you wrap it up like a mummy with tape.

Instant flash diffuser.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Back in the day, even as far back as bulb, you could drape a linen handkerchief over the flash. Obviously, something more permanent is desirable. Frosted plastic bottles are a good thing to try, find one just the size to slip over and you're most of the way there.

M1911 Loc: DFW Metromess

Use a sheet of printer paper and tape one end to the underside if the flash head and the other to the top, forming a U shaped diffuser. You can trim the paper to the width of the flash head or not.

Chrishants Loc: England

Thanks for replies.

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

Today people want diffuse light for macro work, which works if you want to illuminate the cracks and crannies of the subject so that they are not sharp. But depending on how high the magnification is and the textures in the surface of the subject, the image is sharper, the more specular it is. That is, the darker recesses of a surface give it texture, so specular light brings out the little cracks and crannies. (This was known all along for portraiture, using large light sources or light reflected from large surfaces--sharp details of skin cracks were not the goal.)

For very close macro work, when the lens is close to the subject, diffuse light may be the only way to light it up, but the Kodak professional workshop text suggests using tiny pinpoint lights for sharp macro: fiberoptic light sources. This is the exact opposite of circular flash or larger light sources/reflectors/diffusers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224151338662?hash=item343075fea6:g:3xsAAOSwn~5fWXBh

The cover of this book, the little beetle, was photographed on an 8x10 transparency film using a Kodak Ektar 25mm lens for movie cameras (mounted backwards) and pinpoint lights using fiberoptic source. The science of light has not changed.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

White Kleenex works

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

There are a lot of ideas here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=diy+speedlight+bounce+card&sxsrf=AOaemvLS7-yw4KN_L57zR95Rdsxp2uzTYg:1631998383780&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwisncHfs4nzAhWbQzABHYJECIsQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1920&bih=1097&dpr=1

Chrishants Loc: England

Will try tomorrow and see how I get on. Thanks for ideas.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Here's a simple cheap idea that has worked well for me when I want to grab something quick.

(Download)

Crazytooth Loc: Suffolk, UK

I cut a Pringles tin at 45 degrees and put a bit of kitchen paper over it as an experiment.
Did a quick garden safari...a bush cricket in a rose, the image has been compressed the original is sharper.
I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

(Download)

chfrus

As I learned in the US Army photo school back in the day Fort Mammoth N.J use tissue paper single or double it up.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I have stooped to using toilet paper once, rapped it around a few times, worked great. UNUSED of course.

n4jee Loc: New Bern, NC

A plastic container like soup comes from a Chinese restaurant works great. Cut the hole in the bottom to fit the flash. For additional diffusion you can add some bubble wrap before replacing the translucent cap.