Interfit Strobies Mini Beauty Dish

[rpcrowe]

This is not a sceintific or even a fair tst. Just a few frames casually shot!

I was given this beauty dish by a friend. http://www.amazon.com/Interfit-Strob...ef=cm_cmu_pg_t

Whenever one photographer "gives" a piece of photo equipment to another photographer one has to wonder why the equipment was given away. I mentioned that I wanted to fabricate a beauty dish and my friend said, don't bother I have one to give you. Howeber, this dish is far smaller than any I planned to fabricate.

As I said, I have not done a formal test with this beauty dish but simply shot a couple of frames of a friend who came to visit us with a Maltese she adopted from us. I also did a quickie shot of my Goldendoodle and one of her Maltese puppy friends.

The beauty dish does a fairly decent on-camera job when the camera is in the landscape position. I think that my friend looks quite photogenic in the image...



Shadows don't seem to cause any big problems in the shot of my Goldendoodle.



However for a reasonably up close shot, on-camera in the portrait position, the shadow behind the subject is IMO objectionable. I realize tha the dog is too close to the chair back but, I shoot in circumstances like this all the time with the Flash Diffuser Pro and bounce flash...



Actually, I plan on trying this unit on my Stroboframe Camera Flip Flash Bracket with the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. It might do a decent job.

I plan on triggering it with the on-camera flash. In the portrait position and using the on camera flash as both trigger and fill light, the combination "MAY" produce a replica of Paramount or Butterfly lighting in female portraits.

Another problem with this "Beauty Dish" is light loss. I noticed that I have to increase my ISO in order to get decently exposed imagery.

The dish is not particularly secure on the adapter and the adapter is not particularly secure on the flash...

However although I am willing to try new things, I think that my Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro on a camera mounted flash bounced does a far better job so far than this "Beauty Dish". It just may go into my "Unwanted Gear Box" waiting for my camera club's nest rummage sale...

[Mike Buckley]

I think that my friend looks quite photogenic in the image...

Considering both your passion for your rescues and the photogenic nature of all of your subjects, I'm not exactly sure which subject is "your friend."

[rpcrowe]

Actually, Mike, you're exactly correct. Although I have known the Sue for fifteen years, the dog is a special love for me. Sue had adopted Bernadette from us six months ago and is the second dog that Sue has adopted from us. The first dog died of old age after a very happy life. Sue brought Bernadette by to show my wife how nice she looks. It is a quantum improvement over what she looked like right after we rescued her and her puppies from a shelter...



Her odor is certainly an improvement also! Bernadette's puppies were only days old when we pulled her, filthy and vermin ridden, with her pups from the San Bernardino, California Shelter (hence the name, Bernadette). I always try to take an entry picture of a dog when it arrives at my home. I almost didn't with Bernadette because she stank so badly. It was difficult to see the diamond under that lump of coal dust!

Bernadette is living the happy life with Sue and her mother catering to her every need. Certainly a change for the better from her last lifestyle!