Interesting DIY Snoot
 

Take a look at this link which is a slideshow for making a DIY flash snoot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7126568...58068593/show/

Nice one Stephen i will remember this one so easy to make too.

Jim

Hmm, would something like that throw the flash further on a point and shoot camera so you could take pictures at a longer range? Sorry just thinking out loud.

Mick

Mick,

I haven't examined the construction of the device under discussion, but if you had a snoot lined with reflective material, I don't see why it wouldn't have some beneficial effect of extending the flash output. Probably not by much though.

Duncan

After I posted that I thought about it a bit more and decided I was being daft, misunderstood what a snoot was for a start, I suspect for what I had in mind it would make matters worse.
Question is, are there any devices you can fit to the flash on a point and shoot camera that concentrates the beam so you can take pictures at greater range in the dark, albeit that they are smaller.

Mick

The more beam-like light become the more difficult it is to control.

Most photographers are concerned with spreading out light evenly to make a softer light. a beam of light would be intense and harsh causing heavy shadows.

Some P&S owners have looked into using kitchen roll to diffuse the on camera flash for better results.

Light is to be wrapped around your subject not pointed.

Possible solution could be one of those credit card sized magnifiers instead of the honeycombe. The thought being that the magnifier would focus the flash beam. Then the whole thing could be no more than an inch or so proud of the camera.

I do not have a compact to try this out on so its only a suggestion.

Don

Thanks guys, I don't want to make a major issue of it, it's just seeing the original post got me thinking( I don't post here much but I do peruse it most days, you guys are on a different level to me) I have a minor project in mind which is to get some photos of the local Parakeets at roost, I can get close but not close enough for the built in flash so I want to give it a boost without spending a lot of money because I can't envisage needing it for anything else.
I might try the magnifier trick if I can get hold of one but I would imagine that most of the flash energy would bounce off rather than get focused into a beam, worth a try though 'cause you never know when you might get lucky.

Mick

Mick,

You would need to contain the light before it hits the magnifier. Something like the attached sketch might do. Possibly 2 to 3 inches long.

Don

Mick

Don is just itching to find some excuse to get down the workshop to knock up some prototypes for 50 pence from some old bits of plastic and tin foil ;) If your lucky Lello and Saphire the other members of the Blue Peter team will be on the case too. Sound like an interesting project.

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

Sorry I should have said that earlier, it's a Canon A610 but don't go to too much trouble Don, it is only a sort of background project for me, when I saw that other post it set me of wondering if it's possible, some sort of slave flash would probable be a better way to go but is that a red rag to a bull? Lol

Mick

Cheers Mick,

DPR has good pics in their review of the A620 which looks to be similar to A610. Just gives the brain something to think about on long machining jobs on my other projects.

DPR link for pics http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona620/

Don