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I ran some test shots to determine the value of LS II.
I set my camera up:

on a tripod
aperture preferred (F5.6)
kit lens
matrix metering
TTL BL flash setting
strongly backlit subject

Here are the pix, in order:
1. No flash
2. D70 internal flash
3. SB800
4. SB800 with diffuser
5. SB800 bounced off ceiling
6. SB800 with LS II bounced as recommended (no dome)
7. SB800 with LS II bounced (with dome)
8. SB800 with LS II direct (with dome)

Here is another image taken with the lightsphere, bounced of roof no diffusion dome... It is a PNG so some versions of Microspoof ie will have probs


And I have found another advantage of the LSII.... It makes you subject smile!

Thanks for the great comparison Trevor.
I'm too lazy to do a proper series of comparisons for myself and am glad you did for all of us.
Your shots validate my impressions of the LSII. I personally like no. 7 best. BTW, what FL did you use? and did you try bouncing the SB800 Diffuser.

Thanks again for the test.

joolz wrote:Thanks for the great comparison Trevor.
I'm too lazy to do a proper series of comparisons for myself and am glad you did for all of us.
Your shots validate my impressions of the LSII. I personally like no. 7 best. BTW, what FL did you use? and did you try bouncing the SB800 Diffuser.

Thanks again for the test.

No, Jules - I didn't bounce the diffuser, only because the diffuser stops the zoom function on the SB800 from moving off 14mm.

FL = 70mm to fill the frame.

Hi

Thanks for sharing your tests with us. Could you repeat #4 SB800 with diffuser with a - 2/3 EV? The LSII spread out the light more than the diffuser thereby having less flash reaching the subject. I would think that by lowering the flash output by -2/3 to 1 stop would create similar result to #7.

regards,

Arthur

yeocsa wrote:Hi

Thanks for sharing your tests with us. Could you repeat #4 SB800 with diffuser with a - 2/3 EV? The LSII spread out the light more than the diffuser thereby having less flash reaching the subject. I would think that by lowering the flash output by -2/3 to 1 stop would create similar result to #7.

regards,

Arthur

Hi Arthur
Well, I guess I could, but...
the object of the test was to have everything the same except for the light source. I was trying to demonstrate what difference is made by LS II compared with other methods.
The same sort of result that you mention is apparent by having the diffuser dome on the LS II in #8.
If I start making EV adjustments for some of the tests but not for all, it rather invalidates what I was trying to achieve, don't you think?

Hi cricketfan

Yes. You are right in regards to your experiment.

I am interested to see if by setting a lower flash output, I could get close up or similiar result with the LSII. Also, how would the catchlight appears in the model's eyes.

I would think that the differences would be more apparent if the direction of the strong lighting is from the side.

regards,

Arthur

Cricketfan
Thanks for the tests. I think they would have been more informative if the image wasn't so strongly back lighted. By the way, what conclusions did you come to after testing? Are you happy with your purchase?

Matt. K wrote:Cricketfan
Thanks for the tests. I think they would have been more informative if the image wasn't so strongly back lighted. By the way, what conclusions did you come to after testing? Are you happy with your purchase?

Hi Matt

I specifically wanted to see the performance of the light sources in fill-flash situations. I hope to repeat the tests with a real person over the weekend, and I won't have the backlit environment.

I think the LS II does a good job at providing a very even, "wrap-around" lighting effect. The camera & the SB800 seem to do fairly well at metering with the LS II on board.

When the LS II arrived, my intial thought was that it is expensive for what it is - a plastic diffuser dome. No manual, not even packaging.

Having used it a little bit, I am happy with the results it provides. But I think it is a trifle unwieldy, and getting it on and off the SB800, or even affixing or removing the dome, is a tad more difficult than I would like.

And I just had to buy a plastic orthodontic splint (pre-made, not custom fitted by an orthodontist) and it was a similar cost. I must get into plastics for my next career.