Skip to main content

DIY: 12" gold/silver reflector as a flash bounce.

I have an overview view of this reflector on YouTube. I have a small 12 inch Promaster reflector that has silver on one side and gold on the other. I also have a few Rogue filter gel rubber bands (2 work a lot better than one in this case). Put them together and it makes a pretty serviceable flash bounce.

direct video link

If you are interested in this product, find it on Amazon here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases! 

Why I had never tried this before I don’t know…

Basically strapping the reflector to the flash. Makes it multi-purpose.

Check out the image below for a quick test of the setup:

The Promaster reflector in its case.


There are a lot of options added with a simple small reflector.


A few things to note:
  • The built-in bounce card also had the plastic diffusion panel covering the flash. In this case with a small room I think it worked a bit better than it would in most circumstances.
  • The cloth diffuser/reflector has been my go-to accessory for the flash. I have used that at many events.

I think the reflector turned out really well. Shadows are pretty soft and lighting in general is more even less harsh than the others. The camera was in a balanced flash mode and in aperture priority. Normally I’d use manual for a test, but this worked out just fine. In the case of the mini softbox, you can see how much light it wasted and how useless it generally is.

I think I’ll be using the reflector at a convention next weekend. One added benefit is that with the gold side I can counteract the large amount of tungsten lighting that is often in hotels.

Popular posts from this blog

Viltrox AF FE 28mm f/4.5 VCM ASPH ED Lens Overview

Viltrox asked me if I wanted to take a look at this unique compact autofocus full-frame prime lens with a focal length of 28mm and a fixed f/4.5 aperture for Sony E-mount cameras. Viltrox agreed to my standard collaboration terms before sending me the lens.    In the video I talk about features, how it works in practice, and show photos I had taken on a photo walk with the Sony a7S as well as the APS-C a6000. Viltrox is starting this off as an Indiegogo campaign. They told me that it will eventually be sold through normal retailers: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/viltrox-af-28mm-f4-5-fe-chips-size-ultra-thin-lens They said it will be $99 USD or 109 Euros with discounts during the crowdfunding period. Check out Indiegogo for details. I am not an affiliate of that website. You can check on the status of availability through my usual affiliates: B&H Photo Video Amazon As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!    The front of the lens. K...

Camera Gear Reviews and Marketing Issues Exposed

A great overview by Gerald Undone on his experiences in the field of camera gear related videos! It is an important topic. The more open the better, I’d say. After over 13 years making photography and videography gear videos, I’ve not had a huge amount of success comparatively, but I’ve also never been especially brand safe to begin with for these companies to consider me. 🤣 I think his mentions toward the end of the video are especially important. The unwritten pressure, or worse with companies like Insta360 , shouldn’t be acceptable and should be publicly called out more often. That’s probably the only way things will actually change for the better. I created a video detailing my opinion on the topic further: More of my comments on the video… His YouTube channel. 4:30 I understand that’s what Gerald does, but are there situations where companies are paying for flights and hotel costs of other reviewers with the expectation of a video/article being produced? (EDIT: I’ve seen confirm...

First look at the Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 for Sony E-mount bought from KEH

I've use a Sony Alpha A6000 and the PZ 16–50mm F/3.5–5.6 OSS kit lens with my computer as a webcam for a long time now. It's a lower cost option that has been very consistent outputting 1080p at 30 FPS to a USB based HDMI capture device. The kit lens is generally fine, but it has a few quirks. The biggest issue is that throughout the zoom range the maximum aperture value is not fixed. This introduces technical challenges when I want to show detailed views of product or similar use cases. There are also other considerations I'll talk about later in this article. So I decided to buy the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C lens in E-mount as a replacement.  Links in this article are a mix of paid and through my affiliates. I earn from each in different ways. One is a flat fee and the others I earn from qualifying purchases. Considering them for your purchasing needs helps make the creation of this information viable!   I made a video unboxing the lens and trying it out with Open ...