Ask Quest Archive 2000

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February, 2000

Question:
I read through the FAQ’s and could not find an answer to the specific situation I have. I have to take pictures of an event that’s held in a dimly lit auditorium. The stage will be lit but not very strongly as they prefer to keep the lights quite low. I have to take pictures of people on stage as well as pictures of groups of people seated in the auditorium. I will be using an N90s with SB 28 mounted on the camera body (hotshoe) and an 800 speed film. I guess most of my shots will be with a 100mm lens and a few with 24mm. Dim lights cause dilated pupils which makes the eye a good candidate for "red eye". I also want to avoid the harsh shadows caused by the flash. Which LumiQuest® product would you recommend for this situation?

Answer:
As you are undoubtedly aware, this is a difficult situation. You are correct in assuming that the dilated pupils are an invitation for "red-eye". This is compounded by the proximity of the flash to the camera which compounds the problem. Since you can’t control ambient light, you should get the primary light source away from the camera. The objective is to position the light so that the portion of the retina which is being illuminated is not being "seen" by the camera. LumiQuest® accessories help reduce "red-eye" by enlarging and thereby reducing the intensity of the light source and moving it a bit off camera. Unfortunately, these benefits are increasingly diminished as you move further from the subject and use longer lenses. The bottom line goes something like this:

1. Beyond about 10 feet our accessories have little impact on shadow softening but do distribute the light more evenly which you might find helpful.
2. Get your flash well off camera to help simulate more natural light and reduce the chance of red eye.
3. Either a Quantum radio or Wein infrared slave has the discrete channels you need to operate a separate camera/flash set up situation.

Answer:
Actually, the SoftBox and the FX have two different purposes. The SoftBox is larger and diffuses the light more for a variety of applications. The FX is not really a SoftBox; it is a holder for any of the five colored gels provided in the kit. For background light you might want to consider the FX to add a wash of color to the background. The SoftBox has no pocket or provision to attach gels.

Answer:
Well, I haven’t "factory tested" but I’ve party and reception tested the SoftBox Stroboframe combination on a number of occasions. It works great and I would probably use the two again.

April, 2000

Question:
How do your products compare to the Stofen Omni Bounce?

Answer:
The Omni Bounce spreads the light over at least 180 degrees. Since not too many lenses can see that wide, the light is wasted unless it is bounced back into the subject. In small rooms or other isolated areas the Omni Bounce can produce very even, soft light because it is turning walls and ceilings into light sources as the light bounces off them. Unfortunately, you often see the Omni Bounce used in large open rooms or outside where there are no surfaces to bounce the light back into the photographical area of the scene. That extra wide spread of light has no impact on the lighting of the scene.
We are introducing our own extra wide illumination device for those close quarter situations where there are nearby walls and ceilings. It will fold flat and incorporate a shield to keep from confusing the auto exposure sensor on most flash units. It is called the LumiQuest® Mini Max and will be available by May of this year.

Answer:
Essentially given the same lighting instrument to subject distance, the larger the light source the softer the shadows. This is more noticeable with some subjects than others especially if there is a surface, often a wall behind the subject upon which the shadow is cast. Since our bounce devices are five times the size of the flash head, they will produce softer shadows. In addition, the light source is moved further from the camera, creating a more natural source while reducing the possibility and severity of red-eye. Our bounce devices and SoftBoxes also serve to more evenly illuminate a scene.

Answer:
The MidiBouncer is about 30% larger than our original Pocket Bouncer. It was designed for the larger Metz and Sunpak flash units but it will work fine on your SB-26. You will find that it will cover at least 80% which is adequate for your 24mm lens. While it will more evenly, eliminate the subject, it will have a minimal influence on shadow softness when you are shooting groups, simply due to the great lighting instrument to subject distances.

Question:
I am looking for a tool/device to soften or reduce shadows when I use my Promaster automatic flash. Currently, I mount the flash directly on the camera, but I am considering getting a Promaster bracket so I can hold my camera steadier. I have looked through your brochure and web page, but I am still uncertain which product would best suit my needs. I shoot both indoors and outdoors. Also, can I compensate for light loss while in the automatic mode on my Pentax camera or must I make manual adjustments? Will the flash automatically adjust? I am strongly considering the SoftBox or the Pocket Bouncer. Please give me your thoughts and recommendations. As you can tell, I am a real novice, but want to improve my photos.

Answer:
Both the Pocket Bouncer and the SoftBox effectively enlarge the light source, creating softer shadows. This improvement is more significant the closer the flash is to the subject. The SoftBox is a bit softer than the Pocket Bouncer but is not quite as easy to install and remove. The Pocket Bouncer loses slightly more light than the SoftBox but is more compact. You can use other (gold and silver) bounce surfaces with the Pocket Bouncer; this is not possible with the SoftBox.
With both devices, the light loss is compensated for automatically with most flash units but maximum operating distances will be reduced. The "Auto OK" indicators on your flash should still be operational, so keep an eye on them.

Answer:
I'm not familiar with that flash; however, if the head does not allow for ceiling bounce, then use of our devices is not possible. So that leaves us with our SoftBoxes. When shooting TTL, the light is metered at the film plane so exposure adjustment is not effected by our devices. If, however, you are either using the auto focus assist or the automatic exposure features of the flash and they are being even partially blocked by our accessories, then you can't use the accessory. Our ProMax SoftBox is configured so as to not create this situation on most popular flash units.

Answer:
You can use your Pocket Bouncer at a variety of settings including f4. And yes, your exposure indicator is still functional and should be monitored regardless of whether or not you are using a Pocket Bouncer.

Answer:
The UltraBounce is the newest member of our line of flash accessories. It attaches to the head of your flash to spread the light over approximately 180º. The purpose of this wide light pattern is to bounce off nearby walls and ceilings for a very natural, evenly illuminated scene. Obviously since the angle of view of the lense will likely be significantly less than that 180º spread, there must be other surfaces (walls and ceiling) available for this device/technique to work properly. You will find it very effective in homes, offices, etc.
The UltraBounce has an integrated and adjustable sensor screen so the wide light pattern does not interfere with automatic operation. Like other LumiQuest® products it attaches in seconds with hook/loop fasteners and folds flat for storage.

Question:
I have a Pocket Bouncer and Softbox. What kind of effective distance ranges can I expect when I use each? I typically shoot either 200, 400 and 800 speed film. My flash has a guide no of 43 ISO 100/m. (Sigma 430ST with Canon EOS A2).

Answer:
With these relatively fast films, unless you are shooting at smaller apertures (F8 or smaller), your limiting factor using the Pocket Bouncer or SoftBox will not be exposure. Both accessories are more needed and more effective at closer distances. They are very effective at 3-6 ft, less effective at 10-12 ft and have negligible effect on shadow softness at 15ft. As a general rule of thumb beyond about 12 ft. I would remove the accessory and shoot with direct flash.

Answer:
Over the years we have experimented with a variety of combinations of flash units, LumiQuest® accessories and zoom settings. The general conclusion has been that different zoom settings had little effect on the quality of the light. As a result, we recommend a normal zoom setting but point out that it appears a non issue. Should your experience findings to the contrary, we would like to hear from you.

Answer:
Ring lights are designed to produce shadow lighting since the subject is evenly illuminated from all directions. While this is valuable in scientific application, these images generally lack depth and three dimensionality. LumiQuest® accessories generally enlarge and more evenly distribute the light regardless of the subject or application. For close up surgical procedures I would recommend our Big Bounce unless size is an issue, in which case I would recommend either the UltraSoft or the SoftBox.

Question:
I recently ordered and have received your UltraBounce attachment. Like all LumiQuest® products, it appears to be well-made and easily transported. I would like to obtain further information about its usage.

On the product packaging, there are drawings of a flash unit with the UltraBounce attached. Those drawings appear to illustrate the flash head: 1) aimed straight ahead; 2) aimed at about a 45 degree angle; and 3) aimed vertically. I understand the effects of pointing the flash head directly at a subject. However, I would be interested in usage suggestions regarding and the effects of aiming the flash head at a 45-60 degree angle, and the effects of aiming the flash head at a 90 degree angle (straight up). I think that I can somewhat visualize the differential results, but your suggestions regarding different flash head angles with the UltraBounce would save me some film and time in experimentation.

Answer:
The UltraBounce distributes the light over approximately 180°. The position of the flash head is determined by the environment. For instance in the vertical position light would be distributed behind the photographer to be reflected back into the scene by a nearby wall. If there were no wall available, this position would obviously result in wasted light. Essentially, the position of the flash is determined by the objectives and available bounce surfaces. The sensor screen can be placed between the light source and the exposure sensor on the flash to keep that light from interfering with automatic operation.

Answer:
Red-eye is the result of the camera photographing the portion of the retina which has been illuminated by the flash. Several factors influence the degree to which red-eye occurs to an objectionable degree. As the flash is moved farther from the lense it increasingly illuminates a portion of the retina which is out of view of the camera. Actually, as subject to camera flash distance increases, red-eye becomes more of a problem because the angle of convenience between the flash and lense becomes more acute. Often a flash is used in low light situations in which the subject's iris dilates making it easier for the camera to photograph the portion of the retina illuminated by the flash. And lastly, the flash is a very concentrated intense source of light and should the camera photograph the position of the retina that has been illuminated by that concentrated light, it will in all likelihood result in objectionable red-eye.

LumiQuest® accessories help reduce red-eye in two ways. In the case of the SoftBoxes, they enlarge the light source, reducing the intensity of the light to strike any position of the retina. The bounce devices such as the Pocket Bouncer, UltraSoft and Big Bounce enlarge the light source as well but in addition they generally move the light source farther from the lense thereby reducing red-eye in two different ways.
Hopefully this has provided you with the information needed to select a LumiQuest® accessory to work with your Pentax flash gun.

Hopefully you will have benefitted from the use of our products and will also benefit from discussions regarding their use. Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific problems or questions. You can e-mail your questions to Quest by clicking the 'Email Quest' button at the top of this page.

Good shooting,

Quest C. Couch, III