# home-made pop-up flash methods



## Kofman13 (Jun 11, 2010)

I just got my D90 and blew alot of money on it haha. Until i can afford a good flash, i was wondering if there are ways to work with the popup flash.
for instance a home made diffuser like this:
Homemade pop-up flash diffuser - Photo.net Lighting Equipment and Techniques Forum
would that work well?
is there any good material to hold in front of the flash to diffuse?
what about home made methods to bounce pop up flash up towards ceiling?

thanks


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## Boomn4x4 (Jun 11, 2010)

Kofman13 said:


> what about home made methods to bounce pop up flash up towards ceiling?
> 
> thanks


 
A white business card strategicly folded and held/taped on the flash.


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## mfer (Jun 11, 2010)

I tried many different setups with my d40.  My conclusion (on the d40) is that the flash isn't powerful enough to bounce up.  I was using tin-foil and styrofoam cups in various setups.  The thing that worked best was a piece of packing foam placed over the top of my lens.  Didn't put it directly in front of the flash, but a little farther out.

Still, it wasn't that good.


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## Big Mike (Jun 11, 2010)

As mentioned, the built in flash isn't very powerful, and anything you put in front of it, to 'diffuse' or redirect it, is just going to reduce it's efficiency.  

I'd suggest learning to shoot without it or just live with it until you can get a hot-shoe flash that is more powerful and that can tilt & swivel to allow for bouncing the light.


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## SrBiscuit (Jun 11, 2010)

i used to shoot thru a napkin, or tissue or something if i was in a bind.


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## Derrel (Jun 11, 2010)

For indoor close-ups or macro work, I have successfully used a sheet of typing paper with a "tail" cut out on both ends. Tape the tail to the top of the pentaprism, roll the paper out and curve it back,and tape the other tail down on to of the first one--it takes a 1-square inch flash, the pop-up, and makes it into an 80-square inch source of light...which is a significantly larger light source than a film cannister is.

The film can diffuser is a nice but dumb idea....it gives you a 3-square inch flash at most...80 square inches is actually creating a large-ish light source, at a cost of about 2 cents. There was a guy who raised geckos, and who used to do a lot of flash shots of them using this typing paper diffuser--it gives a really cool-looking,elongated catchlight in the eyes of geckos and other reptilian critters.


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## BrianLy (Jun 11, 2010)

This gave me some ideas.


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## gsgary (Jun 12, 2010)

Kofman13 said:


> I just got my D90 and blew alot of money on it haha. Until i can afford a good flash, i was wondering if there are ways to work with the popup flash.
> for instance a home made diffuser like this:
> Homemade pop-up flash diffuser - Photo.net Lighting Equipment and Techniques Forum
> would that work well?
> ...



No that one is made for the F80 the pop up is only good for fill shots outside


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