I was browsing around the other day and I came upon a site, can't remember where now but there was a picture of a camera with a flash extender fitted and it was like Don's drawing only much longer, also it was fitted to a proper flash gun not a mickmouse flash like on my point and shoot. I wonder if there would be a market for such a thing for people like myself who like taking photos, a bit more than just snaps but not quite into the DSLR department?

Mick

Sorry for the delay in posting in the thread I must have missed it. After I read about the homemade snoot. I have an idea that may work as a magnifier when I can find it. That is, one of those reversing panels you stick to your rear window it could be used at the front of the box to spread the light.
Now all I have to do is turn the garage upside down.:D find some old wire coat hangers, some material for the sides and plenty of sticky tape and glue.

I think that should work Christine. A bit larger than would be suited to Mick but it would prove the feasability. The magnifier is required to focus the flash beam rather than it spreading out as normal. I have dug out an old Vivitar tele adaptor and thats how it seems to work.

Don

A net search has come up with what I think you are referring to. Two links attatched which give some idea of its construction.

http://www.moosepeterson.com/gear/betterbeamer.html

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re...r_beamer.shtml

Don

Don, unfortunately I can't find the old reversing magnifier to give the theory a try, so it maybe a while before I post a prototype.:(

Don, that is the thing I saw, looking at it I think it could be improved it appears to me that a lot of the flash energy must get lost upwards and downwards, perhaps it's not significant.
My gut feeling is that some sort of reflective trumpet shaped thing is the way to go and not bother with a Fresnel lens, must put Aluminium foil on the shopping list so I can have a play.

Mick

Mick,

As it is a compact camera with a small flash tube, perhaps a toilet roll tube lined with foil will do to bundle the light. There will be some spread as it exits the tube but that would be a lot less than without.

I will look and see if I have a bit of drain pipe to see if it will work using a standard flash to prove/disprove this option.

Don

OK Mick slight diversion from current task but I have done a quick test using the pop up flash on D100.

Composite pic attached. As you can see the straight tube does not work. A full length toilet roll becomes a snoot. The slighly conical flower pot gives some improvement, then lastly using fresnel lenses.

I now recall that the credit card sized magnifier I have seen is marketed by JML. Budget end of dept stores etc.

Hope this is useful.

Don

Thanks for your trouble, it looks to me that the mild Fresnel and the flower pot are the most promising. I was playing about tonight with rolling cone shapes out of photo paper(Forgot to get some foil) and I soon found some more problems, the most awkward is the flash is so close to the lens that the cone can only be about 3 cm long before it comes into view and the other is that a bodge job wont do because the light that misses the cone finds it's way into the lens and washes the picture out.
I'm going to see if I can get one of those magnifiers and perhaps some of that silver cardboard you get in a microwave pizza package and do a better job of it.
Thanks again Don for going to the trouble to try those things.

Mick

No probs Mick happy to be of any help.

If you say what camera you are using I can google for a pic of it to help me understand the difficulties.

Don