Gary Fong Puffer . . . thoughts?

[BillieBee]

Thanks Debi! I clicked purchase and it's on its way! Can't wait to get it. I, too, don't like the harsh light from the flash when I take a pic indoors. I'm still such a newbie with my camera on manual mode -- and I don't have the wide-aperture lens that would probably solve some of the problems. Good luck to both of us!

[bjwtville]

this looks great...thanks...he should give you a cut for advertising...

[SuzanneB]

Originally Posted by c18913

HELP?!!

Has anyone used this on a 40D? When I put it on the flash shoe, someone it seems to turn the flash off. Puffer off, flash flashes, Puffer on...nothing.

I'm sure I've done something silly...but can't figure out what...

Any suggestions?

Hi Girls!

Does anyone have any feedback on this? I read all your comments and thought that this product sounds like a great and inexpensive way to deal with the flash. The problem is that I have a Canon 40D and don't see that on the compatibility list. Does anyone know if the puffer will work on that camera? Thanks for any help!

[hguenthe]

Here is a quote from someone asking the same question on a Canon forum:

Steve Parrott, Jan 13, 2008; 02:20 p.m.

Danny, the Puffer is supposed to be specifically designed to still allow the pop up flash to function. It is a design of Canon cameras that when anything is mounted into the hot shoe, that the pop up flash will not function... will not even open as a matter of fact. I have a Puffer I use at times with my D60 and it works fine. However, the puffer has some type of design in the foot of it that will not allow it to fully insert into the hot shoe. This in turn causes the switch under the hot shoe to not be "made" and so the pop up flash will still work. In other words only about half of the Puffer foot slides into the hot shoe and the remaining is extended out over the back of the hot shoe. When I first got the Puffer I thought this was a defect and was about to modify it so it would fit fully into the hot shoe, but you DO NOT WANT THAT. Are you forcing your Puffer too far into the hot shoe, or is it going all the way in by inself? If it is, then your flash is certainly not going to work. Try just inserting it about half way into the hot shoe and see if the flash will work then.

Maybe trying adjusting the puffer to see if this is what your problem is as well.

An idea. I don't have either a puffer or a Canon to test out, sorry.

[beehive50]

Heather, thanks for the tip... I think I remember Gary Fong addressing that very issue in the little video on the webpage for the Puffer. Apparently, it's a problem for some people! And, hopefully, will NOT be an issue for Billie and I when we get our own little Puffers!

And, Suzanne... and anyone else interested... here's the compatability list directly copied from Gary Fong's website:

The PUFFER is compatible with many of today's digital cameras, including:

Canon EOS 10D
Canon EOS 20D
Canon EOS 30D
Canon Digital Rebel
Canon Digital Rebel XT
Canon Digital Rebel XTi
Canon D30Canon D60Canon Powershot Pro1Fuji FinePix 6900ZFuji S1 ProFuji S2 ProFuji S20 ProFuji S3 ProFuji S5 ProFuji S602ZFuji S7000ZFuji S9000Fuji S9000ZFuji S9100Fuji IS-1Fuji S6000SDHP Photosmart C912Kodak DCS-330Kodak Pro 14nKodak Pro SLR/nLeica V-Lux 1Nikon D100Nikon D200Nikon D40Nikon D40xNikon D50Nikon D70Nikon D70sNikon D80Olympus E-400Olympus E-410Olympus E-500Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

...and Many More!!

[neilhalen]

I bougt this POP-UP Puffer from Gary Fong Inc, but it is made very poor and it brook after the first time, the quality is very bad.
You can put better a white paper for it and you got the same.

[neilhalen]

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7997/brokenl.jpg
Broken Gary Fong Puffer, very poor Quality

[psulions21]

I've had one for some time. It works pretty well. I have an Olympus E520. I am a natural light photographer, but there are some occasions that I have had to use a flash and this works well for eliminating those harsh shadows.

[audrey77]

Originally Posted by neilhalen

I bougt this POP-UP Puffer from Gary Fong Inc, but it is made very poor and it brook after the first time, the quality is very bad.
You can put better a white paper for it and you got the same.

Did you talk to Gary about getting it replaced?

[mugsbigsis]

Originally Posted by lenasmommy

I read the subject and thought this is some weirdo posting spam - lol

It is. But that never stopped her.
I'm going to wait and see if you guys like it before I add something that I have to take on and off my camera.

OMGosh just looked at the date of this post! People!!!!

[sam ellis]

it really does look great. Who has got the diffusers for the strobe flash units?

I have looked at them for years but never bought .There are so many I dunno which is best.

any advice ?

[KerryMac]

Sam, I have the Gary Fong lightsphere and I guess I can say that I like the results that it produces but dislike the design of it a lot! It's so cumbersome and actually makes my speedlight droop. I've found that the little bounce card that is built in on my Speedlight works just as well.

[bluelemur01]

All of his stuff looks like "I need to have it now!" when I see him demo'ing it on his webpage. I'll eagerly await info from those who bought it...

[anke]

Jennifer, did you see how long ago they bought those? I am intrigued actually, I'll see how much this thing is now...

[quilter422]

dh just bought it for me for my birthday. the guy at the camera shop recommended it to him. so far (the whole hour i've been playing with it) it's worked great! i haven't had any trouble with the hot shoe or the pop-up flash.

[esther_a]

I'd love to see some more before-and-after shots! Belle's was convincing, but I saw another (was it in the gallery here?) that was not so convincing.
Such a great concept, though!

[katrinak]

I'd happily mail my puffer to anyone who would like it...

enough said?

[patriciaz]

I recently started to play with my flash, somehow I thought that I was supposed to avoid it in any situation, the truth it's that I am loving it.
What I do to soften the light, is to place a Kleenex on top of it.
Here are some of the photos I took using the Kleenex

[esther_a]

Kleenex! lol!!!! OK, Katrina and Patricia... enough said!

[Crissy]

YAY, Patricia! I got a whole box of those, LOL!! I'll have to try that

[dugarner]

I've been doing the kleenex trick since I got my camera, it does an okay job, do you tape it over or hold it? I've been needing to do some vertical shots and I have a hard time holding my camera with one hand and the kleenex with the other. People laugh at me and make comments about how cheap I am---it reminds me of the Jeff Foxworthy joke---you might be a redneck if you use your non-working TV as furniture for your working TV.

I really want a nice diffuser, but my $&*# hotshoe isn't standard. I have to BUY an adapter so I can use all the nice toys!

[patriciaz]

Sarah,
I don't hold it or tape it, I just pass it through the hole between the flash and the acccessory shoe
You have to fold it at least twice to have a decent result
This is how I use my cheap solution

[dugarner]

Patricia,

Genius! Absolutely genius! I never thought to do that. I'm going to try this tonight. I've been fiddling with flash strength, but it doesn't do exactly what I'm looking for.

[audrey77]

Originally Posted by patriciaz

Sarah,
I don't hold it or tape it, I just pass it through the hole between the flash and the acccessory shoe
You have to fold it at least twice to have a decent result
This is how I use my cheap solution

HA! That's great!

[esther_a]

Love it! What a great tip!

[anke]

brilliant! I won't feel like cheating again using my flash. I too thought you were supposed to avoid it goes to show how much I know...

[Kathie]

Oh, thanks for the visual on the kleenex Patricia! I have been using the plastic bowl trick, and have one that fits nicely over the flash, but I think your kleenex looks a lot easier!!

[Jaymers]

I had been using some ghetto bubble wrap to diffuse my flash (cant afford a speedlite right now, let alone a light sphere.) but I just ordered the puffer on amazon...hope that it works to reduce the hard shadows and softens things up a bit?