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.